FIBA World Cup 2023 Power Rankings: a new contender in the mix / News - Basketnews.com

With FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 starting shortly, BasketNews presents FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Power Rankings, with the contribution of 21 staff members.

Credit: Federación Española de Baloncesto, BNS, Zuma Press – Scanpix | BasketNews Illustration Credit Federación Española de Baloncesto, BNS, Zuma Press – Scanpix | BasketNews Illustration

With FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 starting in just a few days, BasketNews presents the upcoming tournament's Power Rankings.

21 BasketNews staff members contributed to FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Power Rankings.

Respondents had to line up all FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 teams from 32nd to 1st place. The first place got 32 points, the second – 31, the third – 30, and so on.

All teams in BasketNews FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023Power Rankings were lined after summing up all the points they did receive.

32. Lebanon

Points: 70 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 22nd/32nd Biggest star: Wael Arakji

Lebanon returns to FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time since 2010. Unfortunately for Lebanon, it was placed in the Group of Death and will face teams like Canada, Latvia, and France.

However, Lebanon is coming off a successful FIBA Asian Cup tournament, in which they won the silver medals losing to Australia in the final.

Despite the loss, Wael Arakji was named the MVP of the tournament after averaging 26.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 24.4 EFF per game.

31. Jordan

Points: 78 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 23rd/32nd Biggest star: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

For the first time in the country's history, Jordan qualified for the second FIBA Basketball World Cup in a row. In the 2019 edition, Jordan managed to get one victory against Senegal.

It will be difficult to match this result this year, knowing that Jordan will compete against Team USA, Greece, and New Zealand.

However, Jordan will have the former NBA player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who will be the biggest hope for the country and its fans.

30. Iran

Points: 105 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 24th/32nd Biggest star: Hamed Haddadi

Even though Iran has a respectable 22nd place in the FIBA Ranking, it's difficult to expect huge success from the Asian powerhouse.

It will be Iran's fourth World Cup in a row (and overall), and the biggest success was in 2010 when Iran finished in 19th place. On top of that, for the first time since 2011, Iran didn't finish in the Top 3 in FIBA Asia Cup, taking 5th place in 2022.

The Iranian legend Hamed Haddadi, 38, will suit up for the national team once again. In the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, he averaged 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 16.7 EFF per game.

Hamed HaddadiCredit FIBA

29. Egypt

Points: 112 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 24th/32nd Biggest star: Assem Marei

Egypt returns to FIBA Basketball World Cup after missing the 2019 edition. In 2014, Egypt left the competition without a single victory, and it's not going to be any easier to improve this time.

Egypt will face Lithuania, Montenegro, and Mexico, so even at least one victory could be seen as a success for the Egyptians.

It's been a while since the last victory for Egypt. The last medal came in 2013 when Egypt won the silver medals in the 2013 AfroBasket.

28. Ivory Coast

Points: 123 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 19th/32nd Biggest star: Solo Diabate

Ivory Coast had a promising extended roster with names like Mo Bamba, Matthew Costello, and Alex Poythress. However, none of them will compete in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Knowing that Ivory Coast will compete in Group G with Spain, Brazil, and Iran, it seems that The Elephants will compete for a single victory with the Iranians.

27. South Sudan

Points: 138 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 17th/32nd Biggest star: Wenyen Gabriel

South Sudan is ready for its debut in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. South Sudan was the most dominant team in the World Cup African Qualifiers, winning 11 games out of 12 in the Second Round.

The former Los Angeles Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel leads the squad and is joined by former NBA guard Maryal Shayok.

Meanwhile, the head coach Royal Ivey also has NBA experience. He's currently an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets.

South Sudan will play in Group B against China, Puerto Rico, and Serbia, aiming for a historic win.

26. Angola

Points: 158 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 17th/32nd Biggest star: Bruno Fernando

Angola has long become regulars at the World Cup, as it will be its 6th appearance in a row but has struggled to make it out of the First Round.

Things won't be any easier this time with a strong Italy team and a tough Dominican Republic side, not to mention the hosts, the Philippines, with massive crowd support.

