2023 World Cup

World Cup Notes: USA, Edwards, Germany, Canada

September 8th, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Steve Kerr once again stressed the high level of international competition following Team USA’s upset loss to Germany, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.

“This is not 1992 anymore,” Kerr said. “Players are better all over the world. Teams are better. It’s not easy to win World Cup or Olympic games.”

Kerr also gave the Germans credit.

“Congrats to Germany, they were fantastic,” he added. “Every time we made a run, they got a great shot, an offensive rebound, a big play. I am proud of my guys, they fought and gave us a chance in the end, but we couldn’t exactly get it.”

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said the team lacked toughness in the semifinal loss, but he refused to use lack of size as an excuse, relays George Efkarpidis of Eurohoops.

“We got out-rebounded all night. … They were more physical than us,” Edwards said.

Here’s more from the 2023 World Cup, which concludes Sunday:

German head coach Gordon Herbert got a three-year commitment from his roster, which is filled with experienced veterans. The group’s continuity showed in the victory, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “I think that helped us immensely,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said. “From the first day we got together this summer, we believed that we’re a special group and we can win against any team.”
Could the three-year blueprint be something the Americans emulate going forward? As Fischer notes, former USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski got three-year commitments from players when he took over in 2005. “I’m not sure how you would do that,” Kerr said. “If you wanna ask the same 10 guys to play every summer, I think that’s very unrealistic. Part of the deal with USAB is you pass the baton to the next coaching staff, the next group of players. It’s different than most countries. But we’re unique in that we have a deep talent pool and a lot of very worthy players. And I think those players and coaches all deserve to have the honor of wearing that USA jersey.”
Despite dropping its semifinal to Serbia, which will face Germany for a chance at gold, the Canadian national team is still determined to defeat the U.S. and claim the bronze medal, according to Barkas of Eurohoops. “It’s very important for the country, the players, the program,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We are very emotional right now, but getting a medal will be very important for us and we know we can still get better. We want to leave this tournament hungry and thirsty for more.”

Poll: Which Teams Will Win World Cup Medals?

September 8th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of World Cup games on Sunday will determine which nations leave the Philippines with medals. The long-awaited U.S. vs. Canada showdown is finally on tap, but that game will be for the bronze medal, not the gold. It’ll be Germany vs. Serbia for the gold, with the loser claiming the silver.

Germany vs. Serbia

Bogdan Bogdanovic has been Serbia’s best player in the World Cup, while Dennis Schröder, Daniel Theis, and the Wagner brothers (Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner) have led the way for Germany.

But both teams are getting important contributions from non-NBA players, including Olympiacos big man Nikola Milutinov (13.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG) for the Serbians and Bayern Munich guard Andreas Obst (10.9 PPG, .457 3PT%) for the Germans.

These are also two squads that have plenty of experience playing together in international competitions, and the chemistry they’ve built paid off in a big way in the semifinals, where they knocked off clubs that featured more NBA talent.

Germany is the only undefeated team in the World Cup and will benefit from the fact that the Serbians are missing superstar center Nikola Jokic. But Serbia only has one small blemish – a two-point upset loss to Italy – on its World Cup résumé and has otherwise looked dominant, winning six games by an average of 25.3 points per contest.

The oddsmakers expect a close one on Sunday, with Germany currently favored by a single point, per BetOnline.ag.

United States vs. Canada

Much has been made of Team USA’s lack of true star power – Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only All-NBA player on either roster in this matchup – but the club has had no problems putting the ball in the basket over the course of the World Cup, making an impressive 53.8% of its field goal attempts, including 40.4% of its three-pointers.

Defense and a lack of size has been the Achilles heel for the United States in this tournament. Despite the shorter (40-minute) FIBA games, the U.S. surrendered 110 points in its second-round loss to Lithuania, then 113 points in its semifinal loss to Germany.

Canada has the offensive firepower necessary to make the U.S. pay for a subpar defensive effort. Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, four other Canadians – RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker – are averaging double-digit points in the World Cup. And in Olynyk and Dwight Powell, Canada has a couple bigs capable of making life difficult for Team USA on the interior.

Still, the U.S. has a deeper, more talented roster overall than Canada, and more ways to win this game. The Americans are the frontrunners to win the bronze, with BetOnline.ag listing them as seven-point favorites on Sunday.

