Getty USA's Jalen Brunson (L) guards Greece's Ioannis Papapetrou (C) during the Basketball Showcase friendly match between the USA and Greece.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr feels confident of their chances of winning the gold in the 2023 FIBA Word Cup after their fourth straight double-digit win in their exhibition matches — a 108-86 rout of the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Greece — on Friday.
“The concern is turnovers and rebounds,” Kerr said. “If we stay even on the possession game, I feel great about our chances against anybody. The way teams can beat us is if they get extra possessions and force a lot of turnovers and we’re not sharp and we’re not boxing out. I’ve told our guys that. I’ll tell you guys that. It’s not really a secret. So, that’s our focus.”
A big part of Kerr’s confidence lies in the presence of New York Knicks stalwarts Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
Brunson, a great player in the possession game, especially down the stretch where he was one of the top clutch players in the NBA last season, continued his strong performance for Team USA.
The Knicks point guard delivered a game-high seven assists on top of nine points and three rebounds without a single turnover in just 20 minutes of play.
On the other hand, Hart finally had his signature game. The best rebounding guard in the NBA did what he does best. Hart scored only a solitary point but grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. He also dished out four assists and added two steals and a block in an impactful 15 minutes off the bench.
Team USA never trailed in the game as they looked ready for next week’s 2023 FIBA World Cup. They will wrap up their tuneup games against Germany tomorrow, August 20, before flying to Manila, Philippines.
Rockets Loom as Knicks Threat in Joel Embiid Pursuit
Kelly Iko of The Athletic linked Knicks trade target Joel Embiid to the Rockets because of his strong ties with their new coach Ime Udoka.
“Obviously, the New York angle is there, but another team is Houston as well just because of the bond between Joel and Ime and just that situation where they’ve added [veteran players],” Iko said on The Athletic NBA Show.
As an assistant coach, Udoka formed a bond with Embiid during his lone season (2019-20) in Philadelphia. He was one of the few select guests at Embiid’s wedding, including Knicks president Leon Rose, the reigning MVP’s former agent.
If Embiid seeks a trade out of the mess in Philadelphia amid the James Harden-Daryl Morey standoff, Iko expected the superstars to weigh his choices between Udoka or Rose.
November 26 Knicks Game Picked as NBA Finals Preview
ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks views the game between the Knicks and the re-tooled Phoenix Suns on November 26 as an early preview of next year’s NBA Finals.
“Star power versus roster continuity,” Marks said in a roundtable discussion with his ESPN colleagues. “Yes, I have penciled in both teams as my early favorites to represent each conference in June.”
“The styles in how the two rosters were built are totally opposite. The high-spending Suns went all-in with the Kevin Durant trade in February and then added Bradley Beal in June. The Knicks, on the other hand, have taken a more conservative approach, returning 13 players that lost to Miami in the second round while adding only Donte DiVincenzo in free agency.”