The 2023 FIBA World Cup starts in less than two weeks. Teams are playing warm-up games and NBA players are flashing their skills. Here are five NBA players who had strong performances this week.
The FIBA World Cup starts on Aug. 25 and so far, most of the news coverage about the tournament has been about players who won't be participating.
Look, it would obviously be a better product with the likes of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama participating but their absence doesn't mean we are now completely bereft of quality basketball.
Luka Doncic, Bogan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, Franz Wagner, Dennis Schroder and plenty of other NBA players are still participating and with Team USA being among the countries not sending their best, the path to the gold medal is wide open.
This past week, we got a taste of teams ramping up their intensity levels in warm-up games, particularly in matches where both sides featured quality NBA players. Expect to see more of the same as we get closer to the beginning of the actual tournament.
This level of intensity brought out quality performances, here are the best of the week from NBA players.
Was Luka Doncic so tired after his dominant performance against Montenegro that he had to sit out the game versus Team USA?
Luka Doncic primarily made headlines this week based on his decision to sit out and rest for Slovenia's warm-up game against Team USA. Without him, Slovenia struggled significantly and was comfortably annihilated 92-62 by Team USA.
But, Luka did play to start the week against Montenegro and posted his second triple-double of the summer with 34 points, 14 assists, and 13 rebounds in a 104-100 victory.
Doncic seems to be in great shape, and he clearly plans on making a serious run for the gold medal with Slovenia this summer.
Could Nikola Jovic raise his trade value by playing well for Serbia at the FIBA World Cup this summer?
No Nikola Jokic, no problem. Just change one letter in the last name and Serbia still has a player ready to run coast-to-coast fastbreaks and be a menace all around the court in Nikola Jovic.
Jovic's name has been in trade rumors ever since Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard requested a trade to the Miami Heat, and before Jovic even stepped on the court for Serbia this summer it was easy to see why.
Selected 27th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jovic never became a regular rotation player for the Eastern Conference champions but at 6-foot-11 and with a very versatile and well-rounded game his future is bright.
Jovic and Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic are the two key players for Serbia at the tournament, and Jovic looks ready to showcase his skills. He had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in a warm-up game against Italy this week.
No matter where Jovic is playing next season, it seems likely that we'll be seeing a lot more minutes for the young Serbian.
Could Dennis Schroder lead Germany to a shock FIBA World Cup gold medal this summer?
Often inconsistent, but never afraid of the moment, Dennis Schroder is always entertaining. He is perhaps the best and most chaotic version of himself when representing Germany in international play.
This Sunday, the Germans went up against Canada who many argue may be the best team in the tournament. The Canadians managed to win 113-112 but needed overtime and a very strong performance from their stars to come out on top.
A big reason the Germans stuck around was because of Schroder, who finished the game with 26 points, eight assists, and a Dillon Brooks taunt that is making the rounds on social media.
With Schroder, Franz and Mo Wagner, Daniel Theis, and a number of high-quality overseas players on their roster Germany is definitely a dark horse for this summer's FIBA World Cup.
RJ Barrett reminded everyone just how deep this Canadian roster is, and why many think they could win the gold medal
Canada is the popular non-USA pick to win the gold medal, and that's primarily because they may have their two star guards leading the way: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray.
But Canada's talent runs far deeper than those two, and one example is New York Knicks starting forward R.J. Barrett.
Barrett was Canada's best player in their warm-up win over Germany in overtime on Sunday. Barrett finished with 31 points on a near-perfect night from the field, making 13 of his 14 shots.
He was also clutch, contributing seven points and the game-tying bucket in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter as well as another six points in overtime.
Barrett will be joined by six other teammates who currently play in the NBA, and they are absolutely aiming for the gold medal this summer.
This may not be USA's best possible team, but Jalen Brunson doesn't seem to care
Most of the talk about Team USA this summer has been about all the players not playing, and their warm-ups for the tournament didn't get off to the best start after they lost to the select team in the first game they played.
Since then, though, Steve Kerr's team has bounced back. They trounced Puerto Rico and Luka Doncic-less Slovenia as expected, but they faced off against Spain on Sunday who currently holds the No. 1 FIBA ranking.
The Spaniards hung around for a while, led by the Hernangomez brothers and 2024 draft prospect Juan Nunez the game was very tight for most of the second half.
But the United States pulled away, mainly thanks to Brunson. The New York Knicks point guard finished with 22 points and 5 assists on 9/9 shooting.
It may not be the USA's best this summer, but this team is still easily the favorite to win the gold medal.