2023 World Cup Rumors | Hoops Rumors

World Cup Notes: Australia, Africa, Clarkson, Vucevic

August 28th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Arthur Hill

Australia is facing a must-win situation to stay alive for a World Cup medal, writes Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Sunday’s loss to Germany means the Boomers will have to get by host Japan on Tuesday to advance past the first round of pool play. It’s an unexpected position for a nation with numerous NBA players on its roster, and coach Brian Goorjian called out his team for a lack of focus.

“When I’m hard like that, is when the effort, the controllable stuff is off,” Goorjian said. “I just thought the first five minutes of the game, we had two or three guys on the floor asleep. Off defensively, rebounds, the schemes were a step off. I just needed that timeout to use my voice. Again, that’s really the only time I go off. It’s been very rare; I think that’s the first time since I’ve had them this year that I’ve had to do that.”

Goorjian may need to consider a lineup change to boost the team, Uluc adds. Josh Giddey has taken over as the play-maker, but he needs to be surrounded by outside shooters. Matisse Thybulle and Nick Kay haven’t been able to fill that role, allowing opponents to pack the paint. Uluc notes that Goorjian has considered starting Josh Green at forward, which may be necessary to change Australia’s fortunes.

There’s more from the World Cup:

Monday was a historic day for African basketball as two nations picked up their first-ever World Cup victories, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. South Sudan defeated China and Cape Verde topped Venezuela, leaving both teams in contention for second-round berths and a possible spot in next year’s Olympics. “I’m still speechless,” Cape Verde’s Will Tavares said. “I feel like I’m in a dream right now, but the win was so big for us and our country and our families. We made a statement. Even though we’re the smallest country, we have so much heart.”
The Philippines is 0-2 with losses to the Dominican Republic and Angola, but Jordan Clarkson tells Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops that he’s grateful for the enthusiastic response from the Manila crowd. “It was fun, it was definitely amazing,” he said. “The turnout and the support were great. For us, being the host city is definitely felt. A lot of our games will be loud and packed out: we looking forward to those.”
In a Sportando interview, Nikola Vucevic says Montenegro feels like a legitimate contender after defeating Mexico and Egypt in its first two games.

World Cup Notes: Greece, Banchero, Watanabe, Huertas

August 27th, 2023 at 6:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA defeated Greece 108-86 in one of its FIBA World Cup tuneups. Coach Steve Kerr expects a much tougher matchup when the two teams square off again in the Philippines on Monday in the USA’s second World Cup game.

“We expect Greece to be better than they were one week ago. … They played a lot better against us after the first quarter and I think they will come in with more confidence than they had last time and we have to be ready for them,” Kerr said. “They gave us some trouble in the second half, but they made a couple of good runs. They are very physical, and they are well-coached, so we are ready for a tough game”.

We have more from the World Cup:

Paolo Banchero, who scored 21 points as a reserve for Team USA against New Zealand, is impressed by the atmosphere in Manila, Aris Barkis of Eurohoops.net relays. “It feels awesome, the energy is crazy. From the hotel lobby to this awesome arena, it’s a great environment,” the Magic forward said. “Coming off the bench, me and some other guys we want to be live and be ready to go as soon as we check in.”
Yuta Watanabe, who signed with the Suns this offseason, overcame an ailment to lift Japan past Finland 98-88 Sunday in FIBA World Cup group play at Okinawa, Japan, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes. Watanabe, who is battling a right ankle sprain, only scored four points but two of them came on free throws in the final minute to close out the upset win.
Brazil’s Marcelo Huertas became the second-oldest player to suit up in the World Cup in his team’s 100-59 victory over Iran on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. The former NBA player did more than just appear in the contest, scoring 10 points. Huertas is 40 years and three months old, The oldest player in tournament history was Eduardo Mingas, who was 40 years and seven months old when playing for Angola at the 2019 World Cup. Huertas played 76 games for the Lakers from 2015-17.

World Cup Notes: Towns, F. Wagner, Canada, Ingram

August 27th, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Led by Karl-Anthony Towns, the Dominican Republic is the early surprise team of this year’s World Cup, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. The Timberwolves‘ big man posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists Sunday as the Dominican team took down highly ranked Italy, and he told reporters the result shouldn’t be considered a surprise.

