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With the last leg of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics basketball qualifiers leading up to what will be the first ever appearance for Luka Doncic’s Slovenia, we now know all 12 teams that will participate in the basketball event that tips off on July 24th. Team USA, with a total of 16 Olympic gold medals already, will be the obvious favorites again to win the event.
However, there are a number of other teams that can compete and make it difficult for Team USA to return home with the gold medal. While Japan does not boast the best rosters for the tournament, they will have home advantage and will be led by NBA aces Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe. Regardless, in this article, we look at the five best teams that have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Top 5 Olympic basketball teams that have qualified
#5 Slovenia
The rise of superstar Luka Doncic has led the Slovenians to the Tokyo Olympic Finals. They will have a good chance of ending up with a medal considering the performances of Mike Tobey and Doncic himself, who have both averaged double-doubles through the qualifiers.
What sets the Slovenian team apart is the fact that they have multiple offensive scorers capable of dropping points regularly. He is also one of the best playmakers that the NBA has ever seen. While they might not be the favorites, Slovenia could be considered the dark horses for the tournament.
#4 Australia
Australia also has multiple NBA players on their roster. A potential appearance at the event for Ben Simmons would have made them proper medal contenders. However, they still have a total of 6 NBA players including Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, Dante Exum, Matthew Dellavedova and Josh Green. They were the first team to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in September 2019 and will be looking for their first medal at the event.
Also Check out: Complete USA Olympic Basketball Team Schedule
#3 France
The French will be led by defensive player of the year in the NBA Rudy Gobert, LA Clippers forward Nicolas Batum, Boston Celtics forward Evan Fournier, Brooklyn Nets guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina. They won bronze at the FIBA 2019 World Cup and are one of the top contenders for a medal at the Olympics as well. The French are placed in group A alongside the USA and will be looking to emerge as potential gold medal contenders.
#2 Spain
The Spanish have a well-balanced roster boasting the likes of the Gasol brothers along with Willy, Juancho Hernangomez and Ricky Rubio. The Spanish have plenty of experience and skill on their roster and are led by virtually the same core that won the Bronze medal at the Brazil Olympics in 2016. It must also be noted that Spain is currently ranked second in the world behind USA, and can be expected to return with a medal.
#1 USA
Team USA are again the obvious favorites led by one of the best players the NBA has ever seen in Kevin Durant. They have a well-rounded roster that includes some of the most-impressive players in the NBA this season.
This includes the likes of Beal, LaVine, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, Bam Adebayo and Jayson Tatum. Team USA have the most quality on their roster, and are the best team on paper by quite a margin for the Olympics.
Guess the Lakers players!
