In case you missed it, the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be held in three countries: the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
While it may not be as prominent as the Olympics in the view of most Americans, it is still a somewhat prestigious basketball competition with more national teams participating (32) than the Olympics (12).
Team USA is sending a team of young up-and-coming talents, some of whom have previously made All-Star appearances. In comparison to the seventh-placed club in 2019, this lineup appears to make more sense, with a reasonable balance of offensive juice and defensive adaptability.
Unlike the NBA, FIBA permits teams to have a maximum of 12 players on their rosters. Here are the 12 Team USA players who will travel to Manila, Philippines, to compete in group stage games and (hopefully) knockout stage games:
While it may not be considered as important as the Olympics in most Americans’ eyes, it’s still a pretty prestigious basketball tournament with more national teams involved (32) compared to the Olympics (12).
As expected, Team USA is sending out a roster of young up-and-coming stars, some of which have already notched an All-Star appearance. Compared to the 2019 team that finished seventh, this roster appears to make more sense, with a reasonable balance of offensive juice and defensive versatility.
Unlike the NBA, FIBA allows a maximum of 12 players on team rosters. Here are the 12 Team USA players going to Manila in the Philippines, where they’ll be playing their group-stage games and (hopefully) will play their knockout-stage games:
Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets)
Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks)
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
Josh Hart (New York Knicks)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)
As you can see, no Golden State Warriors players will be on the roster. Instead, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will lead the national team in their bid to recapture the World Cup title.
Kerr, who previously worked as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich in the 2020 Olympics and the 2019 World Cup, will be supported by Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyron Lue, and Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few. That’s a coaching staff with a combined seven NBA championships and two NCAA Final Four appearances.
Their objective is to take a youthful roster and make it into a cohesive team in less than a month, which is a difficult but not impossible task considering their pedigree and the roster they’ve been given. It’s not out of the question that they may win the entire thing based on their collective talent.
However, even though big NBA talents such as Nikola Joki and (potentially) Giannis Antetokounmpo have chosen to sit out, the field they’re up against is loaded with high-level talent. Canada is fielding their most talented roster, with many NBA stars; France is fielding nearly the same squad that defeated a stronger USA roster in the first game of the 2020 Olympics and gave them a run for their money in the second.
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Kerr and his team have their work cut out for them, which officially began Monday with Team USA’s first day of training camp.
Because this lineup is better constructed than the 2019 iteration, they have a solid chance of winning the James Naismith Trophy at the end of the tournament. It’s also worth seeing how Kerr handles a group that’s structurally different from the one he’s coached for nearly a decade, and one that lacks an all-time great in Stephen Curry.
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