Spain and Australia opened the ban in Lille

Olympic time has come. The Spanish men’s basketball team will start this Saturday morning their journey to the Paris 2024 Games, and they will do so by inaugurating the track at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille against Australia (11:00 am).

After several hours of preparation since arriving at headquarters, those of Sergio Scariolo will open the ban on the so-called ‘group of death’. They open against Australia, then Greece and, finally, against the big group favourites, Canada. Therefore, in a tournament where the first two in each group and the two best third place teams pass, each victory is worth gold and each point scored and received counts towards qualifying for the knockout phase .

Spain arrived at the Games after overcoming the most emotional impact of the Pre-Olympic against the Bahamas in the final and with a complete victory, thus guaranteeing the last Olympic dance for Rudy Fernández, who will retire from professional basketball in Paris. Once the ticket is in hand, Spain have no choice but to face a difficult challenge, and the first to test them will be Australia, a team that is a candidate to repeat the podium at the Games.

And with Patty Mills repeating her fifth and final Olympic experience with the ‘Boomers’, anything can happen to the ocean team. Australia go to Paris after playing a good round of preparatory friendlies and against select rivals like Serbia, France and the United States.

Mills will be the main source of points and will be surrounded by a cast consisting of a total of eight NBA players such as Josh Giddey (Bulls), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), Jock Landale (Rockets) or former Barça players Joe Ingles (Timberwolves) and Dante Exum (Mavs), the latter absent from the opening game due to injury. Brian Goorjian, coach of the Australian team, will be looking to be the first to trouble Scariolo’s team.

Meanwhile, Spain is confident of a good performance in the Games despite what the predictions say. As in the previous World Cup, the pools did not play in favor of the Spanish team. Being in what seems to be the most competitive group in the group stage prevents us from thinking about a victory, but in a game, and considering the competitive identity of the group, luck may fall on their side.

And generational change is a reality. Although they will be Rudy’s last, they will be the first Games without Pau Gasol since 2004 and without the generation of players like Ricky Rubio, Marc Gasol, Víctor Claver or Sergio Rodríguez. The Spanish team is reviving and, with it, other youngsters like Santi Aldama, Usman Garuba or the Hernangómez brothers have taken over the generation. The Paris Games will be a great point and end for some, and a great starting point for others. Australia will be a great first test.