FIBA World Cup Teams Who Are Still Competing

In second-round play, Team USA’s lack of inside strength against both Montenegro and Lithuania was obvious. To pull off an incredible upset victory, Lithuania overpowered the USA on the glass and battered smaller players switching on the backline. Talented big men should continue to provide a challenge for the Americans as the competition grows stiffer as the knockout round approaches, but the Americans still hold the upper hand on the open floor. Anthony Edwards is a force going downhill, Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves have sparkled making plays for themselves and others, and the wings can fill the lanes to finish, so the USA is unstoppable in transition. No one in this field can keep up with Team USA if they can get the game moving up and down.

Josh Hart was substituted for Brandon Ingram in the starting lineup by Kerr. Hart adds another glue man for the USA who can rebound, defend, and won’t keep the ball for too long. The American assault has been somewhat hindered in the halfcourt as a result of the lack of shooting. The United States still possesses the most talent and the best potential of any team in the competition despite some minor fractures in the foundation due to their depth, speed, and one-on-one scoring prowess. Even with the setback against Lithuania, the United States still appears to be the favourite to win the tournament.

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2. Canada

Germany is still playing like one of the top teams in the field even if we haven’t seen them at their best. The Germans enter the elimination phase with a spotless 5-0 record, despite the absence of star wing Franz Wagner due to an ankle injury sustained in the opening game. The team’s catalyst has been Dennis Schroder, who constantly dismantles the opposition’s defence and combines scoring and playmaking at a high level. Daniel Theis, who owns the glass, guards the paint and finishes inside as the roll man is Germany’s rock in the middle. In their thrashing of Slovenia and Luka Doncic on Sunday, the German shooters erupted, making 15 of their 31 (48 per cent) attempts from beyond the arc.

Only Team USA has more steals than any other team to go to the knockout phase, so there isn’t a lot of rim protection defensively, but Germany can really ramp up the ball pressure with Schroder and Isaac Bonga and get into the passing lanes. Germany has every component to be a world-champion squad, assuming the younger Wagner brother is able to return.

4. Slovenia

There is no match for Luka Doncic at the World Cup. By far the finest player on the pitch, the Dallas Mavericks superstar is capable of elevating Slovenia to greatness by himself. In FIBA basketball, Doncic’s heliocentric style of play excels, intimidating overmatched opponents at the point of attack and resulting in either a clear shot to the basket or free throws on practically every drive. The players that surround Doncic attempt to spread the floor and shoot threes. Slovenia is capable of defeating any opponent on any given night if those shots go in. Obviously, Slovenia’s largest issue is the absence of rim protection.

Slovenia’s go-to inside-out scorer at the centre position has been Mike Tobey, a former Virginia Cavaliers player, but he doesn’t provide much in the way of shot-blocking. Slovenia will have to rely on its assault to produce a lot of points every night with Doncic in command, but that isn’t necessarily a bad plan. The quarterfinal matchup between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Canadians will take place on one of the best basketball courts in the world. Get your popcorn ready.

5. Serbia

Serbia’s offence is a coach’s fantasy: it commits few turnovers, scores well inside, and has shooters all over the court who are ready to bury threes whenever the chance arises. Serbia is now contributing to the most effective offence in the World Cup by making 69 percent of its two-point attempts and better than 37 percent of its three-point attempts. Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks, Serbia’s three-level scorer who can take over late in games, is the first element of the inside-out approach. The big man Nikola Milutinov, who shot 71 percent from the field in group play owing to his deft finishing, maybe the most outstanding non-NBA player in the tournament thus far.

6. Lithuania

Team USA was shockingly defeated by Lithuania in the last round of group play, continuing their stunning upset streak of 5-0. The half-court offence has been running at a very high level from the beginning of the competition. Jonas Valanciunas is a battering ram on the inside who uses his powerful shoulders to clear a path and a soft touch to close. When Valanciunas needed to make a free throw, Lithuania’s shooters from beyond the arc have been on fire. Lithuania got out to a 5-0 start and had the highest 3-point shooting performance in the tournament (46.4 percent). On Sunday, Lithuania, the tournament’s greatest rebounding team, completely outrebounded the USA, 43-27.

If Lithuania is to keep winning, the hot shooting must continue since they rarely get anything simple in transition. Instead of gambling for thefts, the defence chooses to pass everything inside to one of the finest shot blockers in the tournament, Valanciunas. This team has a clear plan of action on both ends of the court.

7. Latvia

The World Cup’s “giant slayers” are Latvia, who defeated both France and Spain en route to an improbable quarterfinal berth. In order to advance to the quarterfinals, Latvia took more three-pointers than any other team and has made 40.2 per cent of those attempts since the competition began. This has allowed them to dominate opponents with impeccable spacing and knockout shooting. Their most potent offensive weapon, Davis Bertans, has a long range and a lightning-fast three-pointer. Rushing to close out on Bertans by opponents has provided space for everyone else. Andrejs Grazulis has been a strong inside-out scoring threat and defensive creator, and 6’9″ centre Rodions Kurucs, a former second-round pick of the Brooklyn Nets, provides some offensive ingenuity and rebounding.

Latvia will need to make Germany sweat by launching threes, but given what we’ve seen so far in the tournament, it would be foolish to mistrust them.

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8. Italy

Over the years, Italy’s lineups have included more skilled players, but the team that just advanced to the quarterfinals has consistently found fresh ways to triumph. Simone Fontecchio, a reserve wing for the Utah Jazz, is the lone NBA player on Italy’s roster, yet they have found success by pounding the offensive glass, preventing mistakes, and playing tenacious defence. As a 6’8 wing scorer, Fontecchio has been impressive, displaying the ability to make plays in transition while also hitting difficult jumpers in the halfcourt.

The Italians don’t shoot well; in group play, they made 31.2 per cent of their three-point attempts. However, big man Nicol Melli has assisted the team by giving them second-chance points on the glass. It has been exciting to observe Italy’s fierce, team-oriented style of play. In the quarterfinals, the USA will be a heavy favourite, but Italy won’t let them off the hook.

These are the FIBA World Cup teams who are still competing. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.