- Team Canada star gets neutralized in FIBA Semi-Finals
- Aleksa Avramovic goes viral for his intense defense effort on SGA
- Team Serbia advances to World Cup Finals after impressive win over Canadians
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a bright spot for Team Canada this summer, leading them in scoring during this year’s FIBA World Cup tournament. But against Serbia on Friday, Shai had one of his worst games yet with just 15 points on 4-6 shooting and 0-2 from downtown.
Undoubtedly, Aleksa Avramovic was a huge part of the game for his defense on SGA, which can only be described as stifling. Apparently, he was so impressive in the game that the FIBA Twitter account gave him a special shoutout on the platform: “And every move you make, Every bond you break, Every step you take, I’ll be watching you…”
From Aleksa Avramovic to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 💌#FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/5TNgkEZYz8
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 8, 2023
The post is actually a reference to the hit song ‘Every Step You Take’ from the Police, which was released in 1983. While the verse has nothing at all to do with basketball, it is a fitting description of the kind of defense that Avramovic was playing this week, especially on SGA.
Despite being among the top players in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander had trouble finding his rhythm against the Serbs and was held to 10 points below his 30.5 PPG average.
As for Avramovic, the European guard was pretty much unheard of in NBA circles coming into the World Cup this year, but his inspiring play this summer should get him on people’s radar as a potential high-impact player. In the match against Canada, he was able to stay locked on Shai and bother him with extreme physicality.
Aleksa Avramovic picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's pocket perfectly🍪pic.twitter.com/2URPrBLlDL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 8, 2023
Who Will Win The World Cup This Year?
With Team USA eliminated after their shocking defeat against Germany, the tournament is anyone’s to win. After Canada’s loss this week, of course, Team Serbia is now headed to the Finals for a clash with the Germans.
Fans are split so far on who they think will win the gold, but it’s hard to ignore how strong Serbia has looked so far. They had the best offense in the tournament out of all teams, with an offensive efficiency of 1.18 points per possession. Specifically, Team Serbia excels at getting to the rim with an average of 42.5 points coming from that area every game. If Aleksa can continue his great defensive play, and Serbia continues to see production from Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is shooting 85.7% at the rim.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, the Germans cannot be underestimated after sending home the USA. As the only undefeated team left, they pose a serious threat to Serbia. Their defense, which has allowed the fewest points per game of all teams in the tournament, has gotten them far already and there’s no reason to think it won’t be good enough to give them a chance in the Finals.
A New Era For World Basketball
Team USA and Canada will play one more game to determine the third-place winner, but it’s certainly taboo to see two European clubs competing for gold. If you look at the rosters, many names will go right over the fan’s heads, but it perfectly illustrates the power shift we’re seeing play out before our very eyes.
No longer is basketball dominated by the West. In fact, it seems many European countries are quickly gaining ground in the sport as we’ve seen with the ascension of international superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic.
Now, Team USA is going to have to work overtime to keep its lead in the world and make amends for their failure this year.
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