Basketball

Germany won the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila, but it wasn't the reason behind Stephen Curry representing Team USA for the first time. Or LeBron James donning the blue, red, and white jersey for the fourth time. It could be Canada's overtime win over the USA in the bronze-medal game, but Kevin Durant assured fans that Dillon Brooks wasn't the reason. 

"It's an opportunity for us to go over to Paris and make a statement with the team that we're trying to put together and assert our talent over there, so I'm looking forward to that," the Phoenix Suns star said. 

USA sent a star-studded group of NBA players to the 1992 Olympics, nicknamed "The Dream Team", defeating Croatia in the gold-medal game. (You can visit OKBet Sports, the leading platform for NBA betting tips and news.) The USA finished third in the 2004 Olympics, the only blemish in its impressive resume. Is the Paris Olympics a foregone conclusion? Not really. The very talented American players are aware that overconfidence could be their downfall.

Four FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will be held from July 2 to July 7. The four winners will join Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, and the USA. It's not hard to predict the last four teams (to compete in Paris), so let\'s see who will make it past the group stage. Here's a fearless prediction: 

Group A: Australia, Canada, Slovenia, and Spain

This group would intrigue fans, as all four teams are gold-medal contenders. But only two teams are guaranteed to advance to the knockout round. Slovenia is expected to win the qualifying tournament in Piraeus, Greece, while Spain will top the qualifying tournament in Valencia. Canada and Spain will finish first and second, respectively. 

Canada has many NBA players, but it hasn't gotten its act together. Fans got a glimpse of that promise when Canada topped the preliminary stage of the FIBA World Cup (in Jakarta, Indonesia). Houston Rockets star Dillon Brooks promised that more Canadian NBA players would don the Maple Leaf jersey.

"I said this after we won the bronze that it doesn't matter, we gotta re-up," Brooks said. "We need Jamal (Murray), add in (Andrew) Nembhard, add in (Andrew) Wiggins. That's going to make our team better. Those guys are selfless players." 

Spain may not be invincible without Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol, but the 2019 FIBA World Cup winner is still a force to reckon with. 

Group B: France, Germany, Japan, and Latvia

Who will finish first in this group? It's anyone's guess. (See NBA betting tips.) Latvia will win the qualifying tournament in Riga, delighting the home fans. (Not a few basketball pundits would note the absence of strong or very talented teams in this grouping.) Latvia was the biggest surprise in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, finishing fifth. (Latvia almost beat Germany in the quarterfinals.) This Eastern European country may not be the heavy favorite in this group, but an upset is likely. We would pick France and Germany. 

France departed early in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and the home team won't embarrass its home fans. Germany, on the other hand, is very confident (after winning the FIBA World Cup). 

"We have the host in the group. France is a strong team, especially when Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) is there," Schroder said. "We know anything is possible in basketball. As long as we give it our all for 40 minutes and play the way we know how, of course, we can beat anyone."

France should finish in first place, while Germany will settle for second place. 

Group C: Lithuania, Serbia, South Sudan, and USA

Puerto Rico will host the fourth qualifying tournament. Italy and Lithuania will vie for the last spot, and Lithuania will emerge victorious. (The venue could be a factor. Italy might've won this group if the venue was somewhere in Europe. And the Italians would face the Serbians in the finals.)  USA and Serbia will advance to the next round, though. 

There's no doubt about Team USA's chances. (Someone might get injured, but Team USA coach Steve Kerr has plenty of options.) Serbia's legendary head coach, Stetislav Pesic, has many choices to choose from (e.g. Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Nikola Milutinov..) The clash between the USA and Serbia could’ve been a gold-medal game. (USA beat Serbia in the men's finals of the 2016 Olympics.) 

The third-place teams are Australia, Latvia, and Lithuania. A win-lose ratio will determine the last two teams (to advance to the knockout round). Australia and Latvia will join Canada, France, Germany, Serbia, Spain, and the USA. 

This is what the quarterfinals will look like: 

Germany vs. Spain

Latvia vs. USA

Australia vs. France

Canada vs. Serbia

All but one game can go the distance. (in other words, expect overtime.)  The match between Germany and Spain will be one for the books. (The German team would emerge victorious if it would show the same intensity that they showed in Manila last year.) On the other hand,  Latvia will provide a stiff challenge to the US during the first half. The bottom half will see Canada and France winning their quarterfinal matches.  

This is what the semifinals of 2024 Olympics will look like: 

Germany vs. USA

Canada vs. France

The Schroder-led team will give resistance to the Redeem Team during the first half. And possibly the second half. On the other hand, the mouth-watering match between Canada and France will end in overtime. (Philadelphia 76ers forward Nicolas Batum might do a game-saving rejection. Again. Check out NBA betting tips.) 

This is what the finals will look like: 

Canada vs. USA (for the gold medal)

France vs. Germany (for the bronze medal) 

The Canada vs USA match will be the most-anticipated game, and it will be one of the highlights of the Paris Olympics. The Canadian NBA players may not have the hype (like the American NBA players), but they don't lack in the talent department. It could be a grudge match. The US will prevail if one player outshines the others. The France-Germany match will be another close game, but the home fans should give Les Bleus the advantage.

Final Standing:

Gold: USA

Silver: Canada

Bronze: France

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