EuroBasket 2025: Six Key Questions as Serbia, Led by Nikola Jokić, Stands as Favorite

As the highly anticipated EuroBasket 2025 approaches, basketball enthusiasts are well aware that stars like Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Dončić are set to compete. This major international tournament involves 24 national teams, divided into four preliminary groups. From these, 16 teams (the top four from each group) will advance to the knockout stage, commencing on September 6 in Riga, Latvia. For your convenience, here is an overview of the group draw:

• Group A (Riga, Latvia): Serbia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Estonia, Portugal
• Group B (Tampere, Finland): Germany, Lithuania, Montenegro, Finland, Great Britain, Sweden
• Group C (Limassol, Cyprus): Spain, Greece, Italy, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus
• Group D (Katowice, Poland): France, Slovenia, Poland, Israel, Belgium, Iceland

For those looking to immerse themselves in international basketball action this summer, all games are available on Courtside 1891, FIBA`s official streaming service. To preview the excitement, we delve into six crucial questions ahead of EuroBasket 2025:

1. With Jokić playing, is Serbia the undeniable favorite?

With Nikola Jokić`s participation, Serbia is undoubtedly considered the primary favorite. This isn`t solely due to the presence of the world`s top player; Bogdan Bogdanović thrives in such high-stakes environments, and Serbia`s squad depth is remarkable. Illustrating this strength, 20-year-old point guard Nikola Topić, who spent last year recovering from ACL surgery with the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, couldn`t even secure a spot on the team.

Despite previous injury worries, Vasilije Micić, who recently joined Hapoel Tel Aviv after playing for the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns, is confirmed to play. Miami Heat forward Nikola Jović will also join the team. Many familiar faces from last year`s Olympics, including Aleksa Avramović, Nikola Milutinov, Marko Gudurić, and Filip Petrušev, are returning to bolster the Serbian roster.

Combining size, strategic play, excellent spacing, and a superstar, Serbia is rightfully the betting favorite. However, their past includes a surprising Round of 16 exit at EuroBasket 2022 against Italy. While they`ve achieved silver at the 2023 World Cup (even without Jokić) and bronze at the recent Paris Olympics, a gold medal has remained just out of reach. The tournament will reveal if they can finally secure the top spot this year.

EuroBasket 2025 odds

(Via DraftKings as of Aug. 26)

• Serbia: +120
• Germany: +600
• France: +700
• Greece: +1100
• Spain: +1600
• Lativa: +1800
• Slovenia: +2000
• Turkey: +2200
• Lithuania: +2200
• Finland: +5000

2. Is Germany the biggest threat to Serbia?

Does Germany pose the greatest challenge to Serbia? On paper, absolutely. Franz Wagner, who had a breakout performance three years ago at just 21, has since elevated his game considerably, transforming Germany into a formidable basketball nation. They earned bronze at that tournament, secured gold at the 2023 World Cup, and narrowly missed out on another bronze at the Olympics.

Wagner is an emerging star, and Dennis Schröder`s impact in international play is legendary. With Wagner, Orlando Magic teammate Tristan da Silva, and Isaac Bonga, the team boasts significant length and defensive adaptability. Although Franz`s brother, Moe, is absent due to an ACL injury sustained last December, Germany still features dependable big men like Daniel Theis, Andreas Obst, and Johannes Voigtmann, all capable of stretching the floor. A notable change for this iteration of the team is the coaching staff, with Álex Mumbrú taking over from Gordon Herbert, now with Canada.

Should both Serbia and Germany top their groups, these two highest-ranked European teams would find themselves on opposite sides of the knockout bracket, setting up a potential gold medal clash. Such a matchup would be a highly anticipated rematch of their bronze medal encounter in Paris and the gold medal game in Manila, promising an exciting rivalry showdown.

3. What about France?

What role will France play? France stands out as one of the tournament`s most intriguing teams. Despite holding the third-best odds to win, their current roster composition raises questions. Both Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert are absent, and with the Paris Olympics marking the farewell for veterans like Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, and Nando de Colo, Les Bleus are undeniably stepping into a new era.

While Wembanyama`s absence is notable, France has seen an incredible surge of young talent recently, with many of them participating. Bilal Coulibaly is expected to take on a more significant role, and the top two selections from the 2024 NBA Draft – Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr – will debut with the senior team in a major championship. Veterans such as Guerschon Yabusele, Isaïa Cordinier, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Élie Okobo now lead the squad, marking a distinct generational shift.

