AN OVERVIEW OF TEAM USA’S FIBA WORLD CUP ROSTER

The FIBA World Cup will be played between late August and early September, and Team USA will have much to prove on the World Stage after an embarrassing seventh-place finish in the 2019 edition. Team USA’s roster will feature a plethora of young talents like first-time All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. The projected starting five for Team USA this Tournament will likely be Haliburton and Edwards in the backcourt, Brandon Ingram and Jackson Jr. at the forward positions, and Walker Kessler in the post. Haliburton is a shifty guard who uses a combination of size and great court vision to take advantage of opponents and create scoring opportunities for his teammates and shooting the three with ease, while Edwards is a great all-around player who is mainly known for using his athleticism to attack the rim aggressively and score from virtually anywhere on the court. Ingram is a three-level scorer and smooth shooter, especially in the midrange game, while Jackson Jr. uses his length and fluid movement to both block shots and score on the interior while also providing extra value as a stretch four from behind the arc. Kessler is a seven-footer who just finished his rookie season and has proven himself as a skilled shot blocker who can keep up with the league’s best big men and uses his length to grab rebounds and dunk all over defenders. Other notable players on this roster include Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and Sixth Man of the Year Finalist Bobby Portis. Mikal Bridges, Austin Reaves, Cameron Johnson, and Josh Hart are breakout players that also provide extra three-point shooting and defensive depth. They are also being coached by offensive guru Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, who will help boost this team’s potential. This USA team is a very exciting roster and has the talent to make a deep run toward the gold medal, but its lack of experience could be a fatal flaw against other top teams in the Tournament that are more experienced. This will also be a major test for the future of USA Basketball and whether they can remain the supreme force in the basketball world as other countries are starting to catch up and produce generational talents of their own. Therefore, when the FIBA World Cup starts, all eyes will be on Team USA to have a comeback year and reclaim the gold medal for the first time since the 2015 edition of the tournament.