There will be a lot to look forward to in the FIBA World Cup.
In sports, when the buzzer sounds, there will be those who celebrate in triumph and those who mire in misery. It's just the reality: one side wins, the other side loses.
The same thing can be said for Saturday's FIBA World Cup draw, where some countries are happier than others about the results.
Here are your winners and losers of the draw.
Winner: Philippines
We’re putting the Philippines as one of the winners due to the fact that the country is looking at a chance, while not a strong one, at possibly advancing to the next round.
Gilas Pilipinas will be taking on 10th-ranked Italy, world no. 23 Dominican Republic, and 41st-ranked Angola. It's not exactly a walk in the park, but it could have gone worse.
With the results, some fans are already counting two winnable games for the Philippines. That should already count as a win somehow.
Loser: Japan
Japan, also a host nation like the Philippines, will be up against tough teams in Germany, Finland, and Australia. All three have been remarkable basketball programs as of late, and will certainly give Japanese ballers a tough time in the group phase.
All three teams also have NBA guys in their pools. Germany has Dennis Schroeder and Franz Wagner while Finland has Lauri Markkanen. Australia, ranked third in the world behind Spain and USA, has a wealth of NBA pros led by Patty Mills and Joe Ingles.
Winner: Slovenia
Luka Doncic and the rest of the Slovenian men’s basketball team will have plenty to be happy about given the draw.
Placed in Group F, 7th-ranked Slovenia will be up against world no. 64 Cape Verde, 32nd-ranked Georgia, and world no. 17 Venezuela.
It’s also worth noting that Georgia and Cape Verde are also making their FIBA World Cup debut in August.
Doncic and Slovenia should top the group in dominating fashion.
Loser: Lebanon
Lebanon, a rising power in Asia, will have its hands full in the group play of the FIBA World Cup.
The 43rd-ranked team found themselves in Group H where they will be up against no. 5 France, no. 15 Canada, and no. 29 Latvia—all of whom also carry household NBA names in their roster.
While Lebanon could surprise some people, the odds are simply not in their favor.
Winner: China
As already pointed out by coach Chot Reyes, getting one or two wins in the group phase will help any Asian team up their chances at qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. And China will have a good shot at exactly that.
Looking at their groupmates in Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico in Group B, the Chinese hoopers have reason to be confident in their chances of scoring two wins.
Of course, all these talk are just on paper and a lot of work is left to be done. Whether they feel happy or unhappy about the draw, all 32 teams have time to carve out a memorable run in the international tourney.
Who are your winners and losers of the draw?