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Here I would like to discuss about NBA players playing time with their respected national teams and also get some comments on this new FIBA with "windows" system of qualifying competition.

Let me show you some countries with NBA players: For France only Nicolas Batum played, no Gobert which is huge deficiency for Galls, no others. Management of Clippers medical staff didn't give permission for Teodosic and Marjanovic to play for us while Jokic does not answers on Djordjevic calls for quite some time now. These handicaps were bigger than those of Greece which played, but still won against us, without Kosta Koufus (could be interesting role of Divac here again) and Antetokounmpo. Lets check Spain..they won over Latvia whit many problems because none of their NBA`ers were in the team , on the other side Porzingis was not present. Italy was without Galinari while for Dennis Schroder is leading Germany in these WC qualifying competition. Bojan Bogdanovicpresence was not enough of help for Croatia which lost from Poland which was playing without Martin Gortat. Hezonja and Šarić stayed with their NBA teams. Lauri Elias Markkanen did not play for Finland neither centers Vučević for Montenegro or Jonas Valančiūnas for his NT Lithuania. Going south where we are partially entering into Asia ,Ersan İlyasova played for Turkey which managed to beat current European champions team of Slovenia which will most likely fail to qualify for WC because their two best players Dragić and Dončić were not available. This new format of so called "windows" of FIBA and their clash with ULEB is the major reason and thing to be blamed for that. Slovenia is not only damaged party, almost all national teams are, this system favors club basketball and nations without prominent basketball players. My Serbia is also very questionable participant of WC in China. That's about Europe , I probably forgot someone there but let me know who was overlooked. Now let me turn your attention shortly just to the rest of the World, I can't mention all , just some memorable names. I'll skip USA although I have noticed that player of SAC Frank Mason played as they can choose wast variety of players and they will handle qualification process without any difficulties. They did lose one game vs Mexico. Justin Jackson played for Canada as well as Kelly Olynyk and Tristan Thompson. Brasil with some ex but none current NBA players. Argentina without NBA'ers. Old PG Jose Juan Barea is still with his team of Puerto Rico. In Africa, I don't know have Joel Embiid ever played for Cameroon yet certainly neither he or Luc Mbah a Moute did not play in recent games. Luol Deng (Los Angeles Lakers, South Sudan), Bismack Biyombo (Charlotte Hornets, Democratic Republic of the Congo) I have no info's about their NT's. In Oceania part of qualifications we only have two teams competing , those are Australia for which Patty Mills, Andrew Bogut and Matthew Dellavedova did play recently and we have New Zealand in which roaster I did not see OKC's Steven Adams. Both of these teams are competing with Asian countries. In Asia beside China which team should I check too for NBA players? OK for China which is the host of this WC 2019, I can't find Houston's center Zhou Qi in the roster.

Personally I don't like this new system of qualification rounds. Many teams are playing with much shorter rosters. Some traditionally good teams in Europe are specially endangered of becoming a member of this WC. We see a tragic example of Slovenia which as a reigning Europian champion will probably fail to reach China. So it is like that this way of competition favors teams where basketball is not popular or where there is a less talent or IDK. I know , I'm very concern about Serbia, team will have o fight for the promotion spot versus Israel and I think there are a lot of strange calculations there which I would like to mention later.

What do you think generally about this FIBA's new system and what do you think about relations between NBA teams with their players national teams?

For who do you cheer for and what is your favorite NBA international player of today?

This new system is obviously terrible now, FIBA obviously having no pain no gain mentality, just hoping one day they can be like FIFA, where club leagues have intermissions during FIFA window. They know the start will be painful and shamed. At the end of the day, its probably more than they could chew, but I respect the try.

Some nations obviously got hurt more than the others. If your main core is just 2-3 NBA and Euroleague guys (like Slovenia), good luck to you. Even countries that do qualify, they most likely did it with their B squad, so at the end, you basically have to say to the guys that put you in world cup - well, thanks you sacrificed things to get us here, but now we gonna call out our stars, you dont get to play in the actual tournament, but thanks again.

