There are only a few days left for the start of the World Basketball Championship. Line-ups have been formed, friendly matches have been played and little by little the teams are arriving at the tournament venue to begin preparations for the first group stage.
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This means it’s time to talk about which teams are bringing the best players on the planet to the world championship. We present you the five best national teams with the five strongest starters.
USA team
Anthony Edwards
Photo: Matthias Stickel/Getty Images
Complete application: Paolo Banquero, Mikal Bridges, Jaylen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis, Austin Reeves.
Estimated initial training: Anthony Edwards (SG) – Jalen Brunson (PG) – Mikal Bridges (G/F) – Brandon Ingram (F) – Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF/C).
When Team USA head coach Steve Kerr was asked what his starting five would look like at the World Championships, he wasn’t prepared to give an answer.
“Usually things will pick up in the first two weeks of training camp. We as the coaching staff look at the records every day, discuss various combinations, and then think about possible substitutions.
But it’s not easy, because in the NBA there are usually about 12 starting players. All these guys are starters and great players. However, in FIBA all this does not matter. Contracts are not at stake. Nobody is exchanged. We will spend six weeks together and I hope that everything here will be the same as at the 2021 Olympic Games in terms of dedication, effort, energy and intensity. Let’s see what comes of it,” said the mentor.
In fact, you will have a difficult choice. Team USA is less stellar than it could be, but at the same time it’s packed with young talent. Josh Hart and Bobby Portis are the oldest players on the national team, both just 28 years old. And neither one nor the other will come out in the starting five. So who will Kerr entrust such an honor to?
The backcourt duo of Brunson and Edwards will be in charge of the offense. Ent is Team USA’s main attacking threat, if not the best. Last year he averaged 24.6 points and 5.8 rebounds on 45.9% shooting from the field and 36.9% shooting on 36.9% from the arc, all career highs for him. Well, Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reeves, who also added notably last season, will compete for a spot in the starting lineup with Edwards.
Triple J, the best defensive player of the last championship, will be the main link in the defense with his blocks. Rookie of the year Paolo Banquero will also be in contention for the big position, while Bobby Portis will likely fill his familiar role of sixth man.
Ingram is the most prolific winger available and can attack the ring from anywhere on the court. A two-way, great defender and three-pointer who proved his worth in Brooklyn, Mikal Bridges could play him at the third or second number.
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France national team
Squad of France for Euro 2022
Photo: Abdul Hamid Hosbas/Getty Images
Complete application: Nicolás Batum, Nando de Colo, Isaiah Cordinier, Mustapha Fall, Evan Fournier, Sylvain Francisco, Rudy Gobert, Matthias Lessor, Eli Okobo, Yacoub Ouattara, Terry Tarpey, Gershon Yabusele.
Estimated initial training: Nicolás Batum (SF) – Gershon Yabusele (PF) – Evan Fournier (SG) – Nando de Colo (PG) – Rudy Gobert (C).
At the next World Cup, Nando de Colo and Nicolas Batum, who missed the EuroBasket last year, will return to the French team. And this means that head coach Vincent Collet will have the same team he had at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In both tournaments, the team won silver medals, so this year France is deservedly considered one of the favourites.
The presence of Gaubert and Fournier in the starting five is out of the question: they have not missed a single international tournament since 2014 and were the leading duo at both the Tokyo Games and last year’s EuroBasket. There, Evan led the team in scoring (18.8 points) and Rudy led the team in rebounds collected (9.8).
Gobert also averaged 12.8 points and 1.2 blocks per game, leading the team with a utility factor of 17.9. According to the results of the European Championship, he was included in its symbolic five.
But with the “core” of the French team, everything became clear. The main intrigue was the decision of the first number of the last draft pick, Victor Vembanyama. Collet had hoped to go to the World Championship, but Vambi wasn’t risking his health on the eve of his first NBA season with San Antonio. Therefore, like last year, Gershon Yabusele will occupy the power forward position.
Charlotte’s Frank Ntilikina was also scheduled to go to the World Cup, but suffered a hamstring injury during training and was replaced by Isaiah Cordinier.
australian national team
giddy josh
Photo: Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
Complete application: Xavier Cooks, Dyson Daniels, Examen Dante, Josh Giddy, Chris Goulding, Josh Green, Joe Ingles, Nick Kaye, Patti Mills, Duop Reet, Matisse Tibull, Jack White
Estimated initial training: Josh Giddy (PG) – Patti Mills (SG) – Josh Green (SF) – Nick Kay (PF) – Duop Reet (C).
According to the official FIBA ranking, Australia is the third strongest team in the tournament. And this is not surprising, because 10 of the 12 players on your application are currently playing in the NBA.
