FIBA World Cup Team Profile: Argentina

Category :Basketball

Let us look with the 3rd world's strongest national basketball team.

As the FIBA World Cup nearing to tip-off its first quarter of shoot and run in the courts of the host country, Spain, billion fans around the world have their own respective bet national basketball team on who will win this season’s World Cup trophy. Asian fans are hoping for their qualified teams, Iran, South Korea and Philippines. Fans from Africa will be cheering for Angola, Senegal and Egypt. Others will have their faith on the no. 1 and no. 2 teams, USA and Spain.

But we cannot ignore the chance that the trophy will be brought home from one of the teams in Americas FIBA zone and listed as the third strongest national basketball team in FIBA World ranking, Argentina.

Besides from the knowledge we know about Argentina as the home of the no. 1 football player in the world, Leonil Messi, this country also shelters one of strongest national basketball team in the world for they were the first national team to defeat the no. 1 team, USA, which formed a whole pack of players from the most prestigious league in the court of basketball, the National Basketball Association (NBA) League, in the 2002 FIBA World Championship with a score of 87-80. However, Argentine squad did not make their mission to carry home the trophy that year for they were lost on the overtime at the final match against Yugoslavia.

Without Manu Ginobili of San Antonio Spurs on their squad, Argentina is still packed of dexterous and agile lineup which will be managed by Coach Julio Cesar Lamas.

Directing the game team play inside the court will be the assignment given to their point guards Pablo Priogioni of New York Knicks, Nicolas Laprovittolaof Flamingo in Brazilian League, Facundo Campazzo of Penarol Mar de Plata and Juan Fern of Obras Buenos Aires of both teams in Liga A of Argentina.

Players in-charge behind and within the arc will be the task to be given to their guards and forwards, Adrian Boccia, Selem Safar, Andres Nocioni, Marcus Mata, Leonardo Mainoldi, Walter Herrmann, Leo Guttierez and Pablo Espinoza.

Towering under the baskets to obtain missed shots by their team and assuring to put in will be the undertaking to be shouldered by Argentina’s soaring players like the 21 6’9” center of Regatas Orientes of Liga A, Matias Bortolin, the 22 6’9” player of Boca Junior Buenos Aires Marcus Delia, the 6’9” Juan Guttierez and the 6’8” player of Indiana Pacers, Luis Scola.

Does the Argentine team will repeat the history of pulverizing the team with NBA players and snatch the crown for being number one national basketball team in the world this season? Or they will stay behind their mission?