Germany, Serbia Advance To World Cup Final; USA, Canada To Play For Bronze

September 8th, 2023 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

The United States, with a roster made up entirely of NBA players, and Canada, led by All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both fell at the World Cup semifinals on Friday, defeated by Germany and Serbia, respectively.

The Germans and Serbians will vie for the gold medal on Sunday, with the loser claiming the silver. Before that game tips off, the U.S. and Canada will battle for bronze.

Although the U.S. entered the tournament – and Friday’s semifinal – as the betting favorites, Germany remains the only undefeated team at the 2023 World Cup. The Germans won their seventh consecutive game, with Bayern Munich guard Andreas Obst (24 points, six assists) and NBA veterans Franz Wagner (22 points, five rebounds), Daniel Theis (21 points, seven rebounds), and Dennis Schröder (17 points, nine assists) leading the way.

The Americans, who were missing Brandon Ingram due to an upper respiratory illness, got 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting from Anthony Edwards and had no problems scoring as a team — they made 38-of-65 shots (58.5%) from the field overall, including 12-of-25 three-pointers, and missed just one of 24 free throw tries.

However, they struggled on defense, giving up 113 points in the 40-minute contest. That’s the most a U.S. team has ever conceded in a World Cup game, breaking the previous record of 110 that was set a few days ago in the second-round loss to Lithuania, per HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, in Friday’s early game, Serbia took a first quarter lead and never looked back, led by another big game from Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (23 points on 8-of-12 shooting). The Serbians got the ball out of Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands, limiting him to just eight shot attempts (he had 15 points), and controlled the boards, grabbing 33 rebounds to Canada’s 22.

Despite missing key players – such as Maxi Kleber for Germany and, more importantly, Nikola Jokic for Serbia – the two European clubs have looked terrific in the World Cup, clinching 2024 Olympic berths and at least a silver medal.

The Canadians will go home a little disappointed if they can’t claim a medal, but regardless of the result on Sunday, they’ll have their best ever World Cup finish. And earning a spot in the Olympics for the first time since 2000 qualifies as a win from the program.

On the other hand, it’s a second consecutive discouraging World Cup for Team USA, which finished seventh at the 2019 tournament. The Americans won’t end up lower than fourth this time around, but also won’t do better than a bronze medal in an event they were favored to win.

Team USA Notes: Germany, Edwards, Roster

September 7th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Team USA blew out the Italian national team in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and intends to keep playing to its strengths ahead of a matchup with the undefeated Germans on Friday morning, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes.

While a loss to Lithuania earlier in the event stung, Team USA’s coaching staff featuring Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue and Mark Few reinvigorated the team’s identity prior to the 37-point victory over Italy, Windhorst writes, and they’ll plan to execute the same way against Germany in the semifinals.

Germany is 6-0 in World Cup play and has a size advantage, which Team USA struggled with in its loss to Lithuania, according to Windhorst. Dennis Schröder has been one of the best players in all of World Cup play, though he had an off day against Latvia on Wednesday. However, the Germans have depth, including NBAers Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, along with Daniel Theis.

“They’ve probably been the best team in the tournament overall,” Kerr said. “They’re connected, really well coached and have a lot of continuity and have a very strong team, physical team. So we’re going to have to play well to beat them.”

Team USA first took on Germany in a friendly game on Aug. 20, where Anthony Edwards fueled an 18-0 run by the Americans that helped the team complete a 16-point comeback victory.

The play of Edwards, how Germany chooses to guard him, and how the United States dictates the pace of play are key factors in determining which team will move on to play for the World Cup championship on Sunday, according to Windhorst.

“The challenge is to figure out when to attack and when not to,” Kerr said of Edwards, per Windhorst. “And we’re gonna need both. The last time we played Germany, he completely took over the game. [Against Italy] when we throw the ball ahead, whether it’s him or anybody else, we’re really lethal. So you just got to find that balance.”

