The FIBA World Cup 2023 will tip off on August 26th and the first set of games are not to be missed. So far, we have seen players battle it out relentlessly as several teams look forward to redeem themselves. Teams USA, France, Germany, and Spain are currently projected to have a great stint during the tournament. These teams have been playing extremely well based on the exhibition games that took place over the last few weeks.
One of this year’s opening games is Slovenia vs. Venezuela. Both teams have not had great success during the preparation games. However, Slovenia has shown slight promise due to the existence of Luka Doncic on the roster. They won four of seven exhibition games with victories over Japan, China, and Montenegro. However, they have yet to win against true adversity.
LUKA DONCIC WITH THE BEHIND-THE-BACK WIZARDRY 😱 #FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/HkRpcN11vP
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 19, 2023
While Slovenia tries its best to earn the gold this year, Venezuela has been spending time on the loser’s end of the table. They’ve lost all seven of their exhibition games mostly due to the lack of star firepower. Slovenia vs. Venezuela will be an interesting game to watch as both teams have an equal chance of emerging victorious during the Group F opener.
Will Slovenia win against Venezuela in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Group F opener?
Slovenia vs. Venezuela FIBA World Cup 2023 opener will take place at the Okinawa Arena, Okinawa City, Japan. The game will take place on Friday, 4:30 AM PT, and will be live-streamed on FIBA’s Courtside 1891. Fans will also be able to watch the game on ESPN as well.
The first FIBA game for Slovenia is tomorrow at 6:30am!!!
Slovenia 🇸🇮 vs Venezuela 🇻🇪#MFFL @All_Things_Mavs pic.twitter.com/7um7g36z2H
— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) August 25, 2023
So far, we have seen teams play exhibition games which generally doesn’t mean you can predict what will happen during the tournament. However, Group F has teams that are truly capable of winning. Slovenia is a team to look out for especially since they have Luka Doncic. So let’s take a look at the starting lineups.
Slovenia Starting Lineup:
- Jaka Blazic
- Ziga Dimec
- Luka Doncic
- Zoran Dragic
- Vlatko Cancar
Venezuela Starting Lineup:
- Michael Carrera
- Nestor Colmenares
- Garly Sojo
- Windi Graterol
- David Cubillan
Having seen what Luka Doncic is capable of doing in the NBA, he will be a major threat to opponents in the FIBA World Cup 2023. However, even though he has the talent and skillset to lead, it doesn’t mean Slovenia is the clear-cut winner. On the other hand, Venezuela lacks offensive firepower as they do not have players that averaged 15 to 20 per game. This is what will give the Slovenians a chance to win.