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31 August, 2019
15 September
Group F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece favorites among the Nanjing four
28/08/2019
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Group F: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece frontrunners among the Nanjing four

NANJING (China) - Having the best player in the world and a host of veterans makes Greece an attractive pick to fight for the top spots at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China, yet danger lurks at every turn in the First Round for the European giants.

Both Brazil and New Zealand made it to knockout round five years ago in Spain, with the latter having advanced to the knockout stage at every World Cup since 2002.  Each of those teams have several veterans from previous campaigns on board while Montenegro, led by inspirational captain Bojan Dubljevic and NBA star Nikola Vucevic, are sure to pack a mean punch in their first-ever World Cup appearance on the evidence of their performances in the European Qualifiers.

Team to Beat: Greece

This is a no-brainer, and not just because the NBA's Most Valuable Player this past season, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is in the lineup and preparing for his second World Cup. Slick-passing, intelligent floor general Nick Calathes, power forward Georgios Printezis, center Ioannis Bourousis and forward Kostas Papanikolaou are as experienced as they come. Getting the best out of every player while maintaining chemistry is a strength of coach Thanasis Skourtopoulos. The last time the event was staged in the Far East, Greece upset the USA in the 2006 Semi-Finals, 101-95. After Round of 16 defeats in their last couple of World Cups, Greece are long overdue for a deep run in the tournament and their friendly game performances strongly suggest this will happen.

FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE

WORLD
RANK
COUNTRY ZONE
RANK
IOC CURRENT POINTS
8. GREGreece 6. GRE 602.2
12. BRABrazil 3. BRA 510.4
28. MNEMontenegro 18. MNE 325.1
38. NZLNew Zealand 6. NZL 267.3

Key Matchup: Greece v Brazil

This is a game Brazil's veterans like Marcelo Huertas, Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa will be particularly looking forward to. Having a lot of tournaments under their belts is a strength, while the fresh impetus that youngsters Bruno Caboclo, Didi Louzada and Cristiano Felicio bring should be a shot in the arm for a Brazil team led by Aco Petrovic, a coach supremely confident in his own abilities and for good reason. He impressively led Croatia to the 2016 Olympics and then to the Quarter-Finals. It'll be fascinating to watch Calathes and Huertas square off, and to see Varejao battle Bourousis. Vitor Benite's three-point shot is a threat for Brazil, though it's going to take a collective effort to stop Antetokounmpo.

Click here for the full schedule of Group F.

Star: Giannis Antetokounmpo


The Greek Freak has improved every year of his professional career, so much so that in the 2018-19 season the Milwaukee Bucks superstar was named as the best player in the NBA. His combination of size, length and athleticism makes him hard to stop. Offensively he gets to the rim and thrives in transition. Defensively he swats shots and guards any player at any time. Greece have not fully capitalized on this amazing talent yet, but it seems inevitable that Antetokounmpo will lead the national team to the podium and it could just be this year, even with opponents doing all they can to neutralize his impact. Of all his skills that will come in handy, Antetokounmpo's passing should come to the fore because when there are double- and triple-teams, other Greek players will be open. 

Top Prospect: Bruno Caboclo

The 23-year-old featured at the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 but was absent for all of Brazil's Americas Qualifiers games. The 2.05m (6ft 9in) small forward took very big steps in his career earlier this year, impressing the Memphis Grizzlies during a couple of 10-day  contracts that he received a multi-year deal with the club. With Brazil crying out for an infusion of youth in the the national team, now is the time for the small forward to assert himself.  He can hit the three-pointer, can put the ball on the deck and finish at the rim and his long arms help him on defense. 

Familiar Faces: Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa and Alex Garcia

This triumvirate has played for Brazil at every World Cup since 2002 in Indianapolis. That is a lot of experience, therefore, for a national team that's looking to make waves in the 32-team tournament in China. The trio has came within a whisker of causing the biggest upset of the World Cup in 2010, playing in the 70-68 defeat to eventual champions USA. Varejao has led Brazil in rebounding before while the Brazlian blur, Barbosa, has been a leading scorer. Garcia has been a menace on defense. All in all, it has been an impressive run for the three and their fourth World Cup go-around could also be special.

FIBA