The FIBA Americas Championship and EuroBasket ’11 just wrapped up last weekend. The tournaments’ champions and finalists get automatic bids to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The tournaments had a plethora of NBA players competing for various countries, but there were certain NBA players who stood out and put on dominating performances throughout the tournament.
EuroBasket 2011
Pau Gasol (SPA/Lakers)
The 7-foot big man helped lead Spain to its second consecutive EuroBasket Championship, and Gasol made the EuroBasket First-team. He pulled off an accomplished stat-stuffing performance of 20.1 ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.7 bpg, and 1.1spg. However, Gasol also brought experience beyond that of any of the other players on the Spanish National team. The seven time European Player of the Year, two-time NBA Champion, and four-time NBA All-star has had one of the lengthiest and most successful careers of any professional basketball player, and he brings loads of experience to a relatively young Spanish team.
Gasol is not only the team’s defensive backbone (along with brother Marc), but he is also the most consistent player on the offensive side of the ball. Gasol’s great decision-making made him the go to guy in critical end-of-game situations, whether it was making a great pass or displaying his well-polished post moves. During the Spain vs Germany contest, Gasol played a great game against a formidable foe in 2011 NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki. Gasol held Nowitzki to 41% shooting, and scored 19 points himself in a big win for the Spanish. Gasol’s performance was a great bounceback from his disappointing play in the NBA playoffs this past season.
Tony Parker (FRA/Spurs)
Parker, the seasoned veteran of the French National Team, led all players in scoring, averaging 22.1 ppg at EuroBasket ’11. The crafty point guard made the EuroBasket First Team and led France to a runner-up finish, their best since 1949.
Parker’s driving mentality is perfect for international competition because of the fact that most international players simply do not drive hard to the basket. The international game is based more so on passing, which Parker is adept at, and shooting, which Parker also excels at, hitting 1.3 threes a game during the competition. Parker’s tenacity drew the third-most fouls in the tournament, and this really helped France throughout.
Parker was by far the most consistently productive player on his team. Players like Nick Batum, Joakim Noah, Boris Diaw, and Nick De Colo all scored well in spurts, but no one delivered on a consistent basis like Parker. His speed was unmatched in the tournament, and that is why they were able to dominate most other teams, due to the opposition not having good enough athletes at the guard spots. Parker’s performance was the best of any true point guard at the tournament, and he will look to translate that into a successful NBA season, should it happen.
Andrei Kirilenko (RUS/Jazz)
The oldest player on the Russian National Team, Kirilenko was an integral part of Russia’s surprising third-place finish in EuroBasket. The do-it-all wing put on quite the performance at the tournament, leading Russia in almost all statistical categories. He posted team highs in points (14.9), rebounds (6.1), and steals (2.6), while shooting a very efficient 49% from the field.
Kirilenko is the only player with legitimate NBA experience on the Russian team and it showed. He carried most of the defensive load for Russia, guarding most of the big-time players and demonstrating his always-tremendous off-the-ball defensive skill. Kirilenko didn’t have nearly as much team talent to work with as many other NBA players in the tournament, but he was able to make the most of what he had. He managed to go for 21 points in Russia’s game against France while being guarded by the likes of Batum and Diaw, both formidable NBA defenders, and proceeded to shoot a staggering 73% from the field.
Dirk Nowitzki (GER/Mavericks)
Nowitzki was unable to recreate the magic that he experienced in the NBA Finals with the German National Team during EuroBasket. Nowitzki looked a bit tired during the tournament, but still put on an impressive performance. The German team finished ninth despite relatively little talent. Besides Nowitzki, Chris Kaman was the only consistent player on the team. The frontcourt combination is the main reason the German team even made it out of the preliminary round.
Nowitzki carried the majority of the offensive load for the Germans, while Kaman dominated on the defensive end. Nowitzki scored 19.5 ppg while shooting 44% from the field, 42% from three, and 93% from the free throw line. Dirk was directly responsible for almost 30% of the team’s offense, and provided great spacing for the team. He was able to stretch the floor by doing most of his work from midrange to long two pointers, and this gave way for Kaman to go to work inside (15.5 ppg). The team worked much more efficiently when Nowitzki was on the floor, where he changed the dynamic of their entire offense. Nowitzki may not have cashed in like he did during the NBA Finals, but still had a very impressive performance.
Andrea Bargnani (ITA/Raptors)
Andrea Bargnani teamed up with fellow NBA sharpshooters Danilo Gallinari and Marco Belinelli to put on quite an offensive show. The three accounted for two-thirds of the team’s scoring production, but it was not enough to power them past the second round of play and a 20th place finish.
