Were three days into the 2014 FIBA World Cup and already there have been some standout performers in Spain. Heres our top-five players of the tournament to date.Gorgui Dieng - Senegal Arguably the best player of the tournament so far, Dieng is averaging 22 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks through three games. Hes been crucial to Senegals two wins over Puerto Rico and Croatia. Take a look at his statistical breakdown. The Minnesota Timberwolves product is averaging the most minutes per game out of anyone at the FIBA World Cup (37.3MPG). Dieng has been incredibly efficient given his workload and usage, shooting over 50 percent in every game hes played. His 10.7 free throw attempts per game is far and away the highest of any player. Pau Gasol - Spain Its not surprising to find Pau Gasol in this list given how well hes played for Spain in the past. The most impressive aspect of his work for Spain so far is that hes averaging the most points per game through three games in the tournament on limited minutes. The veteran is averaging 25.7 minutes in the group matches as Spain looks to share the load. Gasol has shot 65.1 percent from the field on 14.3 attempts and has been a threat beyond the three-point line, going at 50 percent. Spain provided a glimpse overnight at just how damaging they can be in the first quarter of their 82-63 win over Brazil. They scored 30 points on just 17 possessions with Gasol leading the way with 12 of those points. Heres how NBAs John Schuhmann assessed the 34-year-olds performance. Gasol seems determined to lead his team to gold on its home turf. He looks healthy and spry and his game looks complete. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and three impressive blocks on Monday, at one point meeting Nene at the rim and turning him away. Francisco Garcia - Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic could advance out of Group C, thanks in large part to Francisco Garcias efforts. Through two games, Garcia has averaged 23.5 points in 30 minutes. Hes shooting a whopping 60 percent from downtown on an average of 7.5 three-point attempts. His best performance came in a 76-63 win against New Zealand where he scored 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting. Garcia is yet to miss at the free throw line and will be integral in the Dominican Republics remaining three games against Finland, Team USA and Turkey. Luis Scola - Argentina Luis Scola is turning the clock back to 2010 where he was the leading scorer of the FIBA World Championship, averaging 27.1 points per game. In 2014, hes at it again, averaging 23 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 33.7 minutes through three games. Hes a big reason why Argentina have won two games so far. Scolas best performance in the tournament actually came in their loss against Croatia where he scored 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Manu Ginobilis absence has increased Scolas responsibility and production. Theyre almost certain to make it through to the last 16. Andray Blatche - Philippines I couldnt make a top-five list without featuring Andray Blatche! The guy has been a constant threat for the Philippines and if they had turned one or two of their close losses into wins then maybe he would be the best player of the tournament at this early stage. He has the highest usage out of the players in this list, average 17 field goal attempts in his 32.7 minutes. He hasnt quite been as a efficient but its hard to compare him to some of the guys on this list. After all, the Philippines dont exactly have the depth of talent of Spain or Argentina so his looks on average will be tougher. Hes responded to being the number one option on this team and has been seriously fun to watch. Blatche was at his best against Croatia in their OT loss, scoring 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 41 minutes. Honourable Mentions Unfortunately, theres only five players in the list but here is an extended group of players who shouldnt go unnoticed. Aron Baynes (Australia), Goran Dragic (Slovenia), JJ Barea (Puerto Rico), Anthony Davis (USA), Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia) and Renaldo Balkman (Puerto Rico).
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 01:30:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015