Luka Doncic’s Slovenian squad is an underrated team to look out for during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. With the amount of success the 24-year-old has had in the NBA, there is nothing that would possibly stop him from carrying the momentum overseas. However, Cape Verde has a set of individuals who are mentally ready to take on the challenge.
Luka has been putting up a great show against teams of Group F coming off back-to-back victories against Venezuela and Georgia. Slovenia dominated the floor against the Venezuelans from the free throw line and offensively in general. Doncic scored 37 points against them. Slovenia upped their defense in Game 2 against Georgia recording 9 steals while holding them down from deep.
The worst thing you can do is talk trash to Luka Dončić, he will make you pay.#FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/Ph0UPclP9t
— Mavs Fans For Life (@MavsFansForLife) August 29, 2023
In terms of defense, Cape Verde is an extremely strong team led by Edy Tavares. However, it was their lack of offensive firepower that caused the upset in Game 1 against Georgia. Cape Verde brought a sense of balance against Venezuela, averaging 45.8% from the field, 42.3% from deep, and 59.3% from the foul line. They also maintained their defensive prowess recording 4 blocks and 9 steals.
Will Cape Verde redeem themselves against Slovenia to qualify for round two of the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
As the 2023 FIBA World Cup group stages slowly come to an end, Slovenia will be taking on Cape Verde. The latter will be competing to avoid elimination and move on to the next stage. The game will take place at the Okinawa Arena, in Okinawa City, Japan. Tip-off will happen at 4:30 AM (PT) and it will be streamed on FIBA’s Courtside 1891. Fans from across the world will also be able to watch the game on ESPN+ and ESPN 2.
Both teams have two hungry leaders looking for a win backed by a set of well-rounded individuals. Let us take a look at the start lineups.
Team Slovenia Starting Lineup:
- Mike Tobey
- Luka Doncic
- Aleksej Nikolić
- Bine Prepelic
- Zoran Dragić
Team Cape Verde Starting Lineup:
- Will Tavares
- Edy Tavares
- Ivan Almeida
- Beto Gomes
- Patrick Lima
Edy Tavares out there playing volleyball in Okinawa 🏐#FIBAWC x #WinForCaboVerde 🇨🇻 pic.twitter.com/IO7hplwfSM
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 26, 2023
Luka Doncic has certainly been performing well averaging 35.5 points per game. However, there is another player that Cape Verde should be worried about, and it is Mike Tobey. He is as capable as Doncic offensively which may pose a threat to the opposite when they least expect it. Edy Tavares and Cape Verde do have the upper hand on defense but it may not be enough.