Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming FIBA World Cup

Starting this Saturday morning, the 2014 FIBA World Cup begins.  We know about Team USA.  We've heard about nothing but that and the Kevin Love trade for a month now.  Luckily for us, this season we get two weeks of great basketball to hold us over until late October.  Here's a quick primer on all 24 teams and some games to keep an eye on.

Group A

Brazil - Spain’s not the only team with a front line: Splitter (breakout candidate?), Nene, Varejao,       

             with fun guards.

Egypt - No Comment.

France - Won EuroBasket to qualify.  No Tony Parker.  Diaw, Batum, Rudy Goburt, Fournier,   

               Gelabale, Mahinmi.

Iran - No Comment.

Serbia - Bogdan Bodanovic (27th pick by Suns) and Nenad Krstic’s bald spot.

Spain -  Stacked: Gasols, Ibaka, Rubio, Rudy, Calderon, Navarro, Spanish Chocolate (WITH A    

              BEARD!!), Victor Claver, Felipe Reyes   

                               Note: Nikola Mirotic is eligible to play for Spain and didn’t make the roster.

Group B

Argentina - Scola, Prigioni, Nocioni, and some other familiar faces.  Where are the young

                    contributors?

Croatia - DARIO!!  Also, Bojan Bogdanovic (Nets signee) and Damjan Rudez (Pacers signee)

               and Ante Tomic for comic relief.

Greece - Nick Calathes and the one and only Giannis (breakout candidate?).

Philippines - Andray Blatche. And there's a Jayson Williams that plays for a team named: Talk ‘N 

                    Text Tropang Texters.  And we thought America was doomed.

Puerto Rico - The JJ Barea show.  (Carlos Arroyo is hurt).

Senegal - Gorgui Dieng.

Group C

Dominican Republic - No Al Horford is a bummer.

Finland - No Comment.

New Zealand - Downside: No Steven Adams pissing off the world.  Upside: Rob Lowe!  Oh, wait.

                         Rob Loe (of Saint Louis fame from NCAA tourney).

Turkey - Omer Asik on a veteran team.  Unfortunately, no sign of Semih Erden.

Ukraine - 'Pooh' Jeter and an incoming freshmen on Kansas.  Might be a rough tournament for

                  Ukraine.  Also, is Jeter short for Jeterchenko or am I missing something?

USA - Yea, yea.  We know.  Derrick Rose and a bunch of scrubs.

Group D

Angola - No Comment.

Australia - Dante Exum(!!) and Delladova backcourt.  Also David Anderson.

Korea - No Comment

Lithuania - Donatas Montiejunas and Jonas Valanciunus front line should be fun!  No Kleiza, but they always have fun guards.

Mexico - Gustavo Ayon...Yikes.

Slovenia - Goran and Zoran Dragic!  Goran and Zoran?  Come on NBATV, that’s a reality show I

                   would watch.

Takeaway

The pendulum has officially swung when it comes to size in international basketball, right?  In this tournament alone we have Pau and Marc Gasol, Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas, Splitter, Nene, Varejao, Scola, Asik,  plus youngsters like Montiejunas, Dario Saric, Gorgui Dieng,  aaannnnndddd  Andray Blatche (yes, I’m counting him).  We should also have Horford and Mirotec, nevermind Dirk and Pekovic. All that and Team USA thinks Mason Plumlee is their starting C.  

Games to Catch

Friendly reminder:  All games are on WatchESPN.com.  (All times are Eastern)

Sat, 8/30

6:30 am    Philippines vs. Croatia (Dario vs. Blatche)

11:30 am     Australia vs. Slovenia (Exum vs. Dragic)

Noon         Brazil vs. France (The Group of Death begins)

Sun, 8/31

7:30 am    Croatia vs. Argentina

3:30 pm    USA vs. Turkey (Might be their biggest challenge during pool play)

Mon, 9/1

2:00 pm    Greece vs. Puerto Rico (Giannis vs. JJ Barea)

4:00 pm    Spain vs. Brazil  (Two of the best front lines in the tournament)

Tues, 9/2

11:30 am    Lithuania vs. Australia

Wed, 9/3

4:00 pm    Spain vs. France

Thurs, 9/4

3:30 pm    Slovenia vs. Lithuania

4:00 pm    Greece vs. Argentina

Fri, 9/6 & Sat, 9/7

Round of 16

Tues, 9/9 & Wed, 9/10

Quarterfinals

Thurs, 9/11 & Fri, 9/12

4:00 pm Semi-Finals

Sat, 9/13

4:00 pm 3rd Place Game

Sun, 9/14

3:00 pm World Cup Championship