On August 25, the curtain of the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup will open. Despite the absence of Nikolai Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis, there is still no shortage of attention in this tournament. Over 15 match days, 32 participating teams will go all out to fight for direct qualification for the Paris Olympics, for glory and dreams.
The U.S. men's basketball team plays with a young "civilian lineup", but it is still in the discussion of the favorites. In addition to the US men's basketball team, which teams are expected to stand on the top podium of this tournament?
The German men's basketball team, which previously lost to the US men's basketball team in the warm-up game, also has a competitiveness that cannot be underestimated. Dennis Schroeder, who shined at last year's European Men's Basketball Championship, is the captain of the German men's basketball team and the "brain" of this team. Dennis Schroder was extremely consistent in the NBA regular season last season, playing in 67 games for the Lakers, averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game, and this summer, he signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Raptors. In the German men's basketball team, Dennis Schroeder also has two extremely reliable outside helpers - Andreas Obst and Maodor Rowe. At last year's European Men's Basketball Championship, both shooters shot more than 45 percent from three-point range. In addition, the German men's basketball team, which has two Wagner brothers and Daniel Theis, three NBA-level interior linemen, does not have to worry about the hardness of interior defense. Such a balanced team inside and outside has the strength to have the last laugh.
The French men's basketball team, led by Rudy Gobert and Nicolas Batum, is also regarded as one of the favorites to win the championship. At the Tokyo Olympics, the French men's basketball team won the silver medal, showing good overall strength. The 12-man roster of the French men's basketball team for the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup includes several players competing in the Tokyo Olympics. Compared to the young American men's basketball team, the French men's basketball team has more experience in the World Series. Although Frank Nilikina regrettably missed due to injury, three NBA stars, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, provided a strong guarantee for the French men's basketball team to maintain the stability of the lineup.
The Canadian men's basketball team led by NBA team Thunder star Shay Giljes Alexander is also a very combative force. Last season, Alexander, who averaged 31.4 points per game in the NBA regular season, ranked fourth in points per game. Playing alongside him are not only RJ Barrett, who is also excellent in scoring ability, but also defensive gates such as Dillon Brooks and Lugunz Dort.
In addition, teams such as Australia, Slovenia and Spain also have the potential to play dark horses in the championship competition. Luka Doncic was named the new captain of the Slovenian men's basketball team this summer. Looking ahead to the upcoming 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup, the NBA superstar expressed his desire for a championship this way: "For our team, the goal is the same every time – we're going to win, the goal is to win. The words of the Slovenian men's basketball captain also express the ambition of the participating teams.
The ultimate suspense of who will stand on top of the world will be revealed on September 10. Until then, what surprises will the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup bring to fans? What classic moments will be left behind? We'll see.
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