With the Australians’ bottom line, everything is more or less self-explanatory. The experienced Patti Mills, for whom the upcoming World Championship will be the third of her career, has been a team leader for a long time, including at the 2020 Bronze Olympics. In addition to her contribution to the game, she brings a veteran presence to the dressing room, which should have a positive impact on young players. For example, about Josh Giddy, along with whom Mills will act.
Giddy is a rising star at Oklahoma, a promising point guard with a much taller-than-average height (206 cm). Last season he showed that he could lead the offense and create chances for his teammates, averaging 16.6 points and 6.2 assists per game. His playmaking ability is expected to be a key aspect of the national team’s attacking game.
Matisse Tibull will try to take the place of universal wing Josh Green in the starting five. They are similar players, with Tibull being one of the most talented on the team in terms of defensive play. But he, even if he’s improved since the trade to Portland, is slightly behind Green in terms of scoring. Therefore, the choice of the starting “troika” will depend on the team’s need for one component or another.
The No. 3 spot could also go to aging Joe Ingles, but he managed just fine last season at Milwaukee’s second line, so he’s bound to come off the bench.
As for the position of the fifth number, here the Australians had a problem: Jock Landale, who was supposed to be the starting center of the team, suffered an ankle injury last week in a friendly match with South Sudan. Now the only option Boomers have left is Duop Rit.
Team Canada
Shay Gilges-Alexander
Photo: Alex Camera/Getty Images
Complete application: Kyle Alexander, Nikhil Alexander-Walker, RJ Barrett, Trey Bell-Hines, Dillon Brooks, Lugenz Dort, Zach Edie, Melvin Agim, Shay Gilges-Alexander, Kelly Olynyk, Kevin Pangos, Dwight Powell, Philip Scrubb, Thomas Scrubb
Estimated initial formation: RJ Barrett (SG) – Shay Gilges-Alexander (PG) – Dillon Brooks (SF) – Kelly Olynyk (PF) – Dwight Powell (C).
On the eve of the World Cup, the Canadian national team missed two stars at once, who in the most recent past became NBA champions – Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins. The former was given time to recover from a triumphant season with Denver, while the latter decided to focus on preparing for the next championship after playing just 37 games last year.
So the leader of the Canadian team in the tournament should be Shay Gilges-Alexander. He had an incredible season last season, averaging 31.4 points, 5.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds for the Thunder, and was named to the NBA All-Star Five and also made his first All-Star Game.
The Knicks’ RJ Barrett, who was preparing to be the sixth man for the Canadiens, eventually replaced Murray at the back line. He struggled in the last few playoffs, but had a decent regular season, averaging 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
The third number position will be shared between Dillon Brooks and Lugenz Dort. Both are quality defenders, especially on the perimeter, and aren’t afraid to make contact. But because of his large stature and slightly more accurate shooting, Brooks will certainly be preferred.
There aren’t as many big men on the team’s roster, so the choice is obvious here: It will be a group of seasoned Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell. But NCAA MVP Zach Edie, the 9-inch, 8-foot-4, will also battle the veterans for a spot in the starting five.
Germany national team
Dennis Schroeder at Euro 2022
Photo: Pedja Milosavljevic/Getty Images
Complete application: Isaac Bonga, Franz Wagner, Niels Giffei, Justus Hollatz, Moritz Wagner, David Kremer, Johannes Voigtman, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Dennis Schroeder, Daniel Theis, Johannes Tiemann.
Estimated initial formation: Andreas Obst (SG) – Dennis Schroeder (PG) – Franz Wagner (SF) – Johannes Voigtmann (PF/C) – Daniel Theis (PF/C)
The German team in the World Cup will be led by Dennis Schroeder. At EuroBasket 2022, the 30-year-old point guard scored 22.1 points and 7.1 assists each and entered the symbolic fifth of the tournament. The only thing that may prevent him from repeating his success this year is an Achilles tendon injury, which rumor has it he struggled with all summer. However, Schroeder himself is confident that he will arrive at Okinawa 100 percent prepared.
The second star of the German team, like last year, will be Orlando’s Franz Wagner. He had an impressive second season in the NBA, averaging 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. His older brother, Moritz, will also go to the World Championship. At the same time, he is expected to enter the field from the bench; in any case, this was the case during the last friendly matches.
Gordon Herbert favored former CSKA player Johannes Voigtman and Indiana’s Daniel Theis in the pick of the bigs, while Moritz chipped in points off the bench. Theis finally started getting playing time after playing just seven games last season due to a knee injury and front-line competition from the Pacers. Both he and Voigtman showed their dignity in a recent game with the US team (91:99), having achieved a double-double in points and rebounds (11+10 and 12+13, respectively).
Well, Bayern’s Andreas Obst is arguably the best shooting guard available and should be the main threat behind the three-point line. In which case, Germany also has Maodo Lo from Alba.
