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World Cup Notes: Towns, F. Wagner, Canada, Ingram

August 27th, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Led by Karl-Anthony Towns, the Dominican Republic is the early surprise team of this year’s World Cup, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. The Timberwolves‘ big man posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists Sunday as the Dominican team took down highly ranked Italy, and he told reporters the result shouldn’t be considered a surprise.

“Was this an upset?” Towns asked. “I thought we wanted to win. We had great things in the second half, that’s what brought us the victory. We did a great job as a team, everybody down the line was amazing.”

As the only 2-0 team in Group A and one game left against Angola, the Dominican Republic is in excellent position to move past pool play. Towns may be the most recognizable player, but he’s not the team’s only weapon. Andres Feliz also scored 24 points, including seven three-pointers, while Jean Montero contributed 12 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals.

Italy is now in the unexpected position of having to defeat the host Philippines on Tuesday just to advance.

There’s more from the World Cup:

Germany got past Australia without Magic forward Franz Wagner, who sat out the game with a “slight sprained ankle,” per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Wagner is considered day-to-day, but the Germans opted to rest him against their toughest opponent in Group E.
Canada enjoyed a record-setting day in its 55-point victory over Lebanon. Its 128 points were the most ever for a Canadian team, and its 43 assists set a record for a World Cup game, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. Canada was able to rest Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, who is dealing with a minor injury, as nine players scored in double figures, adds Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).
Team USA has a roster filled with talented scorers, so it’s hard for everyone to get the opportunities they’re accustomed to, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The most glaring example so far is Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who was limited to four shots and two points in 15 minutes in the opening game against New Zealand. “This is totally different than what I am used to,” Ingram said. “The team is winning right now, so I can’t be selfish thinking about myself. But it’s a little frustrating right now for me, and I’m just trying to figure out ways I can be effective.”

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Team USA, Lineups

August 26th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard Austin Reaves had a strong official debut with Team USA in the 2023 World Cup, notching 12 points (on 4-of-6 shooting), six assists and three steals in 22 minutes of action as the Americans defeated New Zealand. Still, those numbers might be underselling his impact, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who says Reaves’ “all-around production, spirit and poise” made a big difference off the bench in the comeback win.

As Windhorst writes, Reaves has become a fan favorite around the world due to his breakout performance with Los Angeles last season, with the crowd in the Philippines going wild after his normal pose following a made three-pointer. He says it’s something he doesn’t take for granted.

“I was one of those kids watching the World Cup [and] the Olympics, so every day I wake up and cherish those moments,” Reaves said. “I’m from a super small town, and not a lot of people expected me to be here representing our country. So for the [crowds] to accept me the way that they accept me, it means a lot to me.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

In an interview with Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (subscriber link), Reaves says the last two years have been a whirlwind. As Price notes, the 25-year-old went undrafted in 2021, initially signing a two-way contract with the Lakers. Reaves was promoted to a standard deal prior to 2021/22, excelled down the stretch in ’22/23 in helping L.A. make the Western Conference Finals, signed a four-year, $54MM contract in free agency, and then received an invitation to the World Cup roster. “It’s been crazy,” Reaves said. “To get here and be rewarded with the contract [and] being on Team USA … all those dark days not getting recruited, not getting drafted, all that’s come to light. The basketball gods are real. If you’re pure to the game, the game will be pure to you back eventually. It’s been a beautiful two years.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic lists five lineups he’d like to see the Lakers use in ’23/24. According to Buha, the lineup with the most intriguing two-way potential features Reaves, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. A second-round pick in 2022, Christie is coming off a strong Summer League showing last month.
In case you missed it, the Lakers are unveiling a statue of the late Kobe Bryant during the upcoming season. You can find the details right here.

World Cup Notes: Canada, Fournier, USA, Mills, Towns

August 25th, 2023 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Canadian national team hasn’t had a ton of success in international competition in recent years and is missing top players like Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins at this year’s World Cup. However, Team Canada looked formidable its first group-play game on Friday, outscoring a talented French club by 27 points in the second half en route to a 95-65 win.

“We got our ass kicked,” French wing Evan Fournier told reporters after the game, per Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops. “… They were really physical with us. Taking us out of our set plays. And as a team I think they kind of forced us to do things that we don’t want to do.”

