The FIBA World Cup tipped off today with games beginning at 4 a.m. ET in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The Americans are the favorite team, but there are several countries with elite talent that could potentially win it all. Several players across the tournament hail from different professional leagues, ranging from the NBA to EuroBasket and EuroLeague.
Team USA plays its first game against New Zealand at 8:40 a.m. ET Saturday. All 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four and will play the Group Phase’s first round on Aug. 25-30.
Team USA features NBA stars such as Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson and Austin Reaves, yet the competition also bolsters All-NBA players such as Slovenia’s Luka Doncic and Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and international players like Australia’s Dante Exum (who recently signed with the Dallas Mavericks) and Spain’s Juan Nunez.
Kevin Pelton and Jonathan Givony share the players they will be keeping an eye on during the two-week tournament.
Kyle Anderson | China
As other countries have relied on naturalized contributors, China had been an exception until Anderson was granted citizenship in late July, allowing him to fill the one spot on the team’s roster. How Anderson fits as a first-timer with a roster longer on continuity than NBA talent — Zhou Qi, China’s other player with NBA experience, played just 125 minutes in the league — will be interesting. Anderson’s versatility will allow him to fill gaps on China’s roster, which placed 24th as the host nation in 2019 and did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. — Kevin Pelton
RJ Barrett | Canada
FIBA competition is where Barrett cemented himself as one of the top prospects in the world, defeating the United States at the 2017 U19 World Cup and helping Canada secure its first historic gold medal in Cairo. And it might be where Barrett shows there’s still another gear he can shift to at age 23, one of the leaders of a Canada team that is flush with NBA talent and forecasted by most as the biggest contender to take down the U.S. and win the World Championship.
It’s hard not to believe Barrett’s development has stagnated, both as a shooter and defensively. Knicks fans hope this summer will reinvigorate him for a deep playoff run this season, alongside Brunson, a leading player for Team USA. — Jonathan Givony
Luka Doncic | Slovenia
This is Doncic’s first World Cup appearance because Slovenia did not qualify in 2019 despite having won the 2017 EuroBasket. As compared to the Doncic-led squad that reached the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, this group is missing Denver Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar and captain Edo Muric due to injuries, putting more pressure on the pick-and-roll combination of Doncic and former Virginia center Mike Tobey. — Pelton
Zach Edey | Canada
Last season’s consensus men’s basketball national player of the year will be the unquestioned front-runner to sweep every college award again this season at Purdue. Edey will have a chance to show how his game translates against pros at the World Cup, a very different type of evaluation than NBA scouts get in the Big Ten.
Edey didn’t look great in exhibition play, as his lack of quickness, processing speed and explosiveness were quite evident. He can make an impact in the paint thanks to standing 7-3 barefoot with a 7-10½ wingspan and 306 pounds. Edey’s limitations defensively, however, have been noticeable due to his inability to cover ground. Showing he can impact the game would be helpful in proving he’s not as slow as some NBA teams believe, but struggling to do so could reinforce why he was forced to withdraw from the NBA draft and return to college. — Givony
Anthony Edwards | USA
During Team USA’s 5-0 run through exhibition games leading up to the World Cup, Edwards emerged as the team’s leading scorer at 19.2 PPG. Edwards’ shot creation was particularly valuable as the U.S. rallied from a 16-point deficit in the second half to beat Germany in Sunday’s final tuneup. He scored 10 points during an 18-0 run to take the lead in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 34, a preview of what coach Steve Kerr hopes to see during the World Cup. — Pelton
Dante Exum | Australia
Having last played in the NBA in January 2021, Exum is back with the Dallas Mavericks after an impressive year with Partizan Belgrade. Exum averaged 13.3 PPG on 54% shooting (42% from 3) in EuroLeague play while leading Partizan to the Adriatic League title. Mavericks fans will get a first look at Exum’s development as part of a deep Australia backcourt that also includes Patty Mills, Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels. — Pelton
Evan Fournier | France
Given Fournier played barely more than 100 minutes for the New York Knicks after mid-January, the World Cup will be a good opportunity to see what he has left. Fournier won’t turn 31 until October and has typically thrived in FIBA competition, averaging 19.8 PPG in the last World Cup and 18.7 PPG in the Tokyo Olympics as France won bronze and silver, respectively. A performance like that could help Fournier, who will presumably be bought out if not traded by the February deadline, to an opportunity elsewhere. — Pelton
Josh Giddey | Australia
Giddey has been on a rocket ship trajectory the past few years, and still isn’t even 21 yet, making Oklahoma City Thunder fans wonder just how much more untapped potential he still has going into his third NBA season.
