Paris 2024 is underway. Round one saw familiar faces face-off, as well as some new countries making historical debuts. As predicted before the tournament started, the spectacle delivered on its promise to be full of fireworks. Without further ado, let’s get into the Olympics basketball power rankings I rank all 12 teams according to their performances so far. This article will cover teams 12-7 the next article will cover teams 6-1.
Olympics Basketball Power Rankings 12-7
12. Brazil
It’s early days, but it seems like the Brazilians’ head-scratching decision to not play a single exhibition game could have backfired. The Brazilians came into their opening game having last played against Latvia in the championship game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament three weeks ago. They scored the fewest points (66) of all 12 teams in the first round of games.
The Brazilians shot 54% from deep against Latvia. Leonardo Melindl led the charge that night, shooting 4-of-7 on threes. He led the charge again in their opener against the host nation, France. While he was hot again from three, shooting 3-of-6, Brazil shot just 33% from three. Bruno Caboclo, who led the team in scoring during the qualifiers (17.8 points per game), had a forgettable 11 minutes of action, finishing with 0 points, rebounds, or assists. Considering that they were in the game up until a late 7-0 run by France with less than six minutes in regulation, there will be hopes in the Brazilian camp that they can get off the mark in their next game.
11. Japan
The Japanese qualified for the Paris games by finishing as the highest-ranked Asian team (19th) at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. When they hosted the Olympics in 2020, they went 0-3. Japan was hoping to get at least one win in this year’s games. Unfortunately, that plan is off to a rocky start after they lost 97-77 to Germany.
The Japanese had some promising signs. They showed some stroke from deep, going 12-of-33 from distance. They held their own on the boards against the taller Europeans. Ultimately, their undoing was their sloppy play (13 turnovers) and their inability to get meaningful defensive stops. Germany looked to score almost at will on the inside against them, going 27-of-38 on two-pointers. Considering that their core (Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe, Josh Hawkinson) all played 34+ minutes yet they lost by 20 points, their best chance for that elusive win may be against Brazil rather than France.
10. Puerto Rico
The Puerto Ricans could be expected to be a happy-to-be-here team because they are making their first appearance since the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Still, they are led by Jose Alvarado, who is known for his defensive motor and hustle. They would have been looking to spring a surprise or two in these games behind his leadership. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that could happen given the quality of the rest of their opposition.
Alvarado stepped up for them in their 90-79 loss against South Sudan, scoring 26 points. He chipped in five assists and two steals. Puerto Rico led the first half with their three-point shooting. Rebounding will be a problem for them throughout the competition; they lost the rebounding battle 55-37 to South Sudan. If they had scored more of their free throws (14-of-24), maybe they could have won this game. They are a good team offensively but a bit handicapped defensively because of their size.
9. Greece
The Greeks are heavily reliant on Giannis Antetokounmpo, though they have some other notable players like Kostas Papanikolaou. They lack NBA star power besides Giannis. Still, what a star they have. Giannis and Papanikolaou were the only players to score in double-digits against the talented Canadian team. They did admirably to keep the score close (79-86) though they never led in the game.
The hopes of Greece rest squarely on the broad shoulders of Giannis. He has already done a lot to get them to their first appearance since Beijing in 2008. They placed 5th at that tournament and will be hoping to recreate some of that magic. No team except the USA and France have a ready-made answer to the Giannis conundrum in the Olympics. Right now, they are the underdogs to make it out of the group of death.
8. Spain
Spain is a perennial powerhouse of basketball and will have hopes to at least get on the podium at these games. They won the most recent EuroBasket in 2022. While this team doesn’t have as much NBA star power as in previous years, it’s still a solid team.
Unfortunately, this is another team in the ‘group of death’. They have been heavily reliant on their Santi Aldama–Willy Hernangómez frontcourt partnership through qualifiers and their exhibition games. That partnership once again combined for 41 points, with Aldama contributing 27 of them. They lost 92-80 to Australia.
The Spaniards are exceptionally good at moving the ball and finding the best shot. Still, they have a glaring weakness: rebounding. In their loss to the Aussies, they struggled once more on the boards, losing the rebound battle 42-33. Their inability to get rebounds could greatly affect their chances to qualify from their group.
7. Serbia
Of the teams that lost in round one, Serbia is easily the best. They unfortunately came up against the heavy favorites in Team USA. They are strong favorites to finish on the podium after their strong showing at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They finished as runners-up despite missing Nikola Jokić.
Jokić finished the game with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals. He wasn’t quite given the opportunity to execute as per his usual high standards, and that is a testament to the constant pressure USA put on him and his teammates. Serbia will be looking to bounce back in what they will view as a winnable game against Puerto Rico.
This is the first part of a mini-series detailing the Olympics Basketball Power Rankings.