“Was this an upset?” Towns asked. “I thought we wanted to win. We had great things in the second half, that’s what brought us the victory. We did a great job as a team, everybody down the line was amazing.”

As the only 2-0 team in Group A and one game left against Angola, the Dominican Republic is in excellent position to move past pool play. Towns may be the most recognizable player, but he’s not the team’s only weapon. Andres Feliz also scored 24 points, including seven three-pointers, while Jean Montero contributed 12 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals.

Italy is now in the unexpected position of having to defeat the host Philippines on Tuesday just to advance.

There’s more from the World Cup:

Germany got past Australia without Magic forward Franz Wagner, who sat out the game with a “slight sprained ankle,” per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Wagner is considered day-to-day, but the Germans opted to rest him against their toughest opponent in Group E.
Canada enjoyed a record-setting day in its 55-point victory over Lebanon. Its 128 points were the most ever for a Canadian team, and its 43 assists set a record for a World Cup game, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. Canada was able to rest Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, who is dealing with a minor injury, as nine players scored in double figures, adds Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).
Team USA has a roster filled with talented scorers, so it’s hard for everyone to get the opportunities they’re accustomed to, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The most glaring example so far is Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who was limited to four shots and two points in 15 minutes in the opening game against New Zealand. “This is totally different than what I am used to,” Ingram said. “The team is winning right now, so I can’t be selfish thinking about myself. But it’s a little frustrating right now for me, and I’m just trying to figure out ways I can be effective.”

Southwest Notes: Doncic, World Cup, Ingram, Whitmore

August 26th, 2023 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The early end to the Mavericks‘ season after failing to reach the play-in tournament had nothing to do with Luka Doncic‘s decision to participate in the World Cup, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Speaking to reporters after dropping 37 points in a victory over Venezuela, Doncic said he wants to represent Slovenia whenever possible.

“There is no difference,” he said. “Every time I can play for the national team, I will play. Representing your country, you are always motivated, no matter what happens in the season. Obviously, it was disappointing that we could not make the playoffs, but playing for your country is special. It is from the heart. And representing your country, it is amazing.”

One of the benefits of being in the tournament for Doncic is a chance to play against Edy Tavares of Cape Verde, whom Slovenia will face on Wednesday. They were teammates with Real Madrid, and the 31-year-old center captured MVP honors at the EuroLeague Final Four in May.

“It is going to be special to play against him,” Doncic said. “I never played against him. It is going to be very tough.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Doncic recently signed a contract extension with Jordan Brand, Marc Stein reveals in his latest Substack article. Sources tell Stein that the deal will continue Doncic’s relationship with the company through 2029. The Mavericks star debuted his second signature shoe, the Luka 2 Matador, in a recent exhibition game. Doncic will continue to have significant input into how the shoes are designed and marketed, according to Stein.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is the newest Jordan Brand client, per Christian Clark of NOLA. The company announced Saturday that it has signed Ingram to a multi-year footwear and apparel contract. “Signing with Jordan Brand is a game-changer,” Ingram said. “A life-changer, and now that it is a reality, I can’t wait to do special things together on and off the court.” Clark notes that Ingram was previously affiliated with Adidas, but he didn’t have a shoe contract the past two seasons.
Cam Whitmore narrates a behind-the-scenes video about the Rockets‘ Summer League team, according to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire. The rookie forward surprisingly slipped to 20th in the NBA draft, but he bounced back by earning MVP honors in Las Vegas. “It felt like that it was meant to be,” Whitmore said in the video. “There was a reason I dropped to 20. Now I’m the Summer League MVP. I knew it wasn’t for nothing. All the work is paying off.”

World Cup Notes: Banchero, Reaves, F. Wagner, Fernandez

August 26th, 2023 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Team USA got an early taste of the physical approach that World Cup opponents are likely to try, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. For all their talent, the Americans only have one true center on their roster and they aren’t as big and strong as many of the teams they’ll face. New Zealand attacked the U.S. frontline from the outset in Saturday’s opener and built a 14-4 lead before the game turned around.

