KIEV (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Veteran coach Mike Fratello has been at the helm of Ukraine's national team since 2011, when he led the side at the EuroBasket in Lithuania.

He has a healthy respect for international basketball and fully understands that every opponent is dangerous.

Fratello, therefore, says Ukraine are going to have their hands full as they attempt to survive the Group Phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

The Ukrainians will first square off against the Dominican Republic in Bilbao and then take on Group C foes Finland, Turkey, New Zealand and the USA in the days that follow.

"To me," he said, "there is no such thing as a 'main rival in the group.'

"In the first round, we have to win a sufficient number of games to have a chance to get to the next round.

"So the game we play against the Dominican Republic becomes a crucial game.

"You have to win it, and the ones that follow, and our opponents are thinking the same way."

If any team looks too far ahead, included the supposed favorites, they may be making a rod for their own backs.

Ukraine know this only too well because they went into their second round clash at EuroBasket 2013 against Latvia expecting to win but were blown out by the Baltic side.

Fratello's team recovered and upset Serbia in their next game, an important win on their way to a sixth-place finish and qualification for the World Cup.

"Our main goal is to leave the group," said Fratello.

"This is new territory for us.

"Last year at the European Championship, we had to first of all go to the second round…

"We claimed an important victory in the second round and had a chance to go ahead and get to the World Cup."

There is a lot of attention on the team's game against the United States, especially because of Fratello's NBA connections.

He has coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies.

"The game against the United States," Fratello said, "is the last in the first round.

"I don't care about this clash because first, we have to go through all the other teams before you meet the Americans," Fratello said.

"Everyone has to play each other in the group.

"Don't call any one game more significant than others."

FIBA