FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Group H promises plenty of intrigue as it has been labeled the ‘Group of Death’ and includes a favorite in France, a team with high potential in Canada, a rookie in Latvia and a team looking to continue building momentum in Lebanon
Favorite: France
France has reached the podium in the last two World Cups in 2014 and 2019 with consecutive third places, won silver at the Tokyo Olympics and was runner-up at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
The talent, experience on the big stage, familiarity and general knowledge of basketball of its key players like Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Nando de Colo are reasons why France will be considered as a title contender even in a tough group.
France’s defense will be one of their main strengths, thanks to having three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert guarding the rim. Les Bleus are tall, athletic and point guards can put a lot of pressure on the ball, which is sure to keep any opponent uncomfortable and on their toes.
That being said, Canada have been very impressive in their friendly games, defeating both Germany and Spain on the road. The reality is always different, but this team looks strong.
Least Favourite: Lebanon
Lebanon is making its fourth World Cup appearance and first since 2010, and is building on the momentum of a second-place finish at the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 and a 7-3 record in the Asian Qualifiers.
Lebanon will once again be heavily dependent on Wael ‘MVP’ Arakji.
Along with star point guard Wael Arakji, Lebanon should get a boost from former NBA player Omari Spellman. Los Cedros had a tough draw in the pool against France, Canada and Latvia, and will face an uphill challenge to advance from the First Round. However, with their team chemistry and ability to play as a cohesive unit, no team should see Lebanon as easy opponents.
They beat France in the 2006 edition of the event. Why not again in a few days?
The Key Game: Canada vs. France
Nothing like starting with an opening clash, as these two teams meet on August 25, the first day of the World Cup. Both France and Canada have high expectations and are considered podium contenders, so they will have an idea of the level of competition and will be able to see where they stand early on.
It already happened at the Tokyo Olympics when France and the United States met in their first game. Of course, they met again in the Final, with the United States taking their revenge and the gold medal.
France are the favorites in Group H, so if they win in the opening game they have a good chance of finishing 3-0 in the group, while Canada will probably have to beat both Latvia and Lebanon if they want to advance to the Second. Round. In the meantime, if Canada win this matchup, it could make things a lot more interesting and lead to the group opening up completely.
The Open Question: Can Latvia move forward with their 3-point game?
Teams will probably need two wins to reach the Second Round. Latvia dominated the European Qualifiers with their 3-point shooting (134 3-pointers made on 37.5 percent, both numbers second-best among all teams in the competition).
Kristaps Porzingis won’t be the anchor in the paint, so the team has one less offensive option. Movement, care of the ball, patience and precision will be key.
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2023-08-25 00:26:47
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