GB Men

[donnyf]

Hoopsfix reporting that the GB mens team will not enter the Pre Qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics, instead playing a series of yet to be confirmed friendlies this summer in prep for Eurobasket 2025 qualifying.

Not sure if this a good move? What do the team really get out of meaningless friendlies? We're never going to qualify, but surely competitive games give the team a better experience/chance of actually getting something out of it.


www.hoopsfix.com/2023/03/bbf-opts-not-to-enter-gb-senior-men-in-pre-olympic-qualifiers/

[D44]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation. I can't see too much merit in putting our 'young' group out to get mullered every game and with many of the old guard either tied up abroad (Hesson, Olaseni) or not playing (Soko, Philip, Clark) it may be better to go down the camps route.

[dexter]

A series of friendlies between GB Men and London Lions would be interesting. Or if Lions don’t have a team because it’s the off season, something like a Team North vs a Team South would be good.

[spacejammer]

Disappointing we ain't trying again for the Olympics but then again let's be honest I didn't expect us to.
Especially after the last GB window their would need to be more development and more backing for the sport for us to have a chance at the Olympics.

Since London 2012 we haven't been able to compete with nations such as France, Italy and the world number 1's Spain.
And although we get the odd win against a countries B or C team in a qualifier.
We can never seem to bring it together on the big stage when we go to the Eurobasket.

So going to the Olympics which is probably the tournament that attracts the most NBA interest as well.
It would be a masscre for Team GB to go up against the likes of team USA right now.

I think if the mens team was to start becoming as efficient as the ladies team then maybe I would be in favour of us competing.
But for now I don't blame us for not going.

[jt]

I think this is probably a smart move in the long run. We would never qualify anyway, so we may as well try and get some proper experience against a more even level team.

I'm fearful that this may drop GB in the global rankings giving an easy excuse to underfund GB basketball even more.

[D44]

Mar 27, 2023 14:56:45 GMT spacejammer said:

And although we get the odd win against a countries B or C team in a qualifier.
We can never seem to bring it together on the big stage when we go to the Eurobasket

Different gravy going up against the NBA and top Euroleague players for sure. Seeing Porzingis and Larkin absolutely torch GB last year has definitely drove that home. Much as the organisation side behind team GB gets lathered (and often rightly so) we do have to accept where we are with regards to not having any world class players right now. (That is of course except for OG Anunoboy who has never expressed any interest in playing for GB as far as I know)

[voise]

Mar 27, 2023 15:18:24 GMT jt said:

I'm fearful that this may drop GB in the global rankings giving an easy excuse to underfund GB basketball even more.

It's a vicious circle. Whatever happened to the 2012 legacy?

[tallerman]

Let’s get better by not playing games. Absolute shambles

[dexter]

If GB Men are not going to try to qualify for the Olympic Games there’s no point in having a GB Men team at all. Might as well have separate England and Scotland teams.