2024 Olympic Men’s Basketball: Previewing Group A, ‘The Group of Death’

Whatever the year, whatever the sport, a major competition involving group stages will often have one of “those groups” towering above the rest in terms of its difficulty and competitiveness.

For the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Men’s Basketball, there is no exception to that rule.

Group A undoubtedly claims the title of ‘Group of Death’ heading into the competition. The group features four countries that could all feasibly be picked to advance.

Canada, Spain, Greece and Australia make up the toughest of the three groups at this year’s Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament. Each of these countries will likely enter the competition with a legitimate belief that it can claim a medal.

The schedule for games to be played in the group stage is as follows:

The format for the Olympic basketball competition will involve the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages. This will make up six of the eight slots for the tournament’s quarterfinals.

The last two spots will be filled by the two teams with the best record that did not place in the top two of their respective groups. That is how the final eight teams in the competition will be set.

There is a good chance that one of those bonus teams comes from this talented collection of countries.

The Path to the Olympics

Revisiting how each country qualified for the 2024 games in Paris

Team Canada qualified for the Olympics last year. The Golden Age of Canadian basketball, led by MVP runner-up and NBA superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Toronto Raptors star RJ Barrett and Houston Rockets pest Dillon Brooks helped Canada knock off Spain in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The victory clinched the team’s spot at the 2024 Paris games.

With Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray joining the team for this run, Canada should be near the top of most lists of tournament favorites.

Australia also secured its spot around the same time. The Australians placed 10th in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the highest result of anyone from Oceania, which secured their spot at the Olympic Games.

Spain took longer to secure their entry into the competition in comparison to the aforementioned teams. They had to participate in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to earn a spot in Paris.

Spain knocked off the Bahamas 86-78 to lock up a chance to compete in the Olympic Games.

Greece faced a similar situation to Spain. Led by Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo , Greece knocked off Croatia 80-69 in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to return to the Olympic competition for the first time since 2008.

Projected Starting Lineups

Group A boasts some strong starting units for the 2024 games

There should be a fair number of names among the starting lineups for these teams that NBA fans will be familiar with.

Canada boasts a starting lineup full of NBA players. Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray are the headliners for the group, without a doubt. The Canadians lack size, but the talent is hard to bet against.

Australia’s starting lineup is not as clear-cut of a projection, but this would likely be the group that leads the Boomers in Paris. NBA fans should recognize most of the names, like Josh Giddey and Patty Mills , from the association.

Spain seems to be locked in on its starting lineup. The team was consistent about who it rolled out as its main five throughout the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Everyone should be well aware that Antetokounmpo will be Greece’s headliner in this tournament. Giannis will play a big role if the team is to advance past the group stage.

Players To Watch in Group A

A few NBA stars will be worth monitoring in this group

There are a few key names to keep an eye on in this group, and they should be abundantly obvious for the most part.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)

Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the group. Undoubtedly, his country’s performance largely hinges on his superstar efforts.

Based on the deficiencies in size and depth of multiple teams in Group A, Giannis could have a dominant run in the group stage here.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada)

If anyone is going to give Giannis a run for his money as the best player in the group, it would be Gilgeous-Alexander.

His superstar efforts were pivotal to Canada capturing the bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Fans should expect similar production from him in this tournament.

Jamal Murray (Canada)

Murray was missing from Canada’s bronze medal performance in 2023.

His pairing with Gilgeous-Alexander gives Canada one of the best backcourts in the tournament. His addition to Canada will be a key storyline to watch throughout the tournament.

Prediction For Group A

One team towers above the rest

Canada enters the 2024 Paris Olympics with the second-highest odds to win the tournament, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. They should be the favorites to win this tough group.

The second team to move on from the top two is a tough call.

Based on some of the head-to-head matchups, Greece’s size might make it challenging for many of the teams in this group to keep up. They feel like the team with a slight edge over the remaining three.

Don’t be surprised to see a third team from this group qualify for the knockout stages based on record.

The advantage there would likely belong to Spain over Australia.

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