Another major factor is the Africans losing so many veteran leaders from past World Cups and Olympics.

Five players aged 33 or older played for Angola at the last World Cup and ended up playing a combined 77 games in the tournament over their careers. How will that experience be replaced?

25. Venezuela

Points: 158 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 17th/32nd Biggest star: Michael Carrera

Venezuela qualified for the second FIBA Basketball World Cup in a row, sensationally leaving Argentina behind.

Michael Carrera led the way, averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 12.8 EFF per game.

During the competition, Venezuela will face Slovenia, Cape Verde, and Georgia in Group E.

24. Japan

Points: 198 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 17th/29th Biggest star: Yuta Watanabe

Japan becomes the first host nation to make the BasketNews Power Rankings.

After suffering a blow with Rui Hachimura's decision not to participate in the World Cup, Japan saw a dent in their hopes of reaching the Second Round, especially when the Japanese will face Germany, Finland, and Australia in the First Round.

Nevertheless, Japan still has Yuta Watanabe and the fans' support. So, there's no doubt that the Asian powerhouse will do everything in its power to make some upsets.

23. Cape Verde

Points: 198 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 18th/31st Biggest star: Walter Tavares

Another debutant that will eye a direct ticket for the 2024 Paris Olympics. With a population of 561,901, Cape Verde is the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup.

Edy Tavares has already done an enormous job helping Cape Verde to qualify for the upcoming World Cup.

Real Madrid star averaged 15.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game before their World Cup qualification-clinching win.

Cape Verde also technically has the easiest path to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Being one of the five African nations, Cape Verde will have to overtake Ivory Coast, Angola, South Sudan, and Egypt.

Looking at Group F, which has Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, and Venezuela, reaching the Second Round doesn't sound easy, but it's not impossible when you have Tavares.

22. Philippines

Points: 215 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 13th/30th Biggest star: Jordan Clarkson

The hype in the Philippines is real as its national team will play in the third World Cup in a row and has the Utah Jazz sharpshooter Jordan Clarkson at its disposal.

However, the Philippines won't have time to ease in, as their first game will be a crucial matchup against the Dominican Republic.

Fortunately for the Philippines, the opening game will take place in the Philippine Arena. The expectation is that the current 32,616-fan single-game World Cup attendance record will be broken.

So far, 28 thousand tickets have been sold, but the Philippine Arena could host 46 thousand fans.

There's no doubt about the Philippines game off the court, but the team will also have to prove its worth on the court.

21. New Zealand

Points: 231 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 18th/30th Biggest star: Shea Ili

New Zealand comfortably qualified for the World Cup, taking first place in the Qualifiers. Yet, it seems inevitable that New Zealand will fall against Team USA and Greece, leaving the Kiwis without the Second Round.

The Webster brothers left the team due to personal reasons, but head coach Pero Cameron believes it's the best group.

"We've chosen our squad of 14 based on many different reasons and merits, and we feel this is the best group going forward," Cameron said. "It's been tough for sure, but from the start, we knew a couple [of players] wouldn't make the final cut, it is what it is, and everyone here knows how it works."

20. China

Points: 240 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 15th/31st Biggest star: Kyle Anderson

Kyle Anderson became the story of China's summer so far. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward accepted China's invitation to represent the country in the upcoming World Cup and will be the biggest hope.

Zhou Qi will be another key member for China as it will try to battle Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico in Group B.

Finally, China made another big decision in December when Sasa Djordjevic was hired as the national team's head coach. Since then, the Serbian tactician has led China to two wins in FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Kyle AndersonCredit Sarah Stier/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

19. Mexico

Points: 252 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 13th/28th Biggest star: Francisco Cruz

Most of Mexico's roster is compelled by the players competing in the local Mexican League, with few exceptions, including Francisco Cruz, Gael Bonilla, Moises Andriassi, and Orlando Mendez.

Mexico makes a return to World Cup after missing the 2019 edition, but it will be only its second appearance since 1974.

