Ranking 5 best players for Team USA ahead of FIBA World Cup 2023

After finishing seventh during the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Team USA will be looking to put on a show. A collection of young talents will spearhead the Americans as they try to avoid another embarrassing finish in international basketball.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Ingram, Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards are coach Steve Kerr’s only NBA All-Stars. None of them have ever been selected for an All-NBA selection, though.

Still, Team USA is arguably the most talented in the tournament. Its biggest concern will be chemistry as it tries to catch up with its opponents’ usual diet of continuity and rhythm with each other.

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Here are the five players Team USA will be counting most to bring the gold medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup

#5 Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson had a strong case of making the All-Star team last season but just couldn’t make it. Most basketball fans probably don’t know that the New York Knicks guard was the U19 FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP.

Sometimes, the best players in the NBA struggle with the international rules and style of play. Brunson knows what it takes to excel in that stage. He may be one of the smallest players in the competition but he plays a lot bigger than his size.

During last year’s playoffs, the Knicks’ offense almost relied solely on Jalen Brunson to make it hum. He is familiar with pressure and isn’t afraid to step up in the big moments.

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#4 Mikal Bridges

Chemistry, which could pose a problem for Team USA, will not be an issue between Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. Both were stars of the Villanova team that won two NCAA titles in three seasons. Their ability to communicate in an instant could mean a winning play or an error.

Bridges’ familiarity with Brunson isn’t his only value. He has the size, length, versatility and doggedness to excel in international basketball. “The Warden” has been one of the NBA’s best defenders and he is expected to bring the same impact on the team.

After he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges showed that he also has the offensive chops to be a threat on that end. He averaged 26.1 points, on 47.5% shooting, including 37.6% from deep as the Nets’ first option on offense.

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#3 Brandon Ingram

When he’s healthy, Brandon Ingram has been terrific for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA. He will also be an invaluable asset for Team USA as they compete in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Last season, he averaged a career-high 24.7 points on 48.4% shooting, including 39.0% from behind the arc. “BI” can score from just about anywhere on the floor and contributes everywhere else. He averaged 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game last season.

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#2 Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been the NBA’s best rim protector over the last two seasons where he led the league in blocks. Last season, he was selected to his first All-Star game and won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Team USA’s need for a versatile big who can protect the paint and switch out into the perimeter has been answered due to “JJJ.” No other player on Kerr’s squad brings his combination of size, defense and versatility.

If Jackson Jr. goes out with an injury, the Americans will be in big trouble.

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#1 Anthony Edwards

“The Ant-Man” might perhaps be Team USA’s best and most important player. He has the “it” factor that the Americans have needed in the past before. They got it from LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and others in the past.

Anthony Edwards easily had his best performance last season. He particularly showed what he can do in the playoffs against the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.

The first-time All-Star, after averaging 24.6 PPG in the regular season, hiked it to 31.6 PPG in the postseason. His impact was felt all over the court as he also contributed 5.2 APG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG and 1.8 SPG.

Edwards filled up the stat sheet but it was the way the Timberwolves counted on him when pressure was mounting. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns in the lineup, the players looked up to him when the chips were down.

Team USA is still looking for an identity. Anthony Edwards could easily provide that for the team.