Paris Olympic men’s basketball strength ranking

With the 2024 Summer Paris Olympic approaching, the romantic city of Paris, France is about to become the center stage of global basketball.

This year’s Olympic basketball competition brought together many world-class basketball superstars, and the number of teams that truly have the strength to win the championship has reached an unprecedented level.

The United States is the clear favorite to win the title, and it’s easy to see why. James, Durant, and Curry might be the most formidable trio ever. And the entire roster is well-balanced, with no obvious weaknesses.

However, the gap between the United States and the rest of the world is narrowing. Just look at their narrow wins over South Sudan and Germany in the warm-up games. There are also some other strong teams in this tournament, which have MVP winners and many NBA players.

The following is the strength ranking of the 12 men’s basketball teams in the Paris Olympics, arranged from weak to strong:

12. Japan

Japan successfully qualified for the Olympics after hosting last year’s FIBA ​​World Cup and performing well.

Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe are the team’s leaders. Keisei Tominaga is an absolute stunner when it comes to shooting from long range. And big Josh Hodgkinson was one of the best players at last summer’s World Cup.

11. South Sudan

South Sudan’s Olympic story is the most moving.

They are the youngest country in the world, founded only in 2011. Facing many difficulties, South Sudan finally formed a basketball team. There is not even an indoor court in the country. Fortunately, Luol Deng stepped up, found Royle Ivy as coach, and persuaded the country’s top athletes to join.

Both Wenyen Gabriel and Carrick Jones were once fringe players in the NBA. Jones has proven his scoring ability at all levels except the NBA and won the G League MVP in 2023.

10. Puerto Rico

Jose Alvarado, who has been trying to emulate Curry in the qualifiers, and Tremont Waters, a three-year NBA player and 5-foot-10 point guard, bring grit to this dark horse team.

9. Brazil

Brazil has a number of former NBA players on its roster. Raul Neto is a solid but unspectacular point guard, while Cristiano Felicio and Bruno Caboclo add size. Guy Santos occasionally shined last season with the Warriors.

Brazil is led by 41-year-old Marcelinho Huertas, who is still a tough guy on the international stage.

8. Spain

Spain finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and have had an aging roster since then.

The Gasol brothers are now replaced by Willy and Juancho Hernangomez, Rudy Fernandez is already 39 years old, and Aldama is the team’s best player in the NBA.

7. Australia

Australia won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Now, their team is younger, with Dyson Daniels and Giddy joining in. Veterans Patty Mills and Joe Ingles are still sharp from three-point range, while Jock Landale is as steady as a rock in the paint. And Matthew Dellavedova is always playing with such desperation.

6. Greece

With Antetokounmpo, Greece will definitely be a tough nut to crack, but there are not many people around Antetokounmpo who can help. Thomas Walkup played briefly in the NBA and played well in international competitions last summer. Nick Calathes is an experienced guard.

Apart from that, Greece has no other highlights, and they are also in the group of death. If they want to enter the knockout stage, Greece will have to do their best.

5. France

France had the home-court advantage and an unstoppable defensive duo of Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama. It was extremely difficult to score against them.

Moreover, the French team also has some experienced veterans, such as Batum, Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo. Their back line may not be as good as some other teams, but they are good at playing tough games.

4. Germany

Germany was the brightest team on the international stage last summer, winning the FIBA ​​World Cup under Schroeder, and now the evolution of Franz Wagner and Mo Wagner has added a strong scoring presence to the team, as well as a consistency and chemistry that more talented teams lack.

Thia country also has a size advantage, which is particularly advantageous under international rules (no three-second defense and more relaxed goaltending rules). Germany has always dominated this kind of game.

3. Serbia

If we were to say who is the top star of this Olympics, it would definitely be Nikola Jokic.

What’s more, Jokic has a group of powerful teammates behind him. Bogdan Bogdanovic has superb scoring ability, and Vasiliye Miocic is one of the most creative passers at the guard position.

Even without Jokic, Serbia was able to win the runner-up in the FIBA ​​World Cup last summer. They are definitely the biggest dark horse in this competition.

2. Canada

Canada has one of the deepest rosters of the Olympics.

The Canada is led by Alexander and Murray, and there are many current NBA players on this team. Canada has the best perimeter defense in this Olympics, with tenacious perimeter defenders such as Dort, Dillon Brooks and Alexander-Walker. RJ Barrett can provide some scoring support on the wing.

Canada also has some skilled centers in Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell, but they lack a true defensive giant, which could be important against some of the bigger teams in this tournament.

1. United States

The U.S. may not have as much roster continuity as some other teams, but that shouldn’t be a big issue.

Curry, who has never competed in the Olympics, has seamlessly integrated with James as a formidable pick-and-roll duo. Durant has proven in recent Olympics that he is one of the best clutch players in international competition history. And Embiid is the best center in the world behind only Nikola Jokic.

The U.S. defense is also stronger than in the past. Holiday has caused great trouble for guards in the international arena, and Derrick White has also integrated very well. The U.S. defense is so full of talent that Tyrese Haliburton has had difficulty getting playing time.

If all this wasn’t enough, the United States has a wealth of resources in the coaching position. Behind Steve Kerr are Erik Spoelstra and Ty Len, two of the best tacticians in the NBA. The three have won a total of 7 NBA championships and 15 Finals appearances.