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Team USA has made a solid start to the FIBA World Cup with wins against Greece and New Zealand, but according to Kevin Garnett, isn't a sure shot for success. Garnett said this isn't the best roster available for the United States.
Garnett was a 2000 Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, which fielded a star-studded roster that included Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Ray Allen and Alonzo Mourning. The 2023 FIBA World Cup roster definitely isn't close to KG's 2000 roster in terms of star power, but certainly seems to be making a case for itself on the world stage.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, 2008 NBA champions with the Boston Celtics, discussed Team USA's composition on "KG Certified."
"We're going to find out, USA, how good the world is," Garnett said. "The French, Giannis' team, Jokic's team: Serbia, Luka playing ... the world has gotten better. Spain is always been Spain. F*****g Argentina has always been Argentina, right?
"I don't think this is our best team. You leave Ja (Morant), Zion (Williamson) off our team? You got to have those guys on there."
"He's not even our top five at that position" added Paul Pierce to Kevin Garnett's comment
Kevin Garnett wasn't alone in his criticism. His friend, Paul Pierce, joined in.
"The USA, I think, is focussing on the next generation," Pierce said. "No, it's more than that. Because, before, we were taking the superstars. You should want your best players. Now, I look, like over the past five, 10 years, it looked like Team USA is focusing on like the makeup of the team."
"Can you fill a role? Because when you see some guys that play on the USA Team, and you're like, 'Oh, no, he's not even our top five at that position."
The number of superstars playing on Team USA is certainly less than the number of eligible superstars who are not on the team. Ja Morant and Zion Williamson, as Kevin Garnett mentioned, are merely two notable absentees from a pool of elite talent.