We have more Team USA notes:

Edwards is doing everything Team USA asks of him, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, including dropping 35 points against Lithuania and then taking just six shots against Italy. “It’s the same thing with the Timberwolves,” Edwards said. “I’ve gotta look to score, look to pass. It’s not that hard.” Vardon writes that Edwards is on track to earn the elusive title of an NBA superstar, but he’ll need to close out the World Cup on a high note.
While Edwards has been a star, Team USA is benefiting from a team-oriented style of play featuring several impressive performances thus far, writes The Ringer’s Danny Chau. Chau highlights several of the team’s most impressive players, including Mikal Bridges, who scored 24 points on Tuesday against Italy. While none of what Chau calls “A-list NBA stars” are participating in the event, Chau believes many players on the team can or will elevate to that status.
Don’t forget to participate in our poll from this morning and chime in with who you think will win each World Cup semifinal matchup.

Dillon Brooks Thinks He’s The Best Defender In The World

September 7th, 2023 at 3:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Rockets forward Dillon Brooks certainly doesn’t lack confidence. Following Canada’s quarterfinal victory over Slovenia at the 2023 World Cup, the veteran wing was asked if he was the best defender at the tournament.

“Yeah. This tournament, this world, in the NBA,” Brooks said, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “I feel like I bring a different type of defense with my IQ and how physical I play and how disciplined I am on the floor.”

Brooks earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team this past season, his first appearance on an All-League team. As Fischer writes, new head coach Ime Udoka singled out the former Oregon product as a key target for Houston in free agency this summer due to his defensive tenacity.

“He (Udoka) knows that I bring a different type of edge to the game,” Brooks told Yahoo Sports. “I have my ups and downs with it. But I can teach young guys. Houston was a great offensive team. They just needed more on the defensive end, stressing priority on the defensive end.”

Describing the Rockets as a “great offensive team” in 2022/23 isn’t exactly accurate — they ranked 27th in the league, only faring better than the Pistons, Spurs and Hornets. However, Brooks is right that Houston needs help on both ends — the team was even worse on defense, finishing 29th in ’22/23 after being dead last two seasons ago.

Long known for being an irritant and a tone-setter for Memphis, the 27-year-old received a lucrative four-year, $86MM+ deal from the Rockets via a complex sign-and-trade. Brooks tells Fischer he’s ready for a leadership role with Houston.

“Just having a positive mindset, knowing that it’s gonna be a transition day by day,” Brooks said. “Getting better day by day and finding ways to believe in the details and believe in the little things that get you to where you need to get to, whether it’s playoffs, whether it’s winning the in-season tournament, each game getting better and better.”

In case you missed it, Canada faces Serbia in the first World Cup semifinal early Friday morning. You can vote in our poll for both semifinal match-ups right here.

World Cup Notes: SGA, Brooks, Doncic, F. Wagner

September 7th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has separated himself from the field in the race for World Cup MVP, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. The Thunder guard had 31 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday against Slovenia and has been outstanding while leading Canada to its first semifinals appearance in tournament history.

Among those impressed by SGA’s exploits is Canadian star Steve Nash, who served as general manager of the national team and had him on the roster for an Olympic qualifying tournament in 2016. Although Gilgeous-Alexander was just a teenager at the time and barely played, Nash could tell he had the potential to become something special.

“I mean, he’s got it, right?” Nash said. “He has the game, the feel, the understanding of his responsibility in the moment. It’s just a beautiful thing when you have a player like that in your arsenal.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Canadian coach Jordi Fernandez credited Dillon Brooks for his strong defensive effort against Luka Doncic in the win over Slovenia, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The Slovenians were upset by some of Brooks’ tactics before both players were ejected in the fourth quarter, but Fernandez doesn’t mind if Brooks takes the same approach in the semifinals against Serbia. “If they complain, they complain,” he said. “We have to play our game and we have to keep our composure, so we can control what we can control. I think yesterday we did a great job as a team defensively and especially Dillon put on a defensive clinic and it should be in a FIBA museum at some point.”
Doncic was upset at not getting more foul calls and made a money-sign gesture toward FIBA officials during the game, but he and Slovenia remain on good terms with the organization, Barkas adds in a separate story. Doncic downplayed the incident in a post-game press conference, according to Barkas, and Slovenian Federation president Matej Erjavec sat with FIBA secretary general Andreas Zaglis for Thursday’s contest against Lithuania.
Franz Wagner is confident that German teammate Dennis Schröder will bounce back in Friday’s semifinal meeting with Team USA after shooting 4-of-26 from the field against Latvia, relays George Efkarpidis of Eurohoops. Wagner also discussed the ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the tournament before he returned for the quarterfinals. “We tried to do as much rehab, icing, all that stuff as much as possible, and I think we did a really good job,” Wagner said. “And then the last week or so, I started working out on the court and was able to do a little bit more. I did a bunch of conditioning stuff, too, just so I can play again.”

