Argentina 2008

[Kings]

Friendly Games
7.09 Argentina 88 - Poland 86
7.12 Argentina 88 - Mexico 60
7.13 Argentina 97 - Uruguay 60
7.17 Argentina 92 - Mexico 74
7.22 Argentina 88 - Spain 90
7.25 Argentina 75 - Lithuania 94
7.26 Argentina 62 - Spain 87

3rd FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament
Preliminary Round
7.29 Argentina 81 - Iran 71
7.31 Argentina 75 - Serbia 60
Finals
8.01 Argentina 95 - Australia 91

29th Olympic Games
Preliminary Round
8.10 Argentina 75 - Lithuania 79
8.12 Argentina 85 - Australia 68
8.14 Argentina 77 - Croatia 53
8.16 Argentina 97 - Iran 82
8.18 Argentina 91 - Russia 79
Quarter-Finals
8.20 Argentina 80 - Greece 78
Semi-Finals
8.22 Argentina 81 - USA 101
3rd to 4th Place
8.24 Argentina 87 - Lithuania 75

[bman]

Roster unknown? Several NBA stars did not play in the Americas tournement, will they all compete?

[robbe]

I'm 100% sure they will. Olympic Gold is the highest goal for an international basketball player, and even though the core of this team has already done it in 2004, they'll be eager to compete again. Which makes Argentina one of the big favourites to win gold. Unless there are injuries, we can count on Manu, Scola, Nocioni, Oberto etc. to compete again.

[alermac]

From the main core, we can count 100% on Manu, Nocioni, Oberto, Delfino and Scola.

Wolkowyski and Sanchez have both manifested their doubts, because of age and personal reasons.

Herrmann is an enigma. He once said he didn't have passion for the game anymore, it is just a job for him, and really doesn't want to play in his vacation.

The rest should be Prigioni, Kammerichs and some renovation of inside players (Mainoldi, González and JP Gutiérrez)

[mvblair]

Is JP Gutiérrez the same as Leo Gutiérrez? I think he's a fantastic player. I've liked him for many years. I think he's one of the smartest players on the planet. Argentinos here have disagreed with me, but I think he could play on any EL team and a lot of NBA teams.

Argentina's team is stacked, top to bottom.

[alermac]

JP is Juan Pedro Gutiérrez, a 25-year-old 2,06 center currently playing for Spain's CB Granada. Mostly a very good defender that can contribute with a very dangerous outside shot, like a younger Wolkowyski. He played little in last year's Americas', but he was coming out of a seven-month injury. This season he's been a regular reserve, and excelled when Curtis Borchardt couldn't show up.

[PRSURF]

Yeah, i think him and Logrippo are great.

[Neozyrus]

I think more or less the final list should be taken from these players:

PG
Prigioni - 1.86 - 31 - TAU
Pepe Sanchez - 1.92 - 31 - Barcelona
A. Porta - 1.88 - 25 - Spartak SP
Gianella - 1.87 - 30 - Granada

SG
Ginobili - 1.98 - 30 - San Antonio
Carlos Delfino - 1.99 . 27 - Toronto
Patricio Prato - 1.93 - 19 - Rieti
Tuky Bulfoni - 1.92 - 31 - Leon

SF
Nocioni - 1.99 - 28 - Chicago
Herrmann - 2.07 - 28 - Detroit
Hernan Jasen - 1.98 - 30 - Estudiantes
Gabini - Roma - 1.98 - 33 - Roma

PF
Scola - 2.06 - 27 - Houston (Its the same putting him here than in centers)
Kammerichs - 2.03 - 28 - Murcia
Baldo - 2.00 - 31 - Gran Canaria

C
Oberto - 2.07 - 33- San Antonio
Wolkowisky - 2.07 - 35 - Scafati
Juan Gutierrez - 2.05 - 25 .- Granada


And from what i saw from LEB, some really really interesting players could be:

