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What to watch for from Orlando Magic’s players at FIBA World Cup

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The FIBA World Cup is ready to begin in China on Saturday. (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)
The FIBA World Cup is ready to begin in China on Saturday. (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic, Nikola Vucevic, Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will represent their countries at the FIBA World Cup. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The FIBA World Cup will tip-off in China on Saturday with four Orlando Magic players representing their nations. What will we see from them?

Australia had just ended the United States’ invincibility.

Patty Mills‘ crazy fourth-quarter run put a dent in the belief the U.S. could send a depleted squad and still win this thing. Or it was concrete proof that this was the case.

With the number of American stars who had decided to skip out on the FIBA World Cup in China and the overall growth of international talent in the NBA and elsewhere, that was probably the case anyway. But it is easy to see other teams circling and believing this is their chance to medal.

This kind of opportunity is rare at any level of basketball. Everyone wants gold.

When the tournament tips off Saturday (each game will be available on ESPN+), there will be several teams feeling they will have a real chance to win gold. And with a dual group structure to the tournament, there will be plenty of compelling matchups to watch even before the knockout rounds.

The early round is going to be pro forma, it feels like. The U.S. is the clear class of Group E alongside Japan, the Czech Republic and Turkey. Greece, Serbia and Spain are the heavy favorites in their group. Really only Group H — Canada, Australia, Lithuania and Senegal — is going to be the most competitive group with three teams who all feel they can win.

But only two will advance to the next round.

With so many teams in the tournament, there will be a lot to see and observe as teams take the floor. Especially for a team like the Orlando Magic with four players playing in the FIBA World Cup.

Each will be asked to do different things for their teams. And what they do for those teams is not directly correlated to what the Magic will ask of them in the fall.

But these are still high-pressure, high-intensity games. These are still meaningful minutes and can give the Magic some clue about where players are at heading into training camp. They should not have to worry about being in game shape when training camp begins Oct. 1.

Here is what to expect from each player and their team as the World Cup gets set to begin.