The best players of the first round of the FIBA World Cup: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, KTowns...
The FIBA World Cup 2023 has provided fans with a whole ton of great moments from great players, but who are they and what have they done?
Whether we’re talking about the Dominican Republic’s big man or the confidence of his Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Anthony Edwards of Team U.S.A. the stars have put on a show in this latest edition of the tournament and it’s been an enjoyable one.
Who have the best players in FIBA 2023 been?
Now, while it would be fair to say that we’ve seen a whole lot of talent on show in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, it would also be equally accurate to say that a handful of players have stood above the rest. Yes, of course, there are those who we could say have performed as we expected them to given their status as NBA stars, but there have also been some stand-out performances from players we didn’t see coming. So, with no further ado, let’s take a look at who they are.
Karl Anthony Towns - Dominican Republic
For the tournament so far the Minnesota Timberwolves star has averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists with 37% from beyond the arc and 89% from the line. That’s to say it’s hard to argue against Karl-Anthony Towns, a man who has been at the center of everything productive that the Dominican Republic has done so far. Indeed, their perfect record of 3-0 after the First Round only serves to punctuate the point.
Anthony Edwards - U.S.A.
While it’s true that Rondae Hollis Jefferson and Austin Reaves deserve a mention for Team U.S.A., Edwards has got to be the best player out of the bunch so far. With a tournament average of 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, the shooting guard has been something special to watch. From his shooting accuracy to his clever drives into the paint, Anthony Edwards has deservedly claimed the title of ‘team leader’ for himself. As he continues to chase American scoring records, we’re betting it’s now a matter of when and not if he’ll break them.
Luka Doncic - Slovenia
It’s crazy to think that this is Luka Doncic’s first appearance in a FIBA World Cup, but that’s the reality. For the tournament so far, the Mavs star has averaged a monstrous 30.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 3.0 steals. Needless to say, his name is definitely in the MVP conversation at the moment. Consider for a moment that Doncic dropped 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in his debut against Venezuela, and then followed that up with 34-10-6 against Georgia. Could it be that he’s about to give us the first triple-double in World Cup history?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Canada
The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been sensational for his country in what is his World Cup debut. Currently sitting in the top five of the tournament in overall efficiency, Shai has given his opponents a real problem to deal with and that’s before we talk about his handle which has left many a defender with ankle integrity issues. If Canada makes a deep run in this tournament, and we believe they will, it will likely be because of his average of 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and his 28.7% efficiency.
Dennis Schroder - Germany
While the Germans have always been a solid side, it’s clear that Dennis Schroder is set on taking them to the next level. The clear architect behind the team’s 3-0 sweep of Group E, Schroder has shown he can ball with the best with a tournament average of 19.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.0 steals on 20.7 efficiencies. The 30 points that he dropped on Australia made him just the second player in German basketball history to score 30-plus points in a World Cup game, with the first being the legendary Dirk Nowitzki.
Willy Hernangomez - Spain
It’s funny to think that folks thought the Spanish would struggle to emerge from the shadow of the Gasol brothers, Mark and Pau. This is after all the first time the team is playing in World Cup without one of them in the middle. Yet, it’s now clear that the doubters hadn’t taken into account players like Juancho Hernangomez, Juan Nunez, and of course Juancho’s brother, Willy. For the tournament so far, the 29-year-old has averaged 17.3 points and 6.0 rebounds on 58.8% from the field. Yes, he has been Spain’s most efficient on the floor.