EuroBasket 2022 Power Rankings

[Victorious]

So Dorsey is really set to play for Greece?

He said in an interview that he wants to play. And that he didn't play last year because he couldn't see his family due to Covid restrictions. But nothing official.

IDK man France and Serbia are major talent farms. France have Okobo, Hayes, Maledon, Ntilikina coming and many more (biggest European prospect Viktor...). Maybe they won't prevail instantly, so there may be small decline in 2023-2026 or something, but not more. The same Serbia has Micic only growing to his prime, extreme guard prospect (early bloomer) Djurisic who will be drafted in the first round, so they will be OK, and their frontline is insane. IMO, France and Serbia won't see much of turbulance this decade (other than mood swing of Serbia maybe).

France and Serbia will be the best teams this Olympic cycle. But other good teams will perhaps be able to match them once some of their key players grow older. More like, Spain with or without Gasol. I don't know who will come out of the woodwork, but Batum, Fournier, De Colo, Gobert are hard to replace. So are Bjelica and Marjanovic. It's those kind of players. We'll see.

[Katastroika]

People running low on Greece imo. I think they can play a very good tournament. In my opinion nothing worse than Serbia/Lithuania when complete. 50/50 game.

[Straight forward]

So Luka was around 120kg this season and recently reduced his weight to 108kg. Balling again. We can start to prepare to new defensive plan already

[Straight forward]

Slovenia is pretty much the same. I put them in tier one because they are defending champions even though they still seem kinda one dimensional. This season Glass is emerging as a nice versatile shooter with really soft hand. He fits in perfectly with their offensive mindset and alongside Doncic. Defense though is not at the same level. Everything else is basically the same, there is no team that one player elevates that much like Doncic elevates Slovenia. Also, it will be interesting to see if they can repeat the same energy they've had past couple of years. That's also a big factor in their success. I guess Tobey is still their option as naturalized player, which is fine, with him they can play all 5 out and wait for Doncic’s creation. Dangerous but closer to tiers below than to Serbia or France.
.

Another very interesting Slovenian PG prevailing. 21yo Ziga Samar, assists machine in ACB. Great size, shoots the ball well. May be for consideration of EB already, dishes that ball like a stud. Samar ranks No. 1 in the ACB in several passing metrics. Slovenia is somehow always able to provide a handful of quality guards.

https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1488875236602830850

And Urban Klavzar can be something like Campazzo, right? 17yo already dropped 10pts vs CSKA this season:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqRWk-tLQlc&ab_channel=Bllen

And there's Jan Vide who destroyed U16 EC, and some other prospect.

Imagine prime Doncic playing together with couple of other elite guards in the second half of 20s. This decade is really intriguing for Slovenia, they may snatch all these medals that they lost in 00s and 10's.

[Toruko]

I really dont understand this Slovenia hype. Yeah Slovenia has great guards like Sisko, Klavsar, Samar but they play with Nikolic Muric and Blazic in their wing positions let alone bigs after Gasper Vidmars retirement there is Dimec and with all my respect who the hell is he?

Eurobasket 17 was a solid Slovenian roster. They had a hard guard like Dragic, a prime Randolph who was the best power forward in the Euroleague back then and baby Doncic. The inside outside balance was ok, quality was ok, I dont say Slovenia is weak but they are by far not that strong like its accepted here. Yeah they beat Lithuania in a run because the coach was an idiot and the Lithuanian backcourt was trash defensively. A bunch of chicken were more organized than Lithuanian NT.

The more important guy is Gregor Glas. I have been watching this kid since U18 EC 2019 and he was playing with Akay the entire season with Dynamic. He is being compared with Bodganovic but if you ask me he is a much better scorer. Defensively we can discuss. :P

[Straight forward]

Lithuania's defence wasn't good, with that I agree, and Lithuania yet again choked mentally to some extent (like in 2011 EB as well), missing FTs and many open shots.

But you have to understand that Slovenia trashed Germany by 24pts in 4finals and lost to France only by 1 point in semis They ended up among top 4 Olympic teams. Actually in the small final they also had a good game and Boomers needed freakin' 42pts game by Patty Mills to snatch a win and at that time Doncic was on the down side of his long summer shape...

Slovenia is legitimate power which won Eurobasket 2017 and it wasn't a greatly balanced team, 3 of their scoring leaders were guards Dragic, Doncic, Prepelic (and the latter took the team on his shoulders when Doncic got injured and Dragic gassed in the final against Serbia). Don't give me no bullshit how Vidmar or Randolph were great, they were solid, that's it. In 2021 OG, Tobey and Cancar dominated more than both of these guys (facts - eff numbers).

Slovenia is legitimate powerhouse which would beat the crap out of Turkey 8 times out of 10 (and I'm afraid would do the same with Lithuania 6-7 times out of 10). You disrespect too much teams which achieve way more than your Turkey which you constantly hype (understandably, yet excessively), you were disrespecting Greece before OQT and Greece trashed Turkey.

The only problem I have with Slovenia and all other sell out NTs is how they got Tobey. Just gave a passport to random American in a force majeure manner. Dude even claimed he didn't know where Slovenia locates...I don't understand this naturalization bullshit, but Slovenia is legitimate powerhouse and Doncic is not even in his prime as by far best FIBA player already. If there wasn't for long season and qualification in Kaunas he would had been the best player in Olympics (Durant second) just as he was in the first half of Olympics.

