2010 World Championship

[ArkadiosV2]

Because you think they are going to make the last six (Or to be more exact: You said so), which means they are going to win at least one of the next two games in the next round. Right now, they are even trailing Macedonia (FYROM-Version)...

1. Russia made the next round.
2. Top7 teams will get direct qualification, not 6
3. Russia will have to win 1 out of 3 games in next phase to get the ticket, not two
4. Russia winning 1/3 games= 33% chances. Russia losing all 3 games=12.5%
Therefore Russia has almost three time the chances to qualifying that not qualifying.
5. Basically You said that Russia is a lock for a wildcard, writing off their chances to qualify.

[JGX]

4. Russia winning 1/3 games= 33% chances. Russia losing all 3 games=12.5%
Therefore Russia has almost three time the chances to qualifying that not qualifying.

And apparently an even greater chance of neither qualifying nor not qualifying

[Dtown]

Russia will probably qualify outright, as the 8th team that qualifies for the semi finals, whether it's Croatia or Germany, has been pretty poor this tournament.

That said Germany's beaten Russia, and Croatia's was close to doing it. So while Russia's the favorite between them it's hardly set in stone.

[Franz]

I am really impressed by turkey' s level, Spain remains strong and Greece also..
I bet France/Greece/Spain/Turkey and Slovenia comes last are the strongest in this tournament.
I think this year: Russia and Germany will take the wild cards.. I am not sure if they are going to give one more ..Because Lithuania and Croatia performance were too bad..they don' t deserve ..

Regardless of how bad Lithuania played in Eurobasket, they're going to get one because of their success as well as the popularity of basketball in the country.

If you look back at Eurobasket 2005, Italy (11th), Turkey (12th), and Serbia (9th) did not finished in the top 8 yet they were given wildcard spots for the 2006 WC. On the other hand, teams like Croatia and Russia (who finished ahead of Italy and Turkey) were denied wildcards.

This all but confirms that Lithuania (and likely Germany) will be in Turkey next year.

[khaledlebanon]

I think that lithuania and germany will get a wild card for sure... but what about serbia if they took the 8 th place and didn't qualify will they get a wild card ??? especially that in 2006 they got one.. i don't think that they shoud get one if they didn't qualify this time.. they must give other countries a chance...

[Dtown]

Well one I doubt Serbia will finish 8th, Russia and Croatia have both looked worse in this tournament and they'll only have to beat one of them.

Two while they're recent history is bad, they still have won a world championship this decade. If they just miss out on the tournament (and at this point just missing out, is the only way to miss it for them), they would have solid evidence that this team is improving and worth having at the world championships.

In terms of popularity, prestige, and importance to FIBA they're hard to beat.

[Dtown]

Congrats to Serbia for becoming the first team in Europe (not counting Turkey) to qualify for the WC2010. They really look like the best Serbian team in years, and may actually live up to that #5 fiba ranking.

[WIZARD]

bravo Serbia....congratz for this win over russia and for advancing to the semifinals...our goal now is the Gold medal ajde momci.....

[Dtown]

Congrats to Spain on their 8th straight world championship, finally looking the team they were hyped up to be.

Turkey
USA
Angola
Cote d'Ivoire
Tunisia
Iran
China
Jordan
New Zealand
Australia
Brazil
Puerto Rico
Argentina
Canada
Serbia
Spain

16 down and 8 to go

[Tomodachi]

Sacramento Kings SCREWED The DR

it's too bad that Sacramento Kings didn't let Francisco Garcia play the last game of the last qualifying spot to the world Championship, because Gracia was the best player for the Dominicans, and maybe the best player of the whole tournament, he was the heart and soul of the team.


With Francisco Garcia playing The Dominican would've beaten Canada easily and qualify to the World Championship, Missing Garcia meant missing 20 points per game more. So that being said we all know that The Dominicans qualified to the World Championship Morally due to the fact that Sacramento Kings pulled out Garcia at the last minute and didn't let him play after he had played the rest of the tournament (and dominated it BTW).

Because of this The Dominican Republic, deserve a "WILD CARD" because they didn't qualify because of The Sa-CRAP-mento (I mean, Sacramento) Kings, not because Canada was better.

We all know The Dominican Republic would have won that game against Canada with Garcia with them.

and on top of that, the Refs stole the Dominicans the game against Brazil, when at the last 2 minutes, they sent out all our Big men (Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, and Charlie Villanueva, Detroit Pistons) with some phantom calls, "A-LA-D.wade"

and the same happened against Argentina, Scola played for the last 2 quaters with 4 fouls (you only need 5 to be out under FIBA Rules) (Scola) pushing everyone, and pulling Al Horford's hand all over the place, and (Scola) was never call of those fouls, and at the end he (Scola) was trhe one who won the game (with the help of the Rfes, of course)

So with all this been said, The Dominican Republic, rightfully deserve a WILD CARD.

Just Imagine that Dominican Team with ow more NBA players like Trevor Ariza, and Sammy Mejia (Detroit Pistons, not in the NBA right now), and a young college prospect like Edgar Sosa (Louiville's Cards) and Other players (all with NCAA experience also) playing in the best European Leagues like: Jose Olivero (France), Jeff Greer(France), Ricky Soliver (France), Sean Ogrii(Spain), other NCAA players like 6'9'' Foward Antonio Pena ,and playmakers Alvin Abreu and Manny Quezada, and a 7 footer player with ACB (Spain) and D-League (NBA developmental League) experiences, Joshua Asselin.

[Franz]

Welcome to the party Greece.

[Dtown]

Congrats to Slovenia, looked like they might choke it away in the first half but they dominated the third quarter.

Important note for tomorrow, if France beats Turkey only the top 6 get automatic bids.

For example if France and Russia win, and Croatia beat Turkey for 7th, Croatia still wouldn't get an automatic bid.

[FIBA Europe Basket]

Europe gets 3 spots and the Americas gets 1, the last team that did not make it. So Dominican Republic is in. Then it will be 3 teams out of Croatia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Russia. Looking at it fairly, Germany and Lithuania do not deserve a spot.

Actually I have thought this for a long time about Lithuania. They view the World Championship the same way as the USA - they don't rate it at all. Both USA and Lithuania have always basically taken it off and saved their teams up for the Olympics to be fresher. Seeing how they never take it seriously and again this time did not either they should not get a place.

Germany should not get a place just because "Dirk and Kaman will play". Because they were awful to be honest about it at EuroBasket 2007 and the 2008 Olympics and in this tournament they brought a B squad and even though they gave it all they had, they had no chance to qualify. So to me neither Germany nor Lithuania took it seriously and so they don't deserve the spot.

And really, you know that Dirk, Saras, and so forth don't even want to play next summer anyway.

[LuDux]

Actually I have thought this for a long time about Lithuania. They view the World Championship the same way as the USA - they don't rate it at all. Both USA and Lithuania have always basically taken it off and saved their teams up for the Olympics to be fresher. Seeing how they never take it seriously and again this time did not either they should not get a place.

1994: didn't play because couldn't qualify for EC'93
1998: as in EC'97, Lithuania was 6th among European countries, just like year before that
2002: didn't play because couldn't qualify through EC'93
2006: Saras didn't play already in EC'05, Lithuania was 5th among European countries, just like year before that

In other words we take it seriously, unless you suggest that Lithuania doesn't take every second EC seriously

[ArkadiosV2]

LuDux stop your nonsense propaganda. Everyone knows Lithuania doesn't take basketball in general too seriously. Lithuania should play in Division B.