Australia squeezed the space away from Lauri Markkase and Finland failed to utilize its strengths in team play. In Pieti Poikola’s opinion, the backs in particular need to shake things up a lot for the Japan match.
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Finland opened the basketball World Cup on Friday with a crushing 72–98 loss to Australia. Finland started the game well and led until the end of the second quarter. After that, the extent of Australia’s material came to the fore and their strong defense started to bite.
Sports expert, basketball coach Pieti Poikola sums up three picks, why Finland collapsed into a throwaway bag when dealing with rock-hard Australia.
1. Finland did not maintain its level
For 15 minutes, the wolf team showed that it can compete against the toughest basketball countries in the world. Australia, ranked third in the world, stayed on their toes and Finland led the match at its best with eight points.
Australia wasn’t even in a losing position, but when Finland lost a few balls, the backbone was quickly broken. Australia won the end of the second period with a score of 15–2, and Finland never recovered in the second half.
– Australia is a brutally good team and Finland is mentally too weak. When Finland lost a few situations, the players’ heads started to sink. We need to be able to reset failures better, Poikola reckons.
– If Finland can’t be at its best against a top country of Australia’s level, then get dirty and ugly. However, this was only the first game. Teams that are able to react to failures and adapt their game will succeed in the tournament, Poikola adds.
2. Problems with playing 1v1
When the intensity of the match started to wane in the second half, Finland didn’t have it Lauri Markkanen along with no player who would have been able to win 1vs1 situations.
Finland failed in its original game plan to maintain the tempo. Australia took the points of quick attacks and quickly moved back into defensive positions. In even fives, Australia’s individual level and physique were superior to Finland’s.
– The second half was just running after each other, both one-on-one and on a team level. Finland should have been able to compete with speed, but Australia was superior in that too.
In particular, Finland’s game is led by the backs Miro Little, Edon Maxhuni and Ilari Seppälä left a lot to be desired. Susijeng’s back four scored only five points in total and wasted seven turnovers at the same time.
– Usually the advantage is created in the backfield. Playing like this has nothing to do with medal games, says Poikola.
3. The depth of the teams’ player material
In order to beat Finland, a team of Australia’s caliber must reach the maximum 40-minute peak performance.
The depth of the teams’ player material was a big factor in the final result. Australia’s substitutes scored 48 points, Finland’s only 23. According to Poikola, at the World Cup level, the game shouldn’t slow down too much with substitutes.
Australia reset Lauri Markkanen in an exemplary way. They chose size over mobility when sending sentient beings Nick Kay and by Jack White to overshadow Finland’s number one star.
– Australia was constantly playing a little bit of bully on the borderlands of the rules. When Markkanen got the ball on the wing, he was immediately doubled and thus got out of rhythm, Poikola analyzed.
In the end, Markkanen was by far the most effective in Finland and the second most effective in the match with his 19 points, 8 rebounds and four assists. Australia’s great value tournament player Patty Mills was the best scorer of the match with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists.
– His jump shots were poison for Finland’s defense.
How will Japan be overthrown?
Markkanen got a knock on his knee in the second quarter, but believed after the game that it would be treated with an ice pack. He also slipped up a few times, but didn’t have as many harsh words as the Australian veteran Joe Ingleswho called the arena floor in Okinawa miserable.
– Usually at the beginning of the tournament there are complaints about the floor, the ball or the lights. Then we get used to it. I hope no one gets hurt, head coach Lassi Tuovi acknowledged.
Finland’s next match is against host Japan on Sunday. Japan lacks individual stars, but the team plays very actively, collectively and bravely.
– Japan competes, as it were, with Finland’s traditional strengths. Finland has better individuals, but the team play needs to be improved for that match. Finland must be able to be active, but not lazy, play intensively, but in a reasonable way, Poikola enumerates.
Finland still has preliminary group games against Japan and Germany. In them, it will be clear whether Finland will be among the top two in the upper continuation group.