The 2023 FIBA World Cup got underway on Friday with half of the 32 teams on the court in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
Saturday will see the remaining 16 teams get in on the action, including Team USA as it looks for its first World Cup title since 2014.
The Americans won all five of their exhibition games leading up to the tournament, but there was plenty of drama along the way. In particular, they had to overcome a 16-point deficit in the second half against Germany in a 99-91 win on Sunday.
The United States will open group play against New Zealand. Spain, the reigning FIBA World Cup champs, will begin its title defense on Saturday against Ivory Coast.
2023 FIBA World Cup Schedule—Saturday, Aug. 26 (All Times ET)
Group B: South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico (-1.5) (4 a.m.)
Group F: Cape Verde vs. Georgia (-13.5) (4 a.m.)
Group C: Jordan vs. Greece (-19) (4:45 a.m.)
Group G: Iran vs. Brazil (-17) (5:45 a.m.)
Group F: Slovenia (-21.5) vs. Venezuela (7:30 a.m.)
Group B: Serbia (-19.5) vs. China (8 a.m.)
Group C: USA (-38) vs. New Zealand (8:40 a.m.)
Group G: Spain (-24.5) vs. Ivory Coast (9:30 a.m.)
Live Stream: All games available on ESPN+
Given the point spreads for Saturday's games, it's not looking like a very competitive slate. Puerto Rico vs. South Sudan is the only one where the favorite isn't expected to win by at least 13.5 points.
Puerto Rico is a top-25 team in the current FIBA world rankings, while South Sudan is at No. 62. This is South Sudan's first-ever appearance in the FIBA World Cup after reaching the quarterfinals in the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket.
Everyone in Group B is likely going to be looking up at a Serbian team that features Nikola Jović and Bogdan Bogdanović.
Per an official release from the NBA, a total of 55 NBA players are participating in this year's tournament. Twenty-seven of the 32 teams have at least one NBA player, led by the United States with 12 and Australia with nine.
While Team USA is a heavy favorite to win the tournament (-130; bet $130 to win $100), there are flaws with this group that can be exposed in the right matchup.
One thing that Germany was able to take advantage of was the American's lack of size. The Germans had a 55-42 rebounding advantage, including 15-8 on the offensive glass.
Where the United States does have an edge over the other teams is scoring. Anthony Edwards has been the talk of the team during the five-game exhibition schedule.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star was instrumental in that comeback win over Germany. He finished with 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting in 34 minutes. No other U.S. starter scored more than eight points.
USA Basketball @usabasketballANTHONY. EDWARDS. TIE BALL GAME.<br><br>📺 FOX | 🇺🇸 <a href="">#USABMNT</a> <a href="">
Head coach Steve Kerr said after the game Edwards is "unquestionably the guy" for this team.
It's not a surprise that Edwards is making a strong impression on the world stage. He's been on a superstar trajectory since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. This tournament might be a prelude to him joining the ranks of the best of the best in the NBA during the 2023-24 season.
New Zealand is unlikely to provide much of a challenge for Edwards and the United States. This sixth consecutive FIBA World Cup appearance, but it hasn't finished higher than 12th since 2002.
The final game of Saturday's schedule features a team that could be the main challenger for Team USA.
Spain is the only other team that has won this tournament since 2006 (twice—2006 and 2019). It lost two exhibition games leading into the World Cup, against the United States and Canada, and was defeated by Italy in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers in February.
A loss to Ivory Coast on Saturday would be a stunning upset and huge blow for the Spanish team that has a looming showdown against a solid Brazil squad on Monday.
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