Saturday saw the opening to four games of group play from those in A and B, meanwhile C is slated to take the stage on Sunday. As the NBA begins to the field the surge of young NBA talent, we began to see to the debuts of many young stars as they took face for their respective nations.
Australia marched victorious against the Spaniards who have evidently regressed in talent since the days of dominance during the prime years of Marc and Pau Gasol. Led by the stat sheet stuffer of recently acquired Chicago Bull, Josh Giddey who fielded 17 points along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. On the other end, Santi Adalma of the Memphis Grizzlies put up 27 points and 6 rebounds, and proved that his sole efforts will not be enough to bring Spain back to the top of the pedestal. With games against Greece’s Antetokounmpo and the star studded American rivals, Canada as their remaining fixtures, Spain is headed for an inevitable early exit, while Australia lives to fight another day, yet their hopes of seeing through this group of death remains thin.
In Group B, France rooted through the Brazilians with a 78 to 66 victory, meanwhile the world cup winners, Germany saw seamless victory against the Japanese with a score of 97 to 77. The respective standouts? None other than Victor Wembenyama, who has no reason to no dominate a game with his towering presence in a paint that bares not the expense of the three second violation we are accustomed to in the NBA. The 4 steals and 3 blocks showcased yet a glimpse of what the 20 year old is capable of. Along with a four time defensive player of the year by his side, they pose a formidable threat for any team that they face. As for the Germans, Franz Wagner continues to make his name as a rising star in the NBA, alongside Schroder who dominated the World Cup scene the year before. Franz fielded in 22 points and 6 rebounds and established himself as the player of the game. The looming matchup between the French and Germans checks a lot of different boxes stylistically and leaves a lot for fans to be excited about.
Prediction: France and Canada finish at the top of their groups while Germany and Greece as runners up.