“They came out right away and were very physical and took it to us,” said head coach Steve Kerr said. “We need to feel that, because that’s what these games are going to be like.”

With Jaren Jackson Jr. in foul trouble early in the second half, Kerr turned to Paolo Banchero, a natural forward who’s being asked to play center during the tournament. Banchero wound up leading Team USA with 21 points while blocking four shots, several of which led to fast-break opportunities.

“Being in the World Cup, my role is my role. I kind of have accepted it,” Banchero said. “I just want to do it to the best of my ability. J.J., he’s a great player. I gotta be able to pick up where he left off when he comes out the game.”

There’s more from the World Cup:

The fan favorite in the Philippines is Austin Reaves, who benefits from playing for the Lakers, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. L.A. is the nation’s favorite NBA team because of past visits to Manila by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. “I was talking to (Lakers assistant) Phil Handy, and he was telling me that they love the Lakers out here,” said Reaves, who got a huge ovation during pre-game introductions. “So I kind of seen it coming. It’s special for me.”
Magic forward Franz Wagner is considered day-to-day after turning his ankle in Germany’s first game, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Team doctor Oliver Putz provided an update Saturday, telling reporters that the injury doesn’t appear to be serious. “Nothing is broken, torn or anything like this, things that would end the FIBA World Cup for him,” he said. “Franz feels better this morning than yesterday. We did another MRI this morning. But the problem is that we don’t have the imaging yet, so we can’t say exactly what’s hurt yet.”
Spain’s Rudy Fernandez set a European record Saturday by playing in his fifth World Cup tournament, notes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Team USA, Lineups

August 26th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard Austin Reaves had a strong official debut with Team USA in the 2023 World Cup, notching 12 points (on 4-of-6 shooting), six assists and three steals in 22 minutes of action as the Americans defeated New Zealand. Still, those numbers might be underselling his impact, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who says Reaves’ “all-around production, spirit and poise” made a big difference off the bench in the comeback win.

As Windhorst writes, Reaves has become a fan favorite around the world due to his breakout performance with Los Angeles last season, with the crowd in the Philippines going wild after his normal pose following a made three-pointer. He says it’s something he doesn’t take for granted.

“I was one of those kids watching the World Cup [and] the Olympics, so every day I wake up and cherish those moments,” Reaves said. “I’m from a super small town, and not a lot of people expected me to be here representing our country. So for the [crowds] to accept me the way that they accept me, it means a lot to me.”

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In an interview with Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (subscriber link), Reaves says the last two years have been a whirlwind. As Price notes, the 25-year-old went undrafted in 2021, initially signing a two-way contract with the Lakers. Reaves was promoted to a standard deal prior to 2021/22, excelled down the stretch in ’22/23 in helping L.A. make the Western Conference Finals, signed a four-year, $54MM contract in free agency, and then received an invitation to the World Cup roster. “It’s been crazy,” Reaves said. “To get here and be rewarded with the contract [and] being on Team USA … all those dark days not getting recruited, not getting drafted, all that’s come to light. The basketball gods are real. If you’re pure to the game, the game will be pure to you back eventually. It’s been a beautiful two years.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic lists five lineups he’d like to see the Lakers use in ’23/24. According to Buha, the lineup with the most intriguing two-way potential features Reaves, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. A second-round pick in 2022, Christie is coming off a strong Summer League showing last month.
In case you missed it, the Lakers are unveiling a statue of the late Kobe Bryant during the upcoming season. You can find the details right here.

Davis Bertans On Thunder Expectations, World Cup, More

August 26th, 2023 at 2:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Davis Bertans is coming off a disappointing NBA season, averaging a career-low 10.9 minutes per game in 45 contests (also a career low) with Dallas in 2022/23.

He was traded to the Thunder last month, with the Mavs motivated to dump his salary. Oklahoma City is facing a roster crunch, so Bertans isn’t a lock to be on the team’s roster entering ’23/24, despite carrying a $17MM cap hit for the upcoming season and a $5MM partial guarantee for ’24/25.

