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Jonas Valanciunas and Team Lithuania look prepared for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Valanciunas shared his thoughts on Lithuania potentially facing Team U.S.A. in the second round of the World Cup with Sportskeeda's Itiel Estudillo. The big man acknowledged the Americans' strength and seemed excited to face them in the tournament,
"First of all, we got a job to do and qualify from the first group. That's not gonna be easy because every team is equally strong. There's strong sides, they got their weaknesses but every team in this World Cup is equally strong and equally capable."
He continued,
"About the U.S.A., they have a lot of talent, they have a lot of skilled players, and they have a good basketball school. It's not gonna be easy, but every team came here looking forward to facing Team U.S.A., so same with us."
Do Jonas Valanciunas and Lithuania stand a chance against Team U.S.A.?
On Thursday, during a press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena, Lithuania Coach Kazys Maksvytis mentioned that his team has been preparing since the summer season. Given the time their squad has put into practice, Maksvytis feels that his team is ready. Further, Jonas is confident that he and his team have what it takes.
Aside from their lengthy training sessions, Lithuania also played a total of 11 tune-up games from late July to late August. They had a 9-2 record, losing only to France and Finland. Given how none of the teams that are in the same group as them have beaten them, their chances of making it to the second round are high. If that happens, Lithuania will likely face Team U.S.A.
The question now is, will they be ready by then? While the Americans are one of the youngest teams in this year's World Cup, nobody can deny their tremendous talent. Anthony Edwards, Brandon Ingram, and Tyrese Haliburton will prove to be deadly in the tournament. The only way Lithuania can pull through is if they neutralize the U.S.A.'s stars or use their experience as a team to their advantage.
