Spain vs Slovenia Basketball Preview: Prediction, rosters and more for the FIBA World Cup 2023 tune-up
The FIBA World Cup is just two weeks away. With the brackets all complete and the showcases drawing to a close soon, the hype for the mainstage is building by the day.
Spain and Slovenia are getting ready to close the game with a win, and their Friendly match on August 11 is just a testament to their preparations. These two teams have been touted to go all the way, for two different reasons. Slovenia is powered by the Maverick from Dallas, and Spain plays the game of basketball with their slick fundamentals.
This is Spain's second game in a set of 3 friendlies, winning their first. Slovenia has played 4 games, losing 2 and winning 2.
In a head-to-head comparison, Spain towers over Slovenia, winning 8-3 overall. However, Luka's team won their last matchup against them, beating them 95-87.
So how are these two teams going to fare against each other?
Predictions and Rosters for the FIBA World Cup Friendlies
Spain
Spain will look to field a relatively unchanged lineup, with their starting 5 looking like this:
- Alberto Abalde
- Alberto Diaz
- Juancho Hernangomez
- Usman Garuba
- Joel Parra
Santi Aldama and Jaime Fernandez will come off the bench, giving them a nice rotation advantage. Spain has never completely relied on star power, and their ability to play off the ball is second to none. The reigning FIBA World Cup champions showed how slick passing basketball can win you trophies, akin to their football counterparts. Expect Spain to play the same brand of basketball even in a friendly.
Slovenia
Slovenia does not have any other names from the NBA apart from Luka Doncic and Vlatko Cancar, a second-round pick from the Denver Nuggets in 2017.
That does not mean they aren't a good team, as seen in the EuroBasket tournament last year. Qualifying for the quarterfinals of the tournament, the Solvenians eventually succumbed to Poland; however, this hasn't stopped them from coming back to the FIBA World Cup to go a few steps further.
Here is the predicted lineup for Slovenia:
- Luka Doncic
- Vlatko Cancar
- Zoran Dragic
- Mike Tobey
- Sasa Caini
This friendly can go Spain's way. Slovenia will give them a run for their money, but a skinny Luka and Goran Dragic's younger brother will not be enough to take down the reigning World and Eurobasket champions.