Fans across Africa, who have been following the build-up to the upcoming game between Team Africa and Team World, would have some knowledge of what to expect on the day. However, the game is all about the players; they are the ones the fans will come out to see, and here are some of the ones to look out for.
There will probably be no bigger star on parade than Philadelphia 76ers Cameroonian center, Joel Embiid. JoJo is not only a gifted basketball player, he is also an intuitive entertainer that knows what the fans want to see, and he is determined to make his first appearance on African soil a memorable one. The All-Star center recently told NBA.com that he wants to be the MVP of the league, and he will know that it all starts from here. Embiid made the All-NBA and All Defensive Teams last season, after posting a double-double in points and rebounds, and passing for 3.2 assists average; all that will be on display come Saturday.
If there is any player who wants to be on the floor of the Sun Arena more than Orlando Magic star, Evan Fournier, we are yet to meet him. The Algerian-French swingman started campaigning for a spot on Team Africa in 2015, and finally, here we are. The chance to showcase his talent on the continent guarantees a top notch performance from him. Fournier has led the Magic in scoring the past two seasons; he has increased his field goal attempts as his confidence grew; last season, he put up a career-high average of 14.1 shots per game, and ended up with a .459 field goal percentage and career-high 17.8 points for the season. For Team Africa to win this game, Fournier must bring the same level of shooting. He will be ready, and the fans will be entertained.
Luol Deng did not see much action in the last NBA season, but it had nothing to do with his game; he was simply a victim of the Los Angeles Lakers policy of giving more playing time to their younger stars. Deng is a proven scorer who averaged double figure scoring in every one of his 12 years in the NBA before landing at the Lakers. He is also the only player at this third event that had been named MVP of a previous game; as he was named co-MVP with Chris Paul at the first edition. Deng is likely to play his heart out in Pretoria, both as a result of his commitment to the African cause, and as a form of release for all the months he has not been on a competitive basketball floor.
The Chief, Al-Farouq Aminu has also been here before, as he was part of Team Africa when the inaugural NBA Africa Game was played. But the Nigerian-American forward from the Portland Trail Blazers is a much better player than when he made the first African team; Aminu averaged 5.6 points, 4.6 rebounds per game for the Blazers, and had limited three-point range when he lined out for Team Africa in 2015. Last season, he averaged 9.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and shot .369 percent – a career-high, from range. Fans will be taken by Aminu’s surprise pull-up shooting from range, and his acrobatics around the rim both in offence and defence will thrill the crowd.
The Black Falcon helped the Golden State Warriors win a championship ring, then went to the Dallas Mavericks to become a team leader. Harrison Barnes has been the Dallas Mavericks’ most potent weapon of the post-Dirk Nowitzki’s dominance era; he has taken over the scoring mantle of the team, and has led the Mavs in scoring in the two seasons he has played there, averaging 19.7 points per game in those two years. The chances of Team World getting a result in this game will depend on how well the offence works, with Barnes a key part of it.
Milwaukee Bucks had two major scoring punches last season: one of them was Khris Middleton. The South Carolina native averaged a career-high 20.1 points per game in the regular season, and went off for 24.7 points per game in the post season, another career-high. It then stands to reason that whatever numbers he posts, as he makes his debut in Pretoria, will also be a career-high. Middleton posted double figures in 75 out of the 82 regular season games he played; and he scored 20 points or more in 44 of those. He is one player the fans can count on for buckets, and one Team Africa will need to closely guard.
Hassan Whiteside and Joel Embiid have a history, and it remains to be seen if they will put their season-long beef aside, and enjoy the atmosphere at the Sun Arena; but given that the history of this particular confrontation dates back to a pre-season game just like this one, anything can happen. Plus, there cannot be a better place for Whiteside to put one over Embiid, than get a W on African soil. And he has the tools to do it. He totalled 28 double-doubles last season, averaging 14.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots last season. His paint battle with Embiid in this game promises to be epic.
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