Porzingis: Jokic is very likely the best player in the world today; Sengun’s continuous improvement makes him a true beast

On August 27th Beijing time, the men's EuroBasket is set to start, with Latvian star Porzingis facing two All-Star big men in the group stage: Nuggets’ Jokic and Rockets’ Sengun.

"Jokic... from my perspective, he is probably the top player in the world today," Porzingis said. "This will be a very difficult challenge for us. However, we will first face Turkey and Estonia before taking on Serbia, so we still have some time to prepare. Currently, our focus isn’t on Serbia yet, but the upcoming games certainly won’t be easy."

As the host of Group A, Latvia will open the EuroBasket against Turkey, where Porzingis will directly match up with Sengun.

"He (Sengun) is truly a ‘beast’," Porzingis described Sengun. "He’s an outstanding player who keeps improving every year. We are undoubtedly facing a tough battle; his passing skills and offensive talent mean we must give our all. This game requires the entire team to work together to secure a win."

When asked if this Latvian team is the strongest in recent years, Porzingis was uncertain: "People often have a ‘recent bias,’ instinctively thinking ‘yes, we are the strongest,’ but actually, we’ve had great players and high-level league players over the years. At one point, we had five NBA players on the team, but now I’m the only one. Still, our current squad has both talent and experience, including young rising stars like Zagars. Also, many capable players didn’t make the final roster but will surely become excellent in the future."

Although Latvia is competing as the host and aiming for a medal, Porzingis said he does not feel extra pressure.

"Personally, I don’t feel pressured; rather, I think playing at home in front of our own fans is very valuable. We have the home-court advantage and should definitely make good use of it. Of course, there are external expectations for us to perform well, which brings some additional pressure, but that’s exactly what we need to do — it’s why we’ve trained hard all summer. Hopefully, we can show our best basketball on the court."

Porzingis joined the Hawks during this offseason and will team up with Trae Young in the new season. Last season, Porzingis played 42 games, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.