{"id":107390,"date":"2025-08-30T08:09:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T08:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/107390\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T08:09:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T08:09:50","slug":"10-players-to-watch-at-eurobasket-2025-luka-giannis-jokic-headline-france-has-intriguing-non-wemby-trio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/107390\/","title":{"rendered":"10 players to watch at EuroBasket 2025: Luka, Giannis, Joki\u0107 headline, France has intriguing non-Wemby trio"},"content":{"rendered":"

EuroBasket 2025<\/a> tipped off on Wednesday where 24 nations will compete to be crowned basketball champions of Europe. There will be a heavy dose of NBA<\/a> players featured across the tournament, as 15 countries boast NBA talent heading into the tournament. The headliners are obvious, as Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>\u00a0(Greece) and Nikola Joki\u0107 (Serbia) will all suit up for their respective countries, but there’s a handful of names on several rosters that warrant attention.<\/p>\n

From faces of league and budding superstars to up-and-coming talent, this year’s EuroBasket is littered with guys who you should keep an eye on. And with the NBA season still two months away, this serves as the first opportunity to see what guys have been working on over the summer.<\/p>\n

Ahead of all the action, here’s 10 guys worth paying attention to at EuroBasket 2025.<\/p>\n

1. Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Slovenia<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Thursday, Aug. 28: Slovenia vs. Poland | 2:30 p.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0France vs. Slovenia | 11 a.m. ETSunday, Aug. 31:\u00a0Slovenia vs. Belgium | 8 a.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 2:\u00a0Iceland vs. Slovenia | 11 a.m. ETThursday, Sept. 4:\u00a0Israel vs. Slovenia | 11 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

Don\u010di\u0107 might have the most eyes on him during this tournament for the simple fact that everyone will be wanting to get a sneak peek of his play now that he’s slimmed down and used this summer to focus on health and nutrition. Lakers fans will want to see how he operates with a new physique, and if Slovenia’s tune-up game against Latvia is any indication, in which Don\u010di\u0107 had 26 points in the first half, my guess is we’re in store for a dominant performance from him throughout this tournament. He was already a top-five player in the league with less conditioning, and now that he’s taking that part of his game more seriously, we could be in store for an MVP season from the Slovenian superstar. How he fares in EuroBasket will certainly give us a glimpse of that. Slovenia enters the tournament as a dark horse, and while they may not boast the depth of high-level talent that Serbia, France or Germany does, Don\u010di\u0107 has proven he can take this team far on his skillset alone.<\/p>\n

2. Nikola Joki\u0107, Serbia<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Wednesday, Aug. 27:\u00a0Serbia vs. Estonia | 2:15 p.m. ETFriday, Aug. 29:\u00a0Portugal vs. Serbia | 2:15 p.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0Latvia vs. Serbia | 11 a.m. ETMonday, Sept. 1:\u00a0Serbia vs. Czechia | 2:15 p.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 3:\u00a0T\u00fcrkiye vs. Serbia | 2:15 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

The three-time NBA MVP will try to lead Serbia to a gold medal after a disappointing ninth-place finish at the 2022 tournament. We’ve seen Joki\u0107 lead Serbia to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last summer, and with primarily the same roster returning Serbia is the favorite to walk away winners at EuroBasket. Joki\u0107 dominates on any stage, and while he already has an NBA championship to his name, we haven’t seen him climb the mountaintop for Serbia, this may be the opportunity to capture that elusive gold.<\/p>\n

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Thursday, Aug. 28:\u00a0Greece vs. Italy | 2:30 p.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0Cyprus vs. Greece | 11:15 a.m. ETSunday, Aug. 31:\u00a0Georgia vs. Greece | 8 a.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 2:\u00a0Greece vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8 a.m. ETThursday, Sept. 4:\u00a0Spain vs. Greece | 2:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

Unless Giannis makes a trade request in the next five months, this may be the best chance he gets at winning some hardware in the foreseeable future. That sounds grim, but even in a weakened Eastern Conference the Bucks just don’t look like a team that can go on a run in the playoffs. That’s not true of this Greece team, that will center around Giannis’ otherworldly talents and the fact that there isn’t a single player in this tournament capable of slowing him down. Greece has the fourth-best odds to win it, and with Antetokounmpo at the helm you really can’t count this team out.<\/p>\n

4. Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is, Latvia<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Wednesday, Aug. 27:\u00a0Latvia vs. T\u00fcrkiye | 11 a.m. ETFriday, Aug. 29:\u00a0Estonia vs. Latvia | 11 a.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0Latvia vs. Serbia | 11 a.m. ETMonday, Sept. 1:\u00a0Portugal vs. Latvia | 11 a.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 3:\u00a0Czechia vs. Latvia | 11 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

Porzi\u0146\u0123is hasn’t played in EuroBasket since his famed 2017 appearance in which he dueled against a then unknown guy by the name of Luka Don\u010di\u0107 who beat Porzi\u0146\u0123is and Latvia in the quarterfinals and eventually went on to win the whole tournament. Porzi\u0146\u0123is and Don\u010di\u0107 put on a show in that meeting, but injuries have stopped the Latvian star from suiting up for his home country on the international stage in several competitions. But now, free of injury and serving as one of the host nations of the tournament, Porzi\u0146\u0123is will be the star on a Latvian team that has the sixth-best odds to win it all. Watching Porzi\u0146\u0123is play in front of a home crowd will be a sight to see, and he’ll be backed by a pretty solid roster that also features former NBA player D\u0101vis Bert\u0101ns.<\/p>\n

5. Alperen Sengun, T\u00fcrkiye<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Wednesday, Aug. 27:\u00a0Latvia vs. T\u00fcrkiye | 11 a.m. ETFriday, Aug. 29:\u00a0T\u00fcrkiye vs. Czechia\u00a0| 7:45 a.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0T\u00fcrkiye vs. Portugal | 2:15 p.m. ETMonday, Sept. 1:\u00a0Estonia vs. T\u00fcrkiye | 7:45 a.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 3:\u00a0T\u00fcrkiye vs. Serbia | 2:15 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

Sengun is coming off a career year with the Rockets<\/a>, and should be riding into EuroBasket on a high knowing he’ll get the chance to play with Kevin Durant<\/a> in the fall. That aside, though, Sengun is a rising young star in the league as a do-it-all center who can get you 20 and 10 every night. He’s been compared to Joki\u0107 on a number of occasions for his ability to impact games with his scoring as much as his facilitation, and with T\u00fcrkiye that should be on full display. It will be interesting to see how much of the offense runs through him, and how much he’s improved as a shot creator both for himself and for teammates. Seeing Sengun go up against Joki\u0107 in their last group stage game will be like watching teacher and student go at it.<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Wednesday, Aug. 27:\u00a0Montenegro vs. Germany | 9:30 a.m. ETFriday, Aug. 29:\u00a0Germany vs. Sweden | 6:30 a.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0Lithuania vs. Germany | 6:30 a.m. ETMonday, Sept. 1:\u00a0Germany vs. Great Britain | 9:30 a.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 3:\u00a0Finland vs. Germany | 1:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

In each of the last three times we’ve seen Wagner suit up for Germany, he’s shown improvement that then carries over into how he performs in the NBA. In 2022, following his rookie season, he helped Germany take home bronze at EuroBasket, which catapulted him into a more efficient scorer for his sophomore season for the Magic. At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he walked away a world champion after beating Serbia in the gold medal game. He then followed that up with an NBA season where he helped lead the Magic<\/a> to their first playoff appearance in three seasons. At the 2024 Olympics, though Germany lost to Serbia in the bronze medal game, Wagner earned All-Second Team honors, and in turn he put up career-high numbers across the board last season and gained All-Star attention with Orlando. We’ll surely see an even more elevated version of Wagner that could launch him into earning that All-Star nod next season on a Magic team that should surprise some people.<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Wednesday, Aug. 27:\u00a0Sweden vs. Finland | 1:30 p.m. ETFriday, Aug. 29:\u00a0Finland vs. Great Britain | 1:30 p.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0Montenegro vs. Finland | 1:30 p.m. ETMonday, Sept. 1:\u00a0Finland vs. Lithuania | 1:30 p.m. ETWednesday, Sept. 3:\u00a0Finland vs. Germany | 1:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

