A young team of NBA players begin a journey for redemption when it takes on New Zealand at 8:40 p.m. on Saturday in the 2023 FIBA World Cup of Basketball at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Americans, led by scoring dynamo Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, placed 7th in the previous edition in China, following back-to-back World Cup titles.
The climb to the zenith of FIBA basketball begins against the Kiwis, with coach Steve Kerr declaring his young wards’ readiness for battle.
The team has been practicing behind closed doors and is getting ready to face a Kiwis side that is well-coached and known for its hard work on the floor.
“We have a young, hungry team and on the rise,” said Kerr.
Team skipper Jalen Brunson echoed Kerr’s words and added that he and his teammates are completely focused on a single goal, which is to regain the gold medal.
And it will be challenging because Team USA will be facing teams that are more experienced.
“We have a lot of guys who come from different situations and play different styles of basketball but here, ego is left on the door and we just wanna win and that’s the most important thing on our mind,” said Brunson, who plays New York Knicks in the NBA.
Also leading the charge for the USA squad are rising stars Tyrese Haliburton, and Paolo Banchero, alongside veterans Brunson and Brandon Ingram.
New Zealand is fielding a not-so-tall roster in a tough Group C bracket, with hopes that it will still make the Top 16—the second phase of qualifying games.
The Kiwis will play without center Sam Timmins and forward Dan Fotu, who were cut from the lineup, but they hope to be the faster team against Team USA.
Coach Pero Cameron still believes that they can still get past the Group Stage with their present lineup.
“You always wonder if it’s enough or too much, especially in a five-week campaign. You want the games to get you battle-ready and you want to improve every game and have those moments where you recognize you are getting somewhere. You also want to get some results that help the belief within the group. I think we got a mixture of that,” said Cameron.
He will count on the versatility of Yanni Wetzel, along with the natural power forwards Isaac Fotu and Tohi Smith-Milner.
Undersized power forwards Finn Delany and Hyrum Harris are also expected to make adjustments in the absence of their legitimate big men.
One thing going for the Kiwis is that most of their players have been together for a long time, and have made it to podium finishes since 2019.