Milwaukee Bucks: Player grades for 2019 FIBA World Cup

By Adam McGee | Sep 16, 2019

SHENZHEN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 7: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Greece and Khris Middleton #14 of USA look on during the Second Round of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup on September 7, 2019 at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, China. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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SHANGHAI, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 01: (Photo by Yifan Ding/Getty Images) /

Ersan Ilyasova

World Cup stat line: 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, .364/.333/.909

It all went wrong so suddenly for Turkey that it’d be easy to forget that through two games Ersan Ilyasova looked like one of the leading contenders for World Cup MVP honors.

Ilyasova was outstanding against Japan and the USA, before he endured an ill-timed shooting horror show against the Czech Republic in a loss that ultimately led to Turkey’s shock first round elimination.

That 0-of-9 shooting effort, which also tanked his shooting percentages, may well haunt Ilyasova for some time — just as the missed free throws late against the US will haunt two of his teammates — but he should take solace in the level of play he reached as a go-to option in the two games that preceded it.

Ilyasova could possibly have further built on his 19 points and 10 rebounds effort against Japan, and his 23 points and 14 rebounds against the USA, but he was shut down for Turkey’s two classification games meaning he played just three games in total.

That early end is by no means a bad thing for the Bucks, though, and the hope will be that Ilyasova can bring some of his World Cup best with him into the new NBA season too.

Final grade: B+

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