The 30-year-old sharpshooter is currently competing for his native Latvia at the 2023 World Cup. The Latvians got off to a strong start on Friday, easily defeating Lebanon by a score of 109-70.

Bertans spoke to Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net ahead of Latvia’s Sunday clash with France, touching on a number of topics.

On Bertans’ expectations with the Thunder:

“My role has always changed for reasons that have to do with what every team expects from me and wants from me. I always try to adapt. Whatever the coach is going to ask from me, that’s what I’m going to do. Everyone knows that when I step on the court I go 100 percent regardless of what I have to do on the court. Whatever the role is, I’ll try to be the best player I can be on that role.”

On hearing about Brazilian guard Raul Neto‘s major knee injury (they were teammates with the Wizards from 2020-22):

“Great guy, great teammate when I was in D.C. Knowing him, he’s a tough guy and he’ll bounce back and hopefully sooner than later he’ll be back on the court.”

On Latvia’s matchup with Olympic silver medalist France, which was dominated by Canada in its opener:

“Even if they won the game, it would be the same France coming at us. Of course, they are facing relegation, in a way of speaking. Honestly, I think they would’ve probably played the same way regardless of the outcome against Canada. That’s because they know that we can be a dangerous team. It’s going to be more about us and the way we command the game. The first minutes are going to be important. You got to be ready for physicality anyway. On offense try to get to our shots, use our advantages and be extremely physical on the defensive end with their big guys.”

World Cup Notes: Neto, Jones, Doncic, Bogdanovic

August 26th, 2023 at 12:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Brazilian guard Raul Neto ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee during Brazil’s 2023 FIBA World Cup opener against Iran, Eurohoops.net reports. Neto will miss the rest of the World Cup.

It’s a brutal blow for Neto, who recently signed overseas with Turkish club Fenerbahce. In a recent interview with Eurohoops, the veteran spoke about his excitement for joining one of the top overseas clubs. Neto, who played in the NBA from 2015-23, didn’t rule out a return stateside, but said he was a bit disappointed not to receive a contract offer.

Neto averaged 8.7 points per game with the Wizards in 2020/21. After leaving Washington in 2022, he signed with the Cavaliers, where he spent all of last year, but he didn’t play much.

“I just think that the NBA season… it’s very hard if you aren’t a role player,” Neto said. “It’s hard on you. You don’t play much.”

Neto, 31, was hoping that his time with Fenerbahce would allow him to see the floor more and show that he’s still got his guard skills, according to his interview with Eurohoops. However, this recent injury puts his time with Fenerbahce in doubt. Patellar tendon ruptures typically take six-to-12 months to recover from, so it’s safe to say that Neto’s ’23/24 season is in jeopardy.

The Brazilian guard was poised to be a significant part of not only Brazil’s national team, but also Fenerbahce, as he was essentially signed to replace Nick Calathes.

We have more World Cup notes:

Bulls guard Carlik Jones, playing with South Sudan in the World Cup, put up a record-breaking performance in the team’s opening loss to Puerto Rico. Jones recorded 38 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and four steals in the defeat, hitting four of his nine attempts from downtown. According to HoopsHype, that is the best scoring mark for any African national team at the World Cup. He also recorded the first 30-point, 10-assist game in tournament history. This was South Sudan’s World Cup debut. Jones is signed to a non-guaranteed deal for the Bulls — it becomes partially guaranteed for $250K if he makes the opening-night roster.
Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic made a statement in Slovenia’s opening game of the World Cup, putting up 37 points in their matchup with Venezuela. Doncic’s 37 points were a tournament high briefly before Jones had his record-setting performance. Former NBA center Mike Tobey had a terrific game for Slovenia, putting up 21 points on 9 of 9 shooting.
Serbia’s World Cup experience has been a roller coaster so far. While the team blew out China 105-63, it also lost center Filip Petrusev due to injury. Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the leaders on Serbia’s team and spoke about its World Cup experience thus far in a recent interview with Eurohoops. “We expect the next two games to be much harder than the first against China. They’re both experienced teams, with a lot of good players,” he said of the schedule. Serbia takes on South Sudan and Puerto Rico next. In the interview, Bogdanovic talked about his main goal for the World Cup, which is to qualify for the Olympics and medal in the event.
In case you missed it, we had more World Cup notes on Friday.