The Mexicans will face Lithuania and Montenegro in Group D, so seeing them going past the First Round is difficult. In 2014, Mexico left China with a 2-5 record, finishing in 14th place.

18. Puerto Rico

Points: 275 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 12th/26th Biggest star: John Holland

Puerto Rico suffered a big blow to their hopes after it was announced that Jose Alvarado would have to miss the upcoming World Cup.

Puerto Rico definitely intends on reaching the second group stage, but those chances would take a major hit if they lose the opener to up-and-coming South Sudan.

17. Georgia

Points: 354 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 13th/21st Biggest star: Tornike Shengelia

The first European nation on the BasketNews Power Rankings. In contrast to last year's EuroBasket, Georgia will have Tornike Shengelia. On top of that, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze will also be present, meaning Georgia has the strongest possible roster.

Reaching the Second Round must be the minimum requirement for this squad.

"There are many things and situations that you can use, and the coaching staff is going to do a great job," Shengelia told BasketNews in July. "We, the players, also need to understand our strengths and how to use them."

"As a leader, it's very important for me to empower the players, find out their strengths, and put them in the right positions to reach their full potential. We still have almost a month to go, so I think we're going to figure it out. I'm very optimistic, to be honest," he added.

Tornike ShengeliaCredit FIBA

16. Latvia

Points: 354 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 13th/21st Biggest star: Davis Bertans

We have reached halfway at our FIBA Basketball World Cup Power Rankings. We have Latvia, which is set to make its debut, but unfortunately, the team's star, Kristaps Porzingis, won't be present.

In a group where you have France and Canada, it almost sounds like a death warrant. The Latvians still have Davis Bertans and Rolands Smits, who's coming off a solid season in the EuroLeague with Zalgiris. Still, it seems that such resources won't be enough to overcome the other two powerhouses in Group H.

15. Montenegro

Points: 384 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 13th/19th Biggest star: Nikola Vucevic

After making its debut in 2019, Montenegro returns for the second World Cup in a row.

Montenegro did well last year during EuroBasket 2022, qualifying for the Round of 16 and giving a good fight against Germany (lost 79-85).

Moreover, Montenegro welcomed back its star Nikola Vucevic, who will make a more than solid frontcourt alongside Bojan Dubljevic and Marko Simonovic.

Montenegro also got fortunate with the draw, so it will be a surprise not to see the Montenegrins in the Second Round.

14. Dominican Republic

Points: 419 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 8th/18th Biggest star: Karl-Anthony Towns

Dominican Republic had Chris Duarte, Al Horford, and Karl-Anthony Towns on their extended roster for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup. However, only the latter remained.

Nevertheless, the Dominicans could still make some noise and even make the Top 8. How's that? Well, their path to the quarterfinal stage is fortunate, to say the least.

The Dominican Republic will face Angola, the Philippines, and Italy in Group A. Getting out of this group is certainly doable. If the Dominicans reach the Second Round, they will meet with Serbia, South Sudan, China, or Puerto Rico.

Again, when you have a player of Karl-Anthony Towns caliber, we might be in for a surprise.

13. Brazil

Points: 435 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 10th/20th Biggest star: Marcelinho Huertas

Brazil continues its tradition and is yet to miss the World Cup. In 2019, Brazil advanced to the second round with victories over Greece, Montenegro, and New Zealand and then fell to the USA and the Czech Republic.

Inevitably, it looks like it might be a familiar case this year. Getting out of Group G with Spain, Iran, and Ivory Coast is certainly doable, but Brazil would likely face Canada and France.

Regardless, Brazil has an interesting and competitive team with Marcelinho Huertas, who participated in every World Cup since 2006. Other players that made the roster and have World Cup and Olympic experience are NBA-experienced guard Raul Neto, sharpshooter Vitor Benite, and Bruno Caboclo.

12. Finland

Points: 444 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 6th/18th Biggest star: Lauri Markkanen

Lauri Markkanen and Finland will have a hell of a task in the World Cup, but at the same time, Markkanen is a hell of a player.

