Jabari Smith Jr & Amen Thompson chosen for USA SELECT TEAM

I'm not actually at all worried about it, I don't think he's close to as good a player in the position tbh. I love Cam but I actually consider Jalen, Sengun, Tari and Amen bigger prospects, I just think it's more realistic for him to play a position he's always played than one he never has. If your draft comp is Jae Crowder, it suggests that playing the 4 wouldn't be considered strange, and it wouldn't for someone with Cam's build tbh. I guarantee you Cam can bully ball Jabari all day every day lol.

 

Exactly! But it takes time

 

Great to know our players will beat the washed up USA team

 

Jabari has frustrated multiple players including Lebron, Durant, and Wemby. I doubt Cam would be able to bully Jabari.

 

He was there last year and was apparently the second best player after Cade, in terms of how they played.

 

I don't really mean this as a comment about Jalen but LMFAO at how mediocre last years team was in retrospect.

Josh Hart? Bobby Portis? Austin Reeves? Walker Kessler? Cam Johnson?

Plus too many ball handling outside-in players in Brunson, Halliburton, Ingram, Edwards Banchero (who is and was actually able to do other things but still)

If you're going to assemble a gritty roster ok fine, but the pieces don't even fit . Last year's team would've been a play in team in the WC. Come on Grant Hill.

 

I think they intentionally expanded their reach with this year's select team, setting precedents of bringing in older established players with younger guys. Hopefully, for the next World Championships, they'll have a broad range of players eager to suit up. Or they can get established veterans to sign on.

My guess is that almost every guy on this Olympic roster will retire from international competition after this game, with maybe the exception of Ant coming back for LA '28.

If Jabar, Amen, and Jalen are hitting on all cylinders maybe we'll have great Rocket representation in four years.

 

Yeah, pretty mediocre and they didn't fully graso FIBA rules, so they looked bad.