These were the best teams in the first round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup
With the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 now set, it’s as good a time as any to take a look at who the best teams have been so far.
We’ve some do better than we expected, some fail miserably, and some continue like it’s business as usual. That’s to say, while there have been a few surprises things have more or less progressed as we imagined in 2023′s edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The best teams so far
Having now concluded the First Round of the tournament, it would be fair to say that we got a good look at the 32 best national teams in the world today. Now, while 16 of them are no longer in the running for World Cup glory, we’ve taken the liberty of ranking those who remain. So, with no further ado, let’s take a look at the top five nations in the tournament so far in descending order. Of course, if you’d like to see the current power rankings you can take a look here.
No. 5 - Slovenia
Currently ranked 7th in the world, Slovenia is playing in its 4th FIBA World Cup and appears to be worth the fuss. Led by NBA superstar Luka Doncic who averaged 30.0 points per game in the first round, the Slovenians have put paid to the opposition so far, as they finished with a perfect record. Australia and Germany are up next and they’d better watch out.
No. 4 - Spain
Playing in their 13th FIBA World Cup, the defending champions and current World No. 1 have been on the attack from day one. The 85 or more points that they’ve scored in their first three games are clearly a testament to that fact and what’s more, is that the wealth has been spread around the offense. That’s to say that should they manage a two-peat, folks will be hard-pressed to pick an MVP between Willy, Juancho, Aldama, and Juan Nunez. Keep an eye on the Spanish.
No. 3 - Canada
Oh Canada, how you’ve given us a show. Despite the fact that their best result in a FIBA World Cup was 6th back in 1982, the Canadians have been ominously machine-like in this, their 15th appearance in the tournament. Indeed, not only did the team win its group, but it did so in a manner that seemed ruthless at times. Behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who has been simply too much for any opponent, the entire team has shot 55% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc, which is to say they’re not playing around.
No. 2 - Germany
Coming into into the tournament it’s quite likely that you wouldn’t have ranked Germany very high, but we’d like to believe that after watching the way they dismantled Australia - with Franz Wagner no less - you might have changed your mind. Ranked 11th in the world, the Germans are making their 7th appearance at the tournament, and by the looks of things they intend to stick around. That is of course before we touch on the Toronto Raptors’ Dennis Schroder, who clearly has intentions of throwing his name into the MVP conversation.
No. 1 - USA
What can we say about the stars and stripes? Winners in 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010, and 2014, they are and have been for quite some time the team to beat. Playing in their 19th edition of the FIBA World Cup and currently ranked No. 2 in the world, the Americans have enjoyed a business-like tournament so far. Courtesy of some rather interesting tweaks by head coach Steve Kerr and an incredible set of performances from Anthony Edwards, the team has been firing on all cylinders. Mention should also be made of Austin Reaves who continues to give fans something to cheer about. Truth be told, it would take a brave person to bet against Team U.S.A. reclaiming the title.