Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets is making his first appearance on the USA Basketball Senior Team.
The last time the United States competed in a FIBA World Cup, it suffered its worst finish in the 18 international competitions it has entered with a full squad of NBA players. After going 5-0 in pool play, the U.S. lost to France in the 2019 World Cup quarterfinals in China, ending a 58-game winning streak in games with an NBA squad. Then the Americans lost to Serbia in the 5-8 classification round before beating Poland in the seventh-place game.
Four years later, the U.S. is hoping to avenge that performance. But it’s taking an even less experienced team to the Philippines for the 2023 World Cup.
1. No Senior-level experience
Some of the players on the 2023 World Cup roster have been members of select teams that practiced against the Senior Team before a competition. And some of…