Friday, 11.08.2006	posted by Jeff Taylor 20:00 pm
Category: FIBA World Championship

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Panama, Tall Blacks spice up Group B 

Watch all 80 FIBA World Championship games online (http://FIBA2006.MediaZone.com) from August 19 to September 3 and, rest assured, you will see some amazing encounters.

The best contests in the first week, I think, will be in Group C. In Hamamatsu, you will find Brazil, Lithuania, Greece, Turkey, Australia and Qatar.

It is, widely accepted, the toughest group in Japan.

When the draw took place in Rome several months ago, we didn't think much of Group B. That pool, with the contests to be played in Hiroshima looked the weakest of the lot. Spain, semi-finalists last year at the EuroBasket, and Germany, the silver medal winners in Belgrade, are good.

But we didn’t think much of the rest: New Zealand, Angola, Panama and hosts Japan.

The Tall Blacks reached the last four in Indianapolis, but we were all thinking that was a fluke, right?

Panama, meanwhile, only qualified as the fifth-place team from the FIBA Americas Championship, and they only did that because the qualifying tournament was weaker than usual with the USA and Argentina not sending their best.

Angola, the kings of Africa, have had a coaching change, switching from Mario Palma to Alberto Carvalho. Angola also have new players and, let's be realistic, the national side did not win a game at the Olympics.

Japan, also in Group B, are only in this tournament because they are hosts.

I'm starting to think New Zealand and Panama can be pretty good teams. Right now, I wouldn't be surprised if they advanced from the group, and then survived the first knockout game to reach the quarter-finals.

Anything can happen from the quarter-finals on.

The Tall Blacks have taken some lumps this summer, losing to Brazil five times and also coming up short against Argentina, while beating Venezuela. Against Argentina, the Tall Blacks were very close in the final three minutes.

These players are learning to play with each other again. They're getting back in their stride.
Yes, the Kiwis have lost some games, but they've also been getting better with every loss. They have a style that can be frustrating to play against.

New Zealand use a lot of time on each possession, zipping the ball around the perimeter where they have terrific three-point shooters. Kirk Penney, Phill Jones, Pero Cameron – you name it, they can shoot it.

Some players in that team are still around from that magnificent side that went so far in Indianapolis. The biggest thing for New Zealand is to stay healthy, and stay concentrated. I think Tab Baldwin will have these guys ready.

Angola, we'd love to you do well but Panama look to be the fourth side that will move on to the eight-finals. This team is intriguing.

Former Arkansas Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson got Panama to play his famous `40 Minutes of Hell’ basketball at the 2005 FIBA Americas Championship in the Dominican Republic, and they won – even without some of their best players who are based overseas.

This year's team is missing JR Pinnock, the second-leading scorer for them last year, but European-based pros Ruben Garces, Ed Cota, Ruben Douglas and Kevin Daley are all with Panama now.

Cota, my fellow Tar Heel alum, won a FIBA Europe League title with coach David Blatt at Dynamo St Petersburg in 2005 and Douglas was the hero of Dynamo Moscow’s ULEB Cup-winning side in 2006.

Douglas is the same guy who buried that last-second three-pointer against Armani Jeans Milano to earn Climamio Bologna the Italian title in 2005. He is a big-time player.

Jamal Levy, a Wake Forest Demon Deac we tried numerous times to interview but always came up empty, he’s also in the team.

Whether it’s a team with the right attitude is what remains to be seen. They did win the Centrobasket this summer.

Panama are led by an Argentinian coach, Guillermo Vecchio (As he is Argentinian, does that indicate they will play a tough, physical style?) They are definitely good enough to reach the eight-finals, but they are also capable of losing to Angola and not advancing from the group.

I think they will do well.

Angola do seem to be gaining some confidence. They won against Yao-less China in the Valencia Tournament, and they also won the Qatar Tournament.

I do not think they will advance. Nor will Japan.

Briefly looking at Group A, France are suddenly riding a three-game losing streak after falling to Greece in Athens, and then getting thumped by Italy and Turkey in Berlin at the Supercup.

Most coaches write off friendly defeats as meaningless but I think Claud Bergeaud is a little unsettled.

Was the humiliation that Italy handed the United States before the Athens Olympics meaningless? Are you telling me that Italy did not get a lot of confidence from that win? Remember, Italy won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.

Bergeaud, we thought, was choosing between Ronny Turiaf and Johan Petro for the 12th and final place in the squad.

He chose Turiaf but, as it turns out, is now going to select either Petro or veteran Cyril Julian.

Petro represents the future but where is he going to be in Japan when the chips are down?

Julian looks like an enforcer. In fact, he looks like a terminator. Petro is tantalising, though, with his shot-blocking ability. It’s easy to see why Bergeaud is taking his time over this decision.

While in Group A, let me just tell you that my heart sunk on Sunday morning at breakfast when I was reading emails. A colleague of mine in Belgrade, Darko Nikolic, sent me a note to say Ivan Radenovic had been cut by Dragan Sakota.

I was floored. Radenovic, after all, had promised to “fight like a lion” if selected. A player with the Arizona Wildcats, Radenovic was going to give it that old college try. He had the kind of attitude that has been sorely missing in Serbia & Montenegro the past few seasons.

I contacted Darko and he said, “Yes, I’m surprised, too. Everyone saw those quotes from Radenovic.”

But then my friend said, “To be honest, the Serbia & Montenegro team right now is hungry like a pack off lions.”

That made me laugh and choke on my toast.

Maybe the inexperienced, two-time defending champions will do well after all?
I’m not holding my breath.

My pick to win gold? It would seem ridiculous not to pick Team USA after their thrashings of Puerto Rico in Las Vegas last week and then China on Monday.

I’ve got to say that Greece, the European champions, are going to be close. I’m in Hamamatsu and I’m glad because I’ll get to watch Theo `the legend’ Papaloukas, the tall Greek point guard.

I am glad to see the United States under Coach K, though. They’re playing with pride and that’s more important than anything in my book.