Diego LoGrippo - Burgos - 1.98 - 30 - SF/PF
Leo Mainoldi - Lleida - 2.05 -22 - C/PF
Paolo Quinteros - CAI - 1.85 - 28 - PG
Matias Lescano - CAI - 1.96 - 27 - SG
Diego Ciociari - Melilla - 1.85 - 27 - PG
Diego Garcia - Burgos - 1.86 - 27 - PG
Lucas Victoriano - CAI - 1.90 - 30 - PG
Diego Guaita - Tenerife - 2.04 - 25 - PF

[alermac]

I think Paolo Quinteros, Mainoldi, Román González and Lo Grippo have much bigger chance of making the team than Baldo, Bulfoni, Prato or Gabini. I think a preliminary list would look like this:

PG
1-¿Sánchez? 2-Prigioni 3-Porta 4-Gianella

SG
1-Manu 2-Delfino 3-Quinteros

SF
1-Nocioni 2-¿Herrmann? 3-Kammerichs 4-Jasen

PF/C
1-Scola 2-Oberto 3-¿Wolkowyski? 4-Román González 5-L Gutiérrez, JP Gutiérrez, Mainoldi, Lo Grippo, Fernández

[Neozyrus]

I think Paolo Quinteros, Mainoldi, Román González and Lo Grippo have much bigger chance of making the team than Baldo, Bulfoni, Prato or Gabini. I think a preliminary list would look like this:

PG
1-¿Sánchez? 2-Prigioni 3-Porta 4-Gianella

SG
1-Manu 2-Delfino 3-Quinteros

SF
1-Nocioni 2-¿Herrmann? 3-Kammerichs 4-Jasen

PF/C
1-Scola 2-Oberto 3-¿Wolkowyski? 4-Román González 5-L Gutiérrez, JP Gutiérrez, Mainoldi, Lo Grippo, Fernández

Mainoldi is doing a superb season, he should be in a good ACB team next year, and LoGrippo is doing also great, he finally found the regularity he hasnt some years ago.
For the Sg position, Bulfoni is doing the hell of a season in Leon, Lescano and Quinteros are more or less at the same level right now in CAI and Prato has been quite regular during this season.

And about Baldo and Gabini, i think it would depend on the type of the team that the coach would like, if he wants some experence and to continue with the block of the latest years, he maybe could add Baldo or Gabini, but if he wants to give some opportunities to new players, then Mainoldi and LoGrippo should be in the top of that list, but obviously u would know that much better than me .

I almost hadnt seen Roman Gonzalez, just some videos of him in the latest years, mostly when he was in Rimini and Leon, and some videos of him in Argentina, but i suppose that putting him so high in the tall-men list, it would mean that hes doing a great season?

[alermac]

I agree that most of the players you mentioned are good and possibly better than the others, but these others have a big advantage: they have taken part in the NT and proved themselves. That's what puts González, Quinteros, Porta and Kammerichs ahead of Baldo, Bulfoni, Gianella and Gabini, in my opinion, even though these are also very good.

[Neozyrus]

Yeah thats a classic coach's position, u put the players that u know best and that have given u the best results, u know, u never change something that really woks (and Argentina in the latest years has been doing an awesome work so...). Thats really logic.

[alermac]

another player that could be part of a preliminary roster is Robert Battle, a 2,06 and 27 year old center who is reportedly about to naturalized as Argentinean. He is undoubtedly the best center in LNB along with Román González, although is very unlikely to be in this year's Olympics, possibly just in South American Championship.

[mvblair]

another player that could be part of a preliminary roster is Robert Battle, a 2,06 and 27 year old center who is reportedly about to naturalized as Argentinean. He is undoubtedly the best center in LNB...

The Demon of Drexel, man!! Battle is great. He could easily be in the EL. He's a great, great player. But if he were naturalized, I still don't think he would be a good choice for the Argentine NT. He's good, but we can name a half-dozen better centers for Argentina.

[alermac]

Pepe Sánchez announced his retirement from Argentina NT today. It's a shame, but i think the position is pretty well covered.