Olympic Team Profile: Argentina
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The defending gold medalists from Argentina may return to the Olympic Games with a revamped roster, but experience remains the key to its chances for a repeat that, if consummated, would be considered among the greatest feats in basketball history. Argentina brings back only five players from its 2004 Olympic-champion squad in Athens and just six from the 2006 World Championships, in which the team finished fourth. The squad's world-class leaders, however, are still present and accounted for, headed by former all-Euroleague stars Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Pablo Prigioni and Andres Nocioni. All of them are probable starters in Beijing, with another former Euroleague standout, Fabricio Oberto, anchoring the center position, and yet another, Carlos Delfino, likely to come off the bench to back up more than one position. Four of those players - Oberto, Nocioni, Ginobili and Scola - were team leaders as far back as the 2002 World Championships silver-medal team, giving Argentina what is surely the most-experienced core of contributors coming to Beijing.
# | Name | Pos. | H. | 4 | Luis Scola | F | 204 | 5 | Manu Ginobili | G | 198 | 6 | Roman Gonzalez | F | 210 | 7 | Fabricio Oberto | C | 208 | 8 | Pablo Prigioni | G | 186 | 9 | Antonio Porta | G | 188 | 10 | Carlos Delfino | F | 200 | 11 | Paolo Quinteros | G | 188 | 12 | Leo Gutierrez | F | 201 | 13 | Andres Nocioni | F | 201 | 14 | Juan P. Guitierrez | C | 205 | 15 | Federico Kammerichs | F | 202 | | Head Coach: Sergio Hernandez |
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With the rest of the roster in transition, however, many eyes will be on Argentina's bench as the games and minutes add up during the Olympics. The loss of veteran Pepe Sanchez has opened the way for a pair of point guards to step in. Nicolas Gianella, 30, has long experience in the Spanish League, while tall, solid Antonio Porta, 25, cut his teeth last season in the Russian League. Similarly, the absence of Walter Herrmann will be filled by well-traveled forward Federico Kammerichs, 28, who is more of an inside threat. In the place of missing big men like Ruben Wolkowyski arrive another veteran, big-bodied Roman Gonzalez, 30, and an experienced young power forward, Juan Gutierrez. Their rebounding off the bench will be one key for Argentina.
There is no doubt that when ability and experience are balanced, Argentina head coach Sergio Santos Hernandez has half a lineup as good as any going to Beijing. How he gets the most out of a bench that is largely new to the world stage will be a deciding factor for the team. If Argentina's well-known stars can reach the quarterfinals somewhat fresh, there is no counting this team out when medals of any color are distributed.
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Euroleague.net
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