Team profile: Ahmad Al Dwairi show taking center stage for Jordan once again

MANILA (Philippines) - For the first time in their history, Jordan are playing at the FIBA Basketball World Cup for a second consecutive time.

They haven't been able to make a deep run in the competition, but there's some hope in their roster that they'll be able to fare better than in the past.

The Roster

One of the dominant performers at the last FIBA Basketball World Cup was Jordan's Ahmad Al Dwairi. He was too hot to handle in 2019, setting the tournament-high in scoring with 34 points against the Dominican Republic.

Other than Al Dwairi, there are a few other notable names, without which it would be impossible to imagine a Jordanian basketball team on the floor.

Zaid Abbas is a legend of the game in Jordan and is two months away from celebrating his 40th birthday, yet shows no signs of slowing down. His importance is undeniable, as evident from how the national team presented his announcement as team captain during the King's Cup.

 

There's a new star on the horizon, too, in the 26-year-old point guard Freddy Ibrahim. The shifty floor general made his national team debut at the World Cup in 2019 and has since solidified his status as a star in Asian basketball, specifically during FIBA Asia Cup 2022. Maybe he can take a step further at his second World Cup appearance in the Philippines.

The Question

Can Al Dwairi lead the entire World Cup in scoring?

He's 30 now, in his prime, capable of putting up 22 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in a single game, like he did in their tuneup matchup against Mexico on August 7. Al Dwairi has always been a steady source of scoring for Jordan, whether it was through the Asian Qualifiers or at FIBA Asia Cup 2022, where he averaged in double-digits.

 

With the format of the competition, he will have enough games to prove his worth even if Jordan do not make the sweet 16, which they did not do in both of their previous appearances.

Even though Al Dwairi is a capable playmaker for his size and position, there's still no doubt that Jordan will need him to shoulder the load on offense. In a way, they might need Al Dwairi to lead this World Cup in scoring if they are to aim for a deep run.

The Hope

Jordan will be up against the likes of USA and Greece in their Group C matchups. It doesn't get a lot better than that, facing some of the best in the world on a big stage such as the World Cup.

More than just the opportunity to just play against the basketball powerhouses is that chance to prove that they can go toe-to-toe with them as well. So for the young Jordanian basketball hopefuls, seeing their heroes go head to head with the big names could ignite a spark that leads them to take up basketball. 

There's definitely an additional sense of pride and responsibility knowing that, which can be something that ignites a fire in the hearts of Jordan. Make no mistake, Jordan will definitely be underdogs going into the clashes against these giants, but anything can happen in 40 minutes of regulation with enough inspiration.

The Fear

Look at the last 10 FIBA events here. Jordan rarely appear at global events, and their last continental podium finish was in 2011, when they reached the title game in the FIBA Asia Cup, playing the first and last Final which was decided by a single point, in the end, won by the hosts China in Wuhan.

They did make it to the Semi-Finals of the Asia Cup once again last year, but this is still a squad that is still learning a lot about playing against teams that are dominant, both talent-wise and mentally.

The lack of big game experience could prove costly, as all three of their Group C rivals - USA, Greece, and New Zealand - have reached at least the Semi-Finals of the World Cup since the turn of the century. The Tall Blacks, in fact, beat Jordan in the Third-Place Game at last year's Asia Cup in Jakarta.

IN THE LAST 10 FIBA EVENTS

YEAR	EVENT	LOCATION	ACHIEVEMENT
2022	FIBA Asia Cup	Jakarta (INA)	4th
2021	Olympics	Tokyo (JPN)	Did not qualify
2019	FIBA Basketball World Cup	Beijing (CHN)	28th
2017	FIBA Asia Cup	Zouk Mikael (LBN)	8th
2016	Olympics	Rio de Janeiro (BRA)	Did not qualify
2015	FIBA Asia Cup	Changsha (CHN)	9th
2014	FIBA Basketball World Cup	Madrid (ESP)	Did not qualify
2013	FIBA Asia Cup	Pasay (PHI)	7th
2012	Olympics	London (GBR)	Did not qualify
2011	FIBA Asia Cup	Wuhan (CHN)	2nd

The Poll

 

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For a deeper look on Jordan's journey to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, click here.

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