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

2. Anthony Edwards

There has been a lot of "Next Face of the NBA" talk with Anthony Edwards lately. He has emerged as Team USA's No. 1 option and media figurehead. His effervescent attitude, combined with a penchant for embarrassing the opponent, has long made Edwards a fan favorite. Now, there's a consensus understanding that he's next up in the NBA's superstar club.

The former No. 1 pick out of UGA is blessed with elite athleticism. He's 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, 225 pounds of pure muscle, and a Matrix-esque first step. Edwards can bend time and space on drives to the rim. He elevates like prime MJ and he embraces contact at the rim. More and more, the star whistle will follow Edwards in the NBA.

A "star whistle" doesn't really exist in FIBA, but Edwards will still leave defenders grasping at air on the perimeter and struggling to combat his physicality on finishes at the rim. Edwards has a deep bag of tricks on the perimeter, too. His step-back and side-step jumpers are becoming patented moves and he displays a tremendous sense of pace when handling the ball.

There's room left for Edwards to grow, of course. He's still learning to leverage his scoring gravity to create for others and his unshakable confidence does lead to bad shots once in a while. He averaged 3.3 turnovers to 4.4 assists last season. He will want to cut down on the first number.

A perhaps underrated attribute of Edwards' game, however, is defense. It will be especially important in World Cup play with a roster full of competent shot creators. Edwards puts his strength and athleticism to great use on the defensive end. He can stonewall drives to the rim and bottle up ball-handlers with his active hands. Let him roam in passing lanes, and Edwards will gladly explode out of the shadows and take off down the floor, ball in tow.