We’re now two weeks away from the start of the San Juan Pre-Olympicscheduled from 2 to 7 July, which will offer a pass in men’s basketball to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Italy is aiming for the second consecutive five-round qualification after the magical summer of 2021, marked by the feat in Belgrade and from the defeat in the sprint in the quarter-finals in Tokyo against France.
The Azzurri try again, this time in Puerto Rico and with less popular opponents on paper than Nikola Jokic’s Serbia (and many others), even if Simone Fontecchio’s absence due to injury significantly weakens the value of the Italian roster. The two most fearsome rivals for Italy will be the Puerto Rican hosts and above all Lithuania.
Both of them have to deal with things in their turn heavy absenceslike the naturalized Markus Howard (top scorer of the last Euroleague with the Baskonia shirt) for Puerto Rico and Jonas Valanciunas (12 years in the NBA) for Lithuania. The Caribbean team has already announced the 12 who will take part in the home Pre-Olympic and in the list the name of Jose Alvaradopoint guard for the New Orleans Pelicans returning from a season that ended with 7.1 points and 2.1 assists on average and 37.7% from three.
In Lithuania, however, there is a preliminary roster of 16 players, waiting to understand what the last four cuts will be. Spotlight on the Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis, while the rest of the team is completed by many medium-high European players such as Jokubaitis, Grigonis, Kuzminskas, Giedraitis, Sedekerskis and Motiejunas.
