One reason why each team can win FIBA 3x3 World Tour Jeddah Final 2023

JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - After an insane regular season of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023, clearly the biggest and best ever, it's time to decide the crown with the showpiece Jeddah Final on December 8-9.

The talent of the World Tour has been so crazy deep that every team has a legit chance to win the title. Here is a reason why each of the 14 teams can take out the World Tour's biggest prize.

Ub Huishan NE (SRB): They might be the GOAT team

We know attention spans aren't great these days, but surely you haven't forgotten Ub's run for the ages? They started the season with a record-setting six straight Masters titles to rewrite the record books. 

That's enough reason for Ub to start as favorites. Oh and they are the World Tour Final defending champs.

We're cheating, but here's another reason - they have the world's best player - Strahinja Stojacic who's out for a fourth MVP this season. 

 

Amsterdam HiPRO (NED): They have the most spectacular player 

He's a ticking time bomb on the half-court. And Worthy de Jong has exploded almost every time he's played on the World Tour this season. He's lit up the scoring charts to average 9.3 ppg - a number that once seemed impossible.

Amsterdam had not been able to capitalize on de Jong's offensive gifts until Hong Kong when they broke their drought. With de Jong unstoppable, the Dutch Masters enter Jeddah with a lot of confidence. 

 

Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL) : 'Dennis the Menace' is the best defender in the game

There are many outstanding perimeter defenders, but no one who can consistently shut down the opposition's best player quite like Dennis Donkor. 

His passion and determination makes him such a disciplined defender and it's little wonder he's the heart and soul of Antwerp. But Donkor can also light up the scoring charts and his average of 7.2 ppg is the fourth highest for those who have played at least 20 games. 

His two-way game can absolutely lead Antwerp to the most coveted title of them all. 

Vienna (AUT): Will enter as an in-form team

There weren't many teams better late in the season than Vienna, who reached three finals in the span of four events and won in Amsterdam. 

They built up slowly after not playing as much earlier in the season and have timed their run to perfection.

With Matthias Linortner and Quincy Diggs forming a deadly duo, Vienna can go toe-to-toe with anyone as they look to go one better than their runners-up finish at last season's World Tour Final. 

 

Liman Huishan NE (SRB): They have a three-headed monster

Legendary Liman still have championship pedigree through superstars Mihailo Vasic and Stefan Kojic. But they've added firepower through the emergence of dynamic Chinese player Ning Zhang, who showed off his skills with a MVP performance in Chengdu. 

He bullies opponents to the basket and plays with so much passion that he might just inspire Liman to their second World Tour Final triumph in the last three seasons. 

 

 Miami (USA): They were the hottest team late in the season

Only clutch shooting from Vienna's Enis Murati in the Amsterdam final prevented Miami from winning three straight Masters late in the season. 

Sandwiched beside that heartbreak were triumphs in Cebu and Abu Dhabi with this glamor side that doubles as Team USA living up to the hype. They've been fuelled by the hot shooting of superstars Jimmer Fredette and Canyon Barry, who have the highest percentages from deep on the World Tour. 

That means it's easy for Miami to rack up 21 points very quickly. 

 

Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL): Their best can go all the way

Ulaanbaatar for a long time knew they were good, but frustratingly couldn't break their hoodoo on the World Tour.

Some critics believed they just weren't quite good enough, but the Mongolians proved them wrong with their historic title in Shanghai - the first Masters triumph by a team from the 3x3 obsessed country. 

Ulaanbaatar will take that confidence to Jeddah knowing that their best can beat anyone on the World Tour. 

 

Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU): Their underrated duo can go toe-to-toe with anyone 

They always seem to go under the radar, but Marijus Uzupis and Aurelijus Pukelis just keep recording dubs for their team.

For the second straight season, they're combining for around 12.5 ppg and it's led the lethal Lithuanians to winning in Debrecen while they reached the final of last weekend's Hong Kong Masters. 

If they simultaneously fire then Raudondvaris can continue their hot streak.

 

Partizan (SRB): They are dangerous inside and outside 

These Serbs mean business as they showed by winning in Manama. They've become much more formidable through the firepower of the sizzling Stefans -Milivojevic and Torbica. 

But they also have a towering inside presence in Manama MVP Marko Stevanovic making Partizan very difficult to contain. 

 

Beijing (CHN): Lasmanis and Miezis still have superpowers 

The Chinese team made a big splash in the off-season by recruiting Latvian legends Karlis Lasmanis and Nauris Miezis, who formed 3x3's most famous superhero duo. 

While Beijing may not have won a Masters title, 'Batman' and 'Robin' remain deadly in tandem as evidenced by a combined average of 12.7 ppg. And these dudes love the big stage having helped Riga win the World Tour Final 2020 in epic fashion.  

 

Lausanne LS Sport (SUI): They've developed consistency 

Gone are the days when they were a yo-yo because the Swiss are a far more consistent threat now. They've made the knockout stage in 5 of their last 7 Masters and added more resiliency to a team that was always flashy. 

Gilles Martin still provides the tricks to ignite Lausanne, who are also built around an interior presence of Carlos Martinez and Westher Molteni. 

 

San Juan (PUR): They have a sniper in the clutch 

These Puerto Ricans may be young, but they have no fear if games are close.

Why? Because they have Antonio Ralat, who is ice cold in the clutch and has a habit of hitting ridiculous Maurice Lacroix Buzzer Beaters. 

 

Paris (FRA): The monkey is off their back

For some time, there were some critics believing Paris couldn't perform on the big stage. They pointed to Paris' mediocre record on the World Tour, but the Frenchmen erased all doubt after winning in Wuxi -the first by a French team on the World Tour.

With the monkey off their back, Paris should be able to play with freedom and they are also armed with the knowledge that talisman Franck Seguela is a legit superstar. 

 

Jeddah (KSA): Hluchoweckyj can produce magic tricks

Jeddah will have strong support from the home fans, who should be at fever pitch if Malik Hluchoweckyj unleashes his magic tricks. If he produces highlight after highlight then Jeddah might just go on a giant-killing run. 

 

FIBA