2016 Olympic Power Rankings

[Dacho88Nk]

1. United States
2. Serbia
3. Spain
4. France
5. Brazil
6. Australia
7. Argentina
8. Croatia
9. Lithuania
10.Venezuela
11.Nigeria
12.China

Was I right? Yes Thank you


New Men's world rankings:

1. USA - 950
2. Spain - 590
3. Serbia - 553
4. France - 444
5. Lithuania - 442
6. Argentina - 360
7. Brasil - 323
8. Turkey - 281
9. Russia - 255
10.Australia - 234
11.Croatia - 184
12. Slovenia - 163
13.Greece - 155
14. China - 131.2
15. Venezuela - 115.4
16. Nigeria - 106.2

[Hepcat]

While the strategy works for players, the correlation between size of payroll and playing success for clubs is tenuous.

[vuxsa]

Keep in mind that throwing money at players is not a consistently successful strategy in any league or sport.

Why not? They struggle so hard to get it all - excellent physical exercise to remain in shape.

[Hepcat]

Zalgiris budget is like 3-4million euros...cska is paying 2 players such salarie,its impossible to compete...

Keep in mind that throwing money at players is not a consistently successful strategy in any league or sport.

[Shawshank]

Some top tier National Teams never reach full potential or get to find the right team chemistry in just a few weeks. Because of this National team competitions are lower level competitions than the Euroleague.
This is why national team competitions are rather unpredictable, since mediocre teams can surprise top teams. Teams like the Netherlands can almost beat countries like Croatia and Greece. Better yet, teams like Nigeria can knock out Greece in Olympic qualifiers. Teams like FYROM can even reach the Semi-Finals of Eurobasket, and I may even say that teams like Lithuania, who have the experience to find the right buttons in short tournaments, can consistently be medal candidates, while they would not even come close to make the Final Four in a Euroleague season.

There are a few national teams which can be EL title candidates, namely Spain or France among others, but these teams do not reach their full potential in short tournaments. When they do come close to their full potential, they usually beat other national teams by great margins all the way to the gold.

It is no secret that coaches have no time put their signature on the team in such a short period of time. If they did, then teams with the best rosters would be considerably stronger. The good thing is that the new qualification system will allow teams to glue and reach full potential in the final tournaments.

Zalgiris is not Lithuania national team.Zalgiris have bench players of national team.Put entire national team and let them playing together for 8 motnhs,they would make top8 in euroleague and Valanciunas best eurolegue player.Zalgiris in euroleague is always in end with money and tallent in top16,Lithuania national team its always in top8 in any major tournament by tallent !
Zalgiris budget is like 3-4million euros...cska is paying 2 players such salarie,its impossible to compete...

[Victorious]

As a result I think the top European national teams would beat the Euroleague champion.

Some top tier National Teams never reach full potential or get to find the right team chemistry in just a few weeks. Because of this National team competitions are lower level competitions than the Euroleague.
This is why national team competitions are rather unpredictable, since mediocre teams can surprise top teams. Teams like the Netherlands can almost beat countries like Croatia and Greece. Better yet, teams like Nigeria can knock out Greece in Olympic qualifiers. Teams like FYROM can even reach the Semi-Finals of Eurobasket, and I may even say that teams like Lithuania, who have the experience to find the right buttons in short tournaments, can consistently be medal candidates, while they would not even come close to make the Final Four in a Euroleague season.

There are a few national teams which can be EL title candidates, namely Spain or France among others, but these teams do not reach their full potential in short tournaments. When they do come close to their full potential, they usually beat other national teams by great margins all the way to the gold.

It is no secret that coaches have no time put their signature on the team in such a short period of time. If they did, then teams with the best rosters would be considerably stronger. The good thing is that the new qualification system will allow teams to glue and reach full potential in the final tournaments.

[Shawshank]

after watching many friendlys i will put my new power ranking:

1 Usa

2 Spain,France

3.Serbia,Lithuania,Argentina

this 6 countrys have a shot for a medal.

Brasil when you slow down their fast breaks they will meltdown under pressure...
Australia i was very dissapointed seeing their games how they performed...
Croatia is just happy to be here...

other 3 teams do not have enough tallent.

Do not sleep on Argentinias veterans,they once again looks very dangerous.
France with Parker and without him 2 diffrent teams.
Spain is Spain.
Lithuania and Serbia looks really good.
Usa will win gold once again.

I predict 1/4 look similiar to this:

Usa-Brasil
France-Argentina
Lithuania-Serbia
Spain-Australia

sorry Croatia i dont see you making top8.

[Hepcat]

Actually club competitions like NBA and Euroleague are much higher level of basketball compared to NT competitions, who are very often one sided and top heavy. Club competitions are played at a higher intensity.... Also NT tournament last like 2 weeks....

