Group C consists of France, Greece, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, headlined by NBA and Euroleague players such as Tony Parker, Mickael Pietrus, Boris Diaw, Rasho Nesterovic and Beno Udrih.
Games will be conducted in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro from September 16th to 18th
Read more about the Eurobasket tournament at the informative official website Eurobasket2005.com
France
The Star:
Tony Parker- 6-2, PG, San Antonio Spurs, 23 years old
Jonathan Givony
Parker is a one of a kind commodity in a tournament like this, and will be especially intriguing to follow as he highlights the differences for us between the NBA and International game. In terms of sheer quickness and explosiveness, Parker is in a class of his own here in Belgrade. NBA defenders find it almost impossible to stay in front of him when he decides to make his way to the basket, so it will be fascinating to see how this translates over the Eurobasket tournament and how much of Frances game will revolve around his ability to penetrate and score rather than running a traditional half-court offense as most of the other teams here will do. It will also be interesting to see how he performs without the benefit of playing next to the #1 player in the world in Tim Duncan. Two years ago in Sweden Parker was having a fairly successful Eurobasket tournament until his team met the eventual champions Lithuania, led by current Indiana Pacers PG Sarunas Jasikevicius, in the semifinals. Parker was outplayed by the Lithuanian star, taking too much on himself and shooting 8-23 from the field, while only dishing out 2 assists to go along with his 3 turnovers. Parker must show better decision making ability in this tournament--especially in the clutch-- than he has so far in international play and even in the NBA playoffs when things really matter. His inability to consistently knock down the three pointer has been an Achilles heel for him in his career so far, and it will be fascinating to see how opposing teams defend him as this can be a major problem (not just for him, but for France in general) in the International game, especially since his team has almost no frontcourt presence whatsoever. The French will only go as far as their star PG will led them.
The Star:
Boris Diaw- 6-9, SG/SF, Phoenix Suns, 23 years old
Malek Ait-Kaci
Boris Diaw is having a great summer so far, after getting his wish and being traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Phoenix Suns, hes heading to the European championship as a key player for the French team. While the team is struggling with its defense but also on offense, Diaw is taking responsibility on himself and is becoming more aggressive on the offensive end, taking open shoots and playing one on one when he has to. Hes still the absolute team player who can play any guard or forward position. On a French team which lacks size in the paint hes very valuable, especially for defensive rebounds. His size, long arms and good vertical leap enable him to crash the glass in front of other big men.
Hes still a team oriented player who has excellent passing ability, but he will surprise a lot of fans who only saw him in Atlanta. As team chemistry is still a big issue for France, he has to create for others but also for himself and has been surprisingly aggressive in the paint. Finally, hes one of the best one on one defenders on the French team, but has struggled a bit with his team defense during the friendly games as was the case with the whole team. If he can stay on the same path he has shown offensively in the European Championships and then later on in the season with Phoenix , well be able to see the all-around player (defensively and offensively) he was meant to be entering the league. The confidence he can gain in himself playing against some of the top talent in the world here can be huge right before the NBA season kicks off.
The Upside:
Mickael Pietrus, 6-6 SG/SF, Golden State Warriors, 23 years old
Jonathan Givony
Possibly the most athletic player at this tournament, Pietrus is a player who will be watched very closely by both European and NBA fans alike as many seem to think that he is just on the verge of accomplishing his full potential and blowing up in a huge way as a player. Injury problems and Golden States depth on the wings has stopped that from happening so far, but here in Belgrade Pietrus will have every opportunity to shine and show exactly why many think so highly of his ability as a player.
Defensively is where his presence should be felt the most. Kirilenko aside, he might be considered the best man to man defender of any player competing here in Serbia and Montenegro. His freakish athletic ability, superb body, long arms and tenacious motor will be a force to be reckoned with for the best perimeter player on any team that he will likely be thrown at.
Offensively is where he has the most to prove. He has shown sparks playing for Golden State, but his ball-handling and perimeter shooting still leave something to be desired, as does his focus and maturity level. France, with Tony Parker and Boris Diaw at the helm, will most likely be looking to run as much as possible, and this is exactly where Pietrus excels the most. Those three on the perimeter will be as close to an NBA offense as you will get at the Eurobasket, a sharp contrast from anything else seen here, and the results will be fascinating to watch.
The Upside:
Mickael Gelabale, 6-7 SF, Real Madrid, 22 years old
Malek Ait-Kaci
After a season with powerhouse Real Madrid where he reveled himself to the European scene, Gelabale has been the most pleasant surprise of the French National Team in the preparation games so far. He is more than just a rotation player on a team loaded on the wing with NBA players Boris Diaw and Mickael Pietrus and also veteran Antoine Rigaudeau. In one year he went from playing for a French league team to starting with Real Madrid, being drafted by the Sonics and getting his first international play. France is struggling with defense and intensity in its friendly games prior the championships so far, and Gelabale is one of the rare guys that is stepping it up.
Gelabales great accuracy on his mid-range jumper makes him a constant threat off the ball, while his athleticism, length and basketball IQ enable him to defend any swingmen on the continent. He beat veteran Alain Digbeu due to his consistency and because his package of skills always makes him useful on the court. The comparison between him and Mickael Pietrus, while often being mentioned should be downplayed as they dont have the same offensive game nor exactly the same qualities on defense. Gelabale is signed thru 2008, but has clear NBA opt out clauses each year and he still might join the Seattle Supersonics in a year or two. This Eurobasket tournament is great for his learning curve, but also is ideal for him to prepare for a crucial season of confirmation with Real Madrid that his break out season was not a fluke. He wont be sneaking up on anyone anymore.