[Black Urum]

Argentina NT has suffered two big blows.

Both Pepe Sanchez and Walter Hermann have announced their retirement from the National Team.

I think this is huge blow for the Argentinian NT because both of these players were starters and indispensable for the team.

Nevertheless Argentina still remains a basketball giant and will look to fill in those gaps.

[Vilius]

It is definatelly disappointing. But as you said, countries like Argentina will always produce talented players so they won't leave the top spots in world's basketball. Although they could have come to NT and help defend the title. They wouldn't be blamed if they retired after Olympics in my opinion.

[kosteposte]

i think argentina now is very nice team ,but in this team playing old basketballers,in future argentina have been deleted from baketball map,because i dont know any young argentinas talent {SMILIES_PATH}/coolio.gif

[Vilius]

Pepe Sanchez seems to be undecided yet wether he'll play in Beijing or not. He still sees the possiblity of playing for Argentina in the Olympics.

[Vilius]

Argentina national team preliminary candidates list:

Emanuel Ginobili (Spurs, NBA)
Fabricio Oberto (Spurs, NBA)
Luis Scola (Rockets, NBA)
Andres Nocioni (Bulls, NBA)
Carlos Delfino (Raptors, NBA).
Antonio Porta (Spartak St. Petersburg, Russia)
Leonardo Gutierrez (Boca Juniors, Argentina)
Pablo Prigioni (TAU Ceramica, Spain)
Nicolás Gianella (Granada, Spain)
Federico Kammerichs (Polaris World, Argentina)

[rikhardur]

Quote

ARG – Nocioni excited about playing at Olympics again with Argentina

BUENOS AIRES (Olympics) - Andres Nocioni is champing at the bit to play for Argentina again this summer when they defend the Olympic title they captured at the Athens Games.

Chapu, as he is known in his country, missed last year’s FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas because of a foot injury.

"Having taken a break last year, I am really looking forward to representing Argentina again,� he said.

Nocioni had a sensational Olympic tournament in 2004 before his rookie campaign with the Chicago Bulls and he also played well at the 2006 FIBA World Championship where Argentina finished fourth.

They might have gone on to win the gold medal in Japan had Nocioni made a last-second three-pointer from the corner in their semi-final against Spain. Instead, Sergio Hernandez’s team lost in the bronze medal game to Team USA.

After a disappointing campaign in Chicago, who failed to make the play-offs, Nocioni is anxious to get back on the court.

"We (Chicago) never played as a team, we didn't play defense and we deserved to be out of the play- offs,� Nocioni said.

"The only positive thing with the Bulls this year is that I had no injuries and I played 82 games, but from a team level it was very complicated,� he said.

“We had a team to fight for the Eastern title but in the end, it was a disaster.

"The good thing from having been eliminated from the play-offs is that I can rest to be well for the national team.�

The Beijing Games will be an extremely difficult tournament for the Argentinians, if only because there are so many good teams in international basketball, now.

They were drawn in Group A with Australia, Lithuania, Russia and Iran.

"We must have a good preparation because the Olympics is a much harder competition than the World Championship,� Nocioni said.

“There are no easy rivals. Everyone is strong.�

Team USA will no doubt like to face Argentina again after losing to them in the semi-finals four years ago.

"We don't fear the Dream Team (USA) and I would really like to avenge the defeat to Spain,� Nocioni said.

"We are capable of winning a medal. We are going as one of the favorites and there is no reason why should we avoid that pressure.

“Each of us knows what our role is in the national team is and what we have to do."

Pepe Sanchez was one of the point guards at the Athens Olympics and he was arguably Argentina’s best player at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.

However, the 31-year-old Sanchez recently decided to retire from the national team.

Nocioni believes Pablo Prigioni of Tau Ceramica, the club he once played for in Spain, will do just fine as the starting playmaker.

"I believe Pablo Prigioni could be a good replacement for Pepe Sanchez," Nocioni said.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/late...24619/arti.html

[rikhardur]

Julio Lamas will be Sergio Hernández's assistant coach.

