Group B consists of Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Panama, Angola and Japan and is headlined by arguably the two best power forwards in the tournament in Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki.
Games will be conducted in Hiroshima, Japan from August 19th to 24th.
Read more about the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament at the informative official website Fiba2006.com
Spain
The Star:
Pau Gasol, 7-0, PF/C, Memphis Grizzles, 26 years old
Jonathan Givony
Possibly the most polished post player in the FIBA World Championships, Pau Gasol will be expected to shoulder quite a load in leading one of the favorites to come away with Gold Medal.
After taking a summer off International competition last year to focus on resting and getting stronger in anticipation of the grueling 82+ schedule that awaited him with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol is rested and hungry to come in and finally help the Spaniards cash in on their always intriguing talented roster. This years might be its strongest version yet, with two more NBA players besides him (Calderon, Garbajosa), another young talent just drafted in the first round (Sergio Rodriguez) and yet another international star in Juan Carlos Navarro who would be in the NBA as well if he werent tied down to a mammoth deal in Spain. Gasols team will be expected to go deep into the tournament and anything less than a medal will be considered another disappointment for what has been a perennially underachieving team in recent years.
To do that, Gasol will have to muster up every ounce of talent and energy he has in the tank, on both ends of the floor. When hes focused, there isnt a player at this tournament who can stop him from getting his shot and scoring at the rim.
Gasol is a legit 7-footer with superb quickness, coordination and balance, showing nimble feet, excellent offensive instincts and the type of versatile big man skill-set that makes NBA general managers drool. He is at his best facing the basket and using his athleticism and ball-handling skills to put the ball on the floor, spin off his defender and use either hand to finish creatively in the post.
Few 7-footers in the NBA beyond Dirk Nowitzki can create their own offense the way Gasol does on a consistent basis, being somewhat of a prototype for possessing a fundamentally sound modern post game from 16 feet and in.
If his defender sags off him to prevent him from putting the ball on the floor, Gasol has no problem knocking down the mid-range jumper from anywhere on the floor thanks to his outstanding touch. Double team him as many teams often try to do and hell usually do a good job finding the open man cutting to the basket or spotting up on the wing. Fully meshing with his teammates and establishing good chemistry will be a must, since Gasol is the type of player that needs excellent spacing and the type of teammates that understand his unique strengths and are willing to work for him in their off the ball movement.
Defensively hes adequate at the NBA level, but capable of being much more than that in the International game thanks to his excellent size, fluidity and length. A solid shot-blocker back in the Stateswith either hand mind you--dont be surprised at all to see him become more of a force here as Spains starting center.
The biggest questions about Gasol and whether hes a legit go-to guy and true franchise player revolve around his ability to deliver in the clutch. This is an especially touchy topic for the Spanish national team in general, so it will be fascinating to see how they react in close game situations, which will inevitably present themselves throughout the tournament. Hes gotten tougher, more aggressive and quite a bit more willing to take over games during the past season, but concerns about his true mental toughness still quietly abound in NBA circles. He has a chance to answer those and then some in Japan.
After taking a summer off International competition last year to focus on resting and getting stronger in anticipation of the grueling 82+ schedule that awaited him with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol is rested and hungry to come in and finally help the Spaniards cash in on their always intriguing talented roster. This years might be its strongest version yet, with two more NBA players besides him (Calderon, Garbajosa), another young talent just drafted in the first round (Sergio Rodriguez) and yet another international star in Juan Carlos Navarro who would be in the NBA as well if he werent tied down to a mammoth deal in Spain. Gasols team will be expected to go deep into the tournament and anything less than a medal will be considered another disappointment for what has been a perennially underachieving team in recent years.
To do that, Gasol will have to muster up every ounce of talent and energy he has in the tank, on both ends of the floor. When hes focused, there isnt a player at this tournament who can stop him from getting his shot and scoring at the rim.
Gasol is a legit 7-footer with superb quickness, coordination and balance, showing nimble feet, excellent offensive instincts and the type of versatile big man skill-set that makes NBA general managers drool. He is at his best facing the basket and using his athleticism and ball-handling skills to put the ball on the floor, spin off his defender and use either hand to finish creatively in the post.
