Can Team USA reclaim FIBA Basketball World Cup title?

After coming in seventh in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the United States is hoping that they can reclaim their spot atop the world’s best at this year’s tournament. 

This tournament’s roster does not feature the household names that basketball fans have become accustomed to seeing representing the United States in international tournaments. 

There’s no LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Damian Lillard leading the way. Instead, younger stars like Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, and Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will be featuring for Team USA. 

Despite their relative youth and inexperience, Team USA is already on the right track, having gone 5-0 in their warm-up exhibition slate, picking up victories over Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, and reigning champion Spain. 

Warriors and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has gone with the same starting lineup each game: Brunson, Edwards, Jackson Jr., Nets forward Mikal Bridges and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. 

During the five warm-up games, Edwards is pacing Team USA in points, averaging 18.8 per game, including a 34 point outburst in comeback victory over Germany. Coming off the bench, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has lead the squad in assists, with 7.4 per game. 

Competition will be stiff during the tournament. The Dominican Republic, Serbia, Lithuania, Australia, Germany, Georgia, Spain, Canada, and France all feature multiple NBA players and Slovenia features the top player in the tournament–Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.

What is Team USA’s biggest weakness? According to Kerr: turnovers and rebounding. 

“If we stay even on the possession game, I feel great about our chances against anybody,” Kerr said to ESPN. “The way teams can beat us is if they get extra possessions and force a lot of turnovers and we’re not sharp and we’re not boxing out.”

During Team USA’s 108-86 win over Greece (who were playing without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo), they turned the ball over 20 times. In their more narrow 98-88 win over Spain, they were especially vulnerable on the offensive glass, giving up 14 offensive rebounds to the reigning champs will only securing six of their own. 

Teams that feature elite rebounders, like France with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, Lithuania with Pelicans center Jonas Valančiūnas, Montenegro with Nikola Vučević, the Dominican Republic with Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, Australia with Thunder guard Josh Giddey and Canada with Mavericks center Dwight Powell could provide a challenge for the Americans. 

Their presumed starting center, Jackson Jr., normally splits time between the power forward and center position, and has only averaged 5.5 rebounds per game throughout his career. Behind Jackson Jr., Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Bucks forward Bobby Portis, and Jazz center Walker Kessler will also be tasked with putting in work on the boards. 

While Team USA’s lack of size will make it more difficult to win the rebounding battle, it may end up being their biggest strength. The Americans’ speed and playmaking up and down the roster makes them almost impossible to stop in transition and with every player except for Kessler being a capable three point shooter, the U.S. will be able to space teams out with a variety of five-out lineups. 

Even though this is one of the historically weaker Team USA rosters, they still have the most talent in the World Cup by a significant margin. Anything less than a first place finish will be a failure. 

However, those expectations do not mean that this team is not vulnerable. The U.S. will need to be at their best throughout the tournament if they want to bring a championship back to the States.