Power ranking the best players on Team USA FIBA World Cup roster

5. Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson made serious noise during the Knicks' postseason run. He left the shadow of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks behind forever, becoming the face of New York basketball and emerging as a legitimate All-Star caliber guard in his own right. Now, Brunson is Team USA's starting point guard and a central fixture in Steve Kerr's game plan.

It's difficult not to appreciate Brunson's path to stardom. He was the No. 33 pick out of Villanova, a multi-year college star who many thought was too old, small, and unathletic to achieve similar success in the NBA. That was, of course, wrong. People vastly underestimated Brunson's basketball I.Q., as well as the elements of his game that made him so unstoppable at the college level.

Brunson is as crafty as it gets. He's not traditionally explosive off the dribble, but he keeps his defender guessing with constant changes in speed and direction. Plus, he's strong, built like a tank and able to create space with a well-placed bump of the shoulder. There is also a remarkably old-fashioned flare to Brunson's game. He loves to post up and carve out short-range shots with pirouetting footwork one would traditionally associate with bigs.

To add to all that, Brunson is a proven winner. He made multiple deep tournament runs in college and he's a true leader of men. He plays with emotion and a competitive spirit right at home in New York. It will be equally valuable on the international stage. He's a big part of what Team USA is cooking up. Don't be shocked if this is simply the next chapter in his breakout story.