Puerto Rico Aims for Olympic Basketball Return With Star-Studded Lineup

It’s official now. Puerto Rico has the possibility of being one of the four venues for the Olympic Repechage that will be held from July 2 to 7 in different parts of the world, after the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation (FBPUR) handed over to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) that guarantee that the island can host this great event.

The venues for the Olympic Qualification Tournaments will be revealed by FIBA ​​this November 27.

It seems as if the planets aligned. After 20 years of competing in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Puerto Rico could have the opportunity to return to Olympic basketball in front of its people.

Official: FBPUR submits Puerto Rico’s candidacy to host the Olympic Repechage

The Basketball Federation does not lose sight of Julian Strawther

José Alvarado will remain out of the Pelicans’ ranks for at least one or two more weeks

At that time, the National Team achieved its Olympic dream with a victory, which was led by the legendary José “Piculín” Ortiz, against Canada in a completely packed Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Two decades later, Puerto Ricans still remember that night.

To replicate that, the general manager of the FBPUR and member of that 2004 Olympic team, Carlos Arroyo, will have to call on the best possible talent due to the strong competition that the national quintet will face in the Olympic Repechage and the teams are already beginning to move. records.

In a format that will distribute 24 teams in four tournaments of six teams, Puerto Rico will face five of the following teams: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Bahamas, from America; Egypt, Angola, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon, from Africa; New Zealand, Lebanon, the Philippines and Bahrain, from the Oceania-Asia region; and Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Montenegro, Greece, Georgia, Finland, Poland and Croatia, from the European region.

Faced with a competition like that, Primera Hora prepared a breakdown of some basket players who would help Puerto Rico achieve its Olympic dream this coming summer:

Markus Howard

Markus Howard this season with Baskonia of the Spanish ACB League. (Twitter / @B)

One of the players who aim to debut with the National Team in the Olympic Repechage is guard Markus Howard, who is one of the main players of Puerto Rican descent who are shining abroad.

Howard, who is the younger brother of Puerto Rican quintet point guard Jordan Howard, is currently playing in Spain’s ACB League, where he is leading the Baskonia club in points with 17.7 points in nine games.

???? HE’S A PLAYER.

2+1 by Markus Howard to raise the crowd @Baskonia.#Eurofighters pic.twitter.com/9hsaG68ybb

— Basketball en Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarBasket) November 15, 2023

After Gian Clavell’s knee operation that ended his season in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) and his possible participation in the World Cup, it is unknown how the star guard of the Cangrejeros de Santurce will return and a scorer like Howard It would be vital in that position.

Howard has already begun the process to play with the National Team by requesting a change of sports citizenship from the United States to Puerto Rico.

Although the president of the FBPUR, Yum Ramos, confirmed to Primera Hora that the change is not yet official, El Nuevo Día reported that USA Basketball gave Howard the go-ahead to wear the star uniform.

Julian Strawther

Julian Strawther during an NBA game with the Denver Nuggets. (David Zalubowski)

As this newspaper announced at the end of October, the FBPUR has not lost sight of the new enebeista of Puerto Rican descent, Julian Strawther, and Ramos and Arroyo have already started talks with the player to once again represent Puerto Rico in international tournaments.

Strawther, whose mother is Puerto Rican, was part of the Puerto Rican team that competed in the 2019 FIBA ​​Under-19 World Cup, when she was just 17 years old. Four years later, the forward made his mark at Gonzaga University, where he averaged 15.2 points in his last two seasons and is now making his way with the Denver Nuggets in the NBA.

The forward was selected by the Nuggets in the last Rookie Draft with the 29th pick and had an excellent preseason, registering 17.7 points in four games in 23 minutes. In the regular season, he had his best game against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 6, a night he finished with 21 points.

Julian Strawther vs Pelicans

21 PTS
8-13 FG
5-9 3PT

Off the bench pic.twitter.com/Ul32EN9Oho

— Giannis Lamar (@GiannisLamar_) November 8, 2023

At Gonzaga and now in the NBA, the forward has shown that he is a powerful scorer and has a dangerous long-distance shot, a factor that would greatly help the National Team.

It will be important to resolve some loose masses from the past. In 2021, Puerto Rico tried to have Strawther for the Under 19 World Cup, but his father’s alleged dissatisfaction with the accommodation that the National Team had at the Olympic Hostel during its preparation led his father to take the basket player and not go to the World. At that time the Basketball Federation indicated that Gonzaga sent for him.

Jose Alvarado

José Alvarado is looking for someone to connect with in the match against Mexico in the third FIBA ​​qualifying window. (Ramón “Tonito” Zayas)

The point guard with Puerto Rican roots of the New Orleans Pelicans, José Alvarado, confirmed in the third qualifying window for the 2023 World Cup that he has what it takes to lead the National Team offensive. Although he has only worn the Puerto Rico uniform in two games, Alvarado shined on both occasions, finishing with an average of 21 points, 5.5 assists and five rebounds.

Also, he has a suffocating style on the defensive end that has distinguished him in the NBA and earned him the nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado.”

A skilled point guard on both sides of the court would be more than useful for a National Team that lacks a defensive point guard. However, Alvarado’s availability will not be easy, despite the fact that Ramos told this medium that the enebeista is still interested in representing Puerto Rico in international tournaments.

After the third qualifying window, Alvarado was not available in the fourth because he chose to join the Pelicans’ preseason training sessions. Likewise, New Orleans did not allow him to participate in the World Cup due to an injury he suffered in his tibia that cost him the end of the 2022-2023 regular season.

Since then, injuries have dogged him and he has not seen action in the current season after spraining his ankle in early September. Therefore, Alvarado’s participation in the Repechage will depend on his and the Pelicans’ health.

Continue with the young core

In addition to the three great scorers mentioned above, it is expected that the FBPUR will also call for the Olympic Qualification Tournament the young basket players who have brought Puerto Rico to this stage, such as Tremont Waters, George Conditt and Jordan Howard.

At 27 years old or younger, it is almost a fact that all of these players will continue to develop ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In Waters’ case, he is currently in the ranks of the Chinese club Southern Tigers of Guangdong after capturing the BSN championship with the Carolina Giants. It should be noted that the stellar point guard leads his Chinese quintet in points with a record of 22.3 in 10 games.

Puerto Rico point guard Tremont Waters handles the ball during the friendly match against the Dominican Republic at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. (Nahira Montcourt)

His BSN teammate, George Conditt, is trying out in the NBA G-League with the Rip City Remix, a team affiliated with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Like his brother, Jordan Howard is also making his presence felt in the Spanish ACB League, but with Monbus Obradorio, where he has scored 16.2 points in six games.

2023-11-16 20:30:00
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