Few 7-footers in the NBA beyond Dirk Nowitzki can create their own offense the way Gasol does on a consistent basis, being somewhat of a prototype for possessing a fundamentally sound modern post game from 16 feet and in.
If his defender sags off him to prevent him from putting the ball on the floor, Gasol has no problem knocking down the mid-range jumper from anywhere on the floor thanks to his outstanding touch. Double team him as many teams often try to do and hell usually do a good job finding the open man cutting to the basket or spotting up on the wing. Fully meshing with his teammates and establishing good chemistry will be a must, since Gasol is the type of player that needs excellent spacing and the type of teammates that understand his unique strengths and are willing to work for him in their off the ball movement.
Defensively hes adequate at the NBA level, but capable of being much more than that in the International game thanks to his excellent size, fluidity and length. A solid shot-blocker back in the Stateswith either hand mind you--dont be surprised at all to see him become more of a force here as Spains starting center.
The biggest questions about Gasol and whether hes a legit go-to guy and true franchise player revolve around his ability to deliver in the clutch. This is an especially touchy topic for the Spanish national team in general, so it will be fascinating to see how they react in close game situations, which will inevitably present themselves throughout the tournament. Hes gotten tougher, more aggressive and quite a bit more willing to take over games during the past season, but concerns about his true mental toughness still quietly abound in NBA circles. He has a chance to answer those and then some in Japan.
The Upside:
Rudy Fernández, 6-5, SG, DKV Joventut, 21 years old
Luis Fernandez
Still 21 years old, Rudy Fernández has already some significant experience with the Spanish National Team. After the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2005 Eurobasket, this will be his third major international tournament with the senior squad. And its about time for him to start playing an important role in the team, as much as he might be overshadowed by Juan Carlos Navarro, the starter at his position and main offensive reference in the backcourt.
However, so far the preparation games havent shown us any improvement in this regard. Hes not managing to provide consistent offensive punch, sticking to a very complimentary role. Although on a different level, it was a bit of the same story at DKV Joventut this past season: where he played extremely well, but mostly as a complimentary guy. Were waiting for him to step up, both in the National Team and his ACB team, especially this following season, with Joventut playing in the Euroleague and Rudy being automatically eligible in the draft. He has the tools to be a go-to guy; he just needs to believe in it.
And which are those tools? As repeated on DraftExpress.com many times, Rudy is a very complete player. Hes a nice shooter, even if hes struggling a little bit lately from three-point range; a productive slasher who takes advantage of his ball-handling skills, quickness and leaping ability; an excellent passer who understands the game; and a reliable backcourt defender. Hes very fundamentally sound and is very active for the most part. Active in every department, but in taking over games; which he has eventually showed in Joventut to be capable of doing on occasion.
Besides that extra scoring punch, Rudy should bring Spain better ball movement coming off the bench. Hes a player who usually makes good decisions, and the Spanish team sometimes gets in offensive jams. If he starts playing well, expect coach Hernández to play him even at the small forward position for some stretches of the game, sharing the wing with Navarro. Hes still a skinny guy, but in international competition it's not rare to see three guards filling the perimeter.
However, so far the preparation games havent shown us any improvement in this regard. Hes not managing to provide consistent offensive punch, sticking to a very complimentary role. Although on a different level, it was a bit of the same story at DKV Joventut this past season: where he played extremely well, but mostly as a complimentary guy. Were waiting for him to step up, both in the National Team and his ACB team, especially this following season, with Joventut playing in the Euroleague and Rudy being automatically eligible in the draft. He has the tools to be a go-to guy; he just needs to believe in it.
And which are those tools? As repeated on DraftExpress.com many times, Rudy is a very complete player. Hes a nice shooter, even if hes struggling a little bit lately from three-point range; a productive slasher who takes advantage of his ball-handling skills, quickness and leaping ability; an excellent passer who understands the game; and a reliable backcourt defender. Hes very fundamentally sound and is very active for the most part. Active in every department, but in taking over games; which he has eventually showed in Joventut to be capable of doing on occasion.
