The FIBA World Cup will kick off on Aug. 25 with games being played in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Basketball talent the world over is on the rise. Never has the competitive parity at this event been more pronounced.
That said, the broad expectation is still that Team USA will emerge victorious. No team has the same concentration of star talent. Even with members of the old guard like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant absent from the roster, the United States packs a serious punch.
It’s a matter of cohesion and togetherness at this point. The way Team USA loses is arrogance and incompatibility, not a talent disadvantage. That may be easier to avoid with no established All-NBA talent and a group of younger players of the same generation who have a genuine desire to compete for their country. Or, at the very least, to win some basketball games.
Every player on Team USA’s roster is objectively good by NBA (and international) standards. Now, let’s tease out who exactly is the best.
Power Ranking the 2023-24 Team USA FIBA World Cup roster
12. Bobby Portis Sr.
Bobby Portis has emerged as a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the Bucks. He doesn’t protect the rim, but he operates with unmatched intensity on the defensive end. His perpetual competitive edge is a real asset for a Team USA that can, historically, get complacent. Portis’ primary value, however, lies in his ability to splash 3s from the center position.
11. Josh Hart
He’s not the best player on the team, but Josh Hart will get plenty of burn for his connective-tissue attributes. He’s a role player extraordinaire on a team loaded with star talent and in desperate need of role players. Hart can defend all over the floor, make quick decisions with the ball, do the dirty work on offense, and hit a stray 3 now and then to keep the defense honest.
10. Cam Johnson
Cam Johnson’s numbers took a considerable leap forward with the Nets last season. He’s more than a 3-and-D wing, capable of beating closeouts and making simple reads off the dribble. His primary value does, however, lie in his elite 3-point stroke and competency guarding multiple positions from the wing. He will feast on open shots off of passes from Team USA’s playmakers.
9. Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves made headlines in the NBA playoffs. Now, he’s making headlines with Team USA. His role with the team in tournament play may easily outstrip this ranking. Reaves is a talented offensive hub, capable of generating advantages with his shifty handles and frequent rim pressure. He draws fouls like a star, he comfortably runs the offense when asked to, and he defends his position well. Nobody offering him more than ~$12 million annually in free agency is going to look dumb.
8. Walker Kessler
Walker Kessler finished third in Rookie of the Year voting after one of the most impressive defensive campaigns in recent memory. He averaged 2.3 blocks in 23.0 minutes, supplying the Jazz frontcourt with a more than suitable fill-in for the departed Rudy Gobert. Kessler is already a world-class rim protector who changes the geometry of the opposing offense. He's also an efficient rim runner and lob threat who can throw his weight around in the post. He's not the flashiest player, but he impacts winning in a big way.
7. Paolo Banchero
Also on the heels of his first NBA season, Paolo Banchero finished first in Rookie of the Year voting. He needs to become more efficient (especially from 3-point range), but Banchero possesses a rare blend of speed and strength at 6-foot-10. He can bully smaller defenders in the post or leave slower defenders grasping for air on the perimeter. His footwork is pristine for a 20-year-old and Steve Kerr has expressed a desire to use him as a small-ball five with the World Cup team, which could get fun.
6. Mikal Bridges
Mikal Bridges' arrival in Brooklyn coincided with his ascent to true NBA stardom. He doesn't create much for others, but Bridges has become a genuinely elite isolation scorer. Once thought of almost exlusively as a 3-and-D wing, Bridges is suddenly the new generation's premier mid-range maestro. He can still splash 3s, too, and he's one of the best perimeter defenders in the world. Team USA will rely on him to play a role much similar to what he played in Phoenix, which is not a bad thing.
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.
4. Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram's stock has been going sideways for a while, and his recent Team USA stint hasn't exactly helped. There has been a greater focus on Brunson, Bridges, Anthony Edwards and others, which can make one forget how good Ingram is. The Pelicans' season ended in disaster, but it was hardly Ingram's fault. As the tournament progesses, he will get ample opportunity to remind the basketball populous of his talent.
