Which non-U.S. Olympic basketball teams have the most NBA talent? – SB Nation
There will be a lot of familiar names taking the hardwood when Olympic basketball tips off on Saturday. Here are the international teams that are most stacked with talent that has played in the NBA.
There will be plenty of NBA talent on display at the 2016 Olympics, and the majority of it is coming from non-United States rosters.
Basketball’s global expansion means that America’s successors to the Dream Team only make up 22 percent of the NBA veterans in Rio de Janiero. By contrast, Team USA’s roster made up nearly 85 percent of the NBA representation in Barcelona in 1992. While notable international players like Arvydas Sabonis, Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja all played in the games, those Olympics helped serve as their launching pad to the world’s toughest league.
This year, stars like Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili and Nicolas Batum will be carrying the banner for international basketball. Those won’t be the only recognizable names to take the court in Brazil when Olympic basketball tips off on Saturday. College stars, international draftees and NBA journeymen will all battle for a place on the podium against a United States team that has won 35 straight games in Olympic and World Championship play.
So who are the biggest threats on paper to this U.S. dominance, at least based on players who have competed at the highest level in the U.S.? Here’s how the Olympic rosters shake out in terms of NBA and NCAA experience for 2016.
Spain: Eight players with NBA experience
Spain | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Alex Abrines* | No | Yes | No | No |
Jose Calderon | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Victor Claver | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Rudy Fernandez | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Pau Gasol | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Willy Hernangomez** | No | Yes | No | No |
Sergio Llull | No | Yes | No | No |
Nikola Mirotic | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Juan Carlos Navarro | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Felipe Reyes | No | No | No | No |
Sergio Rodriguez | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Ricky Rubio | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer | ||||
**Signed with the New York Knicks this summer |
Not only do eight of Spain’s 12 players have prior NBA experience, but two more will be joining the league this fall. The team is led by four-time All-NBA selection Gasol, who will be flanked by a collection of hot-shooting wings and guards like Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez. The only player on its roster that has yet to play in the NBA is Felipe Reyes, and he’s a two-time silver medalist who won a Euroleague title in 2014-15. La Roja looks like the safest non-USA bet in Rio behind their combination of experience, size and diverse scoring.
France: Seven players with NBA experience
France | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Nicolas Batum | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Nando De Colo | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Boris Diaw | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Antoine Diot | No | No | No | No |
Mickael Gelabale | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Rudy Gobert | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Thomas Heurtel | No | No | No | No |
Charles Kahudi | No | No | No | No |
Joffrey Lauvergne | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Tony Parker | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Florent Pietrus | No | No | No | No |
Kim Tillie | Utah | No | No | No |
Eight French players sharpened their craft against U.S. athletes, most notably veterans Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. Nic Batum, fresh off proving himself a vital part of a playoff team, should be nudging toward the team’s go-to role along with big man Rudy Gobert. Les Bleus have three stars at the top of their lineup and a contingent of solid role players to support them. With Gobert locking down the paint, Parker working his dribble-drive magic, and an array of shootings spacing the floor, it would be foolish to discount France’s medal hopes in 2016.
Brazil: Seven players with NBA experience
Brazil | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Leandro Barbosa | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Vitor Benite | No | No | No | No |
Cristiano Felicio | No | No | Yes | No |
Alex Garcia | No | No | Yes | No |
Guilherme Giovannoni | No | No | No | No |
Rafael Hettsheimer | No | No | No | No |
Nene | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Marcelinho Huertas | No | No | Yes | No |
Augusto Lima | No | No | No | No |
Rafael Luz | No | No | No | No |
Raulzinho Neto | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Marquinhos Vieira | No | Yes | Yes | No |
The home team has several players with big league backgrounds, but only Nene and Leandro Barbosa have played significant roles on winning teams in the NBA. Cristiano Felicio could continue his breakout summer with a big performance in Rio before heading to the Chicago Bulls, but Brazil will have to count on their young athletes to have some standout outperformances to reach the medal stand this month.
