Thunder FIBA Preview: Who's Playing and What to Watch For
As FIBA match play gets ready to tip-off, Oklahoma City has a handful of players to keep an eye on. Thunder fans will be locked in on two teams in particular, Team Canada and Team Australia, despite the team’s overflow of international talent. A few players on the Thunder roster elected to stay back in the United States and train with the team ahead of a big upcoming season.
Players like Aleksej Pokusevski and Vasijile Micic will be working with the Thunder in preparation for the season, and Usman Garuba, who plays for Spain, was recently waived.
Here are the team’s featuring Thunder players and what to keep an eye on during the cup.
Team Canada
Oklahoma City is heavily represented by Team Canada, as two starters are suiting up for the loaded squad. Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort played heavy minutes during the team’s exhibition matches and are expected to play even more during match play.
Gilgeous-Alexander appears to be the team’s best player coming off of his first All-NBA First Team season and finishing in the top-five for MVP voting. His best game over the course of Canada’s exhibition matches was a 26-point outing in a win over New Zealand, where the star guard shot 9-of-12 from the floor and added six steals.
Dort has been coming off the bench for the Canadians, but playing his signature hounding defense and contributing on offense when needed. If his shot is falling, Team Canada could close with Dort in the lineup and run an effective small-ball unit.
What To Watch For
Gilgeous-Alexander has been commanding defensive attention and generating wide open looks for his teammates. He’s had a few big scoring outings, but his shot hasn’t necessarily been falling.
It’ll be interesting to see if SGA can get back on track offensively and find easy ways to score. Of course, it’s harder to get to the free throw line with FIBA officiating, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for Gilgeous-Alexander, who is lethal around the rim.
If the two Thunder stars are hitting from deep and scoring the ball in an efficient manner, Team Canada should be one of the best international teams playing. The NBA talent across the roster is there, and this team has a chance to go far.
The country hasn’t qualified for the olympics since 2000 and has a real chance to do so this year. Team Canada will tip-off Friday against France before a date with Lebanon on Sunday.
Team Australia
The Aussies will show-off a lineup with plenty of NBA talent headlined by Thunder point guard Josh Giddey. With Team Australia, the offense runs through Giddey — he runs the show, and the team plays to his pace. He’s had a few quiet scoring outings, but has been high in the assist column during every exhibition game.
In addition to Giddey, Jack White is also suiting up for Team Australia after being signed by the Thunder this summer. With the impending roster trim, it’s unclear if White will make it past training camp, but a strong FIBA session could bode well for the forward.
What To Watch For
Giddey has been much more aggressive around the rim and it’s resulting in more trips to the free throw line. If he can do that with the Thunder, he’ll raise his scoring average with ease.
Watching Giddey as the No. 1 option on offense should be fun for all Thunder fans, as he’s more of a secondary scorer behind Gilgeous-Alexander in the NBA. The more he adds to his offensive bag, the better for the Thunder, and it’ll be on display for Team Australia.
White, on the other hand, brings an infinite amount of hustle and toughness. It’ll be interesting to see his minute distribution and what kind of role he plays for the Aussies now that the games mean much more. White could help his case for a spot on the Thunder roster over the next week or so.
The Boomers will square off against Finland, Germany, and Japan in the first round of the Group Phase in Okinawa, Japan.
Team Latvia
Oklahoma City’s last player featured in international ball is another question mark on the roster. Davis Bertans will take the court in FIBA action and try to help a Latvia team without Kristaps Porzingis. Bertans’ role could be extended in his absence.
Bertans was ejected in Latvia’s exhibition versus Lithuania after a hard foul and his team struggled without him on the floor. If he can step up offensively, the squad could get hot from behind the 3-point line.
What To Watch For
It’s no secret that Bertans’ calling card has been his 3-point shot. Over the course of his NBA career, Bertans has been a 39.8% 3-point shooter. His outside shooting landed him a big contract from the Washington Wizards and is what makes him so valuable as a player. As someone who’s on the bubble of making the Thunder roster, if he can show his ability to fire away from deep, Oklahoma City might look to keep him around to space the floor.
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