World Cup Notes: Canada, Fournier, USA, Mills, Towns

August 25th, 2023 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Canadian national team hasn’t had a ton of success in international competition in recent years and is missing top players like Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins at this year’s World Cup. However, Team Canada looked formidable its first group-play game on Friday, outscoring a talented French club by 27 points in the second half en route to a 95-65 win.

“We got our ass kicked,” French wing Evan Fournier told reporters after the game, per Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. “… They were really physical with us. Taking us out of our set plays. And as a team I think they kind of forced us to do things that we don’t want to do.”

The Canadians leaned heavily on their NBA talent in the victory, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Luguentz Dort, Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all playing at least 20 minutes. Melvin Ejim was the only other player to log more than five minutes in the game.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout, racking up 27 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in just 27 minutes of action. Powell (+35 in 23 minutes) and Brooks (+33 in 26 minutes) anchored Canada’s aggressive defense.

Canada will face Lebanon on Sunday, while France will look to bounce back against Latvia.

Here’s more on the World Cup:

In an Insider-only story, Jonathan Givony and Kevin Pelton of ESPN pick their 15 most interesting players at the World Cup, including reigning NCAA national player of the year Zach Edey (Canada), projected 2024 first-rounder Juan Nunez (Spain) and Fournier (France), who scored a team-high 21 points on Friday after spending most of last season glued to the Knicks‘ bench. A strong World Cup could help earn Fournier a new NBA opportunity via trade or buyout, Pelton notes.
Team USA entered Friday as the strong frontrunners to win the 2023 World Cup, but head coach Steve Kerr knows the team can’t afford to get overconfident, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. “Last time through this tournament, we finished seventh, we lost (two) games,” Kerr said. “We recognize how hard this is. These are not the days of 1992. … We may be one of the favorites, but I don’t think anybody’s clear cut. I think there’s a lot of teams that have a shot at this thing.”
Following an eventful offseason that saw him traded from Brooklyn to Houston to Oklahoma City to Atlanta, veteran guard Patty Mills provided a reminder on Friday of what he can bring to a team. The Hawks guard scored a team-high 25 points in Australia’s resounding win over Finland. “No surprises there,” Jack White said of Mills’ performance, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. “We know he can turn it on; that’s what he does… he’s a hell of a leader and it’s what we expect from him.”
Prior to the start of the World Cup, Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns spoke to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic about why he’s playing for the Dominican Republic and what it means to him to represent his mother’s native country. Towns and the Dominican Republic team got off to a strong start on Friday, defeating the host Philippines in a game that set a new World Cup attendance record (38,115), as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press details. Towns scored 26 points in the 87-81 win.

Franz Wagner Expected To Undergo MRI On Ankle

August 25th, 2023 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Germany got off to a strong start in the 2023 World Cup on Friday, defeating Japan by a score of 81-63. However, the victory was marred to some extent by an injury to Magic forward Franz Wagner, who didn’t finish the game after turning his ankle.

Speaking after the game to reporters, Germany head coach Gordon Herbert said that it “looks like a slight sprained ankle” for Wagner, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

“We’ll know more after an MRI,” Herbert added, suggesting that Wagner’s ankle will undergo further testing before Germany’s next group-play game on Sunday vs. Australia.

If Wagner has a mild ankle sprain, as Herbert speculated, it shouldn’t have any impact on his availability for the Magic this fall. There are still several weeks until training camp, giving the former eighth overall pick plenty of time to recover.

However, it’s possible the ankle injury will affect Wagner’s availability for the German national team in the next few days. While Friday’s victory over Japan was a good start, Germany is in a tough group and will almost certainly need at least one more win in the first round – over either Australia on Sunday or Finland on Tuesday – to advance to the round of 16. Obviously, the Germans would like to have Wagner on the court for those games, if possible.

Wagner, who will turn 22 on Sunday, averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 32.6 minutes per game across 80 appearances in 2022/23 for the Magic. He’s entering the third year of his rookie scale contract and will become extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason.