Team USA's strongest starting 5 at FIBA World Cup 2023
Team USA is preparing for its opening game in the FIBA World Cup 2023, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 26.
The team will play Greece, New Zealand and Jordan in Group C of the opening round, and their first match is against New Zealand in Manila, Philippines.
Following an impressive 5-0 run in preparation games, coach Steve Kerr seems to know how he will distribute the roles and who will start in the matchups.
Certainly, the remaining practices and the opening-round games will help Kerr make the necessary adjustments. Still, for the time being, it is pretty clear that the starting five will consist of Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges and Brandon Ingram.
The five players mentioned above have started in all five exhibition games, so it would be a surprise if coach Kerr changed his mind and put another player in the starting lineup.
"It’s so hard because you only have a couple of weeks and then you jump right into the tournament," Steve Kerr said after the game vs. Greece via Eurohoops.net. "So I like the stability of that [starting] group."
What to expect from Team USA's roster at the FIBA World Cup
What is encouraging for this Team USA squad is that the players have adapted to FIBA Basketball rules and playing style faster than expected, providing a lot of variety and depth to the roster.
Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves thrived off the bench for the USA, and the same goes for Cam Johnson and Josh Hart.
At the same time, coach Kerr expects Paolo Banchero to elevate his game heading into the FIBA World Cup opener and add more scoring and versatility to this talented Team USA.
"What I like is that we know now they’ve got guts. But we can get a lot better because we have a higher ceiling than a lot of teams — because most of these teams have been together. (Germany) has been together.
"They’re really good. We feel like we’ve got more room for growth. And we’ve got to keep working and getting better as we head to Manila," Team USA head coach Steve Kerr said Sunday via NBA.com.
Team USA coaching staff will want to see all players stay healthy, as the Americans aim at nothing but the gold medal this year.
US FIBA World Cup roster
- Paolo Banchero
- Mikal Bridges
- Jalen Brunson
- Anthony Edwards
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Josh Hart
- Brandon Ingram
- Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Cam Johnson
- Walker Kessler
- Bobby Portis
- Austin Reaves
Which starting five should play for the US? Let us know in the comments section!