Group B
In this group, the teams from Russia, Argentina, Nigeria, and South Korea will compete. Two of the TOP 10 FIBA-ranked teams in this championship, Argentina and Russia, will compete in this group. The Nigerian team, which was ranked 8th in the initial FIBA rankings, is now ranked only 18th in the latest rankings, while the South Korean team is ranked 29th. Of course, these are just preliminary rankings, which not everyone will agree with, but there is certainly some rationale behind them.
Argentina
The Argentine team enters this championship with all its best players and a truly dangerous team. The team will feature familiar faces to both avid and casual basketball fans: most of the team's play is expected to revolve around veteran L. Scola, who, despite being 39 years old, leaves no doubt about his game. Campazzo (Real), G. Deck (Real) had excellent seasons in Europe representing one of the best teams on the old continent – Real Madrid. P. Garino (Baskonia), M. Delia (Murcia), L. Vildoza (Baskonia) also had good seasons in strong Spanish clubs, with Vildoza even becoming one of Baskonia's leaders this season. These players are expected to be the main driving force of the Argentine team in this championship:
Luis Scola – averaging 21 points and 6 rebounds for the Shanghai Sharks, the Argentine, despite being 39 years old, spent an average of 34 minutes on the court. The season in China is much shorter than in Europe or the NBA, so it is likely that the team's star had time to prepare for the World Championships, and considering he looked great both in China and in the national team's preparation games, Scola should once again be the leader of the Argentine team.
Facundo Campazzo – averaging ~9 points and ~5 assists for Real Madrid, the Argentine spent an average of 24 minutes on the court and has already become one of the key players for one of the strongest teams in Europe. The 1.80 m tall player often has problems in defense, but his quickness, excellent court vision, and accurate shots provide a lot of benefits to the team, and he should be one of the main pillars of the team in this championship.
Luca Vildoza – raising his scoring average from 4.5 points to 9.1 points this season, the Argentine was simply killing opponents with accurate three-point shots. Vildoza can attack from various positions, and if he finds his rhythm, just raising hands might not be enough to stop him from making a three-pointer. With Campazzo and Scola on the court, Vildoza is likely to have more space in offense and will be a very important part of Argentina's offense.
Prediction: The Argentine team is the clear favorite in this group. For various reasons, several key Russian team players have refused to participate in the championship, so the main competitor for the 1st place in this group should be Nigeria, which, although dangerous, should be beatable.
Russia
The Russian team comes to this championship far from its strongest lineup: the team will be without T. Mozgov and A. Shved, who were supposed to be key players, as well as less important but still helpful D. Khvostov and D. Kulagin. Now the team will have to focus much more on team play, as they will no longer have clearly defined leaders like A. Shved and T. Mozgov. Almost all the team's players are average in their teams, except for S. Karasev, who was one of Zenit's leaders this season and is expected to play an important role in this team. The key players for Russia in this championship will be:
S. Karasev – averaging ~17 points in this EuroCup season for Zenit St. Petersburg, the Russian was one of the main players of the team. The left-handed sniper has good skills to play 1-on-1, create his own shot, and drive to the basket. Next season, the forward, who will become a pupil of R. Kurtinaitis at Khimki Moscow, will undoubtedly be the person entrusted with shots in crucial moments.
A. Vorontsevich – a long-time member of CSKA Moscow had a very poor season. Missing most of it due to injury, the big man returned to the court at the end of the regular season but did not have time to shine. Of course, club basketball and the national team are completely different things, so on the international stage, this player's ability to stretch the floor and make shots will be very important for this Russian team.
V. Fridzon – a well-known guard who was not one of the most important players at CSKA Moscow, but again, the situation will be somewhat different in the national team. The experienced veteran, capable of attacking the basket from various distances, will once again be one of the main pillars of this team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkV-uH084C8
Prediction: It is likely that the main competitor for advancing to the next stage for Russia will be the Nigerian team. These two teams should compete for the second place, as the Argentine team looks much more experienced and significantly stronger entering this championship. It would not be surprising if Russia is eliminated in the first stage of the championship.
Nigeria
Nigeria has assembled perhaps the strongest national team the country has ever had. This summer, the national team will be helped by the country's brightest star, Portland Trail Blazers player Al-Farouq Aminu, as well as E. Udoh, who has played in the EuroLeague and NBA. Among the candidates are also other well-known names: veteran Ike Diogu, Al-Farouq Aminu's brother Alade Aminu, Michael Eric, who shone in the EuroLeague with Istanbul Darussafaka, and Ike Ireogbu, who represented Panevėžys Lietkabelis last season. The team certainly has familiar faces, but it is likely that the main leaders of the team in this tournament will be:
E. Udoh – having spent the last seasons with the Utah Jazz, the player did not increase his value in the NBA. Once one of the highest-paid players in Europe and a EuroLeague champion with Fenerbahce Ulker, Udoh will play in China next season, where he will again try to increase his value. In any case, he is a dangerous player who can defend well, make difficult shots, and battle under the basket with any opponent.
Al-Farouq Aminu – the forward, who moved to the Orlando “Magic” team this offseason, averaged 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, which are quite solid numbers for a player who does not have the most important role in the team. Aminu is excellent at defending against players of all positions and is a good shooter who cannot be left open.
M. Eric – averaging 11 points and 5 rebounds for Istanbul Darussafaka, the big man became one of the main players of the team as the season progressed. The tandem of the center, who plays well with his back to the basket and fights for rebounds, with E. Udoh will be one of the main guarantees of Nigeria's success, on which the team's performance in the tournament will largely depend.
Prediction: We must hope that the financial problems that arose before the championship will not distract the players from the upcoming battles. It seems that with all the financial issues resolved and the entire team heading to China, the Nigerian team will continue to be one of the “dark horses” of the championship, which should not be underestimated. This team, at least in terms of lineup, looks stronger than the Russian and South Korean teams, so if there are no major surprises, we should see the Nigerian team in the next stage.
South Korea
South Korea enters this championship as the clear underdog of the group, with low expectations from anyone. Nevertheless, the assembled team plays in the strongest clubs of the South Korean basketball championship, so they know each other well, and good teamwork could be a factor in surprising in one game or another. It is likely that the team will mainly rely on long shots and play through the naturalized American Ra Gun.
Ricardo Ratliffe, who later shortened his name to Ra Gun, simply dominated in this South Korean basketball league championship representing the Mobis Phoebus team. The 30-year-old, 203 cm tall forward averaged 24 points and 14 rebounds per game. Of course, it cannot be forgotten that the level of play in the Korean basketball league is not the highest and significantly lags behind European basketball, but to demonstrate such statistics still requires talent and skills, which this player certainly has. Ra Gun does not have a stable long-distance shot and is dangerous only from mid-range and closer to the basket, so a large part of the team's success will also depend on how well the double-teamed forward near the basket can read situations and pass the ball to teammates.
Prediction: The South Korean team is undoubtedly the weakest in this group, and their advancement to the next stage would be a big surprise. If their shots fall well and Ra Gun has a good day, the team can hope to maintain a tough fight with all the group teams, but it is likely that at some point the opposing teams will be able to turn the game in their favor. The South Korean team's journey in this championship should end in the group stage.