Unfortunately for the Finns, they got dragged into a group of death with Germany, Australia, and Japan. Making out of it alive will be quite a challenge, but Finland has the personnel to cause some stir.

11. Italy

Points: 505 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 6th/14th Biggest star: Simone Fontecchio

Thanks to a strong mix of veterans and young top talent, Italy goes into the World Cup as the Group A favorites.

Luigi Datome, Nicolo Melli, Achille Polonara, Giampaolo Ricci, and Stefano Tonut have played together for many years and have been joined by Simone Fontecchio and Marco Spissu, who have become real leaders.

The veteran leadership will make the Italians the team to beat.

Gabriele Procida and Matteo Spagnolo, meanwhile, look poised to become the future backbone of the national team.

On top of that, Italy won all of its seven friendly games, including victories against Serbia, Greece, Turkey, and Brazil.

Simone FontecchioCredit FIBA

10. Lithuania

Points: 516 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 7th/13th Biggest star: Jonas Valanciunas

We begin our Power Rankings Top 10 with Lithuania. The Lithuanians will be missing a bunch of key players, including Domantas Sabonis, Edgaras Ulanovas, Arnas Butkevicius, and others.

After being placed in a rather fortunate group, the biggest question mark is whether Lithuania can go past the Second Round. It is expected that the Lithuanians will face Team USA and Greece.

During the friendly games, Lithuania faced some struggles, suffering defeats against Finland and France (twice) and winning against Georgia thanks to Tomas Dimsa's game-winner.

Jonas Valanciunas will need to show his best game to make Lithuania stay in the Philippines as long as possible.

9. Slovenia

Points: 528 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 4th/31st Biggest star: Luka Doncic

As you can see, there were some different opinions regarding Slovenia in this World Cup. One of the respondents put the Slovenians in 31st place.

While we get it that Vlatko Cancar will miss the World Cup, 31st place for a team with Luka Doncic seems harsh.

Regardless, the biggest question is whether Slovenia's role players will deliver. Luka Doncic will do Luka Doncic things, but as we've seen in the NBA, usually, it's not enough.

Mike Tobey, Klemen Prepelic, Jaka Blazic, and Zoran Dragic will need to be in their peak form so that Slovenia would make a deep run.

Interestingly, if there are no surprises, Slovenia will face Germany and Australia in the Second Round, meaning that only two out of those three teams will reach the quarterfinals.

8. Greece

Points: 558 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 4th/12th Biggest star: Thomas Walkup

Greece won't have Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the expectations for the Greeks changed dramatically. Still, Greece still has a solid core of players.

It includes naturalized point guard Thomas Walkup, Kostas Papanikolaou, Georgios Papagiannis, Dinos Mitoglou, and Ioannis Papapetrou.

Greece began on a high note during its preparation games, beating Slovenia twice. However, it was followed by four losses against Serbia, Italy, Team USA, and Germany.

Nevertheless, there's no shame in losing against such teams, let alone in friendlies. So, it's still early to write Greece off.

7. Spain

Points: 561 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 4th/11th Biggest star: Willy Hernangomez

It might sound surreal, but Spain will have only one NBA player in this year's World Cup. Regardless, Spain earned their respect in the last two international tournaments, winning both World Cup and EuroBasket.

Sergio Scariolo will still have such veterans as Sergio Llull, Rudy Fernandez, and Victor Claver at his disposal. Their experience alone on a club and international level raises no questions.

On top of that, the Hernangomez brothers are also present, which played a vital role in the EuroBasket triumph.

Will it be enough to beat Spain and France? We won't be making this mistake again, so let's just say that time will tell.

SpainCredit FIBA

6. Serbia

Points: 585 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 2nd/14th Biggest star: Bogdan Bogdanovic

There won't be Nikola Jokic, but Serbia still has Bogdan Bogdanovic along with Nikola Jovic, Nikola Milutinov, and Vanja Marinkovic, among others.

Serbia is the clear favorite going into Group B, but seeing how Svetislav Pesic's squad will cope during the playoffs will be interesting. Still, it's not crazy to think that Serbia could at least reach the semifinal.

