This is no disrespect to those selected, but not one point guard on the USA roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup deserves it more than Trae Young.
Team USA roster for 2023 FIBA World Cup per reports:
Paolo Banchero
Mikal Bridges
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Josh Hart
Brandon Ingram
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Cam Johnson
Walker Kessler
Bobby Portis
Austin Reaves— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 2, 2023
Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton are the two traditional point guards. Though they’re considered better all around players, given Trae Young’s deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball, neither hold a candle to Ice Trae’s game.
The Hawks superstar has voiced his desire to play for the USA team and consistently gets overlooked for lesser players. Last year, in what was considered a down year for Young, he averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists per game on .429/.335/.886 shooting splits.
In his first season with the Knicks, Brunson averaged 24.0 points and 6.2 assists per game on .491/.416/.829 splits. It was a wildly successful year for Brunson in New York, and though he was more efficient than Young, he wasn’t nearly as impactful as a playmaker.
Haliburton made his first All-Star appearance for Indiana, but the Pacers’ point guard still isn’t at the level of Trae Young. He averaged 20.7 points and 10.4 assists per game on .490/.400/.871 shooting splits.
Trae Young’s worst year since his rookie campaign is still arguably better than Haliburton and Brunson’s best seasons. For some reason, the NBA community outside of Atlanta hates Young. It’s a shame that Team USA is worse off in spite of him.
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Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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