Bargnani spearheaded the offensive attack that Italy put on, scoring 22.8 ppg. He, like Nowitzki, provided great spacing with his outside shooting, which is surprisingly accurate for a big man. Bargnani put on a special performance against Latvia, scoring an overall tournament high of 36 points. He surprisingly played some decent defense on a terrible defensive team, and grabbed team highs in rebounds (7.4) and blocks (1.6).
Bargnani put on truly dominating overall performance, but was on a weak team. Upfront the Italian team didn’t look bad, but a lack of depth truly killed them in the tournament. Bargnani along with Gallinari were the only consistently productive and dependable players, but it takes more than just a few individuals to win, especially in the international game.
Luol Deng (ENG/Bulls)
Luol Deng carried his team more than any other player throughout EuroBasket. Deng’s Great English team only played five games before being eliminated after the first round of play. In the five games that Deng played, he posted two of the top ten highest-scoring performances (31 points and 28 points) of the entire tournament. Deng was the only dominant force on the offensive side of the ball for England, where he was directly responsible for finishing about 44% of England’s possesions.
Deng’s performance was spectacular, scoring 24.6 ppg, grabbing 9.8 rpg, and dishing out 3.6 apg. Deng’s staggering numbers are impressive considering he was the only real option on the English team, so other teams really had only to deal with Deng in their game plan. Deng’s athleticism separated him entirely from his teammates who really lacked athleticism and skilled big men. Deng’s situation again reiterates the point that unconventional players, in terms of international play, can often succeed.
FIBA Americas 2011
Manu Ginobili (ARG/Spurs)
Ginobili is the ultimate international competitor, having won a Euroleague, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal. Ginobili’s style fits the international game perfectly. A guard who can handle the ball, create his own shot, and impact the game in every category, Ginobili’s game is tailor made for success. Ginobili was named to the First Team All FIBA Americas, and helped lead Argentina to champions of the tournament, which earned them a spot in the 2012 Olympics. Ginobili brought the complete package to the table, scoring 15.8 ppg, dished 4.0 apg, grabbing 3.0 rbg, and recorded 1.5 spg.
Ginobili, being a three time NBA champion, brings an incredible amount of experience and knowledge to the table for the elderly Argentine team. Ginobili played alongside other Argentine national team veterans Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino, Andres Nocioni, and Fabricio Oberto. Ginobili, however, was the piece that made it all work. He took pressure off of the others due to the matchup problem he causes for most teams. Ginobili’s playmaking ability created much of the offensive production for Argentina. He took on the responsibility of bringing the ball up in many situations, especially at the end of games during crunch time when Argentina needed someone to play mistake-free basketball.
Al Horford (DOM/Hawks)
Al Horford put up possibly the best numbers of all players in the FIBA Americas Championship, and the stats translated to him earning a spot on the All-Tournament first team. The Dominican Republic was awarded the bronze medal, which does not earn an automatic bid to the 2012 Olympics. Horford’s play on both ends of the court was monumental in the team’s run. Horford scored 19 ppg, grabbed 9.2 rbg, dished out 3.1 apg, recorded 1.9 spg, and blocked 1 shot per game.
Horford’s midrange game created matchup nightmares for opposing teams. Most other teams had no one to matchup with his combination of size and athleticism, so he was able to pick apart most defenses with ease. Horford’s performance cannot be understated either; he was the backbone for the defense and did a good job defending the rim and not allowing other teams to do much in the paint. Horford is not typically seen as a good defender, but this can be attributed to him playing his natural position of power forward more often than his usual “center” position.
Greivis Vasquez (VEN/Grizzlies)
Greivis Vasquez was the biggest surprise of any player in the Americas tournament. Vasquez was a star at the University of Maryland a year ago, but was somewhat lost in the Memphis Grizzlies backcourt last season. However, in this tournament he really stepped up his game and led an underdog Venezuelan team to a fifth-place finish.
Vasquez was the leader of the team, and as relatively inexperienced as he is, he still managed to play the point guard position exactly how it should be played. Vasquez averaged 19.3 ppg, 5.8 apg, and 4.6 rpg, which, when examined, are pretty incredible for a 6’4 combo guard. Vasquez showed his incredible shooting range, absent from last year’s NBA season, by shooting 46% from three point land. His shooting ability, combined with his knack for getting to the rim, made him a scoring machine.
If the scoring aspect wasn’t hard enough to handle, he also displayed some great passing and overall court vision. Vasquez’s play was likely the most impressive based on prior performance, and it was the first time since his college days that he could be considered a true matchup nightmare. The tournament was really a coming-out party for Vasquez on the international scene, and he will attempt to translate it to the NBA game.
