Team USA will be adjusting to the international style of basketball play as they get ready for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines.
Managing director Grant Hill said this more than month before the official draw of lots is held in the country on April 29.
Hill said they are taking their time to select their final roster from a pool composed of 52 players.
“The international game is very, very different than our game here in the States. And there’s greater physicality than the officiating will allow you to play. We tend to be at times with one-on-one plays with the incredible players we have in our games the NBA. In the international game, it’s really precise execution. So, there’s a requirement on the defensive end on discipline on bigs,” said Hill.
He added that they need to have big players with versatility on their roster, which will soon be trimmed to a Final 12.
USA finished the qualifiers with a 9-3 win-loss record. Former Chicago Bulls’ mentor Jim Boylen has been the coach for Team USA in its 15-month qualifying process.
The World Cup tips off August 25 in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines and concludes on September 10.
Team USA joins Canada as the qualified teams from the Americas, with the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil.
Team USA will soon have a training camp in Las Vegas, before heading for road games abroad in Abu Dhabi and Spain.