Are these the biggest disappointments of the 2023 FIBA World Cup?

32 teams headed to Asia to put their best foot forward in hopes of representing their country with pride. While certain clubs entered with the idea of winning the tournament, many were hoping to compete in the later stages of the tournament, which would solidify an Olympic berth in 2024. However, some teams and players fell short in their ultimate quest.

Given their traditionally strong play during international competition, France is usually looked at as one of the favorites. Their reputation preceded them this year as well, but the team did not live up to the hype. They somehow failed to make the qualifying round, despite featuring Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum on their roster.

It was always going to be an uphill climb for Finland to hang in games, but the meteoric rise of favored son Lauri Markkanen made it seem like an upset or two was possible. For his part, Markkanen was superb, averaging over 24 points a contest. However, he didn’t receive much help when it mattered most.

It would have been nice if one of the Asian teams had a stunning run into the knockout stage, and perhaps the Philippines was best positioned for that. Jordan Clarkson could score with anyone in FIBA competition, and Kai Sotto had a golden chance to prove he was NBA-worthy. While Clarkson put up some huge point totals, the Philippines didn’t really scare anyone during group play.

NBA players are in a very difficult position during this tournament. The desire to play for their country is genuine, but they also know that their bread is buttered in the United States. It’s unfortunate that talented players like Kristaps Porzingis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rui Hachimura were not able to suit up.

The up-and-coming player has “future star” written all over him, but Jackson’s lack of rebounding production during the tournament has left a lot to be desired. He’s more athletic than the vast majority of players he’s going up against, which makes it a little disappointing that he hasn’t cleaned the glass better during the tournament.

There’s no doubt that Edey is one of the best players in all of college basketball, but he was humiliated during the NCAA Tournament last March. It makes sense that Team Canada would use Edey sparingly in favor of seasoned NBA veterans, but the FIBA Tournament seemed like a chance for him to change up the narrative.

The Brazilians were a force to be reckoned with during the days of Nene and Leandro Barbosa, but are looking to build their cupboard back up. Bruno Caboclo had a surprisingly effective tournament, but Marcelinho Huertas and Cristiano Felicio struggled to get much going. That tandem needed to play better if Brazil was going to make a run.

The Americans come into every tournament with immense pressure to play without any errors. They’re expected to win each game, and every instance that doesn’t happen goes down as a massive upset. The United States has still largely played well with a mix-and-match roster, but this tournament showed that the top dogs were vulnerable.