Head coach Steve Kerr expressed his excitement over his undersized starting five for the United States men’s basketball team heading into the FIBA World Cup next week.
According to the first-time Team USA mentor, he is liking the stability of his “small five,” which was evident during their 108-86 rout of Greece in a friendly game in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Kerr, who is known for his small ball with the Golden State Warriors, has started Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, Brandon Ingram, and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the last four games, which are all wins.
“I like the stability of that starting group,” Kerr said in a post-game interview after their match against Greece last Friday (Saturday, Manila time).
“It’s so hard (to mix and match players) because you only have a couple weeks, and then you jump right into the tournament,” he added.
Edwards spearheaded the offense anew for the Americans with 21 points, while Bridges backed him up with 10 markers in limited action against the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Greece.
Overall, Kerr is confident that Team USA, with its combination of youth and talent, can go all the way on the world stage.
“The concern is turnovers and rebounds. If we stay even on the possession game, I feel great about our chances against anybody,” said Kerr, a four-time NBA champion coach with the Warriors.
“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. And I’ve told our guys that. It’s not really a secret,” he added.
Team USA and Greece are set to face each other anew in the group stage of the FIBA World Cup on August 28 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
See Related Story Here:
