It doesn’t matter who you are

POLAND (The View from Downunder) - I am going to tell you which team has the hunger to take the Eurobasket crown in Poland. But first, play a little guessing game with me. You probably know the answer already, but humour me a while.

It’s the FIBA Americas Championship game, Puerto Rico are 16 down to Brazil and they come roaring home - who leads the way? Arroyo and Ayuso of course, maybe with some help from PJ Ramos.

But as we all know, that wasn’t the case. Ramos couldn’t buy a basket, and Arroyo had almost single-handedly brought his country’s offence to a standstill trying to create his own shots off the pick and roll.

In international basketball it doesn’t matter who you are, if you ain’t there on the night, and you can’t play within the team, you become a liability.

That’s why it was the likes of Filiberto Rivera and Guillermo Diaz who led the Puerto Rican charge and almost claimed a fairytale win. They didn’t know any better, they just went out and did what their coach and teammates asked.

Have a look at Polish forward Michal Ignerski. A seemingly unassuming player, Ignerski stepped up and nailed three consecutive final quarter triples to lead his country to their enormous upset of Lithuania.

In the back of his mind could have been the fact that he only made 14/52 threes in European club competition last year. But instead he picked his moments and propelled his country into the second round.

So often in the ultra intense competition that is FIBA basketball it is the team and player with the greatest hunger that gets the job done. How often would Ignerski and Poland get the chance to beat Lithuania? Not often, and they didn’t waste the moment.

Look at New Zealand in the recent FIBA Oceania Championship. The Kiwis had to sit and watch last year as Australia represented Oceania at the Beijing Olympics. This year, without names like Jones, Cameron, Bradshaw, Marks and Dickel, they were given little hope of reclaiming the Oceania title that they had won only once, in 2001.

But the Aussies didn’t have the hunger, and New Zealand jumped on the coattails of the amazing Kirk Penney and took the crown, along the way unearthing their starting centre for many a year to come, the 7’1 Alex Pledger – or the Pledgehammer as he is now known downunder!

Of course, that reignited the flame in the Australians, a country that has finished top 8 in seven of its last 10 major championships. Peeved at being embarrassed by the Kiwis, and under siege from their fans, they went undefeated to claim the Stankovic Cup for the first time.

Sure, it was an understrength Stankovic Cup field, but this was a very young Aussie team who may have unearthed a future star in FIBA U19 World Championship captain Matthew Dellavedova. He has a lot of work to do before he can sit anywhere near a table featuring Parker, Jasikevicius, Papaloukas and co, but watch out for his name, possibly at the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Spain.

Argentina is a team that is never short of pride when representing their country, but even they needed a shot in the backside before they could produce at the level needed to make the top four in Puerto Rico and qualify for next year’s worlds.

Who would have thought that after their comprehensive defeats at the hands of Venezuela and Brazil that they could have turned things around so emphatically?

Welcoming Pablo Prigioni back to the line-up didn’t hurt one iota – that man summarises what is needed at the highest level. Consistency, discipline, patience, smarts, and a dash of brilliance every now and again.

Anyway, back to Poland and the Eurobasket. Which country is hungry enough to take this crown, probably the third hardest in basketball?

I will state right here that Spain do not.

Sure, you could make a good case that they are just building to yet another triumph. I don’t buy it. Their performance in Japan in 2006 was sublime, and their efforts in Beijing as good as they could be without taking the gold. So what is their motivation here?

Yes they want to qualify for Turkey, and they will surely fill one of the six spots, but after the dizzying heights they have reached recently they just aren’t as desperate for the Eurobasket as some other teams. Same goes for Russia after their amazing triumph two years ago, even if they had their full squad available.

What about Greece?

They have also reached some great heights, in Serbia in 2005 and in defeating the USA in the world championship semis in 2006. But since then they have been humiliated by Spain in the WC final, brought down a notch at the 2007 Eurobasket, and were clearly off the pace set by Spain and the US in Beijing.

They are definitely a focussed, hungry team again, but has the fourth quarter mystique that won them so many close games been dispelled? I think so, but they should still make the top six, even if the title proves beyond them.

So who are these hungry teams that have the fire in them to win the consecutive tough games needed to claim the mantle of champions of Europe?

I am going out on a limb, and I say watch out for Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia and particularly France.

Croatia and Serbia are two proud basketball nations who have fallen well off the perch, and are determined to get back. Slovenia is a team on the rise who believe their time is now.

Croatia had a taste of it at the Olympics last year, and while they lack a star to carry them to tight victories, they play as hard as anyone and have a real determination about them.

They are my X-factor, but my tip is France.

There is no question this group of French players have underachieved as a group. Interesting that their best performance in recent times was 5th at the 2006 FIBA World Championship minus Tony Parker.

But in qualifying for the Eurobasket just days ago, they showed they can get it done with or without the lightning point guard. And in a gruelling tournament like the Eurobasket, that will be crucial. They have a number of players who are happy to play their role, and do not care whether they get on the scoreboard – that too will be crucial.

Tipping the French in any sport is risky business, because they can be Jekyll and Hyde, but I think they will be heading to Turkey next year, along with Spain, Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.

As always, only time will tell.

But one thing is certain, and this international season has taught us once again. It doesn’t matter who you are – Spain, Argentina, Australia, Lithuania, or the mighty USA – if you’re not there on the night, you ain’t getting the victory.

Paulo Kennedy
FIBA