On Monday, Team USA opened training camp for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Or what’s left of it, at least. Since the federation announced its 20-man roster in June, more than a dozen players have declined to suit up for the national and select teams. Gone are stars like Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis; in their place are names like Mason Plumlee and Thaddeus Young. On Saturday, USA Basketball released a statement that contained one of the bleakest lines in sporting history: After Landry Shamet stepped down from the select team, Team USA named Torrey Craig—a 28-year-old third-year player with 593 career points—in his stead.
When Lillard left the fold, my colleague Rodger Sherman wrote that “of the 11 Americans who were named to last year’s All-NBA teams, only one, Kemba Walker, has yet to withdraw from the roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.” That much remains true—Boston’s new point guard is the most acclaimed Team USA member left. And if U.S. history in the World Cup is any indication, he might not be enough for the the country to bring home some hardware.
In 2002, the U.S. fumbled its way to a sixth-place finish on home soil. Not a single player was named to the all-tournament team. Seven players on that roster had previously been named All-Stars, and two more—Ben Wallace and Shawn Marion—would join the club the following season. It was the U.S.’s worst showing at a major competition in its history, and, coupled with a disappointing bronze medal finish at the ensuing Olympics in Greece, kick-started the Redeem Team era that came to a close in 2016 in Rio.
The group that reported for camp in Las Vegas on Monday has just three All-Stars: Walker, Khris Middleton, and Kyle Lowry, who’s still recovering from offseason thumb surgery. Defections have always been common in the leadup to international competitions; players withdraw because of injury, or because of contract concerns, or because they just need a break after a long season. What’s transpired this summer is different, though. Head coach Gregg Popovich is entering his first major tournament at the helm with more uncertainty surrounding Team USA’s roster than it’s had in nearly two decades.
In total, 29 players between the national and select team invitees are competing for a spot on Team USA’s 12-man roster. Practices in Las Vegas will run from August 5-8, with an intrasquad exhibition game on August 9, and players will reconvene in Los Angeles for camp from August 13-15 to prepare for a tune-up game against Spain on August 16 before the World Cup begins on August 31. Here is who’s left entering camp:
Guards
Who’s left on the roster: Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Lowry, Marcus Smart, De’Aaron Fox
Who declined: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden, Eric Gordon
Despite the mass defections, Team USA’s guards still constitute the strongest group on the roster. As previously mentioned, Walker is an All-NBA talent, deserving of the max contract he signed with the Celtics in July. Mitchell, while coming off a somewhat underwhelming season wherein his growth was less pronounced than expected, still projects as a perennial All-Star. And Lowry, now with a ring in tow, provides the U.S. with a veteran presence; along with Barnes and Mason Plumlee, he is one of the only three players with experience for Team USA at the senior level.
Smart could fill the same role for the U.S. as he does with the Celtics, and that Andre Iguogala did for years for the national team: playing lockdown defense and deferring on the offensive side to more polished talents. And Fox, who was reportedly promoted to the senior team on Monday, is coming off a breakout year and could use the tournament as a springboard, like Kevin Durant did at the 2010 World Cup. Even if Lowry isn’t healthy enough to play, the select team’s Trae Young would make a more than suitable replacement. Barring any last-minute withdrawals or injuries, guard play should be a strength for the U.S. in China.
Wings
Who’s left on the roster: Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Harrison Barnes, Thaddeus Young, Kyle Kuzma
Who declined: Tobias Harris, Paul Millsap, JJ Redick
Middleton is the headliner here, coming off a career year as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s second fiddle (18.3 points per game, 6 rebounds, 4.3 assists) before agreeing to return to Milwaukee for five years, $177.5 million. His versatility on both ends of the floor, and ability to guard three positions with relative ease, makes him Team USA’s X factor. How his teammates step up will determine whether this summer will serve as his coming-out party, or whether he’ll fare like Richard Jefferson did at the 2004 Olympics.
Barnes has previous Team USA experience, winning gold at the 2016 Summer Games. He played the fewest minutes of anyone on the team in Brazil, but that’s still more action than most others on this roster have seen. Tatum, Brown, and Kuzma are all players that could plausibly make an Olympics roster in years to come, but relying on a trio of 20-somethings is less than ideal. Brown and Kuzma should be solid role players, with the former offering a strong defensive presence and the latter providing versatility on the wing. The scorer of the bunch, Tatum, regressed in his sophomore season and shot significantly worse from beyond the arc while jacking up way more shots from the midrange. (I blame Kobe.) Maybe FIBA’s shorter 3-point arc will entice Tatum to take a step back and play to the percentages. Or maybe Team USA will be destined to watch him drive and pull up from 17 feet six times a night.
I have little to offer on Thaddeus Young, other than to say that the numbers suggest he’s one of the five greatest players to ever live. Who am I to argue with statistics?
Bigs
Who’s left on the roster: Mason Plumlee, Bam Adebayo, Brook Lopez, Myles Turner, P.J. Tucker
Who declined: Anthony Davis, Kevin Love, Andre Drummond, Julius Randle, Montrezl Harrell
Let’s start here: Plumlee was invited to the camp, and Coach K isn’t even in charge anymore. Krzyzewski invited his former Blue Devil to the 2014 World Cup in Spain just one season after Plumlee entered the league. He averaged two points per game while spelling Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried in the post. Back then, the choice could have been chalked up to a coach bringing along a touted youngster he trusted to gain experience off the bench. Now, it’s just confounding.
Randle was the most recent big man to withdraw when he announced over the weekend that he wouldn’t be reporting to camp because of a family issue. After Plumlee, that leaves the U.S. with four big men: Pacers block champion Myles Turner, deep threat Brook Lopez, Miami center Bam Adebayo, and shoe god P.J. Tucker. I’m going to be blunt: This is a bad group. I struggle thinking what Marc Gasol will do to any of these five, let alone what Antetokounmpo might unleash on them.
Turner was the highest-scoring member of the bunch last NBA season, logging 13.3 points per game in what most considered an OK year for the big. And while Lopez shined stretching the floor for the Bucks, neither Plumlee nor Adebayo was a consistent starter for his team.
On the whole, Team USA is weaker than it’s been in years, but it’s still strong enough to win the World Cup. If things click, the slew of summer dropouts will become a footnote in the long arc of American dominance of the sport. If not, well, let’s just hope the 2020 Olympic team can think of a cool moniker.