Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Olympic Games match.
Australia
Australia still relies on its aging team, which won bronze at the last Olympics. Clearly, players haven’t gotten any younger since then. Patty Mills, who is 35, will have to run non-stop being the team leader, while his usual team partner Joe Ingles gets tired after 9 minutes of NBA playoff-level play.
The team atmosphere is also questionable. Head coach Brian Goorjian didn't select strong defender Matisse Thybulle, raising many questions from the press and public. Goorjian himself said before announcing the Olympic roster that many people would want to "put a bullet in his head."
Spain
Spain is likely to show high-level play. Although the team doesn’t have big stars in the squad, its players can play well in different positions. Head coach Sergio Scariolo can easily use 9-10 players per game without losing in quality. The main upgrade compared to last year’s World Cup is point guard Lorenzo Brown, who can both make his teammates play better or carry tough games on his own.
Prediction
Spain is a young and fast-paced team with a very experienced coach who brilliantly understands international basketball. We don’t think Australia will have a big advantage, so Spain can even win this game.