Poll: Who Will Win World Cup Semifinals?

September 7th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The race for 2023 World Cup gold is down to just four teams, and they’ll all be in action in Friday’s semifinals, battling for the right to play in the championship game.

With less than 24 hours to go until the first of those semifinals tips off, let’s take a closer look at the matchups…

Canada vs. Serbia

Canada has had no shortage of NBA talent over the last two decades, but has finally put it all together in a World Cup, reaching its first ever semifinal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the main reason for the club’s success, leading the Canadians in categories across the board, including points (25.0), rebounds (7.2), assists (5.0), and steals (1.7) per game.

It hasn’t just been the SGA Show though. RJ Barrett (14.7 PPG) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (10.0 PPG) been reliable secondary scoring options, Dillon Brooks and Luguentz Dort have played stifling defense, and Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell have allowed the Canadians to match up with bigger teams. Even without players like Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins, Trey Lyles, Shaedon Sharpe, and Cory Joseph, this is a very talented roster.

Serbia, meanwhile, is missing star center Nikola Jokic and point guard Vasilije Micic. In their absence though, Bogdan Bogdanovic has emerged as an effective leading man, averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per night.

Big man Nikola Milutinov, whose NBA draft rights are held by Brooklyn, has provided the Serbians with a consistent presence up front, averaging 13.2 PPG and 8.8 RPG. Current NBA players like Nikola Jovic (10.7 PPG) and Filip Petrusev (9.8 PPG) have chipped in too, as has former NBAer Marko Guduric (8.3 PPG, 3.8 APG).

Canada has more high-level NBA talent than Serbia and is currently listed as a 5.5-point favorite, per BetOnline.ag. But the Serbians have more experience playing together in international events, so this one could go either way.

United States vs. Germany

Even without its A Team, the United States is the heavy frontrunner to win the World Cup as the only squad in Manila made up entirely of NBA players. Team USA’s roster is deeper than any others at the World Cup, so head coach Steve Kerr has plenty of options if certain players are struggling.

Anthony Edwards (17.3 PPG) has been USA’s go-to scorer so far, but he had just three of the team’s 100 points in a blowout quarterfinal win over Italy, with Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Haliburton, Austin Reaves, Jalen Brunson, Brandon Ingram, and Paolo Banchero providing the necessary offense. While a total of nine Team USA players have averaged at least 16 minutes per night so far, none have played more than 23 MPG, as Kerr has taken advantage of the depth available to him.

Still, the U.S. isn’t unbeatable. The club lost to Lithuania in the second round of the World Cup and only narrowly defeated Germany in an exhibition game prior to the tournament.

The Germans are the only undefeated squad left at the World Cup, having been led by NBA players Dennis Schröder (18.0 PPG, 6.3 APG), Moritz Wagner (12.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG), and Daniel Theis (10.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG). Franz Wagner also made his return from an ankle injury in Wednesday’s quarterfinal and will be a key factor in Friday’s semifinal.

Like the U.S., Germany showed on Wednesday that it can win even when its top scorer has an off night. Schröder was just 4-of-26 from the field, but the Germans pulled out a two-point victory over a tough Latvian team.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Harris, Petrusev, Green, More

September 6th, 2023 at 6:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite another second-round playoff exit, which has been followed by another drama-filled offseason, Sixers owner Josh Harris believes Philadelphia is in an enviable position, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

“The situation with James Harden is unfortunate,” Harris told ESPN. “I want this to work out for all sides, including James. But we have to keep our eye on the big picture, which is that we’re still a contending team and most teams in the NBA would change places with us in five minutes.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Harden took to Instagram in response to Shelburne’s report that he was “pouting” earlier this year over a perceived All-Star snub. The former league MVP’s message was simple: “Lies,” he wrote.
Sixers big man Filip Petrusev had an impressive performance for Serbia in the team’s World Cup quarterfinal victory over Lithuania, notching 17 points (on 7-of-8 shooting) and six rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. However, the 2021 second-round pick says his right ankle still isn’t 100%, per Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “I had the injury in the first game. So, I am not where I am supposed to be physically,” said Petrusev, who missed two games in the first round of group play. “I was just glad I could help (Nikola) Milutinov. He had so much work on defense guarding (Jonas) Valanciunas. He did a great job. That was the opportunity for me to step in, especially in the offense, and contribute.”
The uncertainty surrounding Harden’s situation has created question marks up and down the roster, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes (subscriber link). How new head coach Nick Nurse will construct the offense, Tyrese Maxey‘s role, and how Joel Embiid might adjust without Harden are among the most pressing questions posed by Mizell.
In an opinion piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, David Murphy shares some thoughts on the reported addition of Danny Green, and how the lead guard spot might be handled sans Harden.

