2023 World Cup: Top 23 players in the tournament

Dillon Brooks is fresh from signing a four-year, $86 million contract with the Rockets in the offseason – a better deal than most expected… especially after his trash-talk and subsequent flameout in the playoffs against LeBron James and the Lakers. It will be interesting to see his approach with a Canadian National Team that could potentially go all the way. Will he be a tough 3-and-D player or an inefficient shot-chucker? (We’ve seen both).

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Simone Fontecchio made the jump to the NBA last season after playing spectacular basketball in the 2022 Eurobasket. He appeared in 52 games for the Utah Jazz last year but did not play all that well, averaging 6.3 points per game on poor 36.9 percent shooting from the field.

Under Gianmarco Pozzecco‘s high-octane offesne, however, Fontecchio seems to become a different player.

FIBA accolades: One Italian Cup

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Rarely do high-quality NBA players show as much commitment to a small country’s National Team program as Nikola Vucevic does with Montenegro (population 619,211). Montenegro was the smallest country to qualify for the FIBA World Cup until Cape Verde made the cut this year.

Vucevic has been one of the most solid centers in the Association for many years now but continues to show dedication to his National Team, even at 32. Vuc is under contract with the Chicago Bulls until the 2026 offseason after signing a $60 million contract extension this summer.

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FIBA Patrick Mills is a different player than NBA Patrick Mills. The 35-year-old veteran may have struggled in Australia’s prep games this summer, but once the actual tournament begins, we trust he will look like his old FIBA self.

Over the years, he’s proved that he plays outstanding basketball with the Australian National Team, leading his team to a bronze medal in the Olympics. It’ll be interesting to see how he ends up playing this summer, given the fact that he’s on a relatively stacked team and will not have the ball – as much – in his hands.

FIBA accolades: One Olympic bronze medal, four FIBA Oceania titles

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Spain’s head coach Sergio Scariolo kind of threw HoopsHype under the bus last year for not listing any Spaniard among the top players of the Eurobasket before the tournament began. Well, Spain ended up winning the championship with Willy Hernangomez as the MVP (whoops!). Hernangomez, now a Barça player after a seven-year run in the NBA, should be the offensive leader of the team alongside brother Juancho of ‘Hustle’ fame.

FIBA accolades: One World Cup title, two Eurobasket titles, one Olympic bronze medal, one Eurobasket MVP award, two Spanish League titles

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Another NBA veteran who doesn’t take summers off is Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas, this time will have to be without Domantas Sabonis in the Lithuanian National Team. What could have been a devastating pairing at the 2022 Eurobasket was an awkward fit and a disappointment for the Lithuanians. Valanciunas will be the centerpiece for Lithuania, who hasn’t won a medal since Eurobasket 2015.

FIBA accolades: Two Eurobasket silver medals

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Jordan Clarkson will be among the most exciting players in the FIBA World Cup. Clarkson will be playing in front of the Filippino crowd in a sold-out arena night in and night out. And if he goes off as he usually does when coming off the bench in the NBA, the Philippines might have a puncher’s chance in the tournament. A must-watch game for viewers is opening night when Jordan Clarkson’s Philippines takes on Karl-Anthony Towns‘ Dominican Republic.

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Dennis Schroeder loves to play the villain role, especially in FIBA tournaments. He talks a lot of trash on the court but sometimes overdoes it. That said, there’s no denying he walks the talk when he wears Germany’s jersey. Schroeder averaged 22.1 points and 7.1 assists per game in last year’s Eurobasket, leading his National Team to the semifinals after beating Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Greece in the quarterfinals. Along with Franz Wagner, he is expected to lead Germany to yet another deep run in a FIBA competition, this time in the World Cup.

FIBA accolades: One Eurobasket bronze medal

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Tyrese Haliburton will probably come off the bench for Team USA in the World Cup but don’t be surprised if you see him on the floor when the games are on the line. Haliburton could even lead the Americans in assists, as he brings his playmaking skills to the table for coach Steve Kerr. On the defensive side of the court, his length and quick hands could be essential for USA’s potential successful golden run.

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With Nikola Jokic sitting out the tournament, Bogdan Bogdanovic will be the go-to guy for the Serbian National Team this World Cup. A 14-point-per-game scorer in the NBA, Bogdanovic could easily average 20-plus points in the upcoming tournament for a team that has fallen short of expectations too often recently. The pressure will be on him to deliver, and expect him to have the ball when it matters most during crunch time.

FIBA accolades: One Olympic silver medal, one World Cup silver medal, one Eurobasket silver medal, one Euroleague title, World Cup top scorer, World Cup All-Tournament Team

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RJ Barrett is considered one of the top young wing players in the NBA. At 23, Barrett is not just playing for his country but also upholding a family legacy. His father, Rowan Barrett, who is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Canada Basketball, devoted many summers to the National Team while other Canadian stars stepped back from FIBA competitions. RJ is now carrying that tradition with pride, ready for a deep tournament run and potentially a medal.