Markkanen has perhaps been the most impressive player in the lead up to EuroBasket. He dropped 48 points in an exhibition game against Belgium leading up to the tournament, and scored 40+ on another occasion in Finland’s perfect 4-0 record in tune-up games. Markkanen’s been toiling away in Utah for the past three seasons, and enters next season as a prime trade candidate should the Jazz<\/a> explore that route. If he ends up dominating EuroBasket, that would certainly raise his trade value for the Jazz, and perhaps give him an opportunity to play on a contending team for what would be the first time in his NBA career.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Thursday, Aug. 28:\u00a0Belgium vs. France | 11 a.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0France vs. Slovenia | 11 a.m. ETSunday, Aug. 31:\u00a0Israel vs. France | 11 a.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 2:\u00a0France vs. Poland | 2:30 p.m. ETThursday, Sept. 4:\u00a0France vs. Iceland | 8 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

Risacher could very well be the breakout star of the tournament, and with no Victor Wembanyama<\/a> or Rudy Gobert<\/a> playing for France, he could be one of the focal points on offense. He had a strong finish to his rookie season with the Hawks<\/a>, and is already showing his promise as a lockdown defender. But his offensive game was slow to develop, though he still finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. EuroBasket will be a great opportunity to see what he worked on over the summer, because if his development is ahead of schedule, then the Hawks could be a surprise team in the East next season.<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Thursday, Aug. 28:\u00a0Belgium vs. France | 11 a.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0France vs. Slovenia | 11 a.m. ETSunday, Aug. 31:\u00a0Israel vs. France | 11 a.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 2:\u00a0France vs. Poland | 2:30 p.m. ETThursday, Sept. 4:\u00a0France vs. Iceland | 8 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

Sarr, similar to Risacher, had a rookie season that showed great promise defensively, with an offensive game that was still raw. Sarr finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, earned All-Rookie honors, and his production increased after the All-Star break where the Wizards<\/a> were looking for him to score far more frequently. He and Risacher will be making their first appearance on France’s senior team at EuroBasket, and he’ll have ample opportunity to showcase what he’s been working on over the summer. Hopefully, for the Wizards sake, there’s been some improvement in his efficiency that will carry over into next season for Washington.<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/p>\n

Thursday, Aug. 28:\u00a0Belgium vs. France | 11 a.m. ETSaturday, Aug. 30:\u00a0France vs. Slovenia | 11 a.m. ETSunday, Aug. 31:\u00a0Israel vs. France | 11 a.m. ETTuesday, Sept. 2:\u00a0France vs. Poland | 2:30 p.m. ETThursday, Sept. 4:\u00a0France vs. Iceland | 8 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

Of the trio of young NBA players France possesses, only Coulibaly earned a spot on the Olympic roster last summer. He appeared in five games, and had his best performance in the gold-medal match against the United States where he put up six points in 21 minutes. He’ll get a far bigger role this time around, as there’s no Nicolas Batum<\/a> or Evan Fournier<\/a>, so we’ll get to see how the 2023 lottery pick will perform with more opportunity. He’s coming off a promising year with the Wizards, and maybe his performance with France will be a positive sign of things to come in a crucial third year for the young forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EuroBasket 2025 tipped off on Wednesday where 24 nations will compete to be crowned basketball champions of Europe.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":107391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[61157,6703,24621,49,48,53963,59075,61156,24624,8228,8223,6695,18706,8216,459,14729,15716,57350,82,15717,21217,8027,9926],"class_list":["post-107390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-alex-sarr","tag-atlanta-hawks","tag-bilal-coulibaly","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-eurobasket","tag-eurobasket-2025","tag-evan-fournier","tag-franz-wagner","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-houston-rockets","tag-kevin-durant","tag-lauri-markkanen","tag-milwaukee-bucks","tag-nba","tag-nicolas-batum","tag-orlando-magic","tag-rudy-gobert","tag-sports","tag-utah-jazz","tag-victor-wembanyama","tag-washington-wizards","tag-zaccharie-risacher"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}