MIES (Switzerland) - What if the national team players of the Thunder were to square off against their national team counterparts of the Pacers in a game of FIBA ball? Which side would prevail? Smaller court, short game, fewer timeouts, shorter 3-point line ...
Let's examine the national team players on both rosters. To do that, we've set up an **International Competition Weighting\*** that ranks basketball players based exclusively on their performances in FIBA competitions such as the FIBA World Cup, the Olympics, and Continental Championships (e.g., EuroBasket, AfroBasket).
Player stats are adjusted for strength of opposition, game impact, and minutes played to ensure fair comparisons. In order to appear in this ranking, a player must have had experience with his national team.
We've established 5 categories that could be summarize as such:
* National team superstar: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
* Starter for a contender: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
* Solid national team player: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
* National team role player or prospect: ⭐ ⭐
* Very limited national team experience: ⭐
Oklahoma City Thunder
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**Player**
**Country**
**International Competition Weighting\***
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Canada
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Lu Dort
Canada
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Chet Holmgren
USA
⭐ ⭐
Isaiah Hartenstein
Germany
⭐ ⭐
Alex Caruso
USA
⭐ ⭐
Jalen Williams
USA
⭐
Ousmane Dieng
France
⭐
Ajay Mitchell
Belgium
⭐
TOTAL
18 ⭐
#### Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada
Let's just throw the meanest and hardest punch at the start and highlight the Thunder point guard who is the 2025 NBA MVP. He's got the handles, the deceptive footwork, the soft shot, the clutch play. He spearheaded Canada's runs to the World Cup podium in 2023 and the Olympic Quarter-Finals in 2024. No one can stop Shai. They can only hope to contain him.
#### Lu Dort, Canada
Dort is a tough as nails guard for Canada and the Thunder
Canadian basketball is so good in 2025 that the starting backcourt of Oklahoma City, who had the best record (68-14) in the NBA, is Canadian! It's Shai, and defensive juggernaut Lu Dort. In fact, Dort, the leader of a Thunder defense that ranked first in defensive rating (106.6), made the All-Defensive Team in the NBA. Dort is also a lock-down defender for Canada, often guarding the opponent's biggest scoring threat. He averaged 1.3 steals per game at the Olympics.
#### Chet Holmgren, USA
Holmgren, the MVP of the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, went up against Victor Wembanyama in the Final
The sample size is small, yet revealing. Holmgren, a starter in the Thunder lineup whose 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds were essential this season, was the MVP of the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup after leading USA to the title. His USA team beat Victor Wembanyama and France in the Final. It's only a matter of time before Holmgren plays at the World Cup or Olympics. He was selected to the USA Basketball Men's Select team in preparation for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
#### Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany
Germany's Hartenstein played at EuroBasket 2017
At 27 years of age, the Thunder center is in his prime. After averaging a double-double in points and rebounds this season and making it to the NBA Finals, it would seem to be a matter of urgency to get him back in the Germany team for the first time since his participation in the European Qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup. He was also in the Germany team at FIBA EuroBasket 2017, and a star in the German youth teams before that.
#### Alex Caruso, USA
Already with a championship ring from his run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Caruso has been a perfect addition to the Thunder, which happened almost a year ago when the Chicago Bulls traded him for Josh Giddey. Caruso has already had his national team baptism, playing for the USA in the Americas Qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup.
#### Jalen Williams, USA
He has yet to feature in a tournament for the USA, yet we like Williams so much that it must be said the 24-year-old is firmly on the radar. The forward was in the USA Basketball Men's Select team in preparation for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and with his overall effectiveness for the Thunder, it's a matter of when, rather than if, when it comes to seeing him in international basketball.
#### Ousmane Dieng, France
Ousmane Diang represented France at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket in 2019
Like Holmgren, the sample size is small in international basketball with the 2019 FIBA U16 EuroBasket the only tournament the 2.06m forward has played in for his country (Wembanyama was also in that U16 team). Yet just a few years on from being selected as the No. 11 pick in the NBA Draft by the Knicks, Dieng, 22, will definitely be a topic of conversation when France coach Frederic Fauthoux picks his future teams.
#### Ajay Mitchell, Belgium
Ajay Mitchell represented Belgium at youth level and has also played in an international window
Belgium coach Dario Gjergja will be watching the NBA Finals to see what Mitchell does. Mitchell, who turns 23 on June 25, hails from Ans and played a EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers game for the Lions when he was still a student athlete at UC Santa Barbara.
Indiana Pacers
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**Player**
**Country**
**International Competition Weighting\***
Tyrese Haliburton
USA
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Myles Turner
USA
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Andrew Nembhard
Canada
⭐⭐⭐
Benedict Mathurin
Canada
⭐⭐
Thomas Bryant
USA
⭐
Johnny Furphy
Australia
⭐
TOTAL
16 ⭐
#### Tyrese Haliburton, USA
Haliburton of USA played at the World Cup and also won Olympic gold
A member of the All-Star Five after leading USA to the 2019 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup title, Haliburton graduated to the senior team and played well at the 2023 World Cup before capturing gold in Paris with the USA Olympic team in 2024. He's been extraordinary this season in the NBA and especially in the playoffs.
#### Myles Turner, USA
Rim protectors are important and Turner has been one, both in the NBA and also FIBA ball. His 1.8 blocks per game was second at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup behind the "Stifle Tower" (Rudy Gobert of France). Turner also gets buckets, and rebounds.
#### Andrew Nembhard, Canada
Nembhard was in the Canada lineup at the 2024 Olympic in Paris
Nembhard has always been a talent for the national team, selected to play at junior events and for the senior team, like the 2019 World Cup in China. The former Gonzaga standout has excelled in the NBA and after missing the 2023 World Cup, his performances were so consistent and dynamic for Indiana that it was no surprise to see him in the Canada lineup at the 2024 Olympics.
#### Bennedict Mathurin, Canada
Even Chet Holmgren couldn't stop Mathurin at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup
The Pacers have a mean one-two punch from Canada of their own, with Nembhard, and explosive scorer Mathurin coming off the bench. Mathurin was Canada's second leading scorer at the star-studded 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Riga. He averaged 16.1 points per game for a Canada team that also had current Memphis Grizzlies and national team center Zach Edey.
#### Thomas Bryant, USA
It's a small sample size, but Bryant did play for the USA at the 2013 FIBA U16 AmeriCup in Uruguay and made the most of his 15.6 minutes per game on the court. He averaged a tournament best 3.6 blocks per game! That means he was swatting 9.2 shots per 40 minutes. Bryant has been a valuable reserve for Indiana this season.
#### Johnny Furphy, Australia
When Australia included Furphy in their 22-man squad before last summer's Olympics in France, it was an indicator that the 2.06M forward has a very bright future. Just 19 at the time, Furphy was coming off his one and only season of college basketball at Kansas and it was a couple of months before he was taken in the second round of the NBA Draft by San Antonio, who traded him immediately to Indiana.
While he hasn't played in a FIBA competition yet, if he's able to do for the Boomers what he has shown in flashes for the Pacers, especially with his sensational passing and dunks, look out! He's going to be a real asset.
Who's winning?
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There are high quality international basketball players for both OKC and Indiana.
Our ranking system gives the Thunder the edge 18 to 16. So we think, the Thunder would win against The Pacers in FIBA Basketball.
Now, let's see what happens in the NBA Finals.
**FIBA**
_\*The International Competition Weighting is entirely subjective and is in no way a true and accurate ranking system from FIBA. All comments are purely those of the author, intended to entertain the fans._