Group C
1. Kenneth Faried, F, United States
Maybe the most energetic big in this tournament, Faried has been one of team USA’s most consistent performers in the preliminary games. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has preferred to play small ball in past tournaments, but with the versatile guys like Melo, LeBron and KD sitting this one out, Faried can be a big X-factor. Looking for a big extension, a huge performance on the way to a gold medal could be a good way to put some extra bills in his pocket, and remind that while players are at risk to get injured every time they pick up a basketball, international tournaments can go a long way toward building professional success.
2. Pooh Jeter, G, Ukraine
Probably the most excited player to be in the World Cup, Jeter will lead a Ukrainian team that desperately needs to give its war-weary citizens (the ones who do not want to be annexed by Russia) something to cheer about these days. One of the most explosive scorers in the Chinese League, Jeter showed he can thrive in this type of setting last summer and should be among the top performers. One thing is certain, he will go all out to try to pull the unlikely upset against his native US squad, as will Ukraine coach Mike Fratello.
3. Petteri Koponen, F, Finland
One of the most exciting teams in last year’s Eurobasket – scoring upsets of Turkey, Russia, Greece and Slovenia – Finland is led by former Dallas Mavericks draft pick Petteri Koponen. A very scrappy team from a country that has an improving basketball pedigree, this pesky squad will definitely be bothersome against Team USA in the opener Saturday despite having little to no chance of winning.
4. Francisco Garcia, G-F, Dominican Republic
After recently agreeing to re-sign with the Houston Rockets, Garcia will be in charge of leading this team without the help of Al Horford, who will be sitting out after an injury-shortened season. Horford’s absence takes this team down a notch, but look for Garcia to remind people of how much of a leader he was in Louisville as he attempts to sneak past a weakened Turkish team to make the elimination round.
5. Cedi Osman, G, Turkey
Osman will be capping off an eventful summer in which he took the Gold Medal in the U20 European Championships, Now he has a chance to show NBA decision makers he is worthy of a lottery pick in next year’s draft. Getting matched up against Team USA in group play is possibly the best way to measure the 19-year old up to some of the top NBA players.
6. Kirk Penney, G, New Zealand
It is kind of bogus that New Zealand gets almost a free pass to play in this tournament over much stronger teams due to being in a region that basically only includes Australia. No disrespect to the Fiji Islands, but c’mon – hasn’t the time come for FIBA to eliminate the Oceania region? Nevertheless, Penney is always a major performer in international competition and always makes New Zealand a team worth watching.
Group D
1. Goran Dragic, G, Slovenia
Dragic is a prime example of a player who used international competitions as a means of propelling himself into a much larger role in the NBA. He should be one of the most exciting guards on one of the most exciting teams in this tournament. Teaming up with his younger brother Zoran, who at 25 has become one of the more reliable wings in the Euroleague with Unicaja Malaga, the Slovenians are a team that could come home from Spain with something shiny around their necks. They lost by 30 to Team USA in their final friendly, and Sheridan did not approve of their primary uniform color.
2. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Lithuania
With Mantas Kalnietis going down for the count with a dislocated collarbone since we looked at this team last week, the Lithuanians will be relying even more on Raptors center Valanciunas to lead this proud group. While a medal may be out of reach, look for Jonas to give Raptors fans a reason to be excited for the upcoming season as their young talent takes the next step.
3. Dante Exum, G, Australia
A year removed from playing basketball in an organized setting, this will be the first time for many NBA observers to see Exum play live. While still very raw and very far from his ceiling, the World Cup could be the casual basketball observer’s first introduction to a player who could be one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA over the next decade.
4. Paul Stoll, G, Mexico
While Gustavo Ayon is far and away the leader of the Mexican squad and the reason they advanced to Spain (he was MVP of the FIBA Americas tournament, which Mexico won), keep an eye on Paul Stoll to be a sneaky contributor. He is ready and willing to jack up shots once passing half court, and has some games when he makes multiple ridiculously deep threes. Look for Stoll, who grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, to be one of the best players a typical American fan has never heard of in this tournament.
5. Jong-hyun Lee, C, South Korea
The top young prospect in Korea, the 20-year-old center will have a chance to show European teams that he may have potential as a future import candidate. He likely is destined for a career as a top local player in the KBL, a league with solid money and a dedicated following, But there is no question that playing on this stage will be a great opportunity for this young man to showcase himself.
6. Yannick Moreira, C, Angola
Angola always finds a way into these tournaments, and always finds a way to be competitive in a handful of games. Yannick Moreira, a center who just finished his freshman year under Larry Brown at SMU will be getting an invaluable experience. Yannick better get some of the mistakes out of his system now, because he is about to experience another year of a daily reminder to “play the right way.”
AJ Mitnick is an American living in Israel and working as an assistant coach in the Israeli Basketball Super League. A graduate of IDC Herzliya, Mitnick is an assistant coach with Bnei Herzliya, following three seasons with Maccabi Rishon-Lezion . Follow him on Twitter.
merci fanny pour ce post!!j’adore!
Did you day the same about New Zealand in 2002? Bum.