Add Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Ingram to USA World Cup roster
The Team USA roster heading Manilla for the World Cup this summer just gets deeper and more athletic.
Two more players have committed to playing: Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Pelicans scoring machine Brandon Ingram, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
We now have eight of the 12 players expected to represent the USA this summer:
Mikal BridgesJalen BrunsonAnthony EdwardsTyrese Haliburton Brandon Ingram Jaren Jackson Jr.Bobby PortisAustin Reaves
Jackson Jr. brings rim-protecting defense plus the ability to space the floor needed by bigs in the international game. Ingram fits the style of scorer — from Kevin Durant back to Carmelo Anthony — that has always done well for Team USA in international competitions. Ingram averaged 24.7 points per game this season, but missed almost half the season due to a toe injury.
The World Cup takes place this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, feating 32 teams from around the world. The USA is in Group C with Greece, New Zealand and Jordan. The World Cup is the primary qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is in charge of Team USA, with his assistant coaches being Erik Spoelstra (Heat), Tyronn Lue (Clippers) and Mark Few (Gonzaga).
The USA will have a training camp in Las Vegas, where they play Puerto Rico in an exhibition before heading to Abu Dhabi and then on to the World Cup, where the USA will play all its games in Manilla.
The World Cup starts Aug. 25 and continues through Sept. 10.
The musical chairs in NBA coaching and front office circles continues at full speed during the NBA Finals.
We’ve done a couple of notebook-style updates. Here’s another:
• Sam Cassell is headed to Boston to be one of the new key assistants