Besides that extra scoring punch, Rudy should bring Spain better ball movement coming off the bench. Hes a player who usually makes good decisions, and the Spanish team sometimes gets in offensive jams. If he starts playing well, expect coach Hernández to play him even at the small forward position for some stretches of the game, sharing the wing with Navarro. Hes still a skinny guy, but in international competition it's not rare to see three guards filling the perimeter.
Marc Gasol, 7-1, C, Winterthur F.C.Barcelona, 21 years old
Luis Fernandez
Just a few weeks ago, nobody would have expected that Marc Gasol could make the final roster of the Spanish squad. After all, he hasnt been anything else than a very marginal player at Winterthur F.C.Barcelona this last season. However, the injury of Fran Vázquez opened a spot in the National Teams roster that coach Pepu Hernández decided to fill with a big body that can add some size to the frontcourt.
If theres one thing that Marc definitely has, its size. Hes not only big in height, but hes a strong guy who--why not come out and say it--is a bit overweight. Hes doing a good job trying to eliminate all the baby fat he gained when he joined his brother Pau in Memphis during his first two seasons with the Grizzlies (Big Marc, some fans joke). While he is improving his athleticism hand in hand with working on his conditioning, Marc will never be a very athletic player. Hes a bit slow and heavy footed, and thats why his NBA potential is limited.
However, the young Gasol is a rather skilled player and delivers some nice intensity. He can play in the low post, although he could take better advantage of his big body and improve his jump-hook, he has a decent mid-range jumper, can pass the ball, understands the game and can even put the ball on the floor, although its not that much of a help considering his limited quickness. Even if not the most aggressive guy around, hes rather tough. On defense, he lacks a bit of mobility, but he doesnt show bad positioning, has a good attitude, and can eventually provide excellent size down low if needed (only his brother Pau has center size in the Spanish squad).
Still, hes a bit immature, and needs some seasoning at the top level, something that he hasnt been able to get in Barcelona and will search for next season at Girona, where he has been loaned for two seasons. He will need to work hard to make his way into the rotation, though; we're talking about a team with high expectations, with Svetislav Pesic as head coach and Dalibor Bagaric already signed for the center position.
With the Spanish National Team, hes not expected to see a good deal of action. Indeed, with only three big men besides him in the roster (Pau Gasol, Jorge Garbajosa and Felipe Reyes), its highly likely that Carlos Jiménez, a small forward, will be moved to the power forward spot in the important games if necessary.
If theres one thing that Marc definitely has, its size. Hes not only big in height, but hes a strong guy who--why not come out and say it--is a bit overweight. Hes doing a good job trying to eliminate all the baby fat he gained when he joined his brother Pau in Memphis during his first two seasons with the Grizzlies (Big Marc, some fans joke). While he is improving his athleticism hand in hand with working on his conditioning, Marc will never be a very athletic player. Hes a bit slow and heavy footed, and thats why his NBA potential is limited.
However, the young Gasol is a rather skilled player and delivers some nice intensity. He can play in the low post, although he could take better advantage of his big body and improve his jump-hook, he has a decent mid-range jumper, can pass the ball, understands the game and can even put the ball on the floor, although its not that much of a help considering his limited quickness. Even if not the most aggressive guy around, hes rather tough. On defense, he lacks a bit of mobility, but he doesnt show bad positioning, has a good attitude, and can eventually provide excellent size down low if needed (only his brother Pau has center size in the Spanish squad).
Still, hes a bit immature, and needs some seasoning at the top level, something that he hasnt been able to get in Barcelona and will search for next season at Girona, where he has been loaned for two seasons. He will need to work hard to make his way into the rotation, though; we're talking about a team with high expectations, with Svetislav Pesic as head coach and Dalibor Bagaric already signed for the center position.
With the Spanish National Team, hes not expected to see a good deal of action. Indeed, with only three big men besides him in the roster (Pau Gasol, Jorge Garbajosa and Felipe Reyes), its highly likely that Carlos Jiménez, a small forward, will be moved to the power forward spot in the important games if necessary.