It’s true when they say that basketball never stops, or at least it feels that way. That’s because after the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which just concluded last week, there are the upcoming Asian Games.
The quadrennial basketball showcase is going to be held in Hangzhou, which is the home of the winningest team in this particular tournament, as China are out to defend their crown after winning their record eighth trophy in 2018 in Jakarta.
16 countries will vie for the prestigious piece of silverware, and they will be divided into four groups. As per the revised format for the 2023 SEA Games, the top two teams per group will advance to the one-off semi-final, and the final two teams will fight for the gold medal.
Which nation will stand tall in Asia? Check out SBOTOP’s top picks by reading more below.
Group A: Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UAE
Among the four countries in Group A, Iran are the only qualified team in the World Cup, although they finished second to last (31st) in the final tournament standings.
Team Melli will no longer have Hamed Haddadi, as the 38-year-old center announced his national team retirement, although he will continue his basketball career with the Sichuan Blue Whales in the CBA.
But even without Haddadi, Iran are still the prohibitive favourites to come out of this group. They are the 27th-seeded team in the updated FIBA men’s rankings, and they have enough firepower to compensate for the departure of their center.
Arsalan Kazemi and Behnam Yakhchali will spearhead Team Melli’s charge, while 7’2” big Hassan Aliakbari will be their main man in the middle.
Group B: China, Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Mongolia
The hope for China is that Li Kaier (or Kyle Anderson) is going to be available, as the Minnesota Timberwolves forward led them in scoring and rebounding during the World Cup, posting norms of 13.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
But it’s highly likely that he won’t be with them in the Asian Games, so instead, China will lean on Rui Zhao and Jinqiu Hu, who averaged 12.6 and 9.3 points per game in the World Cup, respectively.
Meanwhile, the duo of Wael Arakji and Omari Spellman will make Lebanon viable in Group B. During the World Cup, Arakji and Spellman were the Cedars’ best performers, as the former averaged 18.0 points and 6.0 assists per game, while the latter tallied 15.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.
Lebanon’s x-factor is going to be Amir Saoud, who went off for 29 points, five rebounds, and eight assists during their recent World Cup win over Ivory Coast.
Group C: Jordan, Philippines, Bahrain, Thailand
Group C figures to be another competitive bunch in the Asian Games, with Jordan and the Philippines being the top contenders.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is already too familiar with the Philippines since he has played for TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA, and he’ll be back after the Asian Games.
Jordan are hoping that Hollis-Jefferson will have more Kobe Bryant-esque performances, which he has shown during the World Cup. He should produce a lot of Asian Games 2023 highlights after averaging 23.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in the World Cup.
The Philippines, meanwhile, will field an almost completely different team after undergoing drastic changes in the aftermath of the World Cup.
The much-vilified Vincent “Chot” Reyes is no longer at the helm, replaced by Tim Cone, and Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson – who boosted his stock during the World Cup – won’t be around in the meantime.
Headlining Gilas Pilipinas are naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame, while June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, RR Pogoy, and Scottie Thompson are the holdovers from their World Cup squad.
Chris Newsome, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Moala Tautuaa, Jason Perkins, and Calvin Oftana make up the rest of the Gilas’ 12.
Group D: Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Qatar
Japan hold the distinction of being the only Asian team that has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, making them the favourites by the Asian Games 2023 odds to come out of Group D.
Suns forward Yuta Watanabe may not be available for the Akatsuki, but they should still have enough in the likes of Joshua Hawkinson and Yuki Kawamura, who averaged 21 and 13.6 points, respectively, during the World Cup.
The only team that can possibly challenge Japan in Group D are South Korea, although it’s worth noting that we haven’t seen them play since they withdrew from the World Cup qualifiers last year.
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