MUNICH (Germany) - The international windows have long proven a perfect chance for players to break out with their national teams who might not have had a chance otherwise. The upcoming window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers will see more such cases.

We highlight five players who should be expected to take the next step with their respective national team.

ROKAS JOKUBAITIS - Lithuania

POINT GUARD

Birth date: November 19, 2000 (21 years old)
Height: 193cm / 6'4"
Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)

Jokubaitis has already proven he can play at the highest level, taking a major step this past season with FC Barcelona in Spain. In his first season outside of his native Lithuania, the playmaker averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 assists in the Spanish league and 7.1 points and 2.6 assists in the EuroLeague, where he also converted a blistering hot 56.8 percent on three-pointers. Jokubaitis played nearly the entire season as a 21-year-old but he was tremendously assisted by having Saras Jasikevicius as his head coach. Now he will get the keys to the Lithuania offense to see how he can handle the Baltic attack.

KERR KRIISA - Estonia

POINT GUARD

Birth date: January 2, 2001 (21 years old)
Height: 188cm / 6'2"
Club: University of Arizona (USA)

Kriisa will be making his debut in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. The point guard did appear in two games in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers - in February 2020 and November 2020. Kriisa had a standout season with Arizona in the NCAA as he averaged 9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists, helping the team reach as high as No. 2 in the United States at the end of the regular season. Kriisa, whose father Valmo Kriisa played for Estonia for many years, has great leadership skills and a high basketball IQ and he can also hurt teams from the outside.

SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI - Georgia

 
POWER FORWARD / CENTER

Birth date: May 23, 1999 (23 years old)
Height: 211cm / 6'11"
Club: Milwaukee Bucks (USA)

Mamukelashvili returns to the senior Georgian national team for the first time since 2018 when he played in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, when he was just 18 years old. The 23-year-old averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 40 games in his NBA rookie season but he collected 20.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 blocks in the G League. The big man  stood out in the 2022 NBA Summer League, averaging 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 47.6 percent from long range. Mamukelashvili flashed his whole repertoire off inside and outside game on offense while showcasing his rim protection.

ISSUF SANON - Ukraine

GUARD

Birth date: October 30, 1999 (22 years old)
Height: 193cm / 6'4"
Club: Siauliai (Lithuania)

Sanon has played in four of Ukraine’s six European Qualifiers thus far and has averaged 5.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. But the 22-year-old has only averaged 17 minutes for Ukraine and struggled with his shooting, making just 32.0 percent of his shots from the field, including 18.2 percent from long range. Sanon played last season with BK Dnipro and averaged 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists before moving to Lithuanian side Siauliai. The athletic combo guard picked up 11.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in Lithuania and he will be hungry to take another step with the national team.

FRANZ WAGNER - Germany

FORWARD

Birth date: August 27, 2001 (20 years old)
Height: 206cm / 6'9"
Club: Orlando Magic (USA)

Franz will be the only Wagner brother at the European Qualifiers as older sibling and Orlando teammate Moe Wagner was injured and will miss FIBA EuroBasket 2022 as well. The younger Wagner surprised many in the NBA for just how strong his rookie season with the Magic was - where he served as a scoring force from the outside and inside. Wagner will be making his debut for the German senior national team and is expected to be a leader despite turning only 21 during the European Qualifiers. There is the added motivation for Wagner of also playing for his injured brother.

 FIBA