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The 2023 FIBA World Cup is underway, and countries are showcasing their basketball talent on the world stage.
This World Cup will see a record 55 NBA players in the competition. Naturally, these players are the early 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP favorites. The NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world, so it is no surprise that its players dominate any basketball court they step on.
The World Cup officially kicked off on August 25. There are 32 participating nations, and the tournament is hosted by multiple countries for the first time in its history -- Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. The second round begins on September 1, and the Finals will be held on September 10 in Manila, Philippines.
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Some notable games that took place on the first two days included heavy favorite USA taking on New Zealand, Luka Doncic and Slovenia torching Venezuela, No. 1 ranked Spain demolishing Cote d'Ivore, Canada routing France, Puerto Rico and South Sudan's overtime battle, and a few more.
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The top players are garnering attention for the World Cup MVP, so let's take a look at the ladder for the award.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP Ladder
Honorable mentions for the FIBA World Cup MVP include Tyrese Haliburton and Brandon Ingram of the USA, Rudy Gobert of France, and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Dominican Republic. They all excelled in the exhibition games and their respective openers in the group stages.
Although he is not in the MVP discussion, people are keeping an eye on Finnish player Lauri Markannen. Despite the loss, he put up 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists against Australia in Finland's opener. Similarly, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of Jordan turned into a "left-handed Kobe Bryant" against Greece, and he is getting a lot of attention as well.
Here are the top 5 players in the 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP ladder.
#5 - Willy Hernangomez
A surprise name in the 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP ladder, Willy Hernangomez caught everyone's attention with his spectacular performance against Cote d'Ivoire. The former Pelican put up a game-high 22 points on 75% shooting, along with five rebounds as Spain routed Ivory Coast 94-64.
Despite USA's reputation, Spain has entered the World Cup ranked no. 1 in the world. They won the 2019 FIBA World Cup and are one of the top favorites to lift the trophy.
If Willy Hernangomez continues to put up stellar numbers, it will be hard to not consider him for the MVP award.
#4 - Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson has been one of the best players for the United States ever since the FIBA games began. He led the way against their rival Spain in an exhibition match two weeks ago, putting up 22 points on a perfect 9-9 shooting. He can be seen hitting clutch shot after shot in this World Cup, winning the hearts of American fans.
The Knicks star scored 10 points in the opener against New Zealand, shooting 3-6 from the field, along with four rebounds and as many assists.
The United States are the favorites to win the World Cup, and if Brunson continues to torch the competition, he will certainly be one of the top candidates for the MVP trophy. USA went 5-0 in their exhibition games before defeating New Zealand.
#3 Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards has taken over the stacked USA squad. He is leading his country in the 2023 FIBA World Cup with 18.3 points per game and has put up some marquee performances so far.
He carried the team on his back and led a comeback against Germany with 34 points. The German team features several NBA players, and they led by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, but Edwards would not let the USA lose before heading to Manila.
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr had high praise for Anthony Edwards after the game:
"He's unquestionably 'the guy.' I mean…he knows it, but now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it. But we see it in practice every day. He genuinely believes he’s the best player in the gym every single night. And he’s such a dynamic young player, but I think he’s taking a leap."
In a "Media Projections Survey" held by FIBA, Anthony Edwards recieved the most votes (21.1%) for the MVP award prediction.
Similar to Jalen Brunson, the USA is expected to make a deep run in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and Anthony Edwards will continue to be in the MVP conversation.
#2 - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the league on notice during the 2022-23 NBA season, and he is doing the same to the world in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He put up 27 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals with just one turnover in the game against France. The Thunder guard is an early favorite to win the MVP award due to his heroics on the floor.
Alexander's teammate Dillon Brooks said of him after the victory against France:
"He's a great leader. He's vocal and talks a lot. He understands to get his teammates involved, and then he has the size as a point guard that not a lot of point guards have in this type of game. He's relentless."
Canada is considered a sleeper in this tournament, and many believe they can surprise the world with their talent. Reigning NBA champion Jamal Murray could not join his countrymen for this World Cup, but Canada is still turning heads. They are ranked 15th in the world by FIBA, yet they demolished the fifth-ranked French team by 30 points on Friday.
If Canada does indeed make a deep run in this World Cup, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will find himseld atop the MVP rankings.
#1 - Luka Doncic
With no Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, very few can challenge Luka Doncic on the international stage. He has been playing for Slovenia since he was teenager and already has a gold medal for representing his country.
When asked to predict the World Cup leading scorer, the media overwhelmingly voted for him (52.6%). He also led the vote for projected assists leader (32.9%). Luka Doncic leads his country in all stats so far, and he put up a monster 37-point performance in the opener against Venezuela.
Slovenia is entering the 2023 FIBA World Cup ranked seventh in the world, and they are arguably in the weakest group of the tournament. Media members ranked Group F with Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia and Venezuela as the "least toughest", and it should be a relatively easy task for Doncic and his teammates to advance to the second round.
Since 1950, only six players, whose team didn't win the World Cup, have won the MVP award. The last time it happened was 21 years ago (2002) when Dirk Nowitzki from Germany was named MVP, despite Yugoslavia winning the Cup. In most cases, the MVP trophy is given to a player from the last team standing, so if Slovenia doesn't at least make the Finals, Doncic's MVP case will weaken.