5. Germany

Points: 617 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 2nd/10th Biggest star: Dennis Schroder

We enter our Power Rankings Top 5 with Germany. Coming off a stellar performance in EuroBasket 2022, the Germans are poised for success, especially when Daniel Theis joined the already strong roster.

Dennis Schroder, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, and Theis will lead the charge, with Maodo Lo, Johannes Voigtmann, and Andreas Obst being more than solid role players.

We have already seen the fast-paced basketball Germany showed during the EuroBasket, and looking at their friendlies this summer, it seems that these guys didn't forget a single thing.

Germans beat Canada once and, in another matchup, took it to overtime. It was followed by a victory against Greece, making Team USA sweat in the latest preparation game (91-99 loss).

4. Australia

Points: 626 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 3rd/7th Biggest star: Josh Giddey

Knowing the Aussies' success in recent years and the caliber of players they have, there's no surprise to see Australia so high.

However, the loss of Jock Landale might be a big one since it was a huge blow for Australia's frontcourt. Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes successfully covered the paint for years, but Landale's absence leaves a hole that won't be easy to hide.

Nevertheless, the talented backcourt of Patty Mills, Josh Giddey, and Dante Exum gives plenty of hope for the Boomers. Also, there's no doubt that the physicality of Josh Green, Nick Kay, and Matisse Thybulle will bring an extra burst of energy.

Australia made a statement by beating France in a friendly game, but most of our respondents think that the Aussies will leave the Philippines without a medal, as 5th place was the most popular choice.

3. Canada

Points: 652 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 2nd/9th Biggest star: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It looks like it's finally time for Canada to show what it's really worth. After numerous unsuccessful summers trying to bring in the best players, Canada finally has one of the strongest squads possible.

Even then, there were plenty of up-and-downs for Canada this summer. At first, head coach Nick Nurse left the team after getting a job with the Philadelphia 76ers and was replaced by Jordi Fernandez, and then, Jamal Murray was kept out of the World Cup for his own best.

Yet, Canada still looks very strong on paper and is among the favorites to win it all. Of course, this Canadian team isn't gelled as well as Australia, Germany, or any other nation that has relied on a familiar core for many years.

And this is probably the biggest question mark surrounding Canada -- whether the team mesh at the right time?

Friendly games indicate that there's still some work to do:

81-86 loss vs. Germany 107-76 win vs. New Zealand 113-112 OT win vs. Germany 85-80 win vs. Spain 88-94 loss vs. Dominican Republic

Nevertheless, most BasketNews respondents believe Canada will not leave the Philippines empty-handed, as 3rd place was the most popular choice.

2. France

Points: 672 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 1st/5th Biggest star: Rudy Gobert

We'll still need to wait for Victor Wembanyama's appearance on the biggest international stage, but that's probably the most significant and only France loss in this World Cup.

Even without Wembanyama, Vincent Collet will be able to deploy a star-studded frontcourt that includes Rudy Gobert, Guerschon Yabusele, Mathias Lessort, and Moustapha Fall.

In the backcourt, you have Evan Fournier, Nando de Colo, and Elie Okobo, so it's not difficult to understand why some staff members predict the gold medals for France.

During the preparation games, France also looked very convincing, suffering the only loss against Australia.

1. USA

Points: 698 Highest/lowest place received in Power Rankings: 1st/3rd Biggest star: Anthony Edwards

No surprises here, as Team USA takes first place in BasketNews FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Power Rankings, collecting 17 first-place votes.

Compared to the 2019 fiasco, Team USA built a roster without undisputed superstars but with young, hungry, upcoming, and highly talented players.

Anthony Edwards is one of those guys and has been one of the best USA players during the preparation games.

"He's unquestionably the guy," Team USA coach Steve Kerr said about Edwards. "You can see he knows it. But now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it. He genuinely believes he's the best player in the gym every single night. And he's such a dynamic young player. I think he's taking a leap."

The whole roster looks well-balanced and well-suited for FIBA basketball, so like in every tournament, Team USA will have to prove their favorite status!

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