The Canadians leaned heavily on their NBA talent in the victory, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Luguentz Dort, Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all playing at least 20 minutes. Melvin Ejim was the only other player to log more than five minutes in the game.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout, racking up 27 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in just 27 minutes of action. Powell (+35 in 23 minutes) and Brooks (+33 in 26 minutes) anchored Canada’s aggressive defense.

Canada will face Lebanon on Sunday, while France will look to bounce back against Latvia.

Here’s more on the World Cup:

In an Insider-only story, Jonathan Givony and Kevin Pelton of ESPN pick their 15 most interesting players at the World Cup, including reigning NCAA national player of the year Zach Edey (Canada), projected 2024 first-rounder Juan Nunez (Spain) and Fournier (France), who scored a team-high 21 points on Friday after spending most of last season glued to the Knicks‘ bench. A strong World Cup could help earn Fournier a new NBA opportunity via trade or buyout, Pelton notes.
Team USA entered Friday as the strong frontrunners to win the 2023 World Cup, but head coach Steve Kerr knows the team can’t afford to get overconfident, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes. “Last time through this tournament, we finished seventh, we lost (two) games,” Kerr said. “We recognize how hard this is. These are not the days of 1992. … We may be one of the favorites, but I don’t think anybody’s clear cut. I think there’s a lot of teams that have a shot at this thing.”
Following an eventful offseason that saw him traded from Brooklyn to Houston to Oklahoma City to Atlanta, veteran guard Patty Mills provided a reminder on Friday of what he can bring to a team. The Hawks guard scored a team-high 25 points in Australia’s resounding win over Finland. “No surprises there,” Jack White said of Mills’ performance, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. “We know he can turn it on; that’s what he does… he’s a hell of a leader and it’s what we expect from him.”
Prior to the start of the World Cup, Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns spoke to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic about why he’s playing for the Dominican Republic and what it means to him to represent his mother’s native country. Towns and the Dominican Republic team got off to a strong start on Friday, defeating the host Philippines in a game that set a new World Cup attendance record (38,115), as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press details. Towns scored 26 points in the 87-81 win.

World Cup Notes: Edwards, Team USA, Rocket Launch, Canada

August 24th, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Edwards has become the star of Team USA, but Steve Kerr and the rest of the coaching staff originally pictured him in a sixth-man role, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. When the coaches held their first vote on starters, they put Cameron Johnson in the lineup instead of Edwards. That changed by the second scrimmage, and Edwards’ role in the first five is now secure.

“I mean, of course I wasn’t cool with it,” Edwards said. “If that’s what it takes, I mean, I am willing to do it, but nah, I’m never cool with that. … (Coach Steve Kerr) said Dwyane Wade came off the bench when Kobe (Bryant) played. I was like, all right, we don’t have a Kobe, but all right.”

Kerr was referring to the 2008 Olympic team, where Wade was the top scorer as the sixth man. The coaches may have envisioned Edwards coming off the bench to spark the offense, but he’s proved throughout camp and exhibition play that he’s capable of more than that. Kerr referred to Edwards as “the guy” after his 34-point outburst Sunday against Germany, and his teammates agree.

“Yeah, I think so, (because of) his aggressiveness and confidence,” Mikal Bridges said. “(There are) so many guys that can go out there and score as well, but him going out there and scoring the ball helps us a lot. So I have no problem with that term at all.”

There’s more as the World Cup tournament prepares to tip off:

Team USA held its first practice Wednesday at the venue in the Philippines where it will play all its World Cup games, according to The Associated Press. Okinawa, Japan, and Jakarta, Indonesia, will also serve as host cities for pool play, but the medal rounds will be held in Manila, so the Americans won’t have to travel if they advance.
Preparations in Okinawa weren’t affected by a North Korean rocket launch on Thursday, but some of the players were shaken up, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The launch was unsuccessful, and practices and press conferences went on as scheduled. “It was a little scary,” Luka Doncic said. “I didn’t sleep much.”
Canada has officially released its final World Cup roster, which includes seven current NBA players. After going 3-2 in exhibition play, Canada will face France, Lebanon and Latvia in pool play.

Poll: Will Team USA Win 2023 FIBA World Cup?

