Anthony Davis headlines SI.com's FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team
USA put the finishing touches on a perfect 9-0 run to gold in the FIBA World Cup with a 129-92 victory over Serbia in the championship game on Sunday. Even without Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Paul George, the Americans put together their most dominant performance -- judged by average victory margin -- since Dream Team II in 1994.
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FIBA named Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (USA) as the World Cup MVP. Joining Irving on the All-Tournament Team were Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (USA), Bulls forward/center Pau Gasol (Spain), Blazers forward Nicolas Batum (France) and CSKA Moscow guard Milos Teodosic (Serbia).
SI.com's unofficial all-tournament team selections are below.
SI.com's FIBA World Cup All-Tournament First Team
Anthony Davis, USA (MVP): 12.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 54.9 FG%
If not for foul trouble limiting his minutes in multiple games, Davis would have left Spain as clearly the tournament's brightest star. His burgeoning confidence, length and added strength made him an impossible matchup for the field. The Americans defeated their opponents with heart-stopping offense and stretches of suffocating defense; Davis was the most indispensable two-way player, as anticipated. He impressed on both ends, finishing alley-oops, stepping out to hit jumpshots, swatting away floaters and layups with ease, and providing reliable cover for USA's perimeter defenders.
Pau Gasol, Spain: 20 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 1.4 APG, 63.5 FG%
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A quarterfinal exit was not what Gasol and his countrymen had in mind for what could be their last hurrah together. As the centerpiece of a potent Spanish attack, Gasol played brilliantly for much of the tournament, thereby providing Bulls fans with something exciting to take their minds off Derrick Rose's struggles. His 17-point, 8-rebound, 3-block effort went for naught in Spain's elimination loss to France, as he received little support: remarkably, Gasol shot 7-of-12 (58.3%) in that game while his teammates -- including NBA players Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Ricky Rubio -- combined to shoot 13-of-50 (26%).
Nicolas Batum, France: 14.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 48.9 FG%
Tony Parker's absence didn't stop Batum from leading France to the upset over Spain and, later, the bronze medal. Portland's 6-foot-8 small forward shook out of a perimeter shooting slump just in time to post 35 points (on 11-for-17 shooting, including eight three-pointers) in a semifinal loss to Serbia and 27 points (on 8-of-12 shooting and two three-pointers) in the third-place game against Lithuania.
Kyrie Irving, USA: 12.1 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 56.2 FG%, 60.9 3P%
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Coach Mike Krzyzewski received strong contributions from a number of his guards, but Irving's timing proved to be impeccable. The 22-year-old point guard saved his best for last, scoring 18 points in a semifinal victory over Lithuania and then exploding for a game-high 26 points (on 10-of-13 shooting and 6-of-6 from deep) in the championship game. Irving also led USA in assists on the tournament, doing well pushing the ball up the court to create desirable scoring opportunities in transition.
Milos Teodosic, Serbia: 13.6 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 55.4 FG%, 47.9 3P%
Teodosic, the only non-NBA player selected to the official All-Tournament Team, used the World Cup as a nice showcase for his game. The 27-year-old guard thrilled with his scoring and his play-making, leading Serbia in both points and assists as he guided his country to an unexpected silver medal. After the Serbians went 2-3 in group play to barely squeeze into the knockout stage, Teodosic raised his game, scoring 23 points (on 5-of-9 shooting) in a blowout victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals and then dumping in 24 points (on 9-of-12 shooting) to eliminate France in the semifinals.
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SI.com's FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Second Team
Kenneth Faried, USA: 12.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 63.8 FG%
Much like Davis, his frontcourt partner in crime, Faried succeeded in overwhelming his matchups throughout the tournament. The Nuggets forward's raw energy, end-to-end speed and high-flying finishes often made it appear as if he was in fast forward while the opposition was in slow motion.
Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania: 14.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1 BPG, 69.6 FG%
Toronto's 22-year-old center was a sturdy presence for Lithuania, who advanced to the bronze medal game before losing to Spain. Valanciunas led his country in both scoring and rebounding, and opponents often resorted to fouling him in an effort to slow him down in the post.
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Boris Diaw, France: 9.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4 APG, 47.8 FG%
It's never about the numbers for Diaw, who made a successful transition from being a postseason X-factor for the Spurs to stepping up as France's team leader in Parker's absence. His unselfish demeanor and cool play in the clutch was a major driver during France's upset of Spain, and he scored in double figures in the quarterfinals, semifinals and the third place game.
GoranDragic, Slovenia: 16 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1 SPG, 55.4 FG%
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Phoenix's All-NBA point guard impressed on and off the court in Spain. Not only did he carry Slovenia to the quarterfinals, where they lost to USA, he also called out Australia for "fixing" its group game against Angola. Dragic was upset that Australia wasn't playing the game the right way. His is own slashing, attack-minded style remains a joy to watch, even if it wasn't nearly enough to overcome a deeper American squad.
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Bojan Bogdanovic, Croatia: 21.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 50 FG%
Bogdanovic, 25, finished as the tournament's third-leading scorer, turning in another strong series of performances after earning All-Tournament Team honors at 2013 EuroBasket. Although Croatia was eliminated by France in the Round of 16, the 6-foot-8 wing went out in a blaze of glory, finishing with 27 points (on 11-of-19 shooting) and six rebounds. After spending the last three years playing in Turkey, Bogdanovic will join the Nets after signing a three-year deal this summer.
