What is Team USA’s starting lineup under Steve Kerr? Exploring probable starting 5 for Americans

Team USA is currently preparing to make a run at a FIBA World Cup championship in a few short weeks. With August underway, the countdown to the 2023 FIBA World Cup tipoff on Aug. 25 is officially on.

Ahead of the commencement of the tournament, let's take a look at the Team USA roster Steve Kerr will be coaching.

Guards

Jalen Brunson - New York Knicks

Tyrese Haliburton - Indiana Pacers

Josh Hart - New York Knicks

Austin Reaves - LA Lakers

Anthony Edwards - Minnesota Timberwolves

Forwards

Paolo Banchero - Orlando Magic

Mikal Bridges - Brooklyn Nets

Brandon Ingram - New Orleans Pelicans

Jaren Jackson Jr. - Memphis Grizzlies

Cam Johnson - Brooklyn Nets

Bobby Portis - Milwaukee Bucks

Center

Walker Kessler - Utah Jazz

While lineups haven't been set yet, it's believed that Steve Kerr's starting lineup will look something like this:

PG: Jalen Brunson

SG: Anthony Edwards

SF: Mikal Bridges

PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.

C: Walker Kessler

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Looking at the tough road ahead for Team USA

Although for quite some time Team USA was without question the best team on the planet, in past years, other teams have closed the skill gap. In 2019, Spain claimed its second title during the World Cup hosted in China, with Argentina capturing second and France capturing third.

Given that, and the fact that the NBA MVP award has been won by international players over the past five years, Kerr knows there's a tough road ahead.

Speaking to ESPN's NBA Today, the legendary coach spoke about the tournament and the tough road ahead.

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“Times have changed. Arguably three of the top four or five players in the NBA are foreigners. The international teams have caught up. It’s much tougher competition now than ever before. ...

“There’s no question in my mind that Mikal Bridges is going to be a huge factor for us defensively. As a coach, you go into these things and you say, ‘Well, who is gonna guard Luka, or who’s gonna guard Giannis?’ One of the reasons we built the roster the way we did is we have multiple options for these sorts of things.”

The team will compete in Group C, which also includes Greece, New Zealand and Jordan. In the group stage, teams will compete in a round-robin tournament to determine who has the best record.

Team USA's tournament schedule kicks off on Aug. 26 when it plays New Zealand, leading to a matchup with Greece two days later. Last but certainly not least, Team USA will play Jordan on Aug. 30 in the final game of the group stage.

With an impressive roster, it's clear that the team is one of the favorites heading into the tournament. Whether or not it winds up avenging its 2019 loss by capturing gold, only time will tell.

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