(Basketball news) At the World Cup, guard play in particular appears to be quite good for a number of teams. The event features some backcourts that are incredibly talented. Top four are listed below. 

Ranking best backcourts at 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup:

1. Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray-

Canada is incredibly wealthy in the backcourt guard post. While Murray and Gilgeous-Alexander make up the greatest starting tandem in the tournament, NBA rotation players Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luguentz Dort, and Cory Joseph are likely to start off the bench. 

Gilgeous-Alexander just had a season in which he suddenly became a superstar and was chosen to the All-NBA First Team at the end of the campaign. Only Michael Jordan (twice) has ever averaged more than his 31.4 points, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in league history, according to Stathead. 

Murray demonstrated his talent as one of the league’s top guards by assisting the Nuggets in winning the championship. Due to his exceptional shot creation and pick-and-roll mastery, he was selected first overall in our redraft of the 2016 NBA Draft. His 26.1 points per game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, which were more than six points higher than his regular season average, provide as evidence that he turns it on when it counts. 

Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray are both hard-working athletes who can score, create for teammates, and engage in physical defense in the backcourt on the opposing end of the court. With those two in charge, the Canadian roster shouldn’t see any problems with shot creation. 

2. USA: Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton-

Although Brunson has never been an All-Star, that will certainly change soon. He elevated his performance and increased his scoring to 27.8 points per game throughout the playoffs, carrying the Knicks. He has one of the deepest bags in the league and is one of the finest isolation scorers. He will fight on that end even if he is a small defense. 

Last year, Haliburton, who averaged 20.7 points and 10.4 assists for the Pacers during the regular season, was named to his first All-Star squad. He has a great eye for passing and makes 40.8 percent of his 3-point shots in his career. Haliburton will increase his scoring with players like Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards, and Brandon Ingram on the squad.

3. Slovenia: Luka Doncic and Aleksej Nikolic-

The best player in the competition may be Doncic. He has excelled in these circumstances, setting a modern record by scoring 47 points against France at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 past summer. He is a backcourt guard who was just named to the All-NBA First Team, and he takes these chances to play for Slovenia extremely seriously. In the later stages of the qualifications the previous season, Nikolic began alongside Doncic. Zoran Dragic, a veteran member of Slovenia’s national team, is also a contender to start. 

4. Spain: Ricky Rubio and Sergio Llull-

Rubio had an ACL tear towards the end of 2021 and returned for the second half of the NBA season in 2022–2023. In a poor return where he averaged a career-low 5.2 points and 3.5 assists, he revealed that he still wasn’t fully recovered. In terms of defense, he was a step sluggish, and for the Cavaliers in the playoffs, he was essentially unplayable.

With the additional vacation time Rubio has had, one can only hope that his body is well rested.  One of the best players outside the NBA for a long time has been Llull. In the 2022–23 season, he coached Real Madrid to their 11th EuroLeague title by making the game-winning shot in the final.

Canada Group, schedule at 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup:

Also read: At the FIBA Basketball World Cup, will Giannis Antetokounmpo represent Greece?