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so, CBS was wrong in predicting France might win in this tournament, then?
Eight things to watch at the European Championships
Sep. 16, 2005
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
The European Championships get under way this weekend in Serbia-Montenegro, and there are many themes worth watching that affect not only the NBA, but the global game as well.
Dirk Nowitzki must deal with constant pressure from the opposition. (Getty Images)
The host Serbs are ranked second in the world behind the United States by FIBA, the world's governing body for basketball. Winning this event won't push them past the U.S., but considering they've won the past two world championships, it will further close the gap given American struggles in recent international events. Indeed, the 2006 World Championships in Japan will be telling, and the overriding goal for the European teams is to claim one of the six automatic berths up for grabs. The tournament runs through Sept. 25 and will have all first-round action completed by Monday.
Here are eight trends to watch, and we'll follow up next week:
1. The favorites: Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic opted not to play, but Serbia-Montenegero remains the team to beat, particularly as the host country. Suiting up New Jersey's Nenad Krstic, Seattle's Vladimir Radmanovic and Minnesota's Marko Jaric as its stars alongside European-based standouts Dejan Bodiroga and Igor Rakocevic, the team is loaded. Jaric and Krstic will have more visible roles with their NBA teams next season, so it will be interesting to see how they take to large roles on their national side. Jaric, who becomes Kevin Garnett's primary feeder this fall, could break out in this tournament and really establish some positive momentum entering camp. Krstic, who's clearly going to be a good one based on his strong rookie season, will get further acclimated to the role of primary post player. He's expected to play ahead of everyone's favorite backup ...
2. Darko Milicic: For his sake, we hope he sees more time than Larry Brown ever gave him; his game has clearly eroded while sitting the bench the past two seasons. He has looked indecisive and lost the few times he has seen action, and the rustiness carried over to this year's summer session. A strong run through this event might be just what's needed to re-establish his confidence entering a season in which he'll certainly have to play in order to avoid becoming Euro-speak for Kwame Brown.
3. Spanish influence: Memphis' Pau Gasol is indeed overseas, but instead of playing, he'll be providing commentary for the team's television broadcasts. It's good news for the Grizzlies that he opted to rest this summer given his history of injury, but he still expects his countrymen to deliver a ticket to next year's Worlds. Orlando Magic lottery pick Fran Vazquez, staying in Europe this season, will help anchor the team alongside Toronto point guard prospect Jose Manuel Calderon. Rudy Fernandez, who flirted with the draft this year but saw his stock slip to the point where it was wiser for him to back out, will also look to impress, as will 18-year-old Sergio Rodriguez, a playmaker who has pro scouts excited and who Jose Manuel Fernandez of Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo told me would be the country's next great export. They should be able to hold off Israel and Latvia in Group D, particularly since the Latvians are without the services of Golden State's Andris Biedrins and former UNLV standout Kaspars Kambala.
4. Don't strain yourself, Dirk: Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki is the only player who was an All-Star last season to be competing in the event, and he'll have to do some heavy lifting to carry Germany into the top six. Fellow frontcourt standout Ademola Okulaja, who played at North Carolina, will be absent with an injury. Patrick Femerling, who played at Washington, is expected to be Nowitzki's primary partner in the post. It won't be easy to get past Italy, and it will be nearly impossible to overcome Russia and win Group A.
5. Russian rise: Andrei Kirilenko will captain the Russian side, which also features Portland wings Viktor Khryapa and Sergei Monya in prominent roles. All three are long, fluid and versatile, which means that national side may be the most fun to watch in the entire event. Kirilenko should face off against Nowitzki when their teams meet, providing the premier matchup of the tournament. Russia feels it has a team capable of winning a medal, possibly gold, but needed a point guard to fully capitalize ...
6. What's J.R. translate to in Russian? American J.R. Holden, who played at Bucknell through 1998, has developed into one of the top guards in Europe, leading CSKA Moscow to great heights. As a result, according to the Moscow Times, the general manager for CSKA made the case to the Russian Federation that he be accepted as a naturalized citizen due to "special merit," which would supersede the standard criteria of speaking the language and living there for a minimum of five years. His special merit? The point guard skills Russia needed. Holden joined the team earlier this month. Henry Domercant, a scoring machine at Eastern Illinois, made a similar move in joining the Bosnian team.
7. French connection: Led by San Antonio's Tony Parker, France is going to be a force; the continued improvement its stars have made overseas should pay off in a lengthy run. Parker is the centerpiece, flanked by Golden State's Mickael Pietrus, new Phoenix acquisition Boris Diaw and recent Seattle draft pick Mickael Gelabale. Pietrus' development as a scorer last season bodes well for France, while receiving major minutes on a team filled with explosive wings should do wonders for Diaw as he prepares for his move to the Suns. He's an instinctive playmaker hoping to earn significant playing time with his new team, perhaps at the expense of fellow offseason pickup Raja Bell. The French should run, literally, through a Group C that features Slovenia and pro big men Rasho Nesterovic, Uros Skolar and Erazem Lorbek (Michigan State), whose height could cause problems.
8. Missing Lithuanians: Normally a force in the international game, Lithuania will be hindered heavily by the absence of its best players, as all of its NBA talent has opted not to suit up. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, having just re-upped with Cleveland for a hefty pay day, is resting. Sarunas Jasikevicius, perhaps the top shooter in Europe and one of its best guards, is preparing for his debut season with the Indiana Pacers. Darius Songaila, Linas Kleiza and Arvydas Macijauskas, recently signed by New Orleans, also begged off for various reasons. That opens the door for Turkey, fueled by Utah's Mehmet Okur and Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu, to step in and take Group B, although Croatia will also have its say.
Predicted group winners: Russia, Turkey, France, Serbia-Montenegro.
Final two to earn Japan 2006 berths: Spain, Greece.
