FIBA World Cup: Serbia, Australia, France and more eye upset of Team USA at FIBA World Cup
Friday 30 August 2019 11:46, UK
Which nations pose the biggest threat to Team USA winning the FIBA World Cup for a record third successive time? Huw Hopkins profiles five countries capable of springing a big upset.
When Australia shocked the world by beating USA in a FIBA World Cup warm-up in Melbourne on August 24, some observers were not completely surprised.
FIBA World Cup: Six players to watch
FIBA World Cup: What is it? When is it? Who's playing?
FIBA World Cup: Team-by-team guide
Sure, the US are still the favourites when the tournament kicks off in China on Saturday, but with the Americans sending their weakest roster for many years, several other countries have their hopes high and their eyes set on a medal.
We examine five teams capable of toppling Team USA at the FIBA World Cup.
Australia
A weakened USA team doesn't necessarily mean their opponents will be sending their best players either, and Australia are a prime example.
After internal politics and frustration, the Philadelphia 76ers' NBA All-Star Ben Simmons didn't commit to playing at the World Cup - instead opting to play pick-up basketball in the States against Devin Booker and Joakim Noah.
Additionally, Jonah Bolden is not available, neither is Thon Maker nor Dante Exum. But the Aussies still pack a punch with no-nonsense scrappers who can grind any game to a win.
Leading their line-up in China are Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Aron Baynes and Andrew Bogut. Each of them have been integral to their team winning an NBA championship within the past five years - they know what it takes to beat the best.
But the team also has talent from the Australian National Basketball League capable of putting up points - including Chris Goulding, who led the team in scoring in the first exhibition game against USA.
The Boomers can win the World Cup, but they have perhaps the toughest road. Australia have to advance from the 'Group Of Death', so called because it features Canada and Lithuania, before potentially facing off with France in the next round.
After that, they might face off against the USA in the one-and-done knock-out stage of the quarter-finals. It means that either side's podium hopes could be over before they even reach a bronze-medal match, but as the Aussies showed last week, they could be the ones to advance.
France
Another country that might have to go through the USA before the medal round is France.
With a number of NBA players on the roster, it is easy to look at the French side and realise their potential. Nicolas Batum, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Frank Ntilikina are all solid role players, defenders and glue guys on their professional teams, but since Tony Parker and Boris Diaw retired, France have not had a leader to fall in line behind.
One player that could provide that leading role is Nando de Colo. The EuroLeague star played in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs but didn't get a regular rotation spot behind Parker or Patty Mills.
After De Colo was traded to the Toronto Raptors, he finished up the 2013-14 season and moved back to Europe where he has since led CSKA Moscow to two EuroLeague titles and won the 2015-16 EuroLeague MVP and 2016 EuroLeague Final Four MVP awards. He is a talented scorer who, at 6ft 5in, can play the point position and see over the top of defenders.
The team has good shooting at most positions outside of the center spot, where Gobert is backed up by new Boston Celtics recruit Vincent Poirier and Louis Layberie. Each of the big guys make up for their individual lack of shooting with excellent defense.
That will be the calling card for France: playing good 'D' and solid shooting from three. If they face the USA and can contain the latest incarnation of the Dream Team, the French stand a good chance of finishing on the podium.
Spain
Spain already have a FIBA World Cup gold medal, snatching one in 2006 when Team USA were beaten by Greece in the semi-finals, a result that forced the home of basketball to rebuild their outlook on international competition.
Few names are left from that Spanish squad, which included Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro, but that doesn't mean this year's team is any less talented.
With Marc Gasol still roaming the paint, and coming off an NBA championship triumph with the Toronto Raptors, as well as captain Rudy Fernandez, a former Portland Trail Blazer, the team has remnants from the country's World Cup glory.
Ricky Rubio will also control the action, and the team is rounded out by a mix of talented wings, including the Hernangomez brothers, Juan and Willy.
With plenty of shooting, pace and familiarity, Spain should cruise through the opening round and won't really be tested until the second group stage, which will possibly include Serbia and Italy.
From there it is tough to say how the Spanish will fare, but if the team relies on chemistry, and has a few sparkling performances from some of the best players in the world - even if Gasol and Fernandez are past their respective primes - we could see Spain picking up another medal on the global stage.
Serbia
Technically, Serbia have two World Cup gold medals in their history, as the country retained the FIBA history of Yugoslavia. But this nation is one of the most passionate basketball countries in the world and is desperate to collect their first gold in more than 20 years.
The Serbians can pin their hopes on Nikola Jokic, who currently ranks among the world's 10 best players right now.
He propelled the Denver Nuggets to a deep playoff run in the NBA last season and has a team built around him comprising other top end talent.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is a scarily-good shooter for the Sacramento Kings and his team-mate Nemanja Bjelica is becoming a good leader of that group. They also have Boban Marjanovic and Marko Guduric, who has just signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The team is built on defense, passing, shooting, intelligence and good team play across all positions with a few stars to take them over the top -basically all the ingredients to win a lot of basketball games.
The team will likely do well against Italy, Angola and the Philippines in the opening group, and their toughest test will come in the second stage, where they will likely face France.
Regardless, this Serbia team has everything required to make a big push for the gold medal, even if the country's best point guard, Milos Teodosic, is out due to an injury suffered in the warm-up game against Lithuania.
Greece
In one of Serbia's exhibition matches ahead of the World Cup, they played against Greece and the game was hugely entertaining.
For the majority of regulation, the Greek side led the way, with Giannis Antetokounmpo powering his home country to an impressive performance. The Serbs mounted a comeback and eventually took the win after some incredible shooting from Bogdan Bogdanovic.
It might have led to a loss, but the basketball world was reminded that Greece will have the best player in the World Cup. Not only that, it put the spotlight on several other Greek players and showed that Antetokounmpo is not the only talent to be reckoned with.
He is also not the only Antetokounmpo donning the national jersey. Brother Thanasis hit a three-point shot to force overtime in that game. And the squad also features long-time national Nick Calathes and up-and-comer Georgios Papagiannis.
This team is not the one-trick-pony it appears at first glance, but it is undeniable the team with the best player will always stand a good chance in any game.
And in Antetokounmpo, Greece has that every time they step on the court in China.
The 2019 FIBA World Cup begins on August 31 and you can stay up-to-date with all the action at skysports.com/nba and the Sky Sports mobile app.