August 23rd, 2023 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 FIBA World Cup will begin on Friday, with Team USA’s schedule tipping off on Saturday when the Americans face New Zealand in the first of three group-play games. The 32-team field will be narrowed to 16 teams at the end of the first group-play stage, then eight of 16 teams will advance from the second group-play stage to the single-elimination knockout round.

In the last World Cup, in 2019, a heavily favored Team USA squad advanced to the eight-team knockout round, but lost to France in the quarterfinals and then to Serbia in a consolation contest before defeating Poland to claim seventh place.

This time around, the U.S. is once again missing its very best players, but has put together a talented, balanced roster led by rising stars such as Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, and Brandon Ingram. Team USA went 5-0 in exhibition play leading up to the World Cup and will once again enter the tournament as an overwhelming frontrunner.

The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag list the U.S. as a -120 favorite, with no other country given better than +800 odds to win the title. France and Canada are considered the next-best bets behind Team USA.

The French club is headed up by several veterans of international play, including NBAers like Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Nicolas Batum. France placed third in the 2019 World Cup after knocking off Team USA in the quarterfinals and will be looking to move up the podium this time around.

Canada doesn’t have a recent history of success in international competitions, but will have one of the most NBA-heavy rosters in the tournament, with an All-NBA First Teamer (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) leading the way. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets, the Canadian 12-man roster, finalized on Wednesday, also features RJ Barrett, Luguentz Dort, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Dwight Powell.

According to BetOnline.ag, the other teams that make up the top eight contenders for this year’s World Cup are Australia, Spain (the defending champions), Serbia, Slovenia, and Germany.

As we noted earlier today, the Australians have finalized a talented 12-man roster that features Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Joe Ingles, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green, and Patty Mills.

Spain is missing 2019 World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio, while the Serbians are without reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, but both countries still have enough talent to be considered serious threats. Slovenia is led by perennial NBA All-Star Luka Doncic, while the German team includes NBAers like Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Dennis Schröder.

We want to know what you think. With the U.S. team considered a slight favorite vs. the rest of the field, do you like Team USA to take home the gold after its disappointing finish in 2019? Or do you think another team – perhaps one whose roster has had a chance to develop more chemistry in international games – will knock off the Americans and claim the title?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!

World Cup Notes: Green, Brazil, Naturalized Players, U.S. Coaches

August 22nd, 2023 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Josh Green, who sat out Australia’s final World Cup tune-up game on Tuesday due to a minor ankle injury, is considered healthy and available for the Boomers’ World Cup opener on Friday, per Basketball Australia (Twitter link via Olgun Uluc of ESPN).

Green, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension with Dallas this offseason, is expected to play a key role for an Australian squad looking to improve upon its fourth-place finish at the 2019 World Cup.

Here are a few more notes on the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which tips off this Friday:

The Brazilian national team has officially announced its 12-man roster for the World Cup (Twitter link). While no current NBA players are on the roster, former NBAers like Raul Neto, Bruno Caboclo, and Cristiano Felicio will be representing the Brazilians.
FIBA is permitting each national team to have one “naturalized” player on its roster for the 2023 World Cup, prompting Meliksah Bayrav of Eurohoops to highlight some of the notable players who fall into this group, including Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (Philippines) and Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (China).
As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, it’s not just the players who are asked to accept lesser roles than they’re accustomed to when they join Team USA. Vardon takes an in-depth look at a talented U.S. coaching staff under Steve Kerr, noting that accomplished title-winning head coaches like Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue have happily performed the “grunt work” expected of assistants during the lead-up to the World Cup.

World Cup Notes: Edwards, Haliburton, Spoelstra, Africa

August 21st, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Edwards has emerged as the breakout star for Team USA, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The Timberwolves guard had a 34-point performance Sunday as the Americans rallied past Germany to post a 5-0 record in exhibition play heading into the FIBA World Cup. Edwards displayed his full offensive arsenal, including four three-pointers and an emphatic slam early in the game, and took over with 12 points in the fourth quarter.

“He’s unquestionably ‘the guy,’” coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean … he knows it, but now the team knows it and I think the fans see it. But we see it in practice every day. He genuinely believes he’s the best player in the gym every single night. And he’s such a dynamic young player, but I think he’s taking a leap.”