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Rudy Gobert has an impressive collection of five medals representing France. Yet, the coveted gold medal has eluded him. He came painfully close with two silver medals – one from a loss to Team USA in the 2020 Olympics and another in a shocker against underdog Spain in last year’s Eurobasket. If France is to break the curse and win gold, Gobert will have to be the best center in the tournament (or close). For now, we ranked him at No. 12 overall.

FIBA accolades: One Olympic silver medal, two World Cup bronze medals,, one Eurobasket silver medal, one Eurobasket bronze medal

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Brandon Ingram was penciled into the stretch four role Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony played with Team USA in the past, but he didn’t look so great in preparation games. Still, he’s too talented not to have an important role on this team. After all, we’re talking about a guy who averaged 25 points per game in the NBA last season.

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Franz Wagner is slowly becoming one of the best European basketball players at just 21. After having a great Eurobasket last year with Germany, Wagner followed it up with impressive performances during his second year in the NBA, boosting his scoring average to 18 points per game. His play this World Cup could ultimately decide how far Germany goes in the tournament.

FIBA accolades: One Eurobasket bronze medal

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Josh Giddey is likely the favorite to clinch the Best Young Player award in the upcoming World Cup. With his wizardry on the ball and exceptional size for his position, he’s definitely a player to watch. Giddey can score near the basket, rebound on both ends, and elevate the play of those around him. It’ll be intriguing to see how he meshes with Australia’s top scorer, Patrick Mills

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After being traded mid-season to the Nets, Mikal Bridges showed off his arsenal in Brooklyn, averaging 26 points per game. His offensive repertoire and length on defense are special, giving Team USA plenty of options in tight games. The only question is whether he’ll be able to follow up his late-season run with a strong performance in the World Cup on a team with other NBA stars.

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Jaren Jackson Jr. is a vital piece for Team USA. On a team perhaps lacking in size, the Defensive Player of the Year brings in what Steve Kerr was looking for. If he was eating players alive defensively in the NBA, imagine what terror he could inflict on FIBA ball. In Team USA’s final prep game for the World Cup against Germany, he recorded six blocks. Don’t be surprised if he leads the tournament in that department.

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Karl-Anthony Towns returns to his National Team… after ten years. The Dominican Republic, having secured their ticket to the FIBA World Cup with an upset win over Argentina in February, is now set to showcase their talent on the world stage. As KAT steps in, motivated to honor his late mother, all eyes will be on him to see how far he can lead his team. The Dominican Republic currently stands at No. 10 in FIBA’s latest power rankings.

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Lauri Markkanen’s had a standout performance in last year’s Eurobasket, leading Finland to the quarterfinals. Though they were defeated by the eventual champions, Spain, Markkanen shone, averaging 27.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Ultimately, that carried on in Utah, where Markkanen had his best year yet, making the All-Star team.

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Jalen Brunson was spectacular in his first season with the New York Knicks. After signing that deal with New York, Brunson became one of the most improved players in the Association. A player who can do it all effortlessly on the offensive end of the floor, he should adjust seamlessly to FIBA ball based on his traits as a player.

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With Jamal Murray deciding not to participate in the FIBA World Cup, it is clearly Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team now. And although Murray skipping the tournament could look bad on paper for Canada, it may end up being a blessing since there’s little chance of falling into the my turn/your turn trap. Could Canada potentially challenge Team USA for the gold?

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Anthony Edwards got next. It’s as clear as day. He seems motivated to be the team leader, has looked superb in the prep games, and the hype surrounding him is strong. Head coach Steve Kerr even claimed Edwards is “unquestionably the guy.” Many former NBA players and coaches have recently praised the 22-year-old phenom, with Kendrick Perkins stating he’ll be the face of the NBA and Erick Spoelstra saying his game is similar to Dwayne Wade’s game. Overall, he looks ready to take that next big step in his career.

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We all can agree that Luka Doncic deservingly tops this list. It’s a given that Luka will put up monster numbers with Slovenia (averaged 26/8/6 in last year’s Eurobasket). Not clear to what extent that will translate into wins, especially with Vlatko Cancar (maybe the team’s second-best player) sidelined due to a torn ACL that he suffered against Greece during a prep game this summer. If Slovenia is to make a deep run (and they’ve never made it past the quarterfinals), Doncic will have to play like an MVP.

FIBA accolades: One Eurobasket gold medal, one Euroleague title, one Euroleague MVP award, one Euroleague Final Four MVP award