Safe to say, there is a buzz around the men’s 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Canada. The red and white have named a squad that should compete with the best of them and have a real shot at qualifying for the Olympics for the first time since 2000, but the reality is that there are plenty of them to beat.
Defending champions Spain still look formidable, Australia has been terrific in recent international tournaments and this may be their strongest team yet, while the U.S. will be looking to reclaim gold after missing out in 2019. France are always a force to be reckoned with and won silver in the Olympics.
Beyond that, there will be another eight to 10 teams believing they can make serious noise in the knockout stages. All in all, there is going to be plenty of great basketball and intense competition to be enjoyed between the 32 teams involved.
Here’s a preview of each of the eight groups and what we can expect in the initial phase, as well as a list of must-watch games to finish:
Italy (10)
Dominican Republic (23)
Philippines (40)
Angola (41)
THE PULSE: Karl-Anthony Towns electing to play for the Dominican Republic makes them a team better than their ranking. The Dominicans were impressive in a friendly win over Canada a week ago and will like their chances of topping the group ahead of Italy.
Italy are favourites, though, despite getting snubbed by NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, who opted to play for the U.S. They still boast international stars like Simone Fontecchio, Luigi Datome, and Nicolo Melli while having come through their August friendlies undefeated in seven games including wins over Serbia, Greece, and Brazil.
THE X-FACTOR: While there are some intriguing players to watch for including the aforementioned Towns, it should be fascinating to see how much of a factor homecourt plays for basketball-mad Philippines. They will also have the services of Jordan Clarkson, microwave scorer for the Utah Jazz.
Serbia (6)
Puerto Rico (20)
China (27)
South Sudan (62)
THE PULSE: It has been quite the sports year for Serbia between Nikola Jokic and Novak Djokovic and the national men’s basketball team will try to join in on the fun with a World Cup title. Their chances certainly take a hit without the two-time MVP and NBA champion, who is resting and recovering after a gruelling postseason run.
Still, Serbia has been one of the more consistent forces in European basketball and are clear favourites to win the group. The real intrigue lies over which team emerges along with them. The battle between Puerto Rico and China looks the main one on paper, but South Sudan earned their maiden World Cup appearance by winning 11 of 12 qualifying games. Former Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng has done a tremendous job as the basketball federation’s president, transforming the program into an African force. Now, we can see what they’re capable of on a global stage.
THE X-FACTOR: Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Kyle Anderson is representing China at this tournament courtesy his maternal great-grandfather. His Chinese name is Li Kaier and China will be hoping he can be a difference maker for a squad that has struggled to make a dent in international play.
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USA (2)
Greece (9)
New Zealand (26)
Jordan (33)
THE PULSE: No prizes for guessing who the favourite in this group is. Through the August friendlies, the likes of Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards have made it clear the Americans will be very difficult to beat. Head coach Steve Kerr has put together a group that willingly shares the basketball, but also has clear role definition and knows to whom possessions should be directed in crunch time.
Greece would have looked a much different proposition with two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the mix but his absence, due to recovery from left knee clean-up surgery, leaves them short of contender status. Still, they should have enough to advance ahead of New Zealand and Jordan.
THE X-FACTOR: When these international tournaments come around for the U.S., there’s always talk of which NBA player will carry a Team USA boost into the next season. At the moment, it looks very likely to be Wolves star Anthony Edwards as he has looked absolutely dominant in the games leading up to the main event.
Lithuania (8)
Montenegro (18)
Mexico (31)
Egypt (55)
THE PULSE: Canadians have some rooting interests in following this group. Former Raptor Jonas Valanciunas and Oakville, Ont., native Ignas Brazdeikis will both be representing Lithuania, but the absence of Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis will certainly hurt the team’s hopes of a medal even if they are group favourites.
Toronto native Roy Rana is the head coach of Egypt and he’ll be hoping to lead them to a first win at the tournament in 29 years.
Montenegro and Mexico are the two teams that will most likely compete for second place, with their matchup providing an age-old battle between size and shooting.
THE X-FACTOR: Chicago Bulls star centre Nikola Vucevic represents Montenegro and his game is tailor made for the FIBA style with his ability to shoot from the outside and mix it up inside. He will have a huge advantage against Mexico but a battle with Valanciunas should be an exciting one to watch.
Australia (3)
Germany (11)
Finland (24)
Japan (36)
THE PULSE: Hello there, Group of Death. This generation of hoopers from Australia has proven the most successful yet, finishing fourth in the 2019 World Cup and earning bronze at the 2020 Olympics. Known as The Boomers, there is plenty of NBA talent to go around with names such as Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles complemented by strong role play from the likes of Chris Goulding and Nick Kay.