From what I've read, Adams will not represent NZ as he is holding a grudge for the way they treated him as a junior, with no support for him to attend any camps or junior championships as his family couldn't afford it

Canada has had to play with at least 32 different players in these qualification windows and three different head coaches.

It is a stupid system - especially when the NBA and EuroLeague clubs are doing everything they can to not let there players play.

Popovich wrote:This new format of so called "windows" of FIBA and their clash with ULEB is the major reason and thing to be blamed for that.

For some reason everyone in Europe seems to think ULEB is part of EuroLeague, but it isn't. Maybe people think that because they named EuroCup "ULEB Cup" once, but the fact is EuroLeague has nothing to do with ULEB.

ULEB in fact, is actually a partner with FIBA, and is a major supporter of Basketball Champions League, and a major critic of the EuroLeague. It's really strange that so many people think ULEB is in business with EuroLeague.

UcanUwill wrote:Even countries that do qualify, they most likely did it with their B squad, so at the end, you basically have to say to the guys that put you in world cup - well, thanks you sacrificed things to get us here, but now we gonna call out our stars, you dont get to play in the actual tournament, but thanks again.

Yeah it is not fair towards those players. Good point.

Is it true that foreign NBA players who are stars in their teams like Giannis and Jokic have power to decide on their own whether or not will they play for their NT's while the players who are at the bench in NBA must listen their respected clubs at any cost? Does this depends on contract or what?

Popovich wrote:Is it true that foreign NBA players who are stars in their teams like Giannis and Jokic have power to decide on their own whether or not will they play for their NT's while the players who are at the bench in NBA must listen their respected clubs at any cost? Does this depends on contract or what?

I dont think teams can technically block players from participating in FIBA evens in off season, but there are lots of nuances that go behind the scenes, and its in players best interest to do what his club ask him to do. But at the end I think most of the time its player who has final say.

Thanks to FIBA Slovenia will not and Latvia will likely not play in the WC.

We are missing 6! main players who are playing in Euroleague oh yeah don't forget about 3 NBA players...

I'm so angry at the fact that because of FIBA Latvian NT prime years will be with no big tournaments, and especially with no chance to qualify for Olympics...

The fact that Montenegro will likely make it in the WC in front of Latvia because of todays game, is so damn awful, we crushed them year ago in Eurobasket by 30...

It is an awful system but Lativia/Slovenia are not the only teams impacted.

Loads of teams are missing their top 10 players or more. Spain, France, Canada, Australia, Serbia. Hah the USA is missing their top 250 players or more.

Latvia and Slovenia are in that weird middle ground where they are missing more than 1 or 2 elite players and then don’t have much depth. Much worse countries able to field better teams as they are not missing anyone (or maybe just 1 or 2). They are way more experienced and cohesive than some teams that are playing together for the first time.

Canada, for example, just lost to Venezuela who I had all its top players and everyone but one player plays in their domestic league. They have been playing together for years and had weeks of practice to prepare. Put that against a team pulled from a variety of non EuroLeague teams and give them a couple days to practice and the results are no surprise. Lucky Canada is in a much weaker geography to qualify.

Fiba definitely set up a system where all the best teams in the World will not be at the World Cup. Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia should all be there.

The rule is the same for everyone. In the past, some big nations (Germany, Greece, France, Serbia..) did not play in top competitions like WC or olympics because they could not qualify and no one was crying about it.

And like Mojo said, most of the teams which are qualified or on the verge to be share the fact that their league is keeping most of its young talents (and it could even be better in my own country). Instead of pointing fingers to Fiba, ask yourself why the pool of talent is so thin (even though i understand when most latvian prospects end up in acb youth teams, the same cannot be said for slovenian). And why pro leagues should have the right to do whatever they want (see the calendar of EL) without being held accountable ?

Ffs, respect other teams players. It's not because there are teams of "nobody's" that they don't play good bball and don't deserve to qualify. It's a sport before being an empty stats competition

Popovich wrote: (...) For who do you cheer for and what is your favorite NBA international player of today?

I sympathyze with Brazilian players. I'm a big fan of Nenê (formerly Nenê Hilario.)