PS: Brazil also beat Croatia by 9. Interesting to note that Coratia, Greece and Brazil have all yetr to qualify for Beijing and therefore are really ramping it up a level in preparation for the qualification tournament that starts next week.

I'm not really suprised that Greece beat Australia at all. They did win the European Championship in 2005, and still have most of their main players from that tournament around, so I'd say they're definitely better than the Aussies. Still, decent effort by Australia, and while I support our guys, we still have a long way to go before we can even get Bronze at an Olympic Games. We might be getting better, but other countries are as well, so we just have to try and keep on improving.

You can't really say it was 'a decent effort'. If the Boomers want a medal, they cannot expect to lose by 20 and be complacent.
Greece aren't the best team in the World, and yet they beat us by 20. Imagine how hard it's going to be to get Bronze when we have to get past teams like USA,Argentina,Brazil,Italy,France,Greece,Spain

USA-ALL-STAR Team. LBJ,D-Wade,J-kidd,kobe(Best in world-dont need to say much more really)

Argentina-Ginoblli,Oberto,Nocioni,Scola(ranked 2nd best in world by FIBA)

Spain-Juan Carlos Navvaro,Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon,Ricky Rubio,Rudy Fernadez(3rd best in world with 5 NBA Players)

Brazil-Heaps of quality European players plus Leandro Barbosa and Nene!

France-Parker,Turiaf,Boris Diaw and other NBA PLayers

Greece-6th best in world and 2ND at World Champs in 2006

Italy-Heaps of quality EURO players plus Barganini from the Raptors and Marco Bellinielli

Getting a medal at Bejing is going to be sooo hard!

My pick for the top 3 spots are:
1. USA-I think its their time for once, experienced side with superstars. They seem to be more of a team this time round courteosy of Coach K

2. Argentina-Ginobbli,Oberto,Nocioni and Scola is a great lineup. Even better is that fact that they are a great TEAM

3. France-IMO the dark horse of the tournament. People are really forgetting about the French. They have a VERY GOOD LINEUP. Parker is going to be very very hard to stop, Diaw will post big no.s and Turiaf will get it done INSIDE. They have great balance: Parker at PG, Diaw at PF/SF and Turiaf at C.

Here's my tips for what it is worth:

1. Spain
2. USA
3. Greece

Others with a realistic chance of making the medal round (final 4), including:

Argentina
Lithuania
Russia
France
Germany
Brazil
China
Australia

That's 11 teams with a real shot IMO.

France did not qualify for the 2008 games.

See the following, thanks to Rat10 in the later Olympic Basketball Predictions post.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_national_basketball_team

NPBHS, I agree, it'll be very hard for Australia to get anywhere near a medal.

And LC, I think you forgot the 2004 Olympic Games Silver Medalists Italy there.

Australia will get it's arse handed to it on a platter at the Games.

It amazes me that Australia constantly jacks up 3 ball after 3 ball. I thought Goorj would of learnt his lesson after the last World Champs. Our shooters are simply not good enough for this game plan. It worked with Gaze, Heal and co, but these guys just don't hit constantly enough.

Goorj is going to be so out-coached Australia is already at a disadvantage.

I seriously hope that when Bogut joins the team then we revert to a low post game style utilising Bogut and Andersen in the block. We had better use these two legit world-class bigmen to their strengths and not continuously jack up sh*t from the outside.

this Aus team don't stand NO chance. if Bogut is de best playa foget about it !!! dey should bring gaze, heal and bradtke in de team .. they hav a better chance !!!

Yeah bring retired players in...

Pfft you are a tool playa.

Go back to the Ali G school of english.