PIRAEUS (Greece) - Almost a week has passed since the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Greece finished, but there are still players who deserve recognition in the wake of this event.
We went through all six participating nations to pick out the MVP for each country in this short and sweet tournament.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - Greece
Stats: 23.0 EFF, 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 block per game - 62.5% FG, 50% 3P, 64% FT
This one is a no-brainer. The TISSOT MVP of the event was clearly the best player for the hosts, and just by standing on the court, you could feel the gravitational pull he brings, taking all the focus and attention from the defense, the fans, the media - everybody.
The tournament in Greece was Giannis's first bout of competitive basketball in nearly three months, but there were no signs of rust He needed just 22.5 minutes per game to average 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block.
The scariest part is that Greece were a +51 team in his 68 minutes of work, and he scored one point per minute in the Peace and Friendship Stadium. He's got another two weeks to work on his fitness before tip-off at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
Ivica Zubac - Croatia
Stats: 33.0 EFF, 22.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 block per game - 76.6% FG, 82.6% FT
This guy is a monster, and his teammate Jaleen Smith praised him on both ends of the floor, saying Ivica makes life easier for guards when they have to pressure the ball, knowing a giant like him has their backs in case they get beaten, while offensively he's always in the right spots at the right time.
Zubac averaged 22.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists, giving him an efficiency rating of 33 per game, all while playing the third-most minutes for Croatia in Greece.
Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja played more than the LA Clipper, both of them were excellent, averaging more than 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, but both of them were so far away from Zubac's influence on the floor, too.
Zubac is 27, so he's got another shot or two at the Olympics, but it wasn't to be this time around.
Luka Doncic - Slovenia
Stats: 26.3 EFF, 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.0 steal per game - 39% FG, 77% FT
He was far from his best physically, but the ball just bounces differently when Luka's got it in his hands. The craftiness is something incredible, and when you consider he didn't have his best tournament and still posted up these numbers, that's probably the best way to explain how special Doncic is.
The megastar from Slovenia had 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in Greece. The best part of the whole tournament came with four minutes left on the game clock in the Semi-Finals against the hosts.
Knowing it's impossible to catch up, coach Aleksander Sekulic took Luka out of the game, and the capacity crowd at the Peace and Friendship Stadium put their hands together to respect the man they feared could spoil Greece's plans this summer.
Coach Vasilis Spanoulis called him special, and an idol on and off the court. We couldn't agree more.
Chris Duarte - Dominican Republic
Stats: 17.3 EFF, 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals per game - 48.7% FG, 80% FT
Without the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Al Horford, Angel Delgado and Lester Quinones on the roster, it was down to Duarte to take the scoring load for the Dominican Republic. He did exactly that, putting up 19 points per contest, getting his team so close to the Final, even without all those big names.
Duarte is strong, hungry and just turned 27, meaning he has plenty of basketball ahead of him. He will keep the missed three-pointer at the buzzer against Croatia somewhere in his mind for a long time, and use it to fuel his motivation for future success.
Maybe already at the FIBA AmeriCup next summer.
Shea Ili - New Zealand
Stats: 26.0 EFF, 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steal per game - 62% FG, 80% 3P, 72.7% FT
It's the same old, same old when it comes to Shea Ili and New Zealand. People who watch the major events and saw him for the first time usually are in awe and amazed at how good of a point guard he is. People who've followed him closely get to say "told you so."
The numbers say he was up to 23 points with an incredible shooting split of 62 percent from the field and 80 (!) percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged 6 rebounds and 4 assists per contest, but numbers don't even paint the full picture because his actual strength is on the defensive end.
He'll take home a memorable win over Croatia, but in a bizarre twist of fate, in a three-way tie at 1-1, New Zealand failed to reach the Semi-Finals.
Ahmed Metwaly - Egypt
Stats: 20.0 EFF, 23.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals per game - 54.2% FG, 37.5% 3P, 93.3% FT
It doesn't matter who starts the game, because there are plenty of game changers coming off the bench. Ahmed Metwaly is one of them.
The 27-year-old guard provided the instant scoring punch for coach Henrik Rodl, counting to 46 points in 51 minutes of work across two games in Piraeus.
He was so close to a 50-40-90 shooting split, hitting 13-of-24 from the field, 6-of-16 from deep and 14-of-15 from the free throw line, while also handing out 5.0 assists per game.
Facing the Dominican Republic and Greece was too big of a task for the Pharaohs this time around, but they've learned another valuable lesson. Inch by inch, they are placing the country on the international map of basketball.
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