EuroBasket is ongoing, with 24 teams taking part in group stage games through Thursday, Sept. 4. The action will only increase in intensity once the knockout round begins, but there are recognizable faces all over the tournament, including some of the best players in the world.
Today, we will identify and rank the eight best performances over the first week of EuroBasket action, keeping in mind that there is a long way to go before crowning a team champion. For clarity purposes, we've limited each player to only one slot on the list, even if certain stars have multiple entries that would have been worthy.
To the list we go.
8.f Neemias Queta vs. Czechia
Queta is part of an interesting big man room for the Celtics this season, and he started EuroBasket with a bang against Czechia. Queta scored 23 points on 15 shots, added 18 rebounds, and produced six stocks in only 31 minutes. He was plus-21 in the game and completely dominant against an undermanned opponent.
7. Jordan Loyd vs. Slovenia
Loyd had only a brief NBA cameo more than a half-decade ago, but he's looked the part of a high-end player in this tournament. Through his first three games for Poland, Loyd averaged 28.3 points on 58.1 percent shooting from the field and 61.9 percent from 3-point range. His biggest game in that run came when Loyd put up 32 points in only 27 minutes agianst Slovenia, burying seven of his eight long-range attempts.
6. Luka Doncic vs. France
In his first three games at EuroBasket, Doncic averaged 33.0 points, 9.7 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game. Those are ludicrous numbers in any setting, and his most prolific scoring game came against France. Doncic had 39 points in 35 minutes, adding nine assists and eight rebounds while getting to the free throw line 20 times.
5. Alperen Şengün vs. Czechia
Şengün has been remarkably consistent in EuroBasket play, but his best game was probably the effort against Czechia. He shot 8-of-9 from the field in a win, scoring 23 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. Sengun also added three stocks in the game and did it all in only 28 minutes.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Georgia
Antetokounmpo has been dominant in his two EuroBasket games, but his showing against Georgia gets the nod here. He finished as a plus-45 (!) in the game, scoring 27 points and grabbing eight rebounds in only 25 minutes of action. It was utterly dominant from the outset.
3. Simone Fontecchio vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Fontecchio is not the same kind of player as Jokic, Giannis, or Luka, but he had a star-level game on Aug. 31. Starring for Italy, Fontecchio erupted for 39 points and eight rebounds in a win. He was also plus-25 in the game, and Fontecchio connected on seven triples.
2. Nikola Jokić vs. Latvia
The battle between Jokic and Kristaps Porziņģis was quite fun on Aug. 30, but Jokic and Serbia got the best of it. It is quite clear that Jokic is the best player in the field, and he showed it on that day. Ultimately, Jokic produced 39 points on 30 shooting possessions, adding 10 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 32 minutes of work.
1. Lauri Markkanen vs. Great Britain
While it would be fair to note that Markkanen put together this performance in an environment that was not as challenging as some, he was absolutely preposterous against Great Britain. The Finnish star exploded for 43 points in only 23 minutes, making 67 percent of his two-point attempts, 7 of his 13 3-point tries, and 10 of his 11 free throw attempts in the game. Markkanen's squad won by 30 points and, if the margin wasn't so large, he may have gone for 50-plus points with relative ease.