NBA rumors: Tatum recruited Lillard, Ingram benching explained, Cuban says the quiet part loud
- Mark Cuban admits to trading players who 'smoke too much'
- Brandon Ingram's Team USA benching is explained
- Jayson Tatum recruited Damian Lillard to the Celtics
NBA Rumors: Brandon Ingram benched by Team USA, explained
Team USA advanced to 3-0 in FIBA World Cup play with a victory over Jordan on Wednesday. While the game was never particularly close (110-62 final score), there was a notable development on the lineup front. Steve Kerr moved Brandon Ingram to the bench and started Josh Hart in his place.
On the surface, that could be read as a strong indictment on Ingram. Hart doesn't even start for the Knicks, how is he starting over the Pelicans' All-Star? Ingram's stock took a hit following New Orleans' disappointing season and now he's being demoted.
That impetus for the change, however, isn't a particular shortcoming on Ingram's part. It's all about combinations.
"We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh with the starting group and Brandon with the next group to see if the combinations fit," Kerr told reporters, per Hoops Rumors. "I liked what I saw. The game wasn’t competitive, but there was good flow with both groups."
Ingram added to Kerr's statement with his own interpretation of events.
"They thought it was a better fit for me playing with Tyrese [Haliburton] and playing with some guys that are a little less ball dominant than Jalen [Brunson] and Ant," Ingram told Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports. "They just talked about it being a better fit, and I agreed with them."
Rather than getting caught up in the direct comparison between Ingram and Hart — Ingram is, without question, the "better" player in a vacuum — it's important to consider fit and other factors. Hart played with fellow starters Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges at Villanova. There's built-in familiarity. A natural "flow," as Kerr put it.
Meanwhile, Ingram is a talented playmaker who can lean into his on-ball strengths more with the second unit. Tyrese Haliburton dribbles far less than Brunson or Anthony Edwards. He's a rapid-fire passer whose main goal is to set up his teammates. That's a better running mate for Ingram.
In the end, the U.S. squad will be favorites in every game no matter who starts. That said, the margin for error is lower than normal and Kerr is clearly unafraid to tinker with lineups to maximize the groups on the floor.