Davis at center, unclear who will fill fifth spot yet…
Team USA are expected to start with Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis and one more unknown against Brazil in an exhibition game at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night.
Following on from the injury suffered by Paul George, it appears as though Coach Mike Krzyzewski will opt with Harden at the three as the USA play small as they did in winning their last two tournaments.
However, without Kevin Durant and Kevin Love available for selection, it is somewhat forced on them ahead of the FIBA World Cup in Spain later this month, and with Curry at the two, his shooting will likely be key.
As will the scoring of point guard Rose who appears to have won the race ahead of Kyrie Irving to start, and he will be key in covering up the loss of such efficient scoring elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Davis will likely continue at center after Coach K praised his work during training camp, but it is unclear at this stage as to who will fill the final position in the starting roster.
It is understood that it will be between Rudy Gay, Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons, but with DeMarcus Cousins ruled out after suffering a knee injury in training on Thursday, he will not be available for selection after being listed as day-to-day.
While Parsons would arguably be the right fit, Gay was drafted in as a replacement for Durant and his experience at this level could be a key factor when deciding on the starting five that begin the tournament on August 30.
Meanwhile, it will be a homecoming for Rose as he continues to impress in camp, and he recently revealed that he can feel the buzz from the fans as they not only await a strong performance from the US team, but also from the Bulls when the new NBA season begins in late October.
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