Paris 2024 Olympics: Preview and key players to watch as men’s basketball tournament begins on July 27
The Olympic Basketball Tournament is here and Saturday, 27 July begins with four intriguing matchups in Groups A and B that could determine whether gold-medal competitors have an easier road reaching the knockout round.
The group stage takes place at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, a soccer venue that has been converted to basketball, and there is high anticipation for the tournament considering host France has a legitimate shot at playing for a gold medal on 10 August in Paris.
Here’s a look at the four-game slate on Saturday that kickoff the group stage of the tournament.
Joe Ingles will be a force to be reckoned with for Australia
Basketball stars to watch
Australia vs. Spain, 5 a.m. EST (Group A)
The Aussies are coming off an impressive exhibition win over host France and are considered a dark horse in this tournament. Australia is a blend of older players such as the still-effective Patty Mills and Joe Ingles, along with younger stars such as Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Josh Green.
Spain doesn’t have the star-studded roster of the past but they do have some familiar names in Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull. But the Spanish players to watch for are Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, former NBA player Lorenzo Brown and Juancho Hernangomez. The Aussies should be favored here but Spain is always a tough out. These two teams played in the bronze-medal game at Rio 2016, when the Spanish held on for an 89-88 win.
Germany vs. Japan, 7.30 a.m. EST (Group B)
Germany is the defending FIBA World Cup champions and they have an opportunity to medal here because of their talent and depth. NBA point guard Dennis Schröder, along with Daniel Theis and the Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, give them a deep and physical roster that can compete with any team in the tournament. Germany was a sleeper team in the World Cup but it won’t sneak up on anyone in the Olympics, especially after pushing Team USA to the final minutes in an exhibition game.
Japan is a scrappy club that has the capability of pulling off an upset in the Group stage. Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is the catalyst for the Japanese, which lost to Germany 81-63 in last year’s World Cup.
France vs. Brazil, 11.15 a.m. EST (Group B)
France makes their Olympic debut in front of what should be a packed crowd at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. France has emerged as the main competitor to Team USA for the gold medal and it adds 7ft 4in Victor Wembanyama to the roster, fresh off winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award with the San Antonio Spurs. France still has mainstays Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum, as well as former NBA first-round pick Guerschon Yabusele. A player to watch in this tournament is 20-year-old Bilal Coulibaly, a staunch defender who just finished a solid rookie season with the Washington Wizards.
The Brazilians were a power in previous Olympics but had to win a qualifying round against Latvia to get to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo along with Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos will battle Wembanyama and Gobert in the paint.
Greece vs. Canada, 3 p.m. EST (Group A)
Perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the day, the Greeks are led by two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who put the team on his back and led it through the qualifying tournament to reach their first Games since Beijing 2008. Antetokounmpo is an unstoppable forward in the paint with the ability to run the floor like a point guard. Thomas Walkup is also a key player on the Greek club, which has the capability of winning a game in this group phase, especially if Antetokounmpo can score in the paint and reach the free-throw line.
The Canadians made their first Olympic appearance since Sydney 2000 and are loaded with 10 NBA players, including MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and tough defenders Dillon Brooks and Luguentz Dort. NBA champion Jamal Murray is also on the roster, along with former lottery pick RJ Barrett. The Canadians may have their most talented team ever.
Gary Washburn is an Olympic Channel correspondent and National NBA Writer for the Boston Globe.