On the morning of August 1st, following the United States’ dominant 103-86 victory over South Sudan, the second round of Olympic men’s basketball group stage games came to a close. The FIBA official website published an article reviewing the top five performers from the second round of games.
Nikola Jokic (Serbia) rebounded from his team’s loss to the US in the first game, leading Serbia to a commanding 107-66 win against Puerto Rico. Jokic scored 14 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out 9 assists, with 2 steals and 1 block. He was just one assist away from a triple-double, and his player efficiency rating (PER) reached 34.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), while not able to secure a victory against Spain, once again demonstrated his status as one of the world’s premier players, scoring 27 points on 16 shots, grabbing 11 rebounds, and assisting on 3 baskets, with 2 steals. His PER was 32. Notably, this is the second consecutive round that Antetokounmpo has made the list.
Jonathan “Jabari” Smith (France), at only 20 years old, played a pivotal role in France’s 94-90 overtime victory against Japan. Smith scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, and had 2 steals and 2 blocks, including a string of 8 points in overtime. His PER was 30.
Scottie Barnes (Canada) has lived up to expectations so far, with Canada maintaining an undefeated record in their tough group after two wins. Barnes’ contributions have been significant. In their second game against Australia, when Alexander performed poorly, Barnes stepped up with a comprehensive performance of 24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, achieving a PER of 28.
Hiroto Kurihara (Japan) played a crucial role in Japan’s challenge to the host nation, France. Despite losing their star player, Kurihara stepped forward, hitting 6 three-pointers for a total of 29 points, along with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. His PER was 24.