The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is fast approaching and it’s time to update the Power Rankings, in its second edition of the summer, with a great Italy.
The FIBA Power Rankings are in no way an official ranking system, but represent the author’s assessment for each team to finish high or low at the top in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The World Cup begins on August 25.
#8 Italy (+5)
Number of World Cup appearances: 10
Best result: 4th in 1970 and 1978
FIBA world ranking: 10th
Let’s not talk about the full-court triple conceded against Turkey, but let’s focus on the fact that Italy won two consecutive games at the Trentino Cup before the FIBA World Cup, taking home the event and getting the MVP award to its prodigy Matteo Spagnolo.
If they get through their group, we could be set for another Italy-Serbia match in the second round, and if that happens, Italy is suddenly becoming one of the best 8 teams here, because you know they love nothing more than upsetting Serbia in a do-or-die game–they beat them again at the Acropolis Cup in Greece, again in a nail-biting game, so this is becoming a habit now for the Azzurri.
Source: press office FIBA World Cup 2023
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