Five Fascinating International Basketball Oddballs To Watch In The Rio Games

You do not need me to tell you that the United States is probably going to win basketball gold in Rio. Yes, Team USA is imperfect, and yes, the rest of the world has NBA stars, too. But this is not 1988, or God forbid, 2004. Stephon Marbury is not walking through that door.

Still, if there's one thing us flag-saluting, SUV-piloting patriots hate even more than Europe beating us at things, it's a storyline that's too predictable. Even Mighty Ducks 2 threw us some misdirections before the good guys won in the end. So, in the name of keeping things interesting, here are five international players you should watch during the Rio Games—which is to say, five international players you don't know about already.

These aren't current NBA stars playing for their home countries. Some are NBA prospects, and all are among the best players on the best teams in Europe. More importantly, they're also oddballs—old, or round, or goofy, or otherwise unlike the sleek, basketball-dominating specimens NBA fans are used to. Their teams almost certainly won't win gold, and might not medal at all. But they should keep things unpredictable, and a bit weird. That's something.

The dishevelled Spanish combo guard looks like he just woke up from a bender, but there's an electric offensive game behind his laid-back demeanor. Llull—it's pronounced yoo-e, if you were wondering—was drafted No. 19 by the Denver Nuggets in 2007, but has yet to play a game in the NBA. Instead, he has spent nine seasons with Real Madrid in Spain's top league, gradually developing into one of Europe's premier backcourt players. This past season, Llull averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 assists and 1.8 boards (games in Europe are only 40 minutes long), and in 2015 he led Real Madrid to a Euroleague championship, its first since 1995.

The Houston Rockets tried mightily to sign Llull last summer, but to no avail. Some people just prefer living in Spain to living in Houston. Go figure. Nevertheless, he's a "tough, skilled combo that defends, runs lanes, shoots it and finishes well in transition," says Pete Philo, the President of TPG Sports Group and basketball talent evaluator who has worked for Dallas, Indiana and Minnesota.

It's likely we'll see Llull play a fair amount at shooting guard in Rio, as the Spanish team has a trio of NBA point guards in Ricky Rubio, Jose Calderon, and Sergio Rodriguez. It's a role that suits him, especially given Spain's open, uptempo style. Llull loves to get out in transition, and should be fun to watch alongside Rubio.

Philo believes Llull can still make an impact in the NBA should he ever choose to venture across the pond. "His size most likely makes him a really good rotation player on a good team," he says.

Maciulis, a 6-foot-6, 236-pound bruiser of a small forward, teamed with Toronto Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas to lead Lithuania to a 7-2 record and a second place finish at EuroBasket last September. The 31-year-old veteran averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in the tournament; he also shot 53.8 percent from behind the three-point line. A reliable shooter who can finish with power at the rim, Maciulis (ma-choo-lis) has a knack for big games; he scored 34 against Georgia while shooting an astounding 84.6 percent from the field, missing just three shots.

His biggest asset, according to Philo, is his defense. "He might be the best defender in the tournament outside of Paul George, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler," Philo said.

Due to his classic European/old man game set shot, Maciulis might have trouble getting his shot off against some of the more athletic opponents he will face in Rio. That said, the guy is a tough competitor and a winner—he has been a key contributor to Real Madrid's recent dominance of the Spanish Liga, and played alongside Llull on their EuroLeague championship in 2015. Expect him to be heavily featured on a Lithuanian team that has only three NBA players—Valanciunas, and rising rookies Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Domantas Sabonis.

This floppy-haired 6-foot-5 point guard—and let's take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate that the world's basketball hair has never been better—put on a show at the Target Center back in 2013, tallying 26 points and nine assists in an exhibition victory for CSKA Moscow over Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Teodosic is a creative passer and playmaker without a real weakness as a distributor. He's skilled in the pick-and-roll, and effectively hits open shooters on the wings, even in traffic.

Carl Berman, an international scout with NetScouts Basketball, calls Teodosic "one of the best point guards in the world." If you're waiting for a but, it's his defense. According to multiple scouts, he struggles on that side of the ball.

That said, Teodosic and former Spurs reserve Nando De Colo teamed up to form an outstanding backcourt for CSKA Moscow this season; the team went 24-5 in international competition and won the Euroleague championship, CSKA's first since 2008. Teodosic averaged 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds during the campaign, and he'll be similarly integral for a talented Serbian team in Rio. "He commands the ball, and has the coach's complete trust," Philo says. "He makes Serbia go."

Bogdan, not to be confused with the Nets' Bojan Bogdanovic—he's a Croat, and no relation—is looking to break out in Rio. The 23-year-old shooting guard has had a big impact in the Turkish league since being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the late first round in 2014. Last year, he led Istanbul's Fenerbahce to the EuroLeague finals for the first time in its history (fun fact: the squad also featured epic NBA draft bust Jan Vesely). Bogdanovic averaged 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists and won the Turkish Cup MVP.

The Suns dealt Bogdanovic to Sacramento on draft night this year, and the Kings are expected to sign him next summer, once he's no longer bound to the rookie pay scale. When he gets stateside, the Kings will be getting a savvy 6-foot-6 combo guard with a lot of big-game experience for a player his age. "Long, smart, competitive," Philo says. "Shot maker. Uses his length well around the basket." Kings fans, and everyone else, will get a look at how he fares against NBA talent when Serbia takes on Team USA during group play on August 12.

Argentina's diminutive "Facu" is must-watch TV. At 5-foot-10, he looks like an overgrown middle-schooler, but don't be fooled—homeboy will flip you judo-style if you get in his grill. His combination of Jason Kidd-style creativity and rec league looks have made him a cult hero of sorts in his native country and among Euro-ball followers. And, oh yeah, he dunks.

Add it up and you've got what's basically a one-man highlight reel/trickster—someone who likes to throw inbounds passes to himself and make defenders look ridiculous for fun, but who is athletic enough to deliver moments like this memorable block of Kobe during the 2012 games.

Berman's main concern is whether Facu will be able to guard anyone in Rio. "He'll have some match-up problems with more athletic, bigger point guards," he said. No matter. On an aging Argentina team whose gold medal in 2004 is now a distant memory, Campazzo is going to play a key role, and is already showing well in international play; in a July exhibition game against Team USA, Facu's six assists tied Kyrie Irving for the game high, and in a subsequent contest against Lithuania, he scored 16 points off the bench, including a dramatic overtime game-winner.

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