There were exceptionally few big players in the Finnish team at the European basketball championships. This is about to change for next year’s World Cup.
Finland the national basketball team went further in Prague and Berlin than ever before in the European Championship in the current format – but there may be even better things to come.
There are a lot of young players joining the national team, thanks to which Finland has a good chance of getting a clearly better team than this year’s for next year’s World Cup.
The Finnish team is also growing from within, because most of the players’ best years are still ahead of them.
Those who ended their careers for the European Championships Petteri Koponen and Shawn Huff there are already high-level takers for the positions left. Olivier Nkamhoua22, would have been a starting five player already at the European Championships, had he not had to return to the University of Tennessee.
With the absence of the 203-centimeter Nkamhoua, Finland went to the European Championship with only three big men, while in the 2011-2017 prestigious championships there were always at least five fourth and fifth place players in the lineup.
Nkamhoua brings a modern big man to the lineup, who can guard several playing positions, make baskets from close and far, and brings width to the Finnish front row.
Even in the 2017 European Championships, both big men in the starting five of the national team – Tuukka Kotti and Gerald Lee Junior – didn’t throw three-pointers, but in next year’s World Cup, all four top players in Finland’s front row (Lauri Markkanen, Mikael Jantunen, Alexander MadsenNkamhoua) are able to do the important things for Finland’s tactics, i.e. throw from a distance, handle the ball in quick attacks and change guards far from the basket.
At the World Cup, Finland’s frontcourt may also feature a player whose like has never been used by the national team before. Federico Federico21, had time to participate in only part of this summer’s national team activities due to his university obligations, but aroused enthusiasm in coaching.
The 211-centimeter Federiko is a modern basket player, a reaching basket guard and a donker of lob passes. Belonging to the same age group as Federiko Mustapha Amzil is, on the other hand, a tall general player who can also break into the men’s national team. If Nkamhoua and Federiko are added to the body of the European Championship team, Finland will suddenly have a large team at its disposal.
In the backfield Jacob Grandison would probably have been involved in the summer World Cup qualifiers and European Championships if he hadn’t injured his shoulder in March. The 198-centimeter and 24-year-old pitcher will play at Duke University next season.
Finland the big question in the backfield is the number one playmaker. The place held by Koponen for more than a decade belonged to the European Championships Edon to Maxhunwho improved throughout the summer and gained very important experience playing value tournaments.
Miro Little remained a runner, but flashed a few times in a way that was a reminder that in a year he can leap far ahead again. A year ago, Little had not yet played a single match for the men’s national team, now he was the youngest player in the entire European Championships at the age of 18.
Behind Maxhun and Little, it remains to be seen how many playmakers the national team will travel to next year’s World Cup with. The first of the young challengers to the World Cup team Ilari Seppälän over is striving Perttu Blomgrenwho plays both fullback positions.
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