[rikhardur]

Ginóbili is optimistic and revealed he thinks there are clear chances to play in Beijing. He also said the Spurs won't be an obstacle.
http://www.acb.com/r...on.php?id=49923

[rikhardur]

Wolkowyski (angrily) expressed his dismay for not being selected by Hernández for the NT. He added that the players who missed the pre-Olympic tournament are being black listed by Hernández.

I really don't think he has reasons to complain, he's 35 and he didn't have a good season, so what else to expect? {SMILIES_PATH}/rolleyes.gif Besides, Argentina needs to refresh looking ahead.

[rikhardur]

Ginóbili will be Argentina's flag bearer in Beijing.

[Vilius]

"rikhardur":1gl9aogj said:

Ginóbili will be Argentina's flag bearer in Beijing.

That's nice. Saulius Stombergas was flag bearer in Athens for Lithuania.

[rikhardur]

Quote

ARG – Saglietti, Diez and Romano added to Argentina group

BUENOS AIRES (Olympics) - Argentina coach Sergio Hernández has added Nicolás Romano, Alejandro Diez y Marcos Saglietti to his preliminary squad for the Beijing Games.

The trio will be in the group that begins the preparations for the Olympics on July 4.

The 1.88m Saglietti is a shooting guard of Libertad Sunchales in Argentina and was named Best Sixth Man and Most Improved Player of the Liga Nacional this past season.

Center Nicolás Romano plays for Quilmes de Mar del Plata while Alejandro Diez is a power forward/center who’s on the books of Peñarol de Mar del Plata - the team that Hernandez led to the inaugural FIBA Americas League title earlier this year.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/late...26306/arti.html

[rikhardur]

"rikhardur":36afwe5l said:

Ginóbili will be Argentina's flag bearer in Beijing.

[rikhardur]

Quote

ARG – Injuries sideline Oberto, Gutiérrez; Manu on the mend

BUENOS AIRES (Olympics) – With Argentina’s Olympic campaign set to tip off in a month, the team’s preparations are being disrupted by injury problems.

Fabricio Oberto and Leonardo Gutiérrez must take a week off from training because of muscular problems, team doctor Diego Grippo has announced.

However, the signs are very good that Manu Ginobili will recover from an ankle injury in time to play at the Beijing Games.

San Antonio sent a member of their medical team, Chad Bergman, to check on Ginobili’s progress in Argentina and he gave a very optimistic report.

"I think Manu will be in good condition in two weeks,� Bergman said.

"Manu Ginobili doesn't feel any pain and he is well, improving.

“The doctors that are working with Ginobili are very good and there's no need for me to stay any longer."

As for Argentina’s narrow win over Poland in Wednesday night’s friendly that was played in Rosario, star forward Luis Scola said the game had been beneficial.

The Houston Rockets ace had 22 points and nine rebounds in the win, and he said: "This game was good for us because we faced a team like Poland who had prepared very well for this game.

“They were focused and played good basketball. It was good training for us of high quality.�

Argentina are nowhere near their best, however.

"We did win, but we played badly,� Scola said.

"But the important thing for us is to face teams that test you in different ways and so we see how we can resolve or overcome them.�

Point guard Pablo Prigioni, Scola’s former teammate at Tau Ceramica, said: "We want to win every preparation game but these games above all should serve us to polish our defensive and offensive game and find our top level for our first Olympic Game against Lithuania.�

http://www.fiba.com/...s/eng/fc/news/l ... /arti.html

[rikhardur]

Final roster:

PG: Pablo Prigioni and Antonio Porta
SG: Emanuel Ginóbili, Paolo Quinteros and Carlos Delfino
SF: Andrés Nocioni and Federico Kammerichs
PF: Luis Scola and Leonardo Gutiérrez
C: Fabricio Oberto, Román González and Juan Gutiérrez

[rikhardur]

Scola's favourites are Spain, USA, Greece and Argentina.

[rikhardur]

Ginóbili stated Argentina is "very far from getting a medal" but that he wants and thinks the team will improve until the start of the tournament.

[Vilius]

Their recent results weren't good at all. The team looks out of shape. But there's still two weeks to be ready for the Olympics.