The 22-year-old already appeared on the path toward stardom, making his first All-Star appearance last season while averaging 24.6 points per game. He led the U.S. in scoring at 19.2 PPG in exhibition play and appears to have established himself as the team’s No. 1 option as the tournament starts this weekend.

“If you think about USA basketball over the years, a lot of young players have taken a leap in these World Cup (and) Olympic competitions and it feels to me like Anthony is taking that leap,” Kerr said.

There’s more from the World Cup:

The Germans provided the first major scare for Team USA, holding a 16-point lead in the third quarter before wilting down the stretch, Vardon adds. The U.S. staged a late 18-0 run to pull the game out, but the players understand they will likely face similar challenges in the future. “We talk about it all the time — that fear factor (for other teams) is gone,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “There’s certain battles that you have to control to win basketball games, especially at this level. We know we gotta control the glass, we gotta run teams off the 3-point line, can’t send ’em to the free-throw line. That’s what really affects USA basketball, losing games. We didn’t do a good job of those things, but we figured out a way to win.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who’s serving as an assistant on Kerr’s staff, calls the Team USA roster “the future of the NBA” in an interview with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link). He also discusses the challenge of trying to mold a team in a few weeks to compete with opponents that have played together for years.
Five African teams are viewing the World Cup as a chance to show the rest of the world how much progress they’ve made, Leonard Solms writes for ESPN. Nigeria, the traditional power on the continent, won’t be in the tournament, but Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, South Sudan, Egypt and Cape Verde all qualified. The African team with the best World Cup finish will qualify for next year’s Olympics.

World Cup Notes: Bridges, Johnson, Team USA, Towns

August 19th, 2023 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mikal Bridges‘ and Cameron Johnson‘s careers have mirrored each other, from breaking into the NBA with Phoenix to being sent to the Nets in the same trade and now making their debuts together with Team USA, writes Vishakha Deshpande of USA Basketball. Nicknamed “The Twins” because of their close friendship, Bridges and Johnson are enjoying their experience as they try to win a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup.

“It’s just really amazing to be here with him (Johnson),” Bridges said. “It’s wild to even think that I didn’t know Cam very well five years ago and with every passing season we get closer. And now being here and playing for USA, it’s just such an honor.”

Many of the NBA’s top stars are skipping the World Cup with an eye toward playing in the Olympics next summer. That has created opportunities for not just Johnson and Bridges, but the rest of the U.S. roster, which is largely made up of players in their first major international competition.

“It’s been amazing,” Bridges said. “We’re all kind of like the same age. It’s a fun set of guys and we got along really fast. We weren’t worried about that at all when we got here. The goal is to get gold for USA.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

With Team USA’s first World Cup game one week away, head coach Steve Kerr appears to have settled on a starting lineup, observes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Kerr used the same starting five for the fourth straight game as the Americans defeated Greece in an exhibition Friday, penciling in Bridges alongside Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Brandon Ingram and Jaren Jackson Jr. “It’s so hard because you only have a couple weeks and then you jump right into the tournament,” Kerr said. “So I like the stability of that (starting) group.”
They haven’t gotten much notice, but John Jenkins, Langston Galloway and Eric Mika have been working with Team USA in advance of the World Cup, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The three players – who played for the U.S. during the World Cup qualifiers – won’t accompany the team to Manila for the tournament, but they’ve been actively involved in the preparation as members of the U.S. Select Team. “To see them win it all, it’d be a huge moment for me, John, Eric,” Galloway said. “We helped get them here. Now let’s finish the job.”
Karl-Anthony Towns was ejected from the Dominican Republic’s exhibition game with Spain after picking up two technical fouls, tweets Chrisos Tsaltas of Sportal. The Timberwolves‘ big man put up 20 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes before being tossed.

And-Ones: Clippers, Player Tiers, World Cup, Schedule

August 17th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Tristan Tucker

While the NBA appears to be putting an emphasis on giving teams more rest between games, the Clippers likely won’t be reaping those benefits. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports put together his list of schedule tidbits after today’s reveal, a handful of which involve the Clippers. Helin notes that Los Angeles will travel 50,670 miles next season, the most by any one team. That figure is well above the 47,066-mile trek the Nets, the team that travels the second-most next year, will take on.

The Clippers also have the most instances of having three games in four nights, with 25. The Nuggets have the fewest with 16. Los Angeles also has 10 matinee home games next year, which Helin notes helps explain owner Steve Ballmer‘s desire to build a new arena.

