Pool B
Tunisia: Tunisia has only one NBA player on their roster, Salah Mejri, who played 33 games for the Dallas Mavericks last year, averaging 3.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
Croatia: With all the basketball talent Croatia has produced, it is surprising that they only have two active NBA players on their roster. Bojan Bogdanovic, currently of the Brooklyn Nets is their leading NBA player. In 79 games he averaged 11.2 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Mario Hezonja just finished his rookie season with the Orlando Magic, he played 79 games, averaging 6.1 points amd 2.2 rebounds per game.
Dario Saric was drafted by the Orlando Magic in the 2014 draft and then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, taken with the 12th pick. This would be a good chance for 76ers fans to see Saric in action.
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None of the recent draftees–
Dragan Bender,
Ante Zizicand
Ivica Zubac–are on the Croatian roster.
Italy: Italy has a number if NBA players and some former NBA players. Andrea Bargnani, recently waived by the Brooklyn Nets will play, trying to get a spot on his next NBA team.
Marco Belinelli, recently traded to the Charlotte Hornets, last season averaged 10.2 points and 1.9 assists per game for the Sacramento Kings.
Luigi Datome played two seasons in the NBA and averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
The undoubted star if the Italian team is Danilo Gallinari. Gallinari averaged 19.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the Denver Nuggets last season.
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Italy as the host of this qualifier faces a huge challenge to even make the final. Croatia or Greece will probably get this spot.