Walker Kessler, Cam Johnson in for Team USA at World Cup; will Jokić play for Serbia?
Add another defensive-minded big man to Team USA for the World Cup.
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler — who came in third in Rookie of the Year voting this past season — will join Team USA for the World Cup this summer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler has committed to play for Team USA's FIBA World Cup team this summer in the Philippines, sources tell ESPN. Kessler had an All-Rookie season, averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2023
Also on the team will be Nets wing Cameron Johnson, Adrian Wojnarowski adds.
With Kessler and recent Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. on the roster, Steve Kerr’s Team USA should have plenty of rim protection. That’s important because getting stops and then pushing the pace to score in transition or early in the clock, taking advantage of their superior athleticism, has long been the USA’s best international strategy.
Johnson is one of the hottest restricted free agents on the market this summer, a 6’8″ forward/wing who can shoot the 3 (40.4% last season), finish at the rim and is a quality defender. A lot of teams have their eye on him but the Nets are expected to match any offer. Johnson joints teammate Mikal Bridges on Team USA this summer.
We know 10 of the 12 players expected to represent the USA this summer. Here is what the roster looks like.
Mikal Bridges
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Brandon Ingram
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Cam Johnson
Walker Kessler
Bobby Portis
Austin Reaves
That is a young, impressive and athletic roster for Team USA, but what concerns some observers is the lack of a true, current top-10 level player on the roster. Not one of those nine players has ever suited up in a World Cup or Olympics before.
The USA may not be the only country without its star — after a long run to the championship, it’s unknown if Nikola Jokić will play for his native Serbia in the World Cup, reports Joe Varden at The Athletic.
On the table for him is a chance to lead his country’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, where the Serbians landed a favorable draw. They could likely reach the quarterfinals and a potential matchup with Team USA…
But there is a catch. Jokić, according to an international basketball source, has a family celebration he would like to attend, which is scheduled between Aug. 25 and Sept. 10 (the dates for World Cup play), and his status with the Serbian team is unclear.
After the long grind of a playoff run into June, it would not be a surprise to see Jokić — or Canada’s Jamal Murray, or the USA’s Bam Adebayo — take the fall and the World Cup off. Especially if they want to play in the 2024 Paris Olympics just one summer away.
This World Cup is the primary qualifier for the Paris Olympics. The World Cup is set to take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, and the USA will play all its games in Manilla. There will be 32 teams from around the world competing in the group stage, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout round. The USA is in Group C with Greece (most likely with Giannis Antetokounmpo), New Zealand and Jordan.
Before that starts, the USA will conduct a training camp in Las Vegas, after which they will play Puerto Rico in an exhibition before heading to Abu Dhabi and, eventually, the World Cup.
Here is more on the World Cup
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Walker Kessler, Cam Johnson in for Team USA at World Cup; will Jokić play for Serbia? originally appeared on NBCSports.com
