Naughty or Nice: FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers edition Part 1

BEIRUT (FIBA Asia) - With everyone in the festive mood, we tracked down Santa Claus and asked him to make a list (and check it twice) just to find out who’s been Naughty or Nice in this past year heading into the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

Apparently, Santa is an avid Asian basketball fan and he’s been watching all the teams very carefully over the past year.

Check out where your favorite team landed on Santa’s FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Naughty or Nice list!

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You better box out.
Don’t leave your guy.
Listen to the scouts, I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is THROWING IT DOWN.
He’s making a list and checking it twice. Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is THROWING IT DOWN.

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Australia – Nice

All of Australia's wins so far have been by at least 16 points with an average margin of 35.4. If that's not "Nice" then we're not sure what it.

The Boomers have not been shy of using their physical advantage, but  they also play fundamentally sound to secure their big victories. This was also the case at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, when Australia ran through the tournament with 6 straight wins with average 28.3 victory margin.

Though there has been a dent in Australia’s near perfect record (RE: Japan), it can be expected that they aim to be their same bullish selves when the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers come around next year.

Syria – Nice

It’s tough enough to build and maintain a strong basketball program, but to do so in a war torn environment like what Syria has done deserves a solid “Nice”.

Just competing in the FIBA World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers alone would have been an achievement for Syria, but they took another step and qualified for the second round with two solid wins over India. They are currently out of the running to qualify for the World Cup, but will be a team that no one can overlook at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers next year.

Jordan – Naughty

Jordan started their FIBA World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers campaign on a tear with 4 straight wins, including a clutch 87-83 win over Lebanon. Since then, they’ve become a bit “Naughty” dropping 4 of 5 games and putting their World Cup qualification hopes in jeopardy.

With the likes of Ahmad Al Dwairi, Zaid Abbas, Mahmoud Abdeen, and Dar Tucker on their squad, they have the potential of a very talented team but they will need to be at their best in the final two games against China and New Zealand to have a chance at World Cup qualification.

If they can still maintain all of their stars heading into 2019, they should be even better in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers than their 8^th place FIBA Asia Cup 2017 finish.

Malaysia – Nice

It’s always “Nice” to see a young team oozing with potential succeed on the international platform which is the case with the Malaysia national Team.

Coach Brian Lester relies on a young core of players to shoulder the bulk of responsibilities and while there have been growing pains, it’s resulted in a successful trip advancing to the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers via the Eastern Region Pre-Qualifiers.

Kuek Tian Yuan is the elder of the team, only at 27-years-old, leading rising prospects like 22-year-olds Ting Chun Hong and Wong Yi Hou. If Malaysia are successful in qualifying for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021, these players should be hitting their peak at just the right time.

Palestine – Naughty

Headlined by the Sakakini brothers, Mark Hill, and Jamal Abushamala, Palestine were loaded with talent heading into the Western Region Pre-Qualifiers. Though they eventually qualified for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers nonetheless, it seemed a bit “Naughty” that they were unable to take down the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during their run.

It is possible that they have been too reliant to their top players especially Sani Sakakini, but they can become a stealthy good team if they can figure out how to solve that issue. 

Lebanon – Nice

Wael Arakji had become a household name for the Lebanese National Team in the past years, so when he went down with an injury after the second window it was unsure how well they would regroup.

It was “Nice” how different players stepped up in different crucial games, leading Lebanon to inspiring performances whether it was Amir Saoud’s 18 points in a one-point win over Jordan, Ali Haidar’s 26-9 line in a 4-point victory over China, and a collective effort by the team in a slim 3-point loss to New Zealand.

The past two games haven’t been so nice, losing by an average of 16.5 points, but Arakji is expected to be back for the next window as well as for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers later in the year. 

Chinese-Taipei – Naughty

It seems slightly “Naughty” that Chinese-Taipei’s only win before dropping out of World Cup qualification was a slim one-point victory over Japan. The win was already a mild upset at the time with it being played in Japan, but has turned into a wild outcome now in hindsight with the form that Japan are in.

Chinese-Taipei’s size disadvantage was evident in their losses and they lacked the outside shooting to compensate so that could be their focus once the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers tipoff. 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Nice

Saudi Arabia does not feature many recent trips to Asian regional competitions, so the fact that they were able to sweep through the Western Region Pre-Qualifiers gets a nod for “Nice”.

The undefeated run came as a slight surprise considering that Saudi Arabia struggled with Bahrain and UAE in the GBA Pre-Qualifiers. They were able to turn things around with the addition of Khalid Abdel-Gabar who was one of the best players in the entire Pre-Qualifier phase with averages of 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.

Saudi Arabia didn’t have any big time names like Palestine’s Sani Sakakini or Jamal Abushamala, but they were able to take them down nonetheless with balanced play. They won’t be getting as much fanfare as other teams when the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers come around, but that might change after a couple of games.

Thailand – Nice

Another team that gets a nod into the “Nice” list is Thailand who played host for both the SEABA Pre-Qualifiers and the Eastern Region Pre-Qualifiers for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021. Stadium29 was a prime location for some exciting basketball throughout both Pre-Qualification rounds and will be even more exciting when the Qualifiers hit Thailand.

Thailand were spearheaded by star wings Tyler Lamb and Moses Morgan in separate Pre-Qualifying rounds but also showcased a balanced roster which could make them a problem at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

Indonesia – Naughty

If Thailand are “Nice” for being hosts, Indonesia could be listed as “Naughty” for being visitors and dealing the hosts two straight heartbreaking losses. Even with Thailand’s top stars putting in their best efforts, it just wasn’t enough to take down Indonesia’s well-balanced effort. The two wins extend a torturing run of victories over Thailand and is now closely approaching “curse” status.

Indonesia have been putting up their best performances not only to make their way to the FIBA Asia Cup, but to also prove themselves as hosts of the FIBA World Cup in 2023. Hopefully when the time comes for them to be hosts, they’ll be strong enough to ward away any “Naughty” visitors as well.

China – Nice

As hosts of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, China weren’t under much pressure to secure victories in the Asian Qualifiers but that hasn’t held them back. It’s been “Nice” to see them bring in the big guns like Yi Jianlian, Guo Ailun, Wang Zhelin, and Ding Yanyuhang among others.

Once the World Cup ends next year, China will have to get back to work for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers where they won’t be able in as comfortable a position as they are in right now.

China has been among the elite Asian teams in part because they are sharing the ball at 20.0 assists per game (4^th in Asian Qualifiers) and it’ll be fun to see if they can keep that up throughout 2019 as well. 

Hong Kong – Naughty

You have to feel a bit sorry for Hong Kong. It wasn’t their choice to be grouped in the first round with three of the first four teams to qualify for the World Cup. Therefore, we can probably just say that their luck has just been “Naughty” for them in particular.

Hong Kong lost all their games by double-digits and aside from two valiant efforts against Korea, mostly complete blowouts. They will have their work cut out for them in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers, but they can still make some noise with key pieces in play like Duncan Reid and Lee Ki in place.

FIBA