2023 Team USA vs. 2023 Team World: Who Would Win In A 7-Game Series?

Over the last 30 years, the NBA has become more diverse and internationally represented than it ever has been. There have never been more NBA players in the league who were born outside of the United States than at this moment in time. The international explosion of players has given us widespread talent across the league as some of its best players and top MVP candidates are international players leading their teams to success and taking the NBA by storm. This also happens to be a time when the talent within the borders of the United States is at an all-time high and has produced the most parity across the NBA in decades. 

The idea of a Team USA vs. Team World matchup is one we have previously discussed as a remedy to the collapsing attraction of the NBA’s All-Star Game. The players would feel a sense of pride in representing their respective countries on an international stage, and the game would get back the competitive edge it has so desperately needed over the past few seasons. Today, we will break down this matchup pitting the five best players from the United States against the five best players from born outside its borders in the ultimate battle for international bragging rights. The matchups are set, and each team has a clear path to victory and advantages they must exploit in order to win.

2023 Team USA: Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis

2023 Team World: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid

This is the 2023 Team USA vs. the 2023 Team World.

Stephen Curry vs. Luka Doncic

The matchup between two of the best point guards in the NBA is one that will put fans in the seats for this All-Star matchup. Stephen Curry has to feel good about his chances at getting his fair share of shots off from the perimeter, considering the playmakers he has around him and the attention they will draw. That, and the fact that Doncic is not exactly a great defender, will work in Curry’s favor to make him the ultimate threat to shred Team World from the outside. Curry will have plenty of screens set for him to fight through and will most likely open more open opportunities for his teammates as the game and series go on.

Luka Doncic can play every role that is asked of him in this matchup against Curry. He can play bully ball with an obvious size advantage and the ability to isolate and back down Curry. He can play the role of facilitator and control the pace of the game while picking apart every defensive look thrown his way. He can play more relaxed than we have ever seen him, considering the talent around him in the rest of Team World’s lineup, and will exploit their advantages. A relaxed Luka is a dangerous Luka, and he will play a major role in any chance at victory.

Jayson Tatum vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Team USA shows one of its few size advantages in this matchup of two young stars. Jayson Tatum is a bigger and stronger player than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and will use those advantages to control their matchup. Tatum can create and knock down shots from the outside and with his high release