Lastly, Helin notes that the Clippers are included in what he calls the NBA’s “rivalry week,” from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27. That week, the Clippers take on the Lakers while the Heat play the Knicks, and Brooklyn and New York face off.

Helin has other notes on the NBA’s schedule, including Denver having the easiest strength of schedule, though the difference is marginal. The Warriors start and finish the season with big road trips and the Celtics have the most rest-advantage games this season. Helin also writes that, as usual, the NBA didn’t schedule any games during the NCAA’s men’s tournament finals on April 8, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving and Nov. 7 for election day.

We have more notes from around the basketball world:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic has been breaking the NBA’s top 125 players into tiers. His tier five included 45 players, his tier four featured 41 players, his third included 21 players and now, he’s revealed his second tier, which encompasses 12 players, from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray to Lakers forward LeBron James. The six players in tier one will be revealed in the coming days.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on SportsCenter (YouTube link) to discuss the 2023 World Cup Team and how coach Steve Kerr helped construct the roster. Windhorst says that while the team doesn’t have much collective FIBA experience, it has come together quicker than expected due to no questions about individual roles. The Americans are 3-0 in their three exhibition games thus far.
With the NBA’s schedule coming out today, writers from both ESPN and Yahoo Sports came together to discuss some of the key matchups and reunions for the coming season. ESPN’s panel debates the most interesting opening week games, the most exciting reunions, and most difficult 10-game stretches, among other topics. The most probable NBA Finals preview matchup was another topic debated by ESPN’s panel and while there was no consensus, the Nuggets, Bucks, Celtics, Suns and Knicks seem to be the early favorites. Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports lists out every noteworthy game this coming season. Highlights include a Jan. 1 matchup between the Rockets and Pistons that features a clash between Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, Chet Holmgren‘s likely NBA debut against Chicago on Oct. 25, and a rematch of the electric Kings and Warriors playoff series from last year on Oct. 27.

Bucks’ Bobby Portis Talks Team USA, Contract, Griffin

August 16th, 2023 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks big man Bobby Portis is one of 12 players suiting up for the USA Basketball team that will compete in the 2023 World Cup that tips off next week.

Speaking to Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Portis said that it has been “pretty great” representing his country in international competition so far and that the team is still focused on building chemistry and adjusting to the FIBA rules as it gears up for group play.

In his conversation with Yip, Portis also addressed his role as Team USA’s de facto veteran leader, the Bucks’ new head coach, and a handful of other topics. Here are a few highlights:

On what’s expected of him as Team USA’s elder statesman at age 28:

“Man, I just come in every day and be Bobby Portis. That’s all I know how to be, since day one, in my time in the league, man. I’ve never changed who I am, stay true to myself, work on my game each and every year and get better. And try to be a leader working on my leadership qualities over the last three, four years in the league, especially when I got to the Bucks being around great savvy vets like Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Brook Lopez, Jrue [Holiday], Khris [Middleton], all my guys. The core group of guys, those guys, let me kind of be myself. Let me have a voice. And it’s been cool, man. So, my role on this team is to be Bobby, man. It’s all I know how to be.”

On whether signing a four-year, $48.6MM contract in 2022 gave him a sense of validation:

“I mean, yeah, but every year is a prove-it year, man. Just because you got a deal doesn’t mean you got to stop working and keep building brick by brick. Keep chopping wood and carrying water, that’s the motto. Can’t get complacent, can’t get comfortable in the league.

“There are 40, 50, 60 guys that want to have a guaranteed spot every year on a new team. And there’s gonna be 40, 50, 60 guys that are going to get pushed out. So gotta keep getting better each and every year. Can’t be satisfied with whatever you need to be. Whether it is $20 million, $100 million, $200 million. Gotta keep going. Gotta keep chopping wood and getting better.”

On what he hopes new head coach Adrian Griffin brings to Milwaukee:

“I don’t like to compare the past and the future, but I just hope he lets us be us, and be the player-driven team. We have a lot of guys on our team that’s done this before, so we kind of know what it takes to get to that next level. Our biggest thing on the Bucks is just staying healthy. No matter who it is that’s coaching whatever it is, we got to be healthy.”