Heading into the men’s Olympic Basketball tournament, there were a few murmurs around as to whether the USA could lose their title.
The US are looking for a fourth consecutive gold medal and a seventh in nine Olympics, but the early showings suggest that run could be coming to an end.
Without the likes of Lebron James, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, there were some doubters and they will feel vindicated in the early stages of the tournament.
France Send Out Early Warning
Sunday July 25 was the day shockwaves were sent around the Tokyo games, when France beat the USA in their Group A encounter.
An 83-76 victory for the French was also an indication of how strong some of the European nations have become, with many plying their trade in the NBA.
No fewer than five players feature in the world’s best Basketball league and that makes them a very dangerous proposition in this event – with Les Bleus now 8/1 in the Outright betting.
It was the Boston Celtics’ shooting guard Evan Fournier who stole the show with 28 points, while the Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert claimed nine assists.
Fournier then went on to score 21 points in the 97-77 win over the Czech Republic, with France 4/1 to go further in the competition than the USA.
Doncic Heads the Stats Standings
Luka Doncic is a name that many NBA fans will recognise, having spent the last three years with the Dallas Mavericks and has twice been selected for the All-Star Game.
The point guard made his name in the EuroLeague and has again showed his quality in the early stages of the Olympic format, helping Slovenia to win their opening two matches.
The Slovenians have brushed aside Japan and Argentina so far and face a crunch clash with Group C rivals Spain on Sunday. Both teams are unbeaten with Spain 5/4 to claim another victory, while Slovenia are available at 20/29.
Doncic currently tops the table for Top Points Per Game and Efficiency Per Game, with the 22-year-old third overall in the rebound stats.
His presence alone should be too much for a Spanish team who have not scored over 88 points in either of their first two games.
Too Early to Rule Out US
They may have been disappointing so far, but it is far too early to rule out the American superstars when considering the talent they have at their disposal.
Damian Lillard is the 4th player in Men's United States Basketball history to make 7 3-pointers in an Olympics game, joining Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Klay Thompson.
Anthony has the record for a single game with 10. pic.twitter.com/I53me8O9Gb
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 28, 2021
Yes, some of the biggest names are missing, but a squad that includes the likes of Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum is still more than good enough to claim gold.
The defeat to France might act as a wake-up call to the Team USA, although two warm-up defeats in the build up to the Olympics, was also a concern but they are still 10/23 to top the podium.
They should beat Czech Republic on Saturday to seal their place in the quarter-finals and then the pressure cranks up in the knockout stages, when they potentially will come into their own.
*All odds correct at time of writing