Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster

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Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#1 » by RealGM Wiretap » Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:36 pm

Team USA unveiled 17 finalists to make the 12 player roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup, including 13 players from the senior side and 4 players from the Select Team.


The roster includes: Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, Jaylen Brown, De'Aaron Fox, Joe Harris, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Mason Plumlee, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, P.J. Tucker, Myles Turner, Kemba Walker, and Derrick White. 


Team USA plays to take 15 players to an exhibition in Australia before cutting the roster down to 12 for the tournament.

Via Marc Stein/The New York Times

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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#2 » by RoxSteady » Sat Aug 10, 2019 7:46 pm

On the one hand, that roster would have difficulty making the playoffs in the Western Conference. On the other hand, Kemba, Lowry, and Fox will have no trouble breaking down defenses and have some pretty good shooters to dish to.
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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#3 » by tigerae » Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:23 pm

Gonna be some rough times for this roster unless one or two of the young players really come in to their own this summer.
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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#4 » by ShazamDaShiznt » Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:48 pm

On paper team USA is still easily the best team of the tournament

I am more interested to see how Popovich prepares for the tournament, arguably the greatest NBA coach of all time, new to this team USA thing but let's see what he does with this group of players.

Australia missing key players, Canada has more majority of NBA players refusing to play. France, Serbia and Greece are one star with bunch of guys squads. And Spain is getting too old.
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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#5 » by ShazamDaShiznt » Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:55 pm

RoxSteady wrote:On the one hand, that roster would have difficulty making the playoffs in the Western Conference. On the other hand, Kemba, Lowry, and Fox will have no trouble breaking down defenses and have some pretty good shooters to dish to.


This squad would make the western playoffs, especially if coached by Popovich. He knows how to lead a quite average roster to the playoffs.
The only weakness of this team are most definitely the big guys. That will be the hope for the rest of international teams. The PG, SG, SF positions are crowded, they will easily take care of any challenge they're given.
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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#6 » by michuk » Sun Aug 11, 2019 10:22 pm

RoxSteady wrote:On the one hand, that roster would have difficulty making the playoffs in the Western Conference. On the other hand, Kemba, Lowry, and Fox will have no trouble breaking down defenses and have some pretty good shooters to dish to.


Are you kidding me?

Lowry-Mitchell-Middleton-Tatum-Kuzma is easily a playoff starting five in both conferences. This together with the best reserves in the league would definitely get this team at least to the second round.

Obviously one would hope a Team USA is better than a second-rounder but oh well, FIBA is not FIFA and no one really cares for thus tournament anyway.
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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#7 » by RoxSteady » Mon Aug 12, 2019 1:17 am

ShazamDaShiznt wrote:
RoxSteady wrote:On the one hand, that roster would have difficulty making the playoffs in the Western Conference. On the other hand, Kemba, Lowry, and Fox will have no trouble breaking down defenses and have some pretty good shooters to dish to.


This squad would make the western playoffs, especially if coached by Popovich. He knows how to lead a quite average roster to the playoffs.
The only weakness of this team are most definitely the big guys. That will be the hope for the rest of international teams. The PG, SG, SF positions are crowded, they will easily take care of any challenge they're given.


michuk wrote:
RoxSteady wrote:On the one hand, that roster would have difficulty making the playoffs in the Western Conference. On the other hand, Kemba, Lowry, and Fox will have no trouble breaking down defenses and have some pretty good shooters to dish to.


Are you kidding me?

Lowry-Mitchell-Middleton-Tatum-Kuzma is easily a playoff starting five in both conferences. This together with the best reserves in the league would definitely get this team at least to the second round.

Obviously one would hope a Team USA is better than a second-rounder but oh well, FIBA is not FIFA and no one really cares for thus tournament anyway.


I think that the Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Blazers, Nuggets, Rockets, Jazz could all give that roster a run (even if you let them keep Kuzma and Mitchell when they played the Jazz and Lakers). Spurs and even OKC with CP3/Gallo/Adams might give them trouble.
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Re: Team USA Basketball Announces 17 Finalists For FIBA World Cup Roster 

Post#8 » by jk31 » Mon Aug 12, 2019 3:08 pm

michuk wrote:Obviously one would hope a Team USA is better than a second-rounder but oh well, FIBA is not FIFA and no one really cares for thus tournament anyway.


Outside of the US, many people care for the national team tournaments.

And how can the Big Men be the weak spot there? You have a complete athletic beast in Andre Drummond, you have the best shot blocker last season and a good 3pt shooter, who continues to grow offensively, too, with Myles Turner and you have Brook Lopez, wo brings a better offensive skillset than Turner and while being worse than Turner, a good defense, too.

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