It was quite simple, really.
Ever since this iteration of Team USA was formed, coach Steve Kerr had always put out Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges as his starting five.
But not on Wednesday night.
Kerr and his staff decided to field in Josh Hart for Ingram in Team USA's 110-62 win over Jordan in the FIBA World Cup at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
After the match, Kerr explained that the coaching staff was simply looking at different combinations—something the team didn’t have the luxury of doing given the little time to prepare for the quadrennial spectacle co-hosted by Japan and Indonesia.
“We wanted to look at different lineups. The tricky part with FIBA is that you only have a few weeks to figure out your team,” said Kerr, whose young squad steamrolled its way to a 3-0 record heading into the second round.
“We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh with the starting group and Brandon with the next group and see if the combinations fit,” Kerr added.
Hart had another spectacular showing, collaring a team-high 12 rebounds for the team that also features the likes of Jackson, Bobby Portis Jr., and Paolo Banchero. The surprise starter also had 2 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
A couple of days ago, Kerr and Jalen Brunson also heaped praise on Hart, who finished with 6 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists in the Americans' 109-81 win over Greece.
“He just made plays with his effort and his physicality and his toughness. But also he’s skilled. He just has a unique game and what he does translates to winning,” the four-time NBA champion coach said.
Will Hart remain in the starting unit moving forward?
Kerr said that while he liked what he saw from his starting lineup on Wednesday, nothing is set in stone yet.
“I like what I saw. Obviously the game wasn’t competitive, but there was good flow with both groups. So, we’ll see. We haven’t made any decision going forward but we kinda wanna look at some different things,” Kerr admitted.
Kerr and the rest of Team USA coaching staff will have a day to make those all-important decisions. And the next time they do, the stakes will be higher.
(MDB)