Greece by 25.

Size and execution NZ can't match

Gee I dunno hoopie, that near-capitulation vs Jordan has me concerned.

ESPN/Kayo broadcast of the game starts at 10:25pm EST for anyone who cares.

Nz have been ok, good is high exaggeration imo. I haven't watched much of Greece except a few highlights, I reckon they got this by 12 plus. Wetzel is a defensive liability and it’ll hurt. Illi been clearly there best, Leafa not bad, Delaney ok but not a lot else.

I'm hoping for another South Sudan win tonight!

Otherwise known as Olympics Games Qualification Day.

(Greece-NZ)

Sorry Kiwis, we want some Greek success tonight

"but NZ look good so far"

Have you been watching the comp? They nearly lost to a fairly average Jordan team (and its hard to take anything out of the US game either way). So, we haven't seen play to suggest they've looked good frankly.

Ok, fair point re the ending against Jordan, in which both teams were trying so hard that it seemed like they were determined to lose.

They did much better than I'd expected in their game against the US and a lot of the game against Jordan, and I think they can improve a bit more.

Would they struggle against Australia - definitely. Would they struggle against quality bigs - probably. Could they beat Greece - I’m hopeful.

I'm behind the Olympics chatter. Having now progressed through, have the Boomers automatically qualified?

Also hoping NZ get up tonight. Past my bedtime so I’ll be looking at scores tomorrow morning.

Only 1 of Aus or nz gets auto spot, whoever finishes higher. A loss tonight for nz means aus qualify for Olympics. If nz finish higher, we will have to go through a 2 phase qualification process which will be difficult.

Nz is capable of beating Greece tonight and Lithuania/montenegro in the next round.
Aus will likely have Slovenia/Georgia

I'm pleased that the various Australian South Sudanese were able to play in the World Cup for their national team.

Given that Acuil was selected for that team but - as I understand it - never actually played for them, does that mean that he could potentially be selected for Australia?

He has already played for Sudan on a few occasions.

Thanks for clarifying for me. (It wasn't on his Wikipedia page)

"Have you been watching the comp? They nearly lost to a fairly average Jordan team"

Jordan were within 5 of Greece with 8-9 minutes to play. They're not terrible by any means. Considering who's not there I think NZ are playing pretty well (late meltdown v Jordan aside) but they'll have to play very well to beat Greece, they have a fair advantage in size and experience.

Hollis-Jefferson worries me with how hard he is trying to be a Kobe clone.

Thanks Weedy. Go Greece I guess.

Also hoping NZ get up tonight.

What I felt while watching the European teams play this time

Euro teams participate not only in the World Cup and Olympics, but also in EuroBasket. They have more international competition experience.
We have a short camp period and a small number of practice games.
There is bound to be a difference in organizational skills.

If only Australia could enter EuroBasket like they do in Eurovision.

Given Australia is the only country to make top 4 in the past three majors, I don't think we're at too much of a disadvantage!

What I'm talking about is not a question of which team is advantaged or disadvantaged.
It's about experience.
Joe and Patty also did not achieve good results from the beginning. We didn't advance to the semifinals from the beginning. We continued to play international competitions and although the team members changed slightly, there was continuity.
Ultimately, there will be a generational change, and as there are many talented young players, if they have a lot of experience in international competitions, they will be able to maintain good results.

It's give and take. Australia has got to play in almost all the majors all the way along, so we get more experience there than most European teams. The flipside is they get to play in Eurobaskets to make up for it.

Most of the European teams you mentioned include teams like Spain.
These are the teams we really have to compete with.
Australia are effectively inexperienced as their best teams do not play in the regional qualifiers and Asia Cup.

Nba and euro league players don't get released from the clubs to play euro baskets. It’s not unlike Asian qualifiers where best teams very rarely make it.

"Australia are effectively inexperienced"

Not at all, as I explained before we get to play in pretty much all the majors, one of the few countries to do so. We're not inexperienced.

Eurobasket 2022

All-Tournament Team
Willy Hernangómez
Lorenzo Brown
Rudy Gobert
Dennis Schroder
Giannis Antetokounmpo

For reference, Luka Doncic also played.

We participate in two competitions: the World Cup and the Olympics.
Spain participates in three competitions: the World Cup, the Olympics, and EuroBasket.
Experience is important because we are one of the few countries to do so.
In the end, as you get to the higher rounds, you will only meet the teams you used to meet.
However, since we cannot participate in competitions such as EuroBasket, it would be nice to have at least an friendly match in years when the World Cup or Olympics are not held.

Regardless of Green and Reath's skills, how much experience do they have in international competitions? There is nothing wrong with having a lot of experience.

NBA players are not going to make themselves available for "friendlies" in non World Cup or Olympic years. You get more delusional with every post!

Cape Verde hanging in there so far.

The cape right in it, Donkic looking injured saying Gazey

Boomers have amazing injury luck when it comes to Doncic.

Let's go Cabo Verde.

Okay, that has to be the most stupidest travel I've ever seen in my life.

(and selfish too.)