I disagree! National team competitions are played at a much higher level of intensity than the typical regular season club team competitions precisely because national team competitions are so short. National team competitions are like the playoffs. Because professional seasons are so long these days, professional basketball players find it difficult to get up for every game and just seem to be going through the motions in many regular season games. But the intensity level gets ratcheted up to a higher level during the playoffs because any team that doesn't follow suit is swiftly eliminated.

Club competitions are played ... for higher stakes.

That's entirely incorrect in the case of the Euroleague versus the Olympics. Even the Euroleague playoffs receive absolutely no coverage in the North American press, and probably not anywhere other than in Europe. The Olympic basketball tournament though will receive widespread coverage all over the globe.

The best club teams are always better teams than National teams. They have spent an entire year together and the chemistry is unmatched compared to national teams thrown together in a camp for a couple of weeks.... But I will say that this is more the case with American teams, since for the most part each edition varies greatly in composition from one tournament to the next. Less so with Fiba club teams who drastically change their makeup from year to year while some of their National teams have been playing together for years. Like Spain or Argentina.

You're half right precisely because what you say is more applicable to U.S. teams.

I agree that the NBA champions, e.g. the Cleveland Cavaliers, at say the start of the playoffs would beat this year's U.S. Olympic team at the start of the Olympics exactly because the Olympic team would have been together for barely three weeks.

When it comes to Europe though, I disagree. The top European national teams, e.g. Serbia, Lithuania, France, Spain, have been training together for at least six weeks. Moreover there's a lot of roster continuity from summer to summer. For example the players on the Lithuanian team all behave like teammates from childhood quite simply because they have been so in many cases. But player rosters of European club teams have way too much of a musical chairs element compared to NBA teams. As a result I think the top European national teams would beat the Euroleague champion.

[auris1]

other member Usagre who also has the same thinking.So actually you wouldn't give a shit if any other person supported the same(F.E usagre) but you just wanted to argue with a special member.

At least ,he is not pretentious git. Usagre guy . He seems like a person who is very keen to ask and to appreciate answers he gets .

[CoachZ]

Basically you attacked him when you disagreed in a heavy tone with his saying.What I don't understund here is why you don't say something to the other member Usagre who also has the same thinking.So actually you wouldn't give a shit if any other person supported the same(F.E usagre) but you just wanted to argue with a special member.

I wouldn't say I am special I would leave that honor to Auris1

[R1ou]

I agree . You have spammed this forum with a staggering 1981 posts within one year . You have managed to insult the intelligence of the better part of this community over and over again . Just because you think you know it better .

Basically you attacked him when you disagreed in a heavy tone with his saying.What I don't understund here is why you don't say something to the other member Usagre who also has the same thinking.So actually you wouldn't give a shit if any other person supported the same(F.E usagre) but you just wanted to argue with a special member.

[CoachZ]

I agree . You have spammed this forum with a staggering 1981 posts within one year . You have managed to insult the intelligence of the better part of this community over and over again . Just because you think you know it better .

Always nice to have fans that follow your posts. Especially with such a pedigree. Post 1984.

[auris1]

Have a nice day sir. Mods will take care of the rest hopefully

I agree . You have spammed this forum with a staggering 1981 posts within one year . You have managed to insult the intelligence of the better part of this community over and over again . Just because you think you know it better .

[madmax]

They are different and you're right basketball is unprecedented when it comes an individual's ability to dominate. Just look at your avatar as proof, wherever that guy goes you can basically pencil his team in the finals. But a couple of examples.
I have no doubt that the 2004 Pistons would have destroyed the Olympic field as opposed to losing 3 times. And that team had Duncan and Iverson. Or the 2002 Lakers with Shaq and Kobe and bunch of Euro league level players as you called them would have beaten Serbia and others and not lost 3 times. Now the 02 and 04 USA teams were flawed but the talent was still way better top to bottom than those NBA teams.

You can also look at it in these terms. Kyrie Irving is the starting point guard for both the Cavs and USA. But he is more effective and better on the Cavs because there he is a major scoring option, on team USA he is asked to be a playmaker which is not his game. Volume shooters are more effective on their club teams than USA because they are allowed to play their game and flourish. When you have like 4-5 guys with that similar role on the same team they are automatically less valuable and effective.

I remember that 2004 Pistons team very vividly and they were just a special bunch - I've never seen a better defense than those guys played night in and out really. They just wouldn't be stopped that year as they were firing on all cylinders with Mr Defense at the peak of his powers Ben Wallace in the middle of course... And Lakers were, well, dysfunctional and old, despite having better overall talent. Now as for 02, 04 and 06 US teams, I have my own suspicion why they failed so miserably internationally and that has a lot to do with poor coaching and players' selection at the time.

[CoachZ]

Just like that,right ?
Because you coach some kids you possess this all basketball knowledge we all elude ?
[edited] - Levenspiel

Have a nice day sir. Mods will take care of the rest hopefully