The draw has taken place for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, with Team USA obtaining an agreeable group in the 32-team basketball tournament. ESPN’s global basketball experts have dissected the matchups prior to the competition, which runs from 25 August to 10 September and will be jointly hosted by the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. The United States is hoping to recover from a disappointing seventh-place finish in 2019; however, the defending champions Spain will be among the favorites.
According to ESPN’s NBA Senior Writer Brian Windhorst, Group H poses the highest level of difficulty. France, Spain, or Canada will not qualify for the medal round and will not set foot in the Philippines. ESPN Africa’s Leonard Sohms believes that Ivory Coast in Group G has the most challenging draw of the five African teams, as it is up against Spain and Brazil, which feature many talents from top South American and European clubs. ESPN UK’s Mickey Carter-Browne predicts that Australia will likely qualify in the top spot in Group E due to their experienced team players that are well-suited to the international game.
The United States is among those with a travel advantage since they can stay in the same hotel, use the same practice facility, and play in the same venue for the three-week long World Cup in Manila. Any team in Group C and D also benefits from this as these teams can settle into the tournament without worrying about travel. The Dominican Republic, Finland, and South Sudan are among the teams that ESPN experts believe have the potential to surprise in the tournament. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, who has not played for the team since 2013, has stated his desire to play for the Dominican Republic.
