The curtain has come down on the 2022 EuroBasket tournament as Spain defeated France in the championship game to secure their fourth European title in their past six attempts.
This year’s edition of the competition saw 35 NBA players representing their countries, headlined by three of the league’s best in Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokoumpo and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.
With the tournament in the rearview, we break down five key lessons we learned from the tournament ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.
5 lessons learned about the upcoming NBA season from EuroBasket 2022
A Dennis Schroder bounce-back season is incoming
After a disappointing 2021-22 season which saw him play for the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, Dennis Schroder used the 2022 EuroBasket tournament to send a timely reminder that he still has plenty to offer in the NBA.
Schroder famously turned down an $84 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021 and now the 29-year-old is returning to Hollywood next season after inking a one-year, $2.64 million deal, with some unfinished business on the table.
Given the keys to the German national team, Schroder, who was named to the All-Star Five after averaging 22.1 points, 7.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds, helped his country win bronze — their first EuroBasket medal since winning silver in 2005.
Dennis Schroder playing the best basketball of his career.#EuroBasket x #BringTheNoise
📺 https://t.co/XA74VljBO4 pic.twitter.com/MpNzq2lG3B
— #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) September 18, 2022
Alongside Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley, the Lakers have some serious depth at point guard and off the back of his EuroBasket performances, Schroder has a real chance to earn big minutes in LA this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo at center is a force of nature
We probably already knew this, but seeing Antetokounmpo dominate for Greece at EuroBasket was all the more emphatic.
Last season with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo played 32 percent of his minutes at center, per Cleaning the Glass, up from 12 percent the previous season. Given his size and athleticism, his dominance inside for Greece was huge as he threw down dunk after dunk with defenders scrambling to keep him at bay.
🇬🇷 The Greek Freak (31 PTS, 8 REB) did everything for his country but his efforts were not enough for Greece to pull it off in Berlin.
Giannis waves goodbye to #EuroBasket in quarter-finals! 💔 pic.twitter.com/u4WfCOlTEI
— FIBA (@FIBA) September 13, 2022
Averaging 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists in their run to the quarter-finals, Antetokounmpo was named to the All-Star Five.
Luka Doncic needs a second star
In his first four seasons in the NBA, Luka Doncic has proven that he is more than capable of being the go-to guy in the regular season and playoffs.
It’s been much the same for Slovenia, with the 23-year-old at times looking like the best player in the tournament, highlighted by his 47-point outing against France. However, once the tournament got to the business end, Doncic ran out of steam, struggling against Poland, shooting 5-of-15 as Slovenia was eliminated.
Heading into next season, the Mavericks have surrounded Doncic with talented role players, but until they can add an All-Star caliber talent alongside him, the workload he shoulders appears too much for the Mavs to legitimately contend for a title.
Lauri Markkanen is ready to be unleashed in Utah
The Utah Jazz acquired Markkanen in the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers and while they were more interested in the draft capital that came with it, the 25-year-old now has an opportunity to be the man in Utah.
Last season for the Cavs, Markkanen started in each of the 61 games he appeared in, averaging 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds on .445/.358/.868 shooting splits, but with many mouths to feed in Cleveland, he never really got the opportunity to take on more than a supporting role.
With the Jazz bottoming out, destined for one of the worst records in the league, Markannen is in a prime position to carry their offense the same way he did for Finland, with whom he averaged 27.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo in the scoring department.
Markkanen’s tournament included plenty of highlights, none more than his 43-point outburst against Croatia — a national record in a major tournament
They call him the King in the North for a reason 👑🇫🇮
43 PTS | 9 REB | 3 AST | 3 BLK | 0 TO
Lauri Markkanen & Finland are not done yet 💯#EuroBasket x #BringTheNoise pic.twitter.com/rJHC7ULz7e
— #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) September 11, 2022
A contending team will soon swoop for Bojan Bogdanovic
With the Jazz in a complete rebuild, a few contending teams will look to make a move for the 33-year-old swingman. His performances at EuroBasket showed exactly why.
In 32 minutes per game, Bogdanovic averaged 19.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on .481/.394/.867 shooting splits.
With reports of the Lakers and Suns among the teams showing interest in a trade for Bogdanovic, it’s hard to see him being on the Jazz’s opening night roster, which currently stands at 17 players.
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