EuroBasket 2013: FIBA Europe’s Power Rankings

By Bryce | July 26, 2013 |

EuroBasket 2013

As the countdown to EuroBasket 2013 gets closer to nil, the 24 National teams that have qualified for the event are working at solidifying their rosters, while also getting in friendlies to tune-up their games before heading to Slovenia. As released by FIBA Europe, those 24 teams are put through an internal Power Ranking and the overall list is published based on the activities from the preceding two weeks.

This week a few teams have moved on the list, but none more than Russia, dropping three slots after their coach, Fotis Katsikaris, announced this week that he was resigning. At the top of the list, France dropped a slot, while Lithuania took over the Frenchmen’s former Num 2 slot when France found out that two more players have decided that they will not participate. Turkey jumped two spots after enhancing their roster this week. Coming off a big week at the U20 European Championships, Latvia improves their position on the list with potential more than anything. Taking a tumble, Georgia dropped two spots after dropping from Group A to Group B in the U20 European Championships.

1	GREECE Greece remain at the top of the pecking order this week for the same reasons as last time round: one man’s loss is another’s gain. Whilst teams around them are evaporating, the Greeks paint a picture of solidity.
2	LITHUANIA Paulius Jankunas has lost his battle with injury but in a team with no shortage of experienced veterans, this could arguably be turned into a positive by Lithuanian coach Jonas Kazlauskas, whose tough decision to name a final 12 had been made slightly easier.	+1
3	FRANCE France’s chances of finally arriving on the top pedestal of European basketball are knocked back a notch with every passing week as player after player renege their plans to play in Slovenia. The latest players to pull out of the squad are Ronny Turiaf and Rudy Gobert.	-1
4	SPAIN Juan Orenga is not mucking around with trialling players, directly naming the 12 he wants to have with him when he disembarks the plane in Slovenia. However the 12 he has named fail to strike the same fear into opponents of Spanish teams in the past.
5	MONTENEGRO There is no questioning the calibre of the Montenegrin front court. Now, with the likely inclusion of backcourt maestro Tyrese Rice, Montenegro have added value in their backcourt and someone with the head and experience to orchestrate the big men up front.
6	TURKEY A coach and now an impressively strong squad that includes a number of unexpected inclusions, namely the return of Hedo Turkoglu who had suggested 2011 in Lithuania would be his swansong in a national singlet. Ersan Ilyasova is another big name on board.	+2
7	SLOVENIA After naming an ambitious squad with all their big names set to play, Slovenia now appear to be suffering a mild crisis with the news that influential big man Erazem Lorbek will be joined on the sidelines by Beno Udrih.
8	ITALY Italy are on top of the U20 European podium where the outsiders knocked down another just-as-long shot in Latvia in a come-from-behind victory on Sunday. Some of these players could now add value to Italy off the bench in Slovenia.	+1
9	RUSSIA Never a good sign at any stage if a coach quits – even worse if he does so two days before the national team he is in charge of is set to form up for their first training session of the summer. This is exactly what has happened in Russia with Fotis Katsikaris unexpectedly quitting the team on Saturday.	-3
10	CROATIA A disappointing result for Croatia at the U19 World Championship in the Czech Republic but that could hardly be blamed on Dario Saric who still made the All Tournament team. Looks in line to be playing some big minutes come September.
11	SERBIA Where is a Milan Macvan? The key topic of conversation amongst Serbian fans over the past fortnight after the big man failed to report for the opening day of national team training, amidst claims he wants to focus on getting his club career back on track, following a self-described below-par season.
12	GERMANY Word out of Stateside is that Dennis Schröder was turning heads in Las Vegas in the NBA Summer League. Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, the man with the uncanny resemblance to Rajon Rondo may yet play his way into the German senior squad.
13	ISRAEL Following news that Amar’e Stoudemaire is interested in investing in an Israel basketball club, the Knicks center now has an influential person in his corner in no other than Israeli President Shimon Peres, who told press he wants Stoudemaire to represent Israel internationally… if that happens Israel will sky-rocket up the rankings.
14	BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Mirza Teletovic is back in Bosnia and Herzegovina beginning his preparations for Slovenia where he will captain his national team. His minutes this past year in Brooklyn stayed low so this is one player who will not be in risk of exhaustion come September.
15	F.Y.R OF Macedonia F.Y.R of Macedonia are holding off naming their squad as many other teams begin to come together this week to begin training for EuroBasket. Questions still remain over which key players will return from 2011.
16	FINLAND Eric Murphy has shown playing in the NBA Summer League for the Chicago Bulls that he has the skills to run the offence at the highest level, posting some impressive figures in Las Vegas. Will come game-ready to help steer a powerful Finnish backcourt.
17	POLAND It may only be Div. B but the numbers that Przemyslaw Karnowski and Mateusz Ponitka were putting up in Pitesti at U20 European Championship Men Division B over the past fortnight impressed, as they played a major role in taking their team to gold.
18	GREAT BRITAIN Another player making a major statement at U20 European Championship Men Division B was Devon Van Oostrum, averaging a jaw-dropping 26.8 points-a-night. When the Great Britain team is finally named, do not be surprised to see this name in the mix.
19	SWEDEN Jeffery Taylor has been polishing his game during the summer season in the NBA. The Bobcats/soon to once more be the Hornets playmaker has been impressive so far, catching the eye of analysts with some impressive flourishes inside the paint.
20	LATVIA Making the final of the U20 European Championship is unquestionably one of the greatest achievements in the history of Latvian basketball. Trio Janis Berzins, Kaspars Vecvagars and Ojars Silins may well have done enough to earn themselves a place on the plane to Slovenia.	+2
21	UKRAINE Freshly drafted to the NBA and now undergoing ankle surgeries. With his current fragile state, Ukrainian up-and-coming superstar Olexiy Len may be restricted from any plans he may have had to come and play in Slovenia later in the summer.	-1
22	CZECH REPUBLIC Jan Vesely’s stint in the NBA summer league was considered strong, leading the Wizards with 9-for-11 shooting in a victory over the Nuggets. These are the shooting stats the Czech Republic are hanging out for this summer.	+1
23	GEORGIA Without Beka Burjanadze in Tallinn at the U20 European Championship, Georgia struggled, dropping out of Division A for next year. No players showed the type of form that could make them a late addition to Georgian training camp plans.	-2
24	BELGIUM With the early Belgian squad now known, it is clear Axel Hervelle will take a lot of responsibility onto his shoulders as one of the few players on the team with experience playing in a major European club.