With EuroBasket 2025 tipping off, this is your one-stop destination for in-depth previews of all 24 national teams heading into Europe’s premier basketball tournament. Whether you’re tracking MVP candidates, X’s-and-O’s brilliance, or just figuring out who might crash the medal party, our Power Rankings and team-by-team breakdowns will keep you ahead of the curve.

Estonia: Scrappy Execution, Interior Concerns and Kotsar at the Center of It All

Group A – EuroBasket 2025 Preview

Estonia enters EuroBasket 2025 as one of the more balanced and competitive mid-tier teams in Group A. Their 4–2 qualifying record speaks to their consistency and ability to punch above their weight: they beat North Macedonia twice, split games with Poland (including a tight 2-point loss at home), and grabbed a signature win at home against Lithuania. This is a team with structure, energy, and just enough top-level talent to make life difficult for anyone.

Best Players: Janari Jõesaar was the heart of the team throughout qualifying — a high-energy, do-it-all forward who consistently impacted games on both ends. Maik-Kalev Kotsar was their most important piece in the paint, combining smart post play with passing instincts that gave Estonia offensive structure. Guard Kristian Kullamäe provided flashes as both a scorer and playmaker, but his 4.5 turnovers per game highlight the growing pains that come with responsibility.

Strengths: Estonia’s offense flows well when built around Kotsar. He draws defensive attention in the post and can pass effectively out of double teams, keeping the ball moving. They’re a solid rebounding team, with a collective effort on the glass, and while they only shot 32% from deep during qualifiers, the spacing was sound thanks to smart off-ball movement and a low-volume, high-quality shot profile. When they lean into ball movement and spacing, they can generate high-percentage looks consistently.

Weaknesses: Kotsar is vital to everything Estonia does — but they ask a lot from him. He often self-creates off the dribble, which isn’t always the most efficient option and his workload becomes even more of a concern given their thin interior rotation. Defensive lapses — especially in pick-and-roll coverage — were a recurring issue throughout qualifying. Estonia is also turnover-prone, both from individual decisions and execution errors under pressure. Against elite bigs (like, say, Jokić), foul trouble could derail them early and often.

The Bottom Line: Estonia plays smart, moves the ball well, and has a clear offensive identity. But their ceiling is tied directly to how long Kotsar can stay on the court and whether they can clean up their defensive focus. They’re capable of a group-stage upset, but also one bad stretch away from being out of contention.

Expectation: Cohesive but Fragile

Structured enough to make it through the group, but vulnerable to elite size and pressure.

This article was co-written by the hosts of the European Hoops podcast, Tiago Cordeiro and André Lemos. Subscribe to the podcast and follow European Hoops on Twitter: @EthosEuroleague.