5 best Basketball men's teams at 2024 Paris Olympics, ranked
The 2024 Paris Olympics are just a few days away as each team continues to ramp up in their preparations. Before the much-anticipated multi-sport event commences, several men's basketball teams are taking advantage of their scheduled exhibition matchups. In the process, lineup rotations will be finalized in the coming days.
The exhibition matchups also allow teams to size up their opponents in a possible collision course. It presents an opportunity for each squad to get a feel for their opponents while also highlighting areas for improvement to tweak in the coming days.
With a basketball tournament filled with elite talent from all over the world, this piece provides a top-five ranking of the teams competing.
Top five Basketball men's teams at the 2024 Paris Olympics
5; Germany
Germany is coming off their impressive gold-medal finish in last year's FIBA World Cup, led by Nets guard Dennis Schroder. With a much more daunting challenge ahead of them in the Paris Olympics, fans can expect some important production from the Magic's Wagner brothers alongside some big-man minutes from Daniel Theis.
4; France
There's no denying that France has experienced some success in the Olympic and FIBA tournaments. However, after their disappointing showing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the pressure is on this team to come out stronger against the best basketball teams in the world.
When it comes to France, their twin-tower dynamic of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert presents an imposing presence for opponents at the rim. Veterans Nicholas Batum and Evan Fournier are also expected to provide quality production on the court.
3; Serbia
Led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia is looking to make some noise in the 2024 Paris Olympics. After the team pulled off an impressive 79-67 victory against France in a showcase game, this unit is not one to be taken lightly. Aside from Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic will play a pivotal role in the team's offensive system.
2; Canada
Compared to other teams competing in the Paris Olympics, Canada has the necessary depth to compete against some of the best, including USA Basketball. Featuring a roster filled with several NBA talents from the OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray, they certainly have the potential to go the distance in international competition.
They finished third in the 2023 FIBA World Cup as they handled business against Team USA with a 127-118 victory.
1; United States
After their disappointing fourth-place finish in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Team USA are eyeing to redeem themselves on the international stage with the goal of bringing home the gold medal.
As a result, USA Basketball has constructed its most talented roster since arguably the 2012 Olympic team. With numerous number-one options on the team, versatility was used as a factor in assessing the right fit. This is why there are athletes on the squad who are among the best two-way and utility players from the NBA.
Led by LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the USA did not skip any steps in sending out the best possible roster to compete in the Paris Olympics.