MEXICO CITY (2015 FIBA Americas Championship) - Group A at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship provides the perfect scenario for hosts Mexico to repeat their 2013 performance at the continental tournament.

They are the favourites, at least on paper, to win the group over Brazil - who have already qualified, as hosts, for the 2016 Rio Olympics - and underdogs Dominican Republic, Panama and Uruguay.

Mexico are back on the continental stage with basically the same roster that won the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship and once again under the helm of coach Sergio Valdeolmillos.

Their inside-out style remains, with the dominating presence of Gustavo Ayon in the paint getting all the attention. Then there are the wing players that benefit from said attention in Jorge Gutierrez, Orlando Mendez, Francisco Cruz and newcomer Juan Toscano, along with stretch-four Hector Hernandez.

Mexico are poised to come out strong in the group, but exhibition games (if they are any indication) have not shown them to be as sharp as they were two years ago in Caracas.

Brazil are a team with nothing to lose and that makes them dangerous. No team coached by legendary Ruben Magnano will come to a continental championship with anything other than winning as a priority.

Coming off of a fantastic performance in the 2015 Pan American Games, Brazil - with what can be described as their C-maybe D team - can beat anybody. Their motion offense and their aggressive defensive pressure are enough to win them important games in the tournament.

Dominican Republic are the team most hurt by the names that did not come to Mexico, along with a generational change that has forced them into bringing a young team to the championship. No Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns or Jack Michael Martinez means the keys are officially handed to Francisco Garcia and James Feldeine as leaders and leading voices of the Dominicana offensive attack.

The supporting cast can do some damage too, there's Eulis Baez, Gerardo Suero, Edgar Sosa and Victor Liz who can provide some instant scoring in a run-and-gun offensive system led by new coach Kenny Atkinson. They are not favourites - as they would have been if they had all their players - but they are still a fiery, resilient team that can compete throughout the whole competition.

Uruguay are also a team measured by the names not present in Mexico, but with a chance to move forward with a spirited effort from veteran leaders such as Martin Osimani and Mauricio Aguiar.

They are who they are. Their offensive system is organised, focused on limiting mistakes and minimizing transition points from their opponents. It will be a hard tournament for them in the paint as they have limited inside resources, but it doesn't mean they won't make up for it with the maturity they bring to the competition. They have a puncher's chance to shock the experts and qualify at the very least to next year's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).

Panama are also all about their veterans. They have what one can call eternal faces of the continental stage. Take center Ruben Garces for example. The 41-year-old played his first FIBA Americas Championship in 1993 and is back for one more edition. He's part of an old gang that includes 39-year old Michael Hicks, 34-year-old Jose Jaime Lloreda and 35-year old point guard Joel Munoz as their core group and main players.

This is especially tough for a 10-games-in-12-days tournament, but they will rely on their maturity to try and steal games and luck themselves into a second round where they can make a run at the coveted 5th place.

Group A tips off with Uruguay v Brazil and Mexico facing off against Dominicana in the opening day of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

Go to fiba.com/Americas2015 for full coverage of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

FIBA