The USA FIBA World Cup rosters are always interesting to see which players from the NBA accept an invitation to play. In 2019, it was a notably disappointing result as the USA fell to France 89-79 in the quarter-finals and placed 7th, which was the worst placement ever in Team USA history. Losing to the likes of Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Frank Ntilikina, and Nicolas Batum was definitely not the best look for Team USA.
That USA team in 2019 featured young stars like Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown, as well as clear role players such as Mason Plumlee, Joe Harris, and Harrison Barnes. Four years later, there is a fresh batch of players who will look to redeem that team and bounce back from the failed 2019 campaign. Who will be representing the 2023 USA FIBA World Cup Team?
- Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks/Villanova)
- Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers/Iowa State)
- Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers/Oklahoma)
- Josh Hart (New York Knicks/Villanova)
- Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves/Georgia)
- Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets/Villanova)
- Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans/Duke)
- Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets/North Carolina)
- Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic/Duke)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies/Michigan State)
- Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks/Arkansas)
- Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz/Auburn)
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this USA Team?
Before digging into what the starting lineup should look like for the World Cup games, let’s first look at some of the key strengths and weaknesses of this USA team.
Strengths: This 12-man roster has a ton of versatility at the wing and forward spots. There is also a great blend of offensive-oriented players who can score at different levels of the court, including five players who shoot 39.0%+ from beyond the arc (Brunson, Haliburton, Reaves, Bridges, and Johnson). There is great switchability potential on the defensive side of the ball at the 2-5 spots and some nice rim-protecting options as well. The roster as a whole consists of players who are used to and willing to play either on-ball or off-ball, which should allow for a more fluid offense than in 2019.
Weaknesses: None of the 12 players on this roster have any experience with the senior national team and this group of players contains zero All-NBA players. The point guard depth is lacking with only two listed on the roster (Brunson and Haliburton), so if either suffers an injury, the floor general spot will look very iffy. There is also some concern about how many of these younger players will adapt to the FIBAs style of more physical basketball and which player in general will step up as the number one option when it enters crunch time.
Anticipated Team USA Depth Chart
PG: Jalen Brunson / Tyrese Haliburton / Anthony Edwards
SG: Anthony Edwards / Austin Reaves / Josh Hart
SF: Mikal Bridges / Josh Hart / Cam Johnson
PF: Brandon Ingram / Paolo Banchero / Cam Johnson
C: Jaren Jackson Jr. / Bobby Portis / Walker Kessler
As mentioned in the weaknesses section, the PG spot is thin with only Brunson and Haliburton as options as true PGs. While the starting spot could be given to either player, Brunson’s recent playoff performances should give him the benefit of the doubt and a slight edge. Edwards, who was a borderline All-NBA player last season, gets the nod at starting SG and Reaves can provide a punch off of the bench. Bridges is notably a better overall player than Hart and Johnson and will be asked to help carry Brunson and Edwards defensively on the perimeter.
As for the frontcourt, there are many potential routes, but going with the 7-year veteran, Ingram, at starting PF seems logical, with Banchero backing him up. Due to this, Jackson Jr., the defending DPOY, will slot in at starting Center with Portis and Kessler backing up as needed. There could also be some nice combinations of playing Jackson Jr. at PF and Portis or Kessler at the center so that Jackson Jr. can roam off-ball and protect the rim from the weak side.
This 2023 World Cup Team is by no means stacked with elite talent, but this roster should be enough to get farther in the tournament than last time and perhaps even medal. It will be interesting to see what the starting lineup looks like on August 26th, when Team USA faces off with New Zealand.