Whether or not Australia will be able to fulfill their World Cup medal hopes will depend heavily on the point guard’s ability to emerge as a legit star on a global scale, as coach Brian Goorjian has already said the team will be largely “built around him.” Losing center Jock Landale on the eve of the World Cup to an ankle injury puts even more pressure on Giddey, which will shed some insight into his readiness to guide Oklahoma City back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. — Givony
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Canada
Although the Thunder reached the play-in last spring, the World Cup could mark Gilgeous-Alexander’s most meaningful games since the first two NBA years as a role player. With guard Jamal Murray withdrawing from the World Cup, Gilgeous-Alexander is now the clear first option for a talented Canada team that has yet to translate that into success on the biggest international stages. Canada hasn’t finished higher than 21st in a World Cup since 2002 and hasn’t reached the Olympics since 2000, two unpleasant streaks that Gilgeous-Alexander could help change. — Pelton
Khaman Maluach | South Sudan
The youngest player participating in the World Cup at just 16 years old (the event’s third-youngest player since 1950), Maluach isn’t likely to play a significant role for South Sudan, but his mere inclusion on the team’s roster shows how promising his long-term future appears to be.
Standing 7-foot-2 with a massive 9-foot-5 reach, the NBA Academy Africa product makes a significant impact defensively every time he steps on the court. He shows outstanding mobility hedging or switching screens on the perimeter and has impressive instincts as a shot-blocker. He’s also an excellent communicator who plays with a terrific motor.
Offensively, he’s a work in progress with his decision-making and skill level. He shows flashes of shooting range beyond the arc, is an outstanding finisher and a constant presence on the glass with his intensity and length.
One of the best big men prospects in his class, Maluach is being recruited by college blue bloods — UCLA and Duke — but will also have professional options and could go straight to the NBA draft upon graduating high school in 2025. It depends on how he develops during the next two years. — Givony
Lauri Markkanen | Finland
Markkanen was named an All-Star starter and the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season for the Utah Jazz, a breakout that was forecasted by an explosive EuroBasket campaign in which he averaged 28 points in 28 minutes per game while leading Finland to a surprise quarterfinal appearance.
Does Markkanen have another gear he can reach at age 26 to crack All-NBA status this season? His ability to help Finland get out of the toughest group of the World Cup (Australia, Germany and Japan) could shed insight on it. Interestingly, Markkanen has taken on more of an on-ball playmaking role for Finland in exhibition play, a tough matchup for international big men to contain at 7-feet. — Givony
Juan Nunez | Spain
Nunez, a projected first-round pick next June, has an incredible platform at his disposal as Spain’s starting point guard. The absences of Lorenzo Brown and Ricky Rubio have created a significant void Spain is hoping the 19-year-old Nunez can successfully step into, as they’ll need every bit of his size, creativity and vision operating out of the pick-and-roll, where he operates with surgical precision.
Nunez’s pace, handle and ability to pick apart a defense off the dribble is rare and unique, and he had impressive moments against NBA competition in exhibition play against Team USA and Canada. His struggles defensively, as a perimeter shooter and inability to create separation with his average quickness will be under scrutiny by NBA talent evaluators, which could either bolster his draft stock or create a negative impression. — Givony
Austin Reaves | USA
Reaves fits the international style perfectly with his shooting prowess, feel for the game, toughness and ability to play and guard any of the backcourt positions. He established himself as a key cog in exhibition play for the U.S., and the Los Angeles Lakers hope a strong showing at the World Cup can translate to an even more productive third NBA season. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both in their 30s, Reaves’ ability to further develop is important considering the Lakers’ limited avenues to add talent with their luxury tax situation and lack of draft picks. — Givony
Edy Tavares | Cape Verde
Since departing the NBA in 2017, Tavares has blossomed into the most impactful two-way player in Europe, winning two EuroLeague championships, three consecutive first-team all-EuroLeague nods and emerging as the all-time best shot-blocker. Tavares has drawn considerable interest from the NBA and would already be back in the league if it weren’t for his prohibitive buyout with Real Madrid. Entering the final year of his contract, Tavares has openly stated the NBA remains on his mind, despite being 31 years old and one of the highest paid players in the world. Just getting the small archipelago of Cape Verde (with a population of a half million people) to a World Cup was a feat in itself, but Tavares is one of the best players competing at the tournament and will have an opportunity to show he can make an impact against NBA players in a group featuring Slovenia, Georgia and Venezuela. — Givony
Karl-Anthony Towns | Dominican Republic
It’s been a decade since Towns wore a Dominican national team jersey, and it will be fascinating to see how the 2022 All-NBA member performs after a disappointing season in which he played just 36 games with career lows across several categories.
If healthy, Towns could be a devastating force at the international level with his passing, shooting and ability to create from the perimeter, something Minnesota Timberwolves fans would be ecstatic to see. Showing he can put up numbers in a way that impacts winning more consistently, especially with the impact he makes defensively, would surely be a welcomed sign. — Givony
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
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