Listed at 6-foot-9, Ingram has overcome the premature and unreasonable Kevin Durant comps of his youth to become a legitimately impactful two-way star in the Big Easy. He's skinny, yes, but he's a potent pull-up shooter with a high release and unreal body control. He can stretch for finishes at the rim, or simply shoot over the top of even the best contests.
Where Ingram separates himself from the crowd is his playmaking for others. Ingram will run point guard for stretches with the Pels and he's an inventive passer, capable of peering over top of the defense from his unique vantage point. Ingram is able to leverage his scoring threat to create for teammates. Team USA will need him to lean into that passing talent to connect dots and improve offensive cohesion.
On the defensive end, Ingram can really get in the way with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. He doesn't always generate the block and steal totals one might expect, but he's a deterrent in passing lanes who can guard all over the floor. What he lacks in strength in certain matchups, he makes up for with neverending arms and impressive recovery speed.
3. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. won Defensive Player of the Year. He is 23 years old. Safe to say, the future is bright.
Jackson will start at center and anchor Team USA's defense. He's arguably the best rim protector in the world, blessed with elite mobility for his size and a sky-scraping 7-foot-4 wingspan. Jackson covers more ground than any other defender in the NBA, with the possible exception of Team USA absentee Bam Adebayo. Jackson can switch one through five. He rotates quicker than a camera shutter, constantly lurking on the weak side while Memphis anchors the paint with Steven Adams.
Unlike with the Grizzlies, Jackson will frequently be the only big on the floor for Team USA. It's a debatable approach from Steve Kerr, as many international teams run two-big groups and prioritize muscle in the paint, but Jackson will seal off the rim. The question is, can he hold up on the glass and avoid foul trouble? If there's one real drawback to Jackson's whirlwind defensive presence, it's his propensity to commit fouls. We may ultimately see a lot more of the young Kessler than expected as a result.
Jackson's defensive excellence coincides with a dynamic offensive presence, too. Jackson boasts deep range on his 3-point shot. As the lone big in the starting (and closing) lineup, he's going to test a lot of slow-footed 7-footers who aren't comfortable defending in space. Jackson has improved exponentially as a face-up scorer who can beat closeouts and score proficiently on drives to the rim.
Other stars on Team USA's roster are better at creating offense from scratch, but USA can only let a handful of stars play traditional star basketball. Role players are a necessity and Jackson is the ultimate role player, capable of feasting on off-ball scoring opportunities and doing a metric ton of heavy-lifting on defense.
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.
1. Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton isn't even in the Team USA starting lineup. That particular decision has been a source of controversy, but even so, how can the best player on Team USA be a bench player? Well... he just is.
Haliburton made the leap to genuine stardom with Indiana last season. The Pacers struggled with injuries as the season progressed and any hopes of contention were dashed by the All-Star break, but Haliburton made his first of many All-Star appearances. He finished second in assists per game (10.4) while efficiently operating as the Pacers' primary scorer.
Coming out of Iowa State, Haliburton was generally viewed as a high-floor, lower-ceiling player. He could splash 3s and create for others, but he was never a gifted self-creator in college and there were concerns tied to the wonky mechanics of his jumper. Of course, such concerns were overblown. Haliburton has become much more comfortable pulling up off the dribble. Plus, the length of his release doesn't matter as much when he's firing from several steps behind the 3-point line.
NBA front offices tend to undervalue feel and basketball I.Q. on draft night. Haliburton's progress has been a natural extension of his unrivaled intellect. He understands the game intuitively. It's therefore no surprise that Haliburton has become better at manipulating his defender off the dribble to create advantages not only for teammates, but for himself. Haliburton averaged 20.7 points on .490/.400/.871 splits, on top of the playmaking. That's superstar stuff.
His ability to play off of other creators, such as Edwards and Brunson, has been put on full display in Team USA friendlies. He's a natural connector, not burdened with an instinctual desire to dribble the air out of the ball. Haliburton is a rapid-fire processor who makes quick decisions in the flow of the offense, which leads to ball movement and a balanced offensive ecosystem. He may not start for Team USA, but don't be surprised if his presence stands above the rest in a lot of victories.