Team Canada Notes: QF Win, SGA, Brooks, Nurse

September 6th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, the Canadian men’s national team has earned a spot in the FIBA World Cup semifinals for the first time in the history of the event. However, star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates aren’t happy to simply leave the Philippines with a spot in the final four.

“It feels good, but we are not satisfied,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Wednesday’s victory over Slovenia, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.net. “We didn’t come here only to get to the semifinals, we came here to try to get gold.”

Team Canada will be in tough in the semifinal against a talented Serbian squad that played in the gold medal game in the 2014 World Cup, and would be an underdog against Team USA in a potential final. However, Slovenia’s head coach Aleksander Sekulić is bullish on the club’s chances after seeing his team fall to the Canadians on Wednesday.

“Canada has a hell of a team,” Sekulić said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “They can play different lineups, small-ball and two bigs. They have big guards, strong guards. They have guys who can create. So they have everything they need to go all the way. I think they can match up with (the) United States.”

Here’s more on Team Canada:

Although the Canadians made it past Slovenia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, head coach Jordi Fernandez chided forward Dillon Brooks after the game for his fourth-quarter ejection. “He has to be better,” Fernandez said, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. “We need him on the court. You can’t get disqualified. We have to have better composure as a team.” The head coach did laud Brooks for playing his role “at a high level” prior to his early exit.
Although he’s no longer the head coach of Team Canada, having been replaced by Fernandez when he stepped down earlier this year, Nick Nurse continues to keep a close eye on the club’s performance on the international stage, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “An awesome job by them, so very happy for them,” Nurse said before Wednesday’s semifinal win. “Just in my time, from 2019 to now, it was a big process to get here and I’m just glad to see them realize the vision, the goal, the dream.”
Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman shares his takeaways from the Canada/Slovenia game, noting that Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic entered the World Cup as the consensus top two players in the event and the Thunder guard won their head-to-head battle on Wednesday.

World Cup Semifinals Set; Serbia, Germany Qualify For Olympics

September 6th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Germany completed a comeback win over Latvia on Wednesday to earn a place in the World Cup semifinals, while Canada defeated Slovenia to claim a spot in the final four as well.

The World Cup semifinal games, which will take place on Friday, are as follows:

United States vs. Germany
Canada vs. Serbia

Although Team USA will enter the semifinal as a heavy favorite, Germany is the only undefeated team left in the tournament, having come out victorious in all six of their games so far.

The Germans, who got Magic forward Franz Wagner back on Wednesday following an ankle injury, recovered from an early deficit and overcame an off day from guard Dennis Schröder, who made just four of his 26 shot attempts from the floor. The rest of the team shot 54.5% (24-of-44), with Wagner contributing a team-high 16 points to overcome Davis Bertans (20 points) and the Latvians by a score of 81-79.

The Canadians, meanwhile, pulled away from Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in a strong third quarter and won 100-89, earning their first-ever berth in a World Cup semifinal.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points on 8-of-12 shooting) and RJ Barrett (24 points on 9-of-22 shooting) scored more than half of Canada’s points, while Dillon Brooks (14 points on 5-of-7 shooting) chipped in and played tough defense on Doncic, who scored 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting. Both Doncic and Brooks were ejected during a chippy fourth quarter.

While Latvia and Slovenia will join Lithuania and Italy in the classification games to determine the fifth-through-eight seeds, Germany and Serbia have assured themselves of spots in the 2024 Olympics by finishing as the top two European teams in the World Cup, regardless of the semifinal outcomes.

The eight teams that have qualified for the Paris Olympics so far are the United States, Canada, Germany, Serbia, France, Australia, Japan, and South Sudan. The remaining four spots will be claimed next summer in a series of qualifying tournaments.

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