Germany look a very strong team, too, with new Raptors point guard Dennis Schroeder, both Wagner brothers Franz and Mo, and Daniel Theis providing the NBA firepower. They were extremely competitive against Canada in two lead-up games, winning one and losing the other. They play with a clear identity and are extremely organized on both ends.
Then there is Finland, who will be led by Lauri Markkanen. The Utah Jazz star teased his potential with the national team last year and then went on to have a breakout NBA season. Don’t underestimate the Finns.
Japan and former Raptor Yuta Watanabe round out the group, and they will be looking to improve on their winless 2019 campaign.
THE X-FACTOR: In addition to the three NBA players mentioned previously, Australia will also have the services of Portland’s Matisse Thybulle, New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels, Dallas’ Josh Green and Dante Exum. They will absolutely expect to win a medal.
Slovenia (7)
Venezuela (17)
Georgia (32)
Cape Verde (64)
THE PULSE: It will be all eyes on Luka Doncic in Group F as Slovenia looks to make a deep run in this tournament. His shoulders will have more weight than usual on the international stage as regular backcourt mate Goran Dragic will be absent.
Venezuela don’t have anyone near the individual calibre of Doncic, but they do boast a boatload of experience and will be relying heavily on that factor to navigate out of a group where Georgia should give them cause for concern.
THE X-FACTOR: Tornike Shengelia is Georgia’s standout performer. He’s a point forward with great strength who plays for Virtus Bologna in Italy and he will be hoping to lead his country to an upset against Venezuela and a shot at the next round.
Spain (1)
Brazil (13)
Iran (22)
Ivory Coast (42)
THE PULSE: Spain are the No. 1 ranked team and the defending champions. They played extremely competitive games against both the U.S.A. and Canada leading up, and with former Raptors assistant coach Sergio Scariolo still at the helm, will believe they have what it takes to repeat in the post-Gasol brothers era.
Brazil raised some eyebrows with a close win over Australia in the lead-up, Bruno Caboclo leading the way in that game with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks. If both he and the team can maintain that level, they should make it out of this group ahead of Iran and Ivory Coast.
THE X-FACTOR: The biggest things going against Spain’s odds of repeating are the absences of 2019 tournament MVP Ricky Rubio for mental health reasons and former Raptor Lorenzo Brown due to injury, leaving them much thinner than usual at the point guard position. Does that open the door for an upset?
France (5)
Canada (15)
Latvia (29)
Lebanon (43)
THE PULSE: Last but certainly not least, we have Canada’s group. With the deepest roster it’s had in recent memory, there’s an opportunity to lay a marker by finishing first in the group. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will look to give Doncic a run for his money as the best player in the tournament while R.J. Barrett has been particularly impressive in the lead-ups.
France boast a strong squad even without top pick Victor Wembanyama. Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Nicolas Batum lead the list of NBA names while Nando de Colo and Guerschon Yabusele have been key contributors. That first game between Canada and France on Friday will have huge implications moving forward.
Latvia have certainly had some of their sting taken out by the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, but by no means will they be pushovers. Have an off night shooting the basketball and the Latvians will be ready to pounce. Through the European qualifiers, they finished second in both three-point makes and three-point percentage.
THE X-FACTOR: Kelly Olynyk is another big man whose game is well suited for FIBA’s style of play, and he has already proven his worth in friendlies. His chemistry with Dwight Powell has been a joy to watch and he will have a significant say in Canada’s overall success.
GAMES OF THE DAY:
FRIDAY, AUG. 25:
8:00 a.m. ET / 5:00 a.m. PT: Dominican Republic vs. Philippines
9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT: Canada vs. France
SATURDAY, AUG. 26:
8:40 a.m. ET / 5:40 a.m. PT: U.S.A. vs. New Zealand
9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT: Spain vs. Ivory Coast
SUNDAY, AUG. 27
4:30 a.m. ET / 1:30 a.m. PT: Australia vs. Germany
9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT: France vs. Latvia
MONDAY, AUG. 28
8:40 a.m. ET / 5:40 a.m. PT: Greece vs. U.S.A.
9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT: Spain vs. Brazil
TUESDAY, AUG. 29
8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT: Lithuania vs. Montenegro
9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT: Canada vs. Latvia
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30
8:00 a.m. ET / 5:00 a.m. PT: China vs. Puerto Rico
8:40 a.m. ET / 5:40 a.m. PT: Greece vs. New Zealand
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