Leaders arrive with different objectives
Strahinja Stojacic and Ub are seeking a response after a pool-stage exit in Bucharest, their first of the campaign. FIBA's World Tour figures place him first in overall player value, with 172 highlights and 59 key assists. Ub already have two stop victories.
Amsterdam RABOBANK's Worthy de Jong arrives after earning Bucharest MVP honours. He leads World Tour scoring with 242 points and has made 64 two-pointers, while ranking second in total player value. These are season statistics within the circuit, not an all-basketball world ranking.
Challengers bring their own credentials
Baskets Bonn have won in Amsterdam, Lausanne and Debrecen. Their Fabian Giessmann shares the season blocks lead with Miami's James Parrott on 18. Parrott was MVP at Zadar and also helped Miami secure three Challenger titles.
FIBA's other selections include Skyliners' Dejan Kojic, Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy's Anand Ariunbold, Shanghai's Karlis Lasmanis and Vienna's Nico Kaltenbrunner. Ulaanbaatar have twice finished runners-up, while Vienna recently won the Hongcheon Challenger. Those results explain the teams' ambitions without guaranteeing progress in Macau. Updated schedules and results will be available through the official World Tour competition channels.