5 worst USA players at FIBA World Cup 2023 so far
While Team USA did not assemble a group laden with top-tier talent, it would be unfair to say that the roster contains the worst players to suit up for the nation.
Team USA is 4-1 after suffering a stunning 110-104 defeat to Lithuania on Sunday. Despite the loss, Team USA's FIBA World Cup campaign has been successful as it will be one of the teams to advance to the quarterfinals.
Walker Kessler, Cameron Johnson and three other players who have been the worst USA players
Despite Team USA's collection of talent securing a quarterfinal spot, some players have underperformed in the tournament. While this isn't an indictment of the players' talent level, they have been the worst USA players in the FIBA World Cup.
#1, Cameron Johnson
Cameron Johnson is averaging 13:37 minutes per game, third-fewest on the team. He is shooting 23.5%, including 33.3% from downtown. He also has not contributed in other areas as he has only averaged 1.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
#2, Brandon Ingram
In terms of efficiency, Brandon Ingram might be the worst USA player in this tournament. He has been playing 16:22 mpg and scoring an average of only 5.2 points per game.
However, he is shooting 46.1%, including 58.8% from downtown. He has also turned the ball over an average of 1.6 times per game, making him one of the worst performers for the team.
#3, Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis' numbers have actually been OK throughout the FIBA World Cup tournament. He has been averaging 11:38 mpg while getting 7.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
This performance is by no means terrible, it feels like the team could get more out of Portis.
#4, Walker Kessler
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has averaged 3.6 ppg on 57.1% shooting in a team-low 6:03. He has also blocked 1.4 shots but hasn't done much else.
One of the reasons why he can be considered one of the worst USA players during the tournament is because he has averaged 0.8 rpg, which is astonishing for a 7-footer.
#5, Mikal Bridges
Mikal Bridges is an incredible NBA player with one of the league's brightest futures. However, his performance in the FIBA World Cup has been underwhelming.
He's played 21:27 mpg but has only scored 9.8 ppg and has shot 41.6% from downtown. The reason why he makes the list of the worst USA players is because these numbers do not reflect the kind of talent that Bridges has.
Also read: Why did USA lose to Lithuania at FIBA World Cup 2023? Grading each player's performance.