USA males’s basketball head coach Steve Kerr mentioned Nets cornerstones Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson will play an integral position for Team USA on this summer season’s upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Both Bridges and Johnson had been chosen for the U.S. squad this offseason, in addition to Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and ahead Josh Hart.
After the group’s second apply in Las Vegas on Friday, Kerr lauded the pair of Brooklyn wings for his or her maturity on the court docket. He had a prolonged expertise as Golden State Warriors head coach battling each within the Western Conference once they performed for the Phoenix Suns previous to the Kevin Durant commerce, however mentioned he realized one thing new about “The Twins” this summer season in Vegas.
“I already knew what kind of players they were from coaching against them, but they’re so mature: There’s a calming sense from both guys,” Kerr mentioned on Friday. “And they’re also modern-day basketball players: shoot the three, guard multiple positions, long athletically. They’re huge components to this team.”
This is music to the ears of each the Nets franchise and fan base. The Nets not too long ago signed Johnson to a four-year contract extension value $94.5 million and are anticipated to signal Bridges to an extension earlier than the ultimate yr of his contract in 2025.
The two are franchise pillars after the collection of offers that despatched Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Durant to the Suns.
Yet it’s unclear whether or not or not Bridges or Johnson will crack the Team USA beginning lineup.
The Athletic reported Bridges and Johnson had been every a part of males’s nationwide group’s first beginning lineup alongside Brunson, New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram and Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. But in a video that surfaced from the USA basketball account, Jackson Jr. and Ingram share the ground with Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Orlando’s reigning Rookie of the Year, Paolo Banchero.
“We had a great first day yesterday just learning about the FIBA, learning our offense. It’s been great,” Bridges mentioned on Friday.
Haliburton added each participant is discovering new methods to influence the sport as a result of the sport is now not squarely on one participant’s shoulders because the franchise cornerstones of their respective groups again dwelling.
“I think that’s an awesome feeling for everybody because all of us on our individual teams, you kind of feel like you’re the go-to guy or you’re being looked at to do a lot of different things,” he mentioned in a sit-down interview alongside Bridges on ESPN late Friday evening. “But when you come together and everybody’s using their skill set in different ways, it’s an interesting dynamic because you’re coming together as a team and playing for something bigger than yourself.”
Team USA performs its first of 5 exhibition matches in opposition to Puerto Rico on Monday. The ensuing Showcase schedule consists of matchups in opposition to Slovenia, Spain, Greece and Germany.
The FIBA World Cup begins on Aug. 26 with matches in opposition to New Zealand, Greece and Jordan.
Team USA received Gold within the 2014 Spain FIBA World Cup, the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2017 Argentina FIBA AmeriCup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They are thought-about among the many favorites to win gold this summer season, although, not one of the gamers from the Tokyo Olympics are representing the USA within the FIBA World Cup this summer season.
BRIDGES GREW AS A LEADER
In his sit-down ESPN interview on Friday, Bridges mentioned he grew as a frontrunner after the commerce from Phoenix to Brooklyn.
After spending all of his profession as a fourth scoring choice on a championship-contending Suns group, Bridges turned the Nets’ No. 1 scoring choice after entering into Durant’s sneakers following the commerce. He averaged 26.9 factors per recreation within the 27 video games after the commerce and helped steer the Nets into the playoffs regardless of a tumultuous sequence of occasions on the commerce deadline.
“Just trying to lead, and just having the ball in my hands a little bit more than I usually did,” Bridges mentioned on Friday. “Trying to be environment friendly with it and attempt to win video games. I really feel like you’ll be able to go on the market and simply rating and put up numerous photographs however are you doing that whereas profitable video games?
“That was something I really took upon that year and especially this offseason: coming in just doing a bit of everything. I think I became a better leader throughout those 27 games and just still getting better learning to this day. But I think in end-of-game situations, just being a guy that can make a play, make the right read and it’s been very beneficial for me.”
NETS SIGN WATFORD
The Nets have added depth to the entrance court docket by ahead Trendon Watford to a reported one-year, non-guaranteed minimal deal. The Nets now have an almost-full roster getting into coaching camp, together with 13 gamers on assured offers, two gamers on non-guaranteed offers and two of three-possible two-way gamers on the group.
Watford is getting into his third season after taking part in in Portland for the primary two years of his profession. Most notably, he shot 39% from downtown by means of 62 video games final season and has profession averages of seven.5 factors, 4 rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes of play per recreation.
Watford, nevertheless, by no means tried a couple of three-pointer per recreation in both of his two seasons in Portland, and the Nets have made it clear they’re going to be an aggressive three-point capturing group now that they now not have particular person scoring greatness to depend on.
Watford shares LSU as an alma mater with each Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas. He is 6-9, 240 kilos and went undrafted within the 2021 NBA Draft.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com