Yesterday was the last day of the Caribe basketball tournament held on Puerto-Rican soil. Puerto Rico demostrated once again, that they are the best Caribbean basketball team and one of the top five teams in America. I would like to analise all the teams that are going to compete in the FIBA Americas Championship.

Argentina:
A powerhouse, and as Olympic champion considered one of the teams to beat in this tournament. Argentina won't have their complete team, but they have a group of guys who have proved they are leaders in their respective leagues (Spain and Italy) and they have a good back court with Pablo Prigioni (TAU Ceramica) and Carlos Delfino (Toronto Raptors). Combined with the biggest name on their roster, Power Forward Luis Scola (Houston Rockets) they could dominate every team on this short tournament.

Brazil:
For me, this is the team to beat. They've got genuine power. Nene, Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa and Machado are all great in their roles, They only weakness Brazil has is that they don't have a true point guard on their squad, because Barbosa is more a shooter than a true passer. They've got so many skills, they could cause a big surprise.

'They (the USA team) are big, strong, fast, can score but they aren't used to the rules and tempo of the international game, and that could be a problem for them'


Canada:
As of today, Canada will be reporting to the tournament without their two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. But they look good with their new center Samuel Dalambert, who is a guy who can get many rebounds if he is in form. They've got a lot of NCAA talent and as always Canada is a well-organized team . They are not a very dangerous team, but on a good night they could end somebody's dream.

Mexico:
Mexico are a team that always offers tough competition due to their high-quality point guards. They could do some damage. However, they're a team with a newly implanted system that could see them improving in years to come, but this tournament should prove too tough for them.

Panama:
A team with a lot of good talent. They have ex-Tar-Heel point guard Ed Cota who is a great leader and a lot of big men who can get the job done. Just to name a few guys: Michael Hicks, Jaime Lloreda and Danilo Pinnock. Panama are a team to watch.

Puerto Rico:
Puerto Rico are considered by many to be one of the five powerhouses of the Amercias and they have a group of guys who are hungry to prove worthy of that berth. Puerto Rico have the fastest back court in the tournament with Arroyo, Ayuso, Apodaca and Barea . They're a team with a lot of talent. Their only problem is their big men, who struggle to get the rebounds. But they have done a great job with big men Peter john Ramos and Angelo Reyes who can pull down the boards quite well. On a good day, Puerto Rico could easily beat the hottest team on the tournament. They're fast and have managed to put together a good group of guys who can get the job done.

USA:
The best team on paper. They are big, strong, fast, can score but they aren't used to the rules and tempo of the international game, and that could be a problem for them. But on paper they are the team to beat in this tournament.

Uruguay:
A good team with a lot of pure shooters, who on a good night could win some games. Their big man, Estabn Batista (Atlanta Hawks) is a great rebounder, shooter and leader and with the added leadership of veteran Nicolas Mazzarino they will be a tough team to face.

Virgin Islands :
A lot of talent, but they don't have the organisation that other teams have (nor the services of the Islands' most famous son, NBA superstar and champion Tim Duncan). Still, this is a team with a lot of big men, and a good pg in Kevin Sheppard.

Venezuela:
They aren't coming with their big names like Lugo and Diaz, but they have a great group of young and talented players like Hector Romero and Miguel Marriaga who could make a impact individually.

I would like to make a predicition regarding the final standings of the group phase. Please note that these predictions are made before the Copa Tuto Marchand tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this week. I will amend my predictions following that event. But for now, these are my initial predictions:

Group A: Puerto Rico 5-0, Argentina 4-1, Panama 3-2, Uruguay 1-4, Mexico 0-5.

Group B: USA 5-0, Brazil 4-1, Canada 3-2, Venezuela 1-4, VIrgin Island 0-5.

Brazil, Argentina and Puerto Rico could all pull off the surprise and deny the USA a berth at the Beijing games.