All facts, not a hype. Fucking title of Eurobasket and proud stance among top 4 best worlds Olympic teams. Action speaks not words.

[Toruko]

Yeah I know who beat who. Thats not the point. I dont disrespect any team. I know basketball, I know the strengths of the teams. I am sorry but Greece was shit. You had to win this game doesnt matter who played or who dont on Turkeys side even though I never claimed Turkey would win anything.

Germany never expecting something won in a very weak Group an unprepared Croatia, Brazil with an average age of 40 and even 45 year old Russia. Should I be impressed now? Every team in Canadas group would crash this group easily. The win against France is ok but with a winning streak and tournament habit this can happen. It doesnt mean Slovenia is great.

I can guarantee you that Slovenia wont beat Turkey how was it 8 of 10 with solid preparation. I am neither afraid of playing against Lithuania nor Slovenia.

[Straight forward]

I can guarantee you that Slovenia wont beat Turkey how was it 8 of 10 with solid preparation. I am neither afraid of playing against Lithuania nor Slovenia.

One thing is not to be afraid, other is to actually win Not that Turkey can't become a better basketball country and the momentum is positive, but you chronically put on too positive expectations towards Turkey. I do remember you were very positive before OQT, and seen some quality changes in Turkey's team, but it failed. The fact is that Slovenia was elite in previous Olympic cycle, they did it. All this talk like this opponent is that, that opponent is this is BS. Slovenia has what it earned, I just hate this naturalization thing. They can be good without this vulgar sh.., IMO.

[Toruko]

One thing is not to be afraid, other is to actually win Not that Turkey can't become a better basketball country and the momentum is positive, but you chronically put on too positive expectations towards Turkey. I do remember you were very positive before OQT, and seen some quality changes in Turkey's team, but it failed. The fact is that Slovenia was elite in previous Olympic cycle, they did it. All this talk like this opponent is that, that opponent is this is BS. Slovenia has what it earned, I just hate this naturalization thing. They can be good without this vulgar sh.., IMO.

Yeah and then the team has lost all his play makers. It happens and I was indeed very positive after Czechs defeated Canada and we defeated Czechs with 20 and lost to Greece with 10+ and the Czechs defeated Greece with 20. Some countries cant handle the game of another country. Greeks for example have trouble playing Serbia, Serbs have trouble with Spaniards and we have trouble with Greeks because they know our weakness very well. Attack the Turks in the play making and they will fall apart. Its really annoying.

I have high standards and criticizing others doesnt mean that the Turkish NT is great. Yeah its true I dont have high regards of the current basketball level of Greece. They havent produced much in the last decade and it doesnt look great. The only advantage and respect they currently deserve is no matter of success or opposite they always base on Greeks like you Lithuanians too.

The same guys as Papapetrou, Papanikolaou, Grigonis, Lekavicius couldnt even dream of Euroleague when they were Turks and thats the difference of being a basketball country or not.

[Straight forward]

The same guys as Papapetrou, Papanikolaou, Grigonis, Lekavicius couldnt even dream of Euroleague when they were Turks and thats the difference of being a basketball country or not.

Can you elaborate on this?

[Toruko]

Can you elaborate on this?

Wow long time I havent read this word. I had to look up to remember.

Well, it was the time even Korkmaz and Osman had serious trouble getting playing time with Efes. FB was too strong too. Even the last placed Turkish team had a budget of 3 million euros. At this age non of these guys would have seen minutes in the Euroleague.

[Katastroika]

And then some people say Slovenia is Balkan.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1487737690523160579

[Victorious]

Wow long time I havent read this word. I had to look up to remember.

Well, it was the time even Korkmaz and Osman had serious trouble getting playing time with Efes. FB was too strong too. Even the last placed Turkish team had a budget of 3 million euros. At this age non of these guys would have seen minutes in the Euroleague.

I believe it is the opposite. Since these Greek and Lithuanian players you mentioned are in fact EL material, they would be in winning teams if their clubs had higher budgets. So they would seem better. You could have said the same thing about Mitoglou for example, but as you can see, he is doing alright in Milan.

[Toruko]

I believe it is the opposite. Since these Greek and Lithuanian players you mentioned are in fact EL material, they would be in winning teams if their clubs had higher budgets. So they would seem better. You could have said the same thing about Mitoglou for example, but as you can see, he is doing alright in Milan.

Nothing against Mitoglou. He is a useful player but if you think that Papapetrou, Papanikolaou or Larentzakis are talented players you are really not objective enough to say it in a very polite way. The Greek team around 2005 was a respectable team. Additionally, you can put every player in the right place and make him look useful. I can tell you 100 guys from Turkey but in fact they are trash so is Papapetrou. He has a strong core, he comes from playing to this point, he has a good scoring night out of 100 but he is offensively trash.

The important point is to be in a very good surrounding during 18 - 22 years old and I have to add that the Turkish player mindset is weak because they earn money either way. It doesnt matter if they good or bad. The majority of the 95-97 generation of Turkey would be playing Euroleague right now when they were Lithuanians or Greeks.

[Toruko]

Let me be more precise. I dont say that for example Birsen or Ulubay are better player than Papapetrou. They are not but the reason is clear. Papapetrou had a better surrounding and a purpose to be better. Ulubay earned more money when he was 19 than Papapetrou in his 4-5 years from 18-22. We simply messed up these guys and they were ready to be messed up but its not a matter of talent.