While there has been some hand-wringing this summer over the exodus of stars from Team USA’s World Cup roster, the absence of the country’s very best players may ultimately make things more interesting in China next month.
Rather than watching Team USA’s dozen best players run roughshod over their international challengers, we should get a look at some new faces and see a more balanced competition. Although America is still the overwhelming favorite to win gold in China next month, there are no guarantees, since the team will run out a younger roster with less All-Star talent than expected.
USA Basketball’s training camp is taking place this week in Las Vegas, and the program’s decision-makers will ultimately have to pare down a group of 29 participants to a roster made up of 12 players before the World Cup gets underway on August 31. Those participants are as follows:
Main roster:
- Bam Adebayo (Heat)
- Harrison Barnes (Kings)
- Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
- De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
- Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
- Brook Lopez (Bucks)
- Kyle Lowry (Raptors) *
- Khris Middleton (Bucks)
- Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- Mason Plumlee (Nuggets)
- Marcus Smart (Celtics)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- P.J. Tucker (Rockets)
- Myles Turner (Pacers)
- Kemba Walker (Celtics)
- Thaddeus Young (Bulls)
* Recovering from thumb surgery.
Select Team:
- Jarrett Allen (Nets)
- Marvin Bagley III (Kings)
- Mikal Bridges (Suns)
- Jalen Brunson (Mavericks)
- John Collins (Hawks)
- Pat Connaughton (Bucks)
- Torrey Craig (Nuggets)
- Joe Harris (Nets) **
- Jonathan Isaac (Magic)
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
- Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
- Derrick White (Spurs)
- Trae Young (Hawks)
** Practicing with main roster.
With the 2019 World Cup around the corner, we want to know what your ideal 12-man Team USA roster looks like. The 16-player training camp roster above is a good jumping-off point, but if there are members of the Select Team who – in your view – deserve to represent Team USA in China, feel free to include them as well.
Adding players to your 12-man roster who have already withdrawn from consideration – such as James Harden, Anthony Davis, and other stars – is a no-go, but if there are some under-the-radar NBA players you would’ve liked to see on the squad, feel free to make note of them as well.
What do you think? What would your ideal 12-man Team USA roster look like, given the limitations imposed by all the players who turned down invitations? Weigh in below in the comment section!
Kemba, Lowry, Fox as my PGs
Mitchell, Smart and Middleton as my SGs
Barnes and Tatum at SF
Kuzma and Tucker for PFs
Lopez and Turner for my Cs
I don’t think Lowery will play because of injury .
Just cut young, Tucker, plumlee, and Lowery and we are set.
The world has been waiting a long time to see PJ Tucker. Now is the time.
If Lopez or Middleton suffer a severe injury during this exhibition, the Bucks are screwed. Despite what Giannis said about staying with Milwaukee his whole career, people change. I would hate to hurt our chances to win a championship because of the “World Cup” of Basketball which Top 50 players are not wanting to play. We already have the Olympics which USA takes more seriously (e.g., The Dream Team) . The WC is just another moneymakers wet dream and not worth the risk.
Fair enough, but basketball World Cup has been around since the year 1950, so it is not some new money-making scam which was invented ‘yesterday’.
PG: Kemba, Fox, Young
SG: D Mitchell, Brown, Harris
SF: Middleton, Tatum, Barnes
PF: Kuzma, Collins
C: Turner, Robinson
That’s 13 but I refuse to cut my beloved Mitch Robinson.
well your going to have to because selection team players are only practice players and will not play for team usa unless said otherwise. they are only there for practice
PG Kemba, Fox
SG K-Mid, Mitchell
SF Tatum, Brown
PF Kuzma, Collins, MBIII
C Lopez, Allen, Plumlee