Olympics’ 8 males’s basketball groups nonetheless standing, ranked by gold medal possibilities

The boys’s basketball event on the 2024 Paris Olympics is on its option to crowning a champion. A 12-team area has been trimmed to only eight groups after the group stage, and now it’s time for a single-elimination knockout event till one staff stands on high of the rostrum with the gold medal.

The USA is the apparent favourite coming into the knockout rounds. The People have gained seven of the final eight Olympics gold medals in males’s basketball, and blasted their means via the group stage with the event’s greatest point-differential. Their two largest challengers for gold are Germany and Canada, however the U.S. gained’t play both till the potential championship sport.

This event has been filled with star-power and thrilling video games to date. It’s solely going to get higher within the knockout rounds, as a result of something can occur in a single-elimination, 40-minute FIBA sport. Discover the schedule and bracket for the knockout rounds within the males’s basketball event on the 2024 Paris Olympics right here. Right here’s how we’d rank the eight groups nonetheless standing within the area by their gold medal possibilities.

8. Brazil

Brazil can thank former Raptors first spherical choose Bruno Caboclo (of “two years away from being two years away” fame) for pushing them into the knockout rounds. Caboclo popped off for 33 factors (on 13-of-19 capturing from the sphere) and 17 rebounds in a win over Japan that pushed Brazil into the knockout rounds. Solely Greece scored fewer complete factors within the group stage, however veterans like Vitor Benite, Leo Meindl, and Raul Neto have offered a aggressive basis for this staff. It could take a miracle to beat Group USA within the quarterfinals, however Brazil can nonetheless say it had a profitable event.

Photograph by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP through Getty Photographs

7. Greece

Giannis Antetokounmpo is placing Greece on his again within the Olympics. Giannis is main the event in scoring at 27 factors per sport whereas additionally serving to make Greece the second stingiest protection within the area by factors allowed. The issue is that Antetokounmpo doesn’t have a lot assist round him offensively. Solely considered one of his teammates is averaging double-figures in scoring (Vasilis Toliopoulos at 12 factors per sport), and nobody else on the staff is capturing above 43 % from the sphere. Greece’s 233 factors are the fewest of any staff to achieve the knockout stage. The offense is perhaps a whole slog proper now, however Giannis’ super-human two-way potential has pushed them to the knockout rounds, and that’s one thing to be pleased with.

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

6. France

France is going through a ton of strain for a deep run because the host nation, however proper now this roster appears to be like too flawed for that. Whereas Victor Wembanyama has been implausible in his Olympics debut on each ends of the ground, his teammates have struggled to get him the ball in advantageous conditions. The downfall for France to date has been its guard play. Frank Ntilikina and Matthew Strazel can’t get to the rim for simple buckets like most backcourts on this event, and Evan Fournier’s capturing has fallen off since a scorching run on the final Tokyo Olympics. Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert has so nice defensively that France has an opportunity in any matchup, nevertheless it’s onerous to win with out good guard play.

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5. Australia

The Aussies took second within the ‘group of demise’ regardless of going 1-2. Australia is studying it could actually’t rely so closely on soon-to-be 36-year-old Patty Mills in these Video games. After carrying Australia to bronze on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Mills has struggled to get going offensive to date, capturing solely 30 % on two-point area targets. His youthful teammates have picked up the slack. Josh Giddey has stepped up as the brand new chief of the Boomers, giving this staff a strong mixture of scoring (15 factors) and playmaking (6.7 assists) to begin the event. Massive man Jock Landale has been glorious inside, with hyper-efficient scoring (17.7 factors per sport on 68.8 % capturing on two-pointers) and rebounding. One space of focus for Australia because it strikes onto the knockout rounds to face Serbia: it has to shoot free throws higher. Its 63.5 % mark from the road is the worst of any staff to advance previous the group levels.

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

4. Serbia

Serbia by no means actually felt prefer it performed its greatest basketball in group play, nevertheless it nonetheless simply superior with the fourth largest point-differential at +26. The massive subject for Serbia proper now’s a protection that allowed 87 factors per sport in three contests — the worst mark of any staff to achieve the knockout rounds. Serbia must relay closely on its offense, however that’s simply fantastic with the most effective participant on the planet, Nikola Jokic, because the hub of its assault. Jokic averaged 18.7 factors, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists per sport in group play, which ranked within the top-10 of every class. Serbia’s shooters haven’t gotten scorching but, and this was nonetheless the second-best offense in group play. If Bogdan Bogdanovic and firm warmth up from deep, Serbia harmful in a 40-minute FIBA sport with Jokic as their chief. Australia is a tricky matchup within the quarterfinals and the U.S. is an unimaginable one within the semis, however Serbia nonetheless has the products to have an actual probability to do one thing particular.

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

3. Germany

It shouldn’t be a shock that the Germans have been so spectacular within the Olympics to date — they’re the defending FIBA World Cup champions, and proceed to appear like essentially the most cohesive staff within the area. Germany’s protection has been the most important revelation of the event to date: each different staff allowed a median of at the least 80 factors per sport in group play, however Germany held the opposition to solely 73.7 factors throughout their 3-0 begin. Germany’s offense seemed super because the third highest-scoring staff in group play. Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner are reliable FIBA stars on the perimeter, and Mo Wagner and Daniel Theis have been glorious offering toughness inside. Low cost Germany on this event at your personal peril. This staff is basically good.

Photograph by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP through Getty Photographs

2. Canada

Canada superior out of the so-called Group of Loss of life unblemished with wins over Australia, Greece, and Spain — even when it wasn’t at all times fairly. The Canadians have struggled to shoot the ball from three (33.8 % from deep via three video games) and have one of many weaker entrance courts remaining within the event, however there’s nonetheless a lot to love about this staff. R.J. Barrett is enjoying a few of the greatest ball of his profession proper now as Canada’s main scorer, exhibiting the downhill scoring potential that when made him a high NBA prospect. Dillon Brooks can also be enjoying impressed ball, at occasions feeling like this group’s emotional chief together with his defensive depth and knack for hitting large pictures. All the pieces nonetheless revolves round Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 26-year-old MVP candidate who will be the most effective participant on the ground whatever the opponent. Canada has a hellacious path to the gold medal sport with France within the quarterfinals and probably Germany within the semis, however this staff has the second highest ceiling within the area in the event that they play their greatest sport.

Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Photographs

1. United States

If there have been issues about Group USA coming off a number of shut video games within the exhibition slate, a dominant run in Group C ought to have strengthened that that is by far the most effective staff within the area. The People routed a medal contender in Serbia of their opening sport, after which coasted to simple wins over South Sudan and Puerto Rico. Hardest exams are coming for the U.S., however this staff seems to have a solution for each query that might probably be posed to them. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant is a tremendous basis for this staff — not simply because it’s three top-20 gamers of all-time, but in addition as a result of their video games match collectively so seamlessly. Whereas Joel Embiid has struggled to adapt at occasions, the entrance courtroom nonetheless appears to be like excellent with Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo each enjoying nice ball. Jrue Vacation and Derrick White have transitioned completely from the Celtics to the nationwide staff, offering their signature model of defensive versatility and connective offensive ability units. Something can occur in a single-elimination event, however Group USA deserves to be a heavy favourite.