Australia: Seven players with NBA experience
Australia | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
David Andersen | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Cameron Bairstow | New Mexico | Yes | Yes | No |
Aron Baynes | Washington State | No | Yes | No |
Andrew Bogut | Utah | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ryan Broekhoff | Valparaiso | No | No | No |
Matthew Dellavedova | Saint Mary’s | No | Yes | Yes |
Chris Goulding | No | No | No | No |
Joe Ingles | No | No | Yes | No |
Kevin Lisch | Saint Louis | No | No | No |
Damian Martin | Loyola Marymount | No | No | No |
Patty Mills | Saint Mary’s | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Brock Motum | Washington State | No | No | No |
The Boomers have a strong combination of NBA and NCAA talent that should make them a medal contender in Rio. Gritty guards like Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova abound, and the presence of big men like David Andersen, Aron Baynes and Cameron Bairstow should help pick up any slack if Andrew Bogut isn’t all the way back from a knee injury suffered in the NBA Finals. The Aussies are short on superstars, but they have the shooting and defense to create problems against other international teams.
Argentina: Four players with NBA experience
Argentina | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Roberto Acuna | No | No | No | No |
Nicolas Brussino* | No | No | No | No |
Facundo Campazzo | No | No | No | No |
Gabriel Deck | No | No | No | No |
Carlos Delfino | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Marcos Delia | No | No | No | No |
Patricio Garino** | George Washington | No | No | No |
Manu Ginobili | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Nicolas Laprovittola | No | No | No | No |
Leo Mainoldi | No | No | No | No |
Andres Nocioni | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Luis Scola | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Signed with the Dallas Mavericks this summer | ||||
**Signed with the San Antonio Spurs this summer |
Argentina isn’t the same team it was when it won gold in 2004 and medaled in 2008, but there are some of the same players still kicking around on the roster. Carlos Delfino, Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni and Luis Scola were all on that ’04 team that knocked USA Basketball from its lofty perch, but the ensuing 12 years have eroded their games. Patricio Garino, a sharp-shooting forward, and Nicolas Brussino, an athletic wing, could emerge as the country’s newest stars this August.
Croatia: Three players with NBA experience
Croatia | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Marko Arapovic | No | No | No | No |
Luka Babic | No | No | No | No |
Miro Bilan | No | No | No | No |
Bojan Bogdanovic | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mario Hezonja | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Filip Kruslin | No | No | No | No |
Darko Planinic | No | No | No | No |
Zeljko Sakic | No | No | No | No |
Dario Saric* | No | Yes | No | No |
Krunoslav Simon | No | No | No | No |
Rok Stipcevic | No | No | No | No |
Roko Ukic | No | Yes | Yes | No |
*Signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer |
The Croatian national team hasn’t medaled since finishing runner-up to a sleepless Michael Jordan in their first trip to the Olympic Games. That drought is likely to stretch through 2016. Despite an abundance of solid shooters and passers, the Croats look like a middle-of-the-pack team in Rio that could be a greater threat in four years. However, the coming week will give the broader world a look at Dario Saric, whom the Magic drafted in 2014. Saric, a 6’10 forward who made more than 40 percent of his three pointers last season, will make his NBA debut for the 76ers this fall.
Serbia: Three players with NBA experience
Serbia | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Stefan Bircevic | No | No | No | No |
Bogdan Bogdanovic | No | Yes | No | No |
Nikola Jokic | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stefan Jovic | No | No | No | No |
Nikola Kalinic | No | No | No | No |
Milan Macvan | No | Yes | No | No |
Stefan Markovic | No | No | No | No |
Nemanja Nedovic | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Miroslav Raduljica | No | No | Yes | No |
Marko Simonovic | No | No | No | No |
Vladimir Stimac | No | No | No | No |
Milos Teodosic | No | No | No | No |
Serbia surrounds a core of wide-bodied big men with shooters, and that’s the recipe for upsets at the international level. The Orlovi will work an inside-out game anchored by Denver’s Nikola Jokic up front and rangy NBA-caliber guards like Bogdan Bodganovic and Nemanja Nedovic. However, the team’s best player in Rio is 29-year old point guard Milos Teodosic, who made nearly 43 percent of his three-pointers while averaging 16.1 points per game for CKSA Moscow last season. He’ll need his teammates to step up behind him; players like Nedovic and Milan Macvan have failed to live up to the hype that made them draft picks.
