An Inexperienced Team USA Will Be One To Watch
Team USA has dominated the world stage of basketball since it began filling the team with NBA stars. However, the rest of the pack has caught up. So much so that according to the latest FIBA rankings last February, the United States is no longer at the top of the mountain. Instead, it’s Spain who currently boasts top billing in that department.
With the FIBA World Cup just around the corner, analysts believe Team USA will face stiffer competition than ever before. And with an inexperienced squad set to grace the hardwood, that could spell trouble for the Red, White and Blue.
Unlike previous versions of the team, this year’s Team USA won’t have names like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, or Stephen Curry. Instead some of the “big” names Team USA will bring to Manila for the World Cup are Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans, Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic, and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.
The Pros: Preparing the New Generation
While the above players already have experience in the NBA, the World Cup is a different animal. Fortunately, having an inexperienced team has its benefits for Head Coach Steve Kerr.
With guys like LeBron and Curry nearing the ends of their illustrious basketball careers, this year’s FIBA World Cup presents a unique opportunity for the Americans to prepare a young core for the next generation of national team duties.
Having a new core to build around also has its benefits in terms of finding a new leader for USA basketball and it didn’t take long for Kerr to notice one standout in that regard. Jalen Brunson, who led the Knicks to a deep playoff run last season, has stood out not only for his on court play, but also how vocal he’s been throughout the process.
“I think Jalen is such a natural leader,” Kerr said. “Because he’s a point guard, he immediately comes to mind. He’s the one who’s leading the ‘1, 2, 3 USA’ chant. Some guys just, it just comes naturally to them.” he added.
Breakout Lakers star Austin Reaves may not be the vocal leader of the group, but his on court play has many believing he could take on a large scoring role for the team at the tournament. Something that Los Angeles has to be happy about in terms of his development.
The Cons: A Difficult Campaign Ahead
One of the primary disadvantages of having an inexperienced squad play for such a big stage is that players will play against more experienced teams who have been together for years Steve Kerr is taking over from Gregg Popovich who led Team USA to a seventh-place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China before capturing the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The American side has already had a bumpy start after the U.S. Select team, headlined by Cade Cunningham beat Team USA 47-39 in a recent scrimmage. The national team managed the right the ship in the rematch the following day, but an early chink in the armour isn’t doing much to quiet the murmurs about the players selected to represent the US ahead of the tournament.
The pressure will be on Kerr and company to try and regain the winning touch that made the Americans virtually unbeatable at one point. But learning the intricacies of FIBA rules on the fly is easier said than done.
The United States is grouped alongside Jordan, Greece, and New Zealand in Group C. Brunson and company will have their first World Cup match against New Zealand on August 26th (Manila time).
While Group C won’t be confused for a “group of death” anytime soon, all three opponents are well versed in international basketball, and know the subtle intricacies of the rulebook that can sometimes require an adjustment period for NBA players.
On paper the United States has the talent to win it all. But far more star studded rosters have faltered on the international stage before. At a minimum they should advance out of the group stages. A medal finish? That’s another story.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.