At the recent Olympics, France had such a wealth of centers that Rudy Gobert was benched. However, injuries to Mathias Lessort, Vincent Poirier, and Moustapha Fall now leave their frontcourt severely depleted. Guerschon Yabusele and Alex Sarr face a substantial challenge, and the team has recalled 30-year-old center Mouhammadou Jaiteh, who hasn`t played for the national team in a decade. This roster is vastly different from the silver-winning squad of a year ago or the EuroBasket runner-up three years prior. Despite these changes, France concluded their exhibition games with an undefeated 5-0 record, with Zaccharie Risacher stating the team is `getting ready to go to war.`

4. Could Luka or Giannis steamroll everybody?

Luka Dončić is no stranger to EuroBasket glory, having led Slovenia to an undefeated 9-0 record and a championship in 2017. At just 18, Dončić played alongside star Goran Dragić and Anthony Randolph (now retired), with only Klemen Prepelič and Edo Murić remaining from that championship roster. Former Denver Nuggets forward Vlatko Čančar, who recently joined Olimpia Milano, will not participate this year.

Even the most dedicated basketball fans might struggle to recognize many of Dončić`s current teammates. This highlights that Slovenia isn`t a `superteam.` While Dončić`s talent virtually guarantees progression past the group stage, they face a challenging path afterward. Nevertheless, in elimination games, a focused Luka Dončić is a formidable opponent. His proven ability to single-handedly dominate games suggests he`s ready to carry this team on his shoulders.

In contrast, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads a solid Greek supporting cast. While much of the offensive burden will fall on him, the roster includes established international players, such as Olympiacos` Tyler Dorsey, and veteran Kostas Papanikolaou and Kostas Sloukas, both 35. The team also features 27-year-old Kostas Antetokounmpo and his brother Thanasis, alongside other familiar names from past FIBA competitions like Giannoulis Larentzakis, Dinos Mitoglou, Vasilis Toliopoulos, and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis.

Greece finds itself in what could be considered the `Group of Death.` Despite this, they hold the fourth-best odds to win the tournament. With increasing speculation around Antetokounmpo`s championship prospects with the Milwaukee Bucks, an intriguing question arises: could he achieve major international glory with his national team instead?

5. Are any of the other teams interesting?

Absolutely! For a must-watch game on Wednesday, tune into Latvia vs. Turkey (11 a.m. ET). Kristaps Porziņģis is back to full health and will lead his team on home soil, supported by the Bertāns brothers (Dāvis and Dairis), Rodions Kurucs, and point guard Artūrs Žagars, who recently celebrated a EuroLeague title with Fenerbahçe.

Alperen Şengün is Turkey`s most prominent player, but Shane Larkin is also expected to be a significant offensive force. Their roster boasts considerable NBA experience with Cedi Osman and Furkan Korkmaz on the wings, and Adem Bona and Ömer Yurtseven in the paint.

Here are five additional teams to keep an eye on:

• Spain: The reigning EuroBasket MVP Willy Hernangómez returns alongside Juancho Hernangómez. However, 24-year-old Santi Aldama, fresh off his best season with the Memphis Grizzlies, is expected to be their primary offensive option. This tournament marks coach Sergio Scariolo`s final campaign, and while the team aims for a strong farewell, recent results are concerning, with Spain losing five of their six exhibition matches.
• Lithuania: Missing Domantas Sabonis and Matas Buzelis is a setback, yet it presents an opportunity for Jonas Valančiūnas to dominate the paint. His supporting roster includes former Knicks forward Ignas Brazdeikis, ex-Pistons wing Deividas Sirvydis, and point guard Rokas Jokubaitis, who remains a potential future addition to the New York Knicks.
• Georgia: With a formidable frontcourt featuring Goga Bitadze and Sandro Mamukelashvili, complemented by former Nets forward Tornike Shengelia, Georgia is poised to be a physically imposing team.
• Italy: Simone Fontecchio leads the Italian squad. Notably, 37-year-old veteran Danilo Gallinari will make his final appearance for the national team, adding an emotional element to their campaign.
• Finland: After winning all four of their preparatory games, including two against Belgium and two against Poland, Finland`s Lauri Markkanen demonstrated explosive scoring, surpassing 40 points in two contests. His performance at EuroBasket could potentially elevate his value even further in the NBA.

6. Any other familiar faces?

Indeed, several other familiar NBA players will be participating, including Deni Avdija (Israel), Nikola Vučević (Montenegro), Neemias Queta (Portugal – a potential future starter for the Boston Celtics), Vít Krejčí (Czech Republic), Pelle Larsson (Sweden), and Jusuf Nurkić (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

It`s worth noting that following an exhibition loss to Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Adis Bećiragić remarked two weeks ago that Nurkić was `out of shape and could barely run.` The tournament will reveal if two weeks was sufficient time for Nurkić to prepare himself for the challenge against Europe`s top big men.