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Team USA is expected to fare well in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup, but it will have to compete for the championship without one of its top guards.
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who was on USA’s roster, won’t be participating because he’s still recovering from right thumb surgery. But Team USA still has some of the best players in the tournament, including some who should step up to fill Lowry’s role.
The FIBA World Cup doesn’t begin until Aug. 31, but Team USA has four exhibition games to play before then. After an intrasquad scrimmage last week, Team USA will face Spain on Friday at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into that exhibition matchup.
Exhibition Information
Date: Friday, Aug. 16
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: NBA TV
Live Stream: NBA.com/NBATV
Rosters
USA
Harrison Barnes, forward (Sacramento Kings)
Jaylen Brown, forward (Boston Celtics)
De’Aaron Fox, guard (Sacramento Kings)
Joe Harris, guard (Brooklyn Nets)
Kyle Kuzma, forward (Los Angeles Lakers)
Brook Lopez, center (Milwaukee Bucks)
Khris Middleton, forward (Milwaukee Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell, guard (Utah Jazz)
Mason Plumlee, center (Denver Nuggets)
Marcus Smart, guard (Boston Celtics)
Jayson Tatum, forward (Boston Celtics)
P.J. Tucker, forward (Houston Rockets)
Myles Turner, center (Indiana Pacers)
Kemba Walker, guard (Boston Celtics)
Derrick White, guard (San Antonio Spurs)
Spain
Javier Beiran, forward
Victor Claver, forward
Quino Colom, guard
Ilimane Diop, center
Jaime Fernandez, guard
Rudy Fernandez, forward
Marc Gasol, center (Toronto Raptors)
Juan Hernangomez, forward (Denver Nuggets)
Willy Hernangomez, center (Charlotte Hornets)
Sergio Llull, guard
Pierre Oriola, forward
Xavier Rabaseda, forward
Pau Ribas, guard
Ricky Rubio, guard (Phoenix Suns)
Preview
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
There are currently 14 players on both the USA and Spain rosters for this exhibition game, but soon, they’ll have to be trimmed to 12. That deadline comes Saturday, a day after this contest.
One player who could perhaps step up and help fill the void of Kyle Lowry is De’Aaron Fox, who is playing for Team USA ahead of his third year in the NBA. The 21-year-old Sacramento Kings guard is quickly making a good impression on his teammates.
“Oh, my goodness,” Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker said, according to ESPN.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “He is super fast. His quickness is crazy. His end-to-end speed is ridiculous. … That’s scary if he’s gotten faster. The thing about him is he’s fast but really under control.”
That hasn’t been the only thing that Walker likes about Fox.
“What impressed me the most is probably his shooting,” Walker said, per Youngmisuk. “He has really been knocking it down. That is what is going to take him to that next level. Like for myself entering the league, the next step for me was my jump shot. That is what helped me get to the next level.”
While Fox is one of many talented players on USA’s roster, there is some concern heading into the FIBA World Cup, as some of the top USA players opted not to participate, such as Anthony Davis, James Harden and others.
Also, Team USA didn’t look great during a scrimmage at practice on Tuesday, as it lost to the USA Select Team, which featured numerous G League players.
However, USA should be playing better by the time it opens the FIBA World Cup against the Czech Republic on Sept. 1.
This exhibition against Spain should be a solid test, as Spain has traditionally been one of the better teams in the World Cup. USA won the last two World Cups (2010 and 2014), while Spain won the last one before that in 2006.
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