The Team USA roster that began the 2023 FIBA World Cup by blowing out New Zealand, 99-72, on Saturday is heavy on promising young talent but light on established stars.
Three USA players (Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Jaren Jackson Jr.) were first-time All-Stars last year, with Jackson winning Defensive Player of the Year and Paolo Banchero Rookie of the Year, but none made an All-NBA team.
In fact, none of the players on the U.S. roster have ever been chosen All-NBA. That makes it interesting to think about how this USA team might perform against NBA competition. With seven players who averaged at least 32 minutes per game for their teams in 2022-23, Team USA would have a massive depth advantage on the rest of the league, but not the kind of singular star that typically leads teams to a title.
With the help of a preliminary version of my 2023-24 NBA team projections, let's consider how the USA roster would perform over a full season together.