Asian Qualifiers Power Rankings: One last ride

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - We're in the end game now.

After five windows of intense competition that have seen teams celebrate qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and heartbroken from being eliminated from contention, we are now down to the final two games for each of the teams.

There are only two World Cup spots left up for grabs among four teams, but that doesn't mean the other teams don't have anything to play for. In the end, these games will have an effect on the World Rankings which can affect future seedings as well as opportunities in events like the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

With that said, here's an outlook of how the teams are shaping up before we head into this final and sixth window.

Team		Movement
12	India might already be out of the running, but how they finish will matter a lot. There's no doubt that they would not want to end up as the only winless team in the Second Round of the Qualifiers and maybe they can catch one of their opponents off guard.	-
11	Kazakhstan are one of the teams still in the running for a World Cup qualification spot, but they aren't in the best form. They've lost five consecutive games since their win over Iran in Astana, making them the only team other than India that have now claimed a win in the Second Round of the Asian Qualifiers. There doesn't seem to be any major changes in the lineup yet, so it seems like the Steppen Wolves are hoping for something to click to keep their World Cup hopes alive.	-
10	Bahrain can not qualify for the World Cup, but they have really put on a fight in their last four games. They can still try to go out with a bang with their last two games playing away from Bahrain, but the main focus right now is probably looking forward to their future with bright young talents like Mustafa Rashed and Muzamil Hamoda leading the way.	⬇️1️⃣
9	Saudi Arabia get a big boost in Window 6 with Mohamed Alsuwailem (who has been tearing it up in WASL Gulf), but the task at hand is still a tough one. Not only will they have to be perfect on their end, but they also need to hope Jordan slips up as well. From what we've seen in the past 10 games from Saudi Arabia, it's safe to think they will leave it all out on the court till the end.	⬆️1️⃣
8	To be fair, the Tall Blacks were already qualified for the World Cup before Window 5 where they suffered two losses to two good teams in Lebanon and Jordan. But two losses are still two losses. They have a favorable game in the final window at home, so let's see if they confirm some star power for this last stand for a strong finish.	⬇️5️⃣
7	It seems like coach Tom Hovasse will still be tinkering around with his rotation down to the final window, considering some of the new names and young talents he has in the training camp roster in preparation for the last two games.	-
6	The Golden Falcons are currently deep in preparations in Tunisia and are expected to parade a lineup they fans have become accustomed to seeing. Jordan got a big win over New Zealand in Window 5, setting up an optimistic situation for themselves in the last two games. All they need is a win and it would be best to get right in the very first game against India.	⬆️2️⃣
5	There shouldn't be any surprises in Iran's final push for a World Cup spot, though missing out on utilizing Hamed Haddadi due to an injury does hurt a bit. Nonetheless, the duo of Behnam Yakhchali and Mohammad Jashidi should be more than enough to provide Iran with enough firepower. Sajjad Parofteh has been playing well in WASL West Asia and could step up as well as Sajjad Mashayekhi. Iran will be solid, which is what you can always expect from Iran.	⬆️1️⃣
4	Australia have been cruising along easily enough that they can afford to be knocked down a few spots as a result of their previous window.	⬇️3️⃣
3	Two big home games are in store for Gilas as they wait to go up against Lebanon and Jordan, which is why they are expected to prepare a strong squad for this final window. The expectation is that Justin Brownlee will make his debut and Dwight Ramos will be back once again, so the Philippines will be looking to make a final statement to end the qualifiers on a high note on their home court before the games return to Manila later in the year.	⬆️2️⃣
2	2022 was a big year for the Cedars and they are most likely hoping that 2023 will be even bigger. They can kick things off as they go up against the Philippines and New Zealand in away games. Lebanon have been clicking along nicely and there doesn't seem to be a reason to doubt why they can't keep that going.	-
1	China are quietly on an impressive run in the Qualifiers as their five-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the Asian Qualifiers. They're heading into a new era with newly appointed head coach Sasha Djordjevic who is focused on bringing up new talents as well... so it's certainly exciting times in the national team camp.	⬆️3️⃣

*The power rankings are entirely subjective based on recent events/results/announcements and is in no way a true, accurate ranking systems. All comments are purely those of the author.

** This version of the Asian Qualifiers Power Ranking is an update from the previous Power Rankings after the end of Window 5.