A first look at how Team USA might suit up for the FIBA World Cup / News - Basketnews.com

Although it's highly uncertain that veteran stars will be there, coach Steve Kerr will count on younger talent with some prior international basketball experience.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

The United States won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, but their next goal is to reclaim their title as world champions after failing at the 2019 World Cup in China.

The squad coached by Gregg Popovich fell in the tournament's quarterfinals in a resounding fiasco for a new generation supported by the Boston Celtics, as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker entered the team to lead it along with Khris Middleton and Donovan Mitchell. The next opportunity is just around the corner, though.

The next World Cup is also being held in Asia, in three countries (the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia), and USA Basketball wants to recover part of their lost pride.

Steve Kerr is the new coach and will debut in the World Cup. In the previous appointments, he was an assistant to his mentor, Gregg Popovich, who has stepped aside to leave the responsibility to him. In the World Cup, he has to be the head of a generational revolution that will actually be tested at the 2024 Olympic Games, which is the Americans' main objective.

Journalist Joe Vardon, covering Team USA for The Athletic, broke down how the American squad might look like in the coming tournaments.

Veterans like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Stephen Curry, in addition to other important players such as James Harden or Kawhi Leonard are almost ruled out for the World Cup. The main reason is that they would simply prioritize the Olympics in case they want a happy ending with the national team.

Others, like Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, Zach LaVine, Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum will be tough to commit. For Middleton and Tatum, the 2023 World Cup would mean they'd be back in Asia for the third straight competition after 2019 and 2021.

In the point guard position, two names stand out: Bradley Beal and Trae Young. Beal is a veteran player and scorer who can fit perfectly into what is required for international basketball at the national team level. He stayed out of the Tokyo Games because of COVID.

"I definitely see myself playing for USA," Beal told The Athletic. "That's always been a goal of mine, obviously to play in the Olympics, but there's a step to get there (the World Cup). So if it's available to me, for sure."

Young is likely to sign up for the task after having participated in workouts when Popovich was the coach, albeit staying out with an eye infection. Young will lean on new USA Basketball's new managing director, Grant Hill, and Sean Ford, minority shareholder of the Hawks, the team he plays for.

Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and his Cavs teammate Donovan Mitchell, might make the cut. Grizzlies players can also do that, among whom Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson or Ja Morant.

"Representing my country means a lot to me," said Garland, who’s nursing an eye injury at present. "I’ve been in USA Basketball since I was 16 and I’ve never won a gold medal. That’s something I really want to do, something I’m going to accomplish."

Other names are Scottie Barnes (Raptors), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) or the resuscitated Zion Williamson. If the Warriors' locker room narrows down their conflicts, Kerr's bet would be on Jordan Poole.

The main weapon for the US, and one of the questions to be answered ahead of the World Cup, is what will happen with Joel Embiid. The Cameroon-born big man has been asked to join the United States now that he has obtained citizenship. France is the other team that wants him and in FIBA the answer must be given before the event.

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