Paris 2024 Olympic Basketball: Group C Preview

When groups are drawn for any kind of competition, there is always at least one group that is bound to be labeled as ‘easy’ or a foregone conclusion in terms of the result. For Men’s Basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games , that would probably be Group C.

If Group A is the ‘Group of Death,‘ and Group B leaves the door open for some level of opportunity, Group C feels like a closed-and-shut case as to the final result that people will be anticipating. It is really hard to shake that notion.

Group C features two absolute juggernauts with the USA and Serbia headlining the teams involved. South Sudan and Puerto Rico will be the two nations joining them.

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 decided.

The Path to the Olympics

Revisiting how each country qualified for the 2024 games in Paris

One might think that a basketball nation as dominant as the United States of America gets an automatic inclusion into the Olympic Games. That is not the case, but with how well they consistently perform, it might as well be.

The USA qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris by having one of the top two finishes of the nations in the Americas at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. However, the less said about that event for American basketball fans, the better.

The team failed to secure a medal at the World Cup, losing to Canada in the bronze medal game. That poor finish prompted the incredible team that has been assembled for the 2024 Olympics.

Serbia, on the other hand, enjoyed a very successful run at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They secured an automatic bid to the Olympics by having one of the two best finishes of European teams at the tournament. They managed to secure a silver medal at the event despite being without the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic , for that run.

Puerto Rico managed to secure a spot at the 2024 Olympics through the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. They knocked off Lithuania 79-68 in the final of their tournament run to lock up their spot in Group C.

South Sudan also locked up their spot at the 2024 Olympics thanks to their performance in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They had the highest finish at the tournament out of all African nations, securing an automatic bid to the games in Paris. This will be the first Olympic event for South Sudan’s basketball team.

Projected Starting Lineups

Group C will be home to the resident All-Star team that the USA brings to the tournament

Group C will feature the star-studded roster of Team USA. There should be no shortage of recognizable names among the group.

The USA can feasibly go in a lot of different directions with who they choose to feature. The roster is absolutely stacked. One would imagine Stephen Curry , LeBron James , and Kevin Durant are all locks to start once the tournament gets going, though.

Serbia has a handful of names that will stand out to basketball fans, but it does not take a genius to figure out the star of the show. Jokić, the three-time MVP, will be the main attraction for most fans tuning in to watch the team play.

Puerto Rico will feature a couple of names that NBA fans should quickly recognize. New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is the easiest to spot. However, Tremont Waters was also a former NBA player, having been in the league from 2019 to 2022.

South Sudan’s starting lineup is, admittedly, tough to project until a closer date to the start of the Olympics. Their upcoming friendly against the USA on July 24th should shed more light on the matter.

Players To Watch In Group C

All eyes are on the tournament-favorite

LeBron James (USA)

James is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. At the very least, he is one of the two who have a claim to that title. James will be the unquestioned leader of Team USA, making him a must-watch.

Anthony Edwards (USA)

Anthony Edwards was bold enough to call himself the number one option for a star-studded team like the USA. It will be interesting to see if the rising superstar can back up that confidence once the tournament gets going.

Nikola Jokić (Serbia)

This one has already been touched on. Jokić is the best player in the world right now. Serbia showcased the ability to win without him. It bears attention to see what they can do with him in the fold.

Prediction For Group C

This should be a comfortable ride for two of the tournament’s top dogs

One could make the argument that this is the USA’s best team that they have sent to the Olympics since the famous Dream Team. They should be able to win this group somewhat comfortably. The USA is currently the overwhelming betting favorites to win the tournament at the 2024 Olympics on almost any betting platform.

It is hard to imagine Serbia having difficulty being the other team to qualify from Group C. Puerto Rico and South Sudan are both great stories, in terms of how they got to the 2024 Olympics, but Serbia should have a strong edge over both of those teams.

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