Nigeria: Two players with NBA experience
Nigeria | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Josh Akognon | Washington St., Cal St. Fullerton | No | No | No |
Alade Aminu | Georgia Tech | No | No | No |
Ike Diogu | Arizona State | Yes | Yes | No |
Ebi Ere | Oklahoma | No | No | No |
Michael Gbinije | Duke, Syracuse | Yes | No | No |
Ekene Ibekwe | Maryland | No | No | No |
Shane Lawal | Oakland, Wayne State | No | No | No |
Andy Ogide | Ole Miss, Colorado State | No | No | No |
Chamberlain Oguchi | Oregon, Illinois State | No | No | No |
Stan Okoye | VMI | No | No | No |
Michael Umeh | UNLV | No | No | No |
Ben Uzoh | Tulsa | No | Yes | No |
No team in the games can compete with Nigeria’s NCAA experience. The D’Tigers boast a roster deep with players who should be familiar to U.S. audiences, even without Al-Farouq Aminu or Festus Ezeli on the team this summer. Michael Gbinije, a second-round pick of the Pistons in 2016, could make waves as the team’s sixth man if he’s fully recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of Summer League play. However, he only made one of five shots and everyone but Chamberlain Oguchi and Alade Aminu struggled offensively as the U.S. team pasted Nigeria 110-66 in exhibition play earlier this month.
China: One player with NBA experience
China | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Ding Yanyuhang | No | No | No | No |
Guo Ailun | No | No | No | No |
Li Gen | No | No | No | No |
Li Muhao | No | No | No | No |
Sui Ran | No | No | No | No |
Wang Zhelin | No | Yes | No | No |
Yi Jianlian | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Zhai Xiaochuan | No | No | No | No |
Zhao Jiwei | No | No | No | No |
Zhou Peng | No | No | No | No |
Zhou Qi | No | Yes | No | No |
Zou Yuchen | No | No | No | No |
The good news is that China’s list of players with big league ties grew this summer when Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin were selected in the second round of the NBA Draft. Team Dragon has some emerging young talent on its roster, but the bulk of its players’ experience has come in the Chinese Basketball Association, a place where marginal NBA players like Jordan Crawford can turn up and lead the league in scoring with 43.1 points per game. That talent gap was apparent during the exhibition schedule this summer. The Chinese suffered 49- and 50-point defeats to the U.S. just four days apart back in July.
Lithuania: One player with NBA experience
Lithuania | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Marius Grigonis | No | No | No | No |
Paulius Jankunas | No | No | No | No |
Robertas Javtokas | Arizona | Yes | No | No |
Adas Juskevicius | No | No | No | No |
Mantas Kalnietis | No | No | No | No |
Antanas Kavaliauskas | Texas A&M | No | No | No |
Mindaugas Kuzminskas* | No | No | No | No |
Jonas Maciulis | No | No | No | No |
Domantas Sabonis | Gonzaga | Yes | No | No |
Renaldas Seibutis | No | Yes | No | No |
Edgaras Ulanovas | No | No | No | No |
Jonas Valanciunas | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*Signed with the New York Knicks this summer |
Lithuania will have a pair of NBA-caliber big men with Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas and Orlando Magic draftee Domantas Sabonis (now with OKC). Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who just finished his finest season as a professional at age 26, will soon join them on the big stage. After that, the team’s short on players who have played in America, but they’re packed with talent from across the Euroleague. Mantas Kalnietis is a hyper-efficient point guard who distributes well, while Jonas Maciulis and Renaldas Seibutis bring two decades of international experience to the starting lineup. The Lithuanians are a much better team than this ranking of American pros suggests and they should contend for a medal in Rio.
Venezuela: Zero players with NBA experience
Venezuela | ||||
Player | NCAA? | Drafted? | NBA Experience? | NBA Starter? |
Nestor Colmenares | No | No | No | No |
John Cox | San Francisco | No | No | No |
David Cubillan | Marquette | No | No | No |
Gregory Echenique | Rutgers, Creighton | No | No | No |
Windi Graterol | No | No | No | No |
Heissler Guillent | No | No | No | No |
Dwight Lewis | USC | No | No | No |
Miguel Marriaga | No | No | No | No |
Anthony Perez | Ole Miss | No | No | No |
Miguel Ruiz | No | No | No | No |
Gregory Vargas | No | No | No | No |
Jose Vargas | No | No | No | No |
Venezuela boasts a handful of players with NCAA backgrounds, but the country’s most notable player, Greivis Vasquez, won’t be joining the team in Rio de Janiero. 5’11 point guard Gregory Vargas will step into Vasquez’s scoring role after averaging nearly 14 points and more than six assists for Maccabi Haifa this past season. Gregory Echenique, a wide-bodied center who most recently played in the U.S. for Creighton, may now be the team’s most recognizable player. He’s an efficient player who will get eaten alive by more athletic and less gravity-bound big men at the games.