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Gilas group stage opponents’ preview: Don’t cry for Gilas, Argentina

Argentina's Pablo Priogini, left, vies with Puerto Rico's Jorge Brian Diaz, right, during the Group B Basketball World Cup match between Argentina and Puerto Rico in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014. The 2014 Basketball World Cup competition will take place in various cities in Spain from Aug. 30 through to Sept. 14. (AP Photo/Miguel Angel Morenatti)

After losing to Croatia and Greece, Gilas Pilipinas now takes on perennial contender Argentina. With a couple of veteran players skipping this FIBA World Cup, are the Argentinians still a threat to win it all?
 
We all know the heritage of this proud basketball powerhouse from South America. Argentina is traditionally known as a football nation with the inimitable Diego Maradona helping elevate the country onto the world stage with his heroics not too long ago. Basketball, however, has shared the limelight with football and the crowning glory of the Argentines came in the 2004 Athens Olympics when they won the whole enchilada. Little do many know that Argentina was actually the inaugural titlists of the FIBA World Championship in 1950—the first of two occasions they hosted the event.
 
Today, Argentina is still known as basketball heavyweight but have become among the oldest teams in the competition. Here’s their official roster for Spain:
 
4 Luis SCOLA – PF 6’9” (Indiana Pacers-USA)
5 Tayavek GALLIZZI – C 6’9” (Quilmes Mar del Plata-Argentina)
6 Marcos MATA – SF 6’7” (Franca-Brazil)
7 Facundo CAMPAZZO – PG 5’11” (Real Madrid-Spain)
8 Pablo PRIGIONI – PG 6’3” (New York Knicks-USA)
9 Nicolas LAPROVITTOLA – PG 6’1” (Flamengo-Brazil)
10 Leo GUTIERREZ – PF 6’7” (Peñarol Mar del Plata-Argentina)
11 Marcos DELIA – C 6’10” (Obras Buenos Aires-Argentina)
12 Walter HERRMANN – SF 6’9” (Flamengo-Brazil)
13 Andres NOCIONI – SF 6’7” (Real Madrid-Spain)
14 Matias BORTOLIN – PF 6’9” (Atenas Cordoba-Argentina)
15 Selem SAFAR – SG 6’3” (Obras Buenos Aires-Argentina)
 
Head Coach: Julio LAMAS (Obras Sanitarias-Argentina)
 
Scola, Gutierrez and Nicotine were already part of the 2002 line-up for the Indianapolis Worlds that won the silver medal along with NBA veterans Manu Ginobili (injured) and Fabricio Oberto (retired from international competition). For the 2004 Olympics, Herrmann (along with then young hotshot Carlos Delfino—who is still presently injured) joined the team. For the 2006 Worlds in Tokushima, Japan, Prigioni made the roster.
 
Those five gentlemen are still on the 2014 roster.
 
Ginobili, 34, is part of a movement that is openly opposing the Argentine Basketball Federation and has used rehabilitation to opt out of playing in this edition of the Worlds. This was supposed to be his farewell international campaign as Scola, 34, and Gutierrez, 36, have already indicated that they are headed to retirement from international basketball. Prigioni, 37, Nocioni, 34, and Herrmann, 35, are still quite active in their respective professional careers, despite advancing in age. In short, Argentina will soon be a team in transition.
 
For now, however, it is still a formidable line-up that has all the tools of possibly topping the group.
 
So far, they have whipped FIBA Americas rivals Puerto Rico 98-75 but lost to Croatia, 90-85.
 
Many of us are familiar with what Scola has been bringing to the proverbial table for years. He’s a bullstrong post threat with a variety of moves that catches even the most experienced defenses off guard. In recent years, Scola has added a mid range jumper to his arsenal and although he has been relegated to a role player on the Indiana Pacers line-up, internationally he is still one of the most feared offensive juggernauts.

Argentina's Luis Scola, right, vies with Puerto Rico's Bryan Diaz, left, during the Group B Basketball World Cup match between Argentina and Puerto Rico in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014. The 2014 Basketball World Cup competition will take place in various cities in Spain from Aug. 30 through to Sept. 14. (AP Photo/Miguel Angel Morenatti)


 
Nocioni personifies toughness and ruggedness since he emerged in the NBA in 2004 as part of the Chicago Bulls’ youth movement. Ten years later, he has brought his take-no-prisoners approach to Real Madrid and has been among the imports that have helped make a difference for the Los Vikingos. He has range, ball handling skills and intimidating stature has endeared him to fans of his team and has had him jeered by the opposing followers.
 
Gutierrez is still among the best mid range shooters in Argentina, while Herrmann still brings his versatility to the forefront.
 
The offense, though, flows through Prigioni who in eight years of international service has already become the all-time assists man on the squad, despite Scola’s preference as a post player. The incoming youngsters have had Prigioni attune himself more towards the running game and his stints with Real Madrid and the New York Knicks have prepared him for this eventuality.
 
The Argentine youth movement has already begun in form of Gallizzi, 21, Campazzo, 23, Laprovittola, 24, Delia, 22, and Bortolin, 21.
 
Of the five, Campazzo is the one that could have the biggest impact, beginning in this tournament. Campazzo is a 5’11” point guard with the physical traits of Puerto Rico’s J.J. Barea but with the basketball IQ of Prigioni. He is already seeing some minutes behind veterans Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull in Real Madrid and is slowly gaining the confidence necessary for him to become the next great playmaker coming out of Argentina.
 
With what Gilas showed in against Croatia, suddenly anything is possible—including a world-class upset against the former Olympic and World champions.
 
Argentina Head Coach Julio Lamas likes to run a lot of motion offenses anchored on Scola and sometimes having Scola becoming a decoy to have Nocioni finish strong or Gutierrez to nail an elbow shot.
 
Despite being hefty, Argentina is not as tall as the rest of the competition and after the Philippines is the smallest team Group B. The Argentines thrive on gang rebounding, so if Andray Blatche, Marc Pingris and Japeth Aguilar can stand their ground on the boards, it may negate triggering the vaunted transition game for Argentina.
 
It’s a choice of which situation to best cope with as Prigioni can trigger the fastbreak excellently, while Scola can anchor the halfcourt game brilliantly. Gilas will has to take one component of the equation that makes Argentina good to be able to stay competitive and perhaps pull the rug in the end game.
 
Nocioni—more than Prigioni or Scola—will be the biggest thorn on both ends of the floor, but if the Pinoys can keep their head in the game—and keep Nocioni away from trying to psyche out Blatche—Gabe Norwood can neutralize the veteran with his exceptional defensive prowess. This may even cause Nocioni to become emotional and lose focus—one of the alleged reasons why the Philadelphia 76ers opted not to renew his contract after the 2011-2012 NBA season.
 
If Gilas can eliminate one of the veterans—Prigioni by taking his rhythm away, Nocioni by forcing to get emotional, Scola by keeping the ball out his hands in the post and even Herrmann from getting his confidence—and the outside shot (once again) begins to fall, Gilas may not need overtime to resend shockwaves across the basketball panorama like they did against Croatia.
 
Gilas will have to take a beating to get the job done, but could still have enough left in the tank to muster a victory.
 
Gilas only needs to win twice to advance to the next round (and probably meet hosts Spain), or win three games to face someone else.
 
Regardless, the loss against Croatia opened the minds of many that an upset is in the offing. The question is, against who?
 
 
Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate) and email sportztackle@yahoo.com