In the lead-up to the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball’s August 30 start date, we’ll be previewing each of the four groups at the big tournament—breaking down the top storylines, key players to watch and how we think the group stage will shake out. Today, Group D.
Teams
Angola, Australia, South Korea, Lithuania, Mexico and Slovenia.
The Storylines
The Valanciunas era begins now
Lithuania has a proud basketball history, with a roster of a alumni that includes the legendary Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Jasikevicius among others. Now it’s time for another name to be added to that list: Jonas Valanciunas.
The Toronto Raptors centre is primed to lead Lithuania after a summer in which he reportedly spent time working out with Hakeem Olajuwon.
The 22-year-old has steadily improved in his two seasons in the NBA and the World Cup is a great stage for him to not only show the improvement in his game, but also his development as a leader.
Valanciunas and Houston Rockets big Donatas Motiejunas are often looked upon as the future of the Lithuanian national program. Well, instead of looking to the future, the Raps starter can assert himself as force to be reckoned with right now, ushering in the Jonas Valanciunas era of Lithuanian hoops.
Tight battle for second ahead
Group D is Lithuania’s to lose, so the battle for second place should prove much more interesting.
Angola, Australia and Slovenia are fairly evenly matched, with Slovenia and Australia earning a slight edge in talent over the Angolans.
Mexico could also be thrown into the mix for second place, especially after winning the FIBA Americas Championship last year, upsetting Argentina along the way. Granted, the Argentines didn’t have Manu Ginobili, but it was still a pretty shocking outcome. So, who knows? Maybe Mexico goes out and shocks the world again.
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Three players to watch
Jonas Valanciunas – Lithuania
DeMar DeRozan’s continued improvement isn’t the only reason Raptors fans should be glued to this tournament. There’s also the chance to get an early glimpse of JV before his third NBA season. This appears to be a good sign:
Dante Exum – Australia
Most saw 2014 fifth-overall pick Dante Exum play for the first time in NBA Summer League, where he appeared to struggle, shooting just 31 percent from the field and averaging 7.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game in five outings. Hopefully he fares better in international competition because there’s still a whole lot to discover about the Australian man of mystery.
Goran Dragic – Slovenia
Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic is the definitely the best player in this group, and should be considered an favourite for tournament MVP should Slovenia go far. Dragic is a budding star in the NBA but at the World Cup he should be a bonafide superstar, with a stroke that just might be unmatched in the entire tournament. Slovenia is destination viewing for Dragic alone.
Non-NBA player to look out for
Mantas Kalnietis – Lithuania
Kalnietis is Lithuania’s starting point guard and, despite the Era of JV, might the best player on the team. At EuroBasket, he averaged 12.1 points, five assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He’s notable not only for his ability, but also because he’ll be Valanciunas’s main feeder in pick-and-roll situations.
Group Prediction
- Lithuania
- Slovenia
- Australia
- Angola
- Mexico
- South Korea
Again, this group is Lithuania’s to lose. No team is more talented, nor deep, meaning it’s really first place or bust for them. Slovenia will pull through in second on the back of Dragic’s brilliance, while Australia will slot in right behind. Mexico will end up on the outside looking in as Angola plays too well as a unit to get bounced in the group stage of the tournament.
FIBA World Cup of Basketball previews: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
