NBA Updates PH – The United States is meant to be the best international basketball team for men, but the last FIBA World Cup showed that the rest of the world is catching up. The Americans came in seventh place at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, with Team USA struggling to maintain its dominance. After a shocking loss to France in the semifinals and another loss to Serbia in the loser’s bracket, their 58-game winning streak came to an end. However, the U.S. men’s basketball team got back on track by winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, reestablishing Team USA’s reputation on the global stage.
The U.S. hopes to get back on track at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will be held in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10. The U.S. is sending a team with some of the best young NBA players and one player who has never played for the senior national team. Steve Kerr is the new head coach of USA Basketball. He replaces Gregg Popovich, the famous coach of the San Antonio Spurs who led the U.S. team to gold in Tokyo.
USA Basketball is bringing one of its teams with the least amount of experience to a big international game. No one on the team has ever been picked for an All-NBA team. It will be interesting to see how well this team does in FIBA.
Here’s a full look at the U.S. basketball team’s squad and what to expect when the 2023 FIBA basketball World Cup starts.
Team USA FIBA World Cup roster for 2023 basketball tournament
Jaren Jackson Jr. usually plays the four next to Steven Adams for the Memphis Grizzlies, but when Team USA starts games, he is expected to be the only big man on the court. Jackson won NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 because he could block shots from far away and move quickly. The 23-year-old former Michigan State player is also a capable offensive player who can stretch the floor to three-point range and has some ball-handling skills.
Brandon Ingram is a big 6’8″ forward from Kinston, NC who has become one of the best wing players in the NBA. Last year, the New Orleans Pelicans‘ 25-year-old player had probably his best shooting season yet, making 39% of his 3-point shots. Ingram has always been a dedicated scorer for his teams, but if the U.S. sticks with this small-ball lineup, they will need him to rebound better than he ever has in the NBA.
Mikal Bridges is known as a “3-and-D” player, but his trade from Phoenix to Brooklyn in the middle of the season showed that his game is much more than that. With the Brooklyn Nets, the 6’6″ wing from Philadelphia improved as a shooter by getting more touches on the ball. Bridges can fit into any defensive group because he is long and can shoot from the outside. Kerr can use him as a floor filler, and if the team’s guards are struggling, he can also let him score.
Jalen Brunson, who left the Dallas Mavericks for the New York Knicks last year, took his game to a new level. The Chicago native will be in charge of handling the ball and making plays for the team. Kerr has praised him for being a leader. Brunson can also score a lot when he’s in a good mood, which he showed in the NBA Playoffs. Along with Bridges and Josh Hart, he is one of the three Villanova Wildcats on this team.
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