Sebastian, what do you think the Australian team needs to do to gain more experience? Delusions can sometimes become reality.
Can you watch the games with a smile even if the veterans don't perform as expected for years after they retire?
The World Cup and Olympics only happen once every four years.
Being prepared is never a bad thing.
It's okay for you to refute or present new opinions to my posts or comments, but if you're going to show such an asshole attitude to every comment I write, please just ignore me.

"It's give and take. Australia has got to play in almost all the majors all the way along, so we get more experience there than most European teams. The flipside is they get to play in Eurobaskets to make up for it."

That's a good point. Australia has an easy qualification into the Olympics, at least while New Zealand is not as strong, which allows the team more experience playing with each other against strong opponents. But we are still at a disadvantage against the strong Euro teams who get World Cup, Olympics and Eurobasket.

Advantages of Euro vs Asian qualifiers
- Euro has more games at a higher standard
- Euro teams are likely to have more stable squads
- Euro fans will be a lot more mobile and passionate, following their teams around
- more likelihood of getting the best coaches in Europe

Which likely leads to
- better team culture and teamwork and understanding
- more consistency and fewer blowouts
- having to play at a consistently high standard to succeed
- more exposure to different styles of play
- more chance to try things with stable squads
- better understanding of opponent's strengths and weaknesses, forcing teams and coaches to constantly improve and innovate
- more fans at games to support you (& to let you know when they’re not impressed)

As an illustration, if you count Olympics, WC and Eurobasket as first-class tournaments, here is how many a range of countries from this year's WC have played in the past five years:

France 4
Spain 4
Italy 4
Germany 4
Slovenia 3
USA 3
Aus 3
Serbia 3
Lithuania 3
Greece 3
Montenegro 3
Japan 3
Finland 2
Latvia 2
Brazil 2
Canada 2
Georgia 2
New Zealand 2

Previously, when there were Eurobaskets every two years there was a bigger advantage, but that has been reduced now it's only every four years.

Good analysis, mouse. I didn't realise it was that close in terms of numbers, even though the playing standards would have been very different

Anonymightymouse, good analysis.
Just to add a few things:
There is continuity in the national team, with most key players playing together for more than 10 years. So do we.
Since EuroBasket has been conducted every two years, a five-year sample is a bit insufficient for your analysis. It must have been at least 10 years.
And it is acknowledged that EuroBasket will change every four years thereafter. That's why the numbers will be similar to ours in the future.
But that is also a significant number. As mentioned earlier, most key players have played for the national team for more than 10 years.
There is a bigger difference in experiencing a major tournament than you might think. We organize camps and practice games for competitions. And the competition will last approximately 6 to 8 games.
This means that at least key players will play in EuroBasket twice.

"Since EuroBasket has been conducted every two years, a five-year sample is a bit insufficient for your analysis. It must have been at least 10 years."

I disagree with this, because from here on in it will be every four years. That's why I looked at the period under the new system.

The standard I want is actually about the teams we meet when we get to the quarterfinals or higher. A real medal contender
To put it bluntly, teams like Montenegro, Japan, New Zealand and Georgia should be left off the list you mentioned.

And blank space cannot be ignored.

world cup 2023
Olympics 2024
EuroBasket 2025

world cup 2027
Olympics 2028
EuroBasket 2029

world cup 2031
olympics 2032
EuroBasket 2033

We have a two-year gap after the Olympics.
And teams like Spain have a gap of a year.
Superstars like Antetokounmpo and Doncic also participated in the World Cup qualifiers, although not in many games.

I disagree with this, because from here on in it will be every four years. That's why I looked at the period under the new system.

If so, you shouldn't sample based on 5 years.
Because the World Cup, Olympics and EuroBasket are held in succession and after the Olympics we have a gap of two years and teams like Spain have a gap of one year.
Then your comment about the World Cup entering the sample twice makes even less sense.

I think you've misunderstood what I'm saying.

Each four years there will be 1 WC, 1 Olympics and 1 Eurobasket. A European team that qualifies for all the world tournaments (which was France, Spain, Italy and Germany in the sample I used) get a one-tournament advantage over Australia in each four-year window.

Any European team that misses out on one of the world tournaments (which was Serbia, Lithuania, Greece & Montenegro in the sample I used) will have played in the same amount of top-end tournaments as Australia in that four-year window.

So while there can still be an advantage for some European teams, the advantage is now reduced due to the Eurobasket being played less often.

Further, for most European teams there isn't an advantage over Australia now because the small number of Olympic spots means good Euro teams miss out, where the Boomers play in every world tournament.

Good analysis

Any idea how many players Spain, Germany, etc have had to cycle through their team to get them to the Olympics etc?

I'd be confident that we’ve had to use a lot more players to get to the main event than the top Euro teams.

I think there is a very simple way to look at the experience of playing together in major tournaments advantage that the top Euro teams have.

At each Olympics the core group of players from Spain, Germany, France, Lithuania etc will have played in twice as many major tournaments together since the previous Olympics than we have.

There can be that advantage. But Lithuania and Serbia didn't make the last Olympics. That's the advantage we have.