This doesn’t bode well for the team moving forward.
While it may not be on everyone’s radar, there is no denying that the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be a huge event for the sport. It’s going down in just a few weeks from now and Team USA is preparing for what will be a difficult tournament as they’ve had numerous top tier players dropout. For now, Kemba Walker is the team’s best player and he is being supported by some the NBA’s young guns. In order to prepare for the tournament, the team played against the USA Basketball Select Team which was mainly composed G-League players.
Through a shocking turn events, the G-League-heavy roster actually beat Team USA by a score 36-17. The Select Team was able to completely overpower head coach Gregg Popovich’s squad and it’s clear that some changes need to be made.
Fans were already skeptical about Team USA heading into the FIBA tournament as the vast majority the league’s best players dropped out. This is because they wanted to dedicate their summer to getting healthy and working out with their NBA teams, as opposed to devoting time and energy to the international squad.
It’s clear that playing for your country has lost a bit its meaning over the past few years and Team USA is suffering for it. This recent performance may be a cause for concern but there is still time to turn it around before the tournament starts next month.
Needless to say, this team will be an interesting case study moving forward.