Group USA’s roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in the Philippines is beginning to take shape and will involve at least 4 increasing NBA stars generating their US National Group debuts.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards, Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves, Brooklyn Nets compact forward Mikal Bridges and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis have committed to play for Group USA, sources mentioned. league. The Athletic.
The 12-player roster, which is getting compiled by USA Basketball basic manager Grant Hill, coach Steve Kerr and basic manager Sean Ford, is not but comprehensive, and the USA group has not released any confirmations it has received.
Edwards, who will turn 22 through Group USA’s education camp in early August, averaged 24.six points, five.eight rebounds and four.four assists this season for the Timberwolves and produced his 1st All-Star group. The six-foot-four, 225-pound shooting guard, who was the No. 1 choose in the 2020 NBA draft, was a member of Group USA’s choose group (the group that practices against the national group) for the Tokyo Olympics.
Haliburton, 23, was also an All-Star for the 1st time this season, averaging 20.7 points and ten.four assists. The second-year pro out of Iowa State trailed only James Harden amongst the NBA’s assists leaders. While a point guard, Halliburton is listed at six-foot-five and was also ninth in the league with 1.six steals per game.
Reaves, 25, had a breakout season for the Lakers this year, averaging 13. points and shooting almost 40 % from three-point variety. He played a prominent function in the Lakers’ surprise run to the Western Conference Finals. Reaves was even far better in the playoffs, averaging 16.9 points and shooting 44 % from deep. He will be a restricted free of charge agent this summer time and 1 of the most effective players obtainable on the open marketplace. At six-foot-five and a competent defender, Reaves (and Haliburton, and Edwards, for that matter, who is a 37 % shooter from three) match the mold of the type of guards Group USA has begun to prioritize in these higher-level international competitions exactly where larger defenders who can hold their personal in defense and shoot from deep are beneficial.
Bridges, 26, has but to make the All-Star group, but has turn out to be the Nets’ most effective player due to the fact getting traded for Kevin Durant in February. He’s a six-foot-six wing who averaged 20.1 points on the season but 26.1 points in 27 games for Brooklyn.
Portis, 28, is an eight-year NBA vet and a versatile large man off the Bucks’ bench. A related function is most likely on Group USA. Portis averaged 14.1 points and 9.six rebounds this season and was in consideration for Sixth Man of the Year.
Group USA starts education camp Aug. three in Las Vegas, plays its 1st exhibition game Aug. 7 against Puerto Rico, then embarks on a two-week trip to Spain and the United Emirates ahead of starting Globe Cup play Aug. 26 against New Zealand.
This is the 1st Globe Cup-Olympics cycle for Hill and Kerr in their respective positions. Hill succeeded Jerry Colangelo as basic manager. Kerr was an assistant below Gregg Popovich on the earlier two American teams.
Even though the Americans are 4-time defending Olympic medalists in men’s basketball, the final Globe Cup was, by USAB requirements, a disaster. Group USA lost twice in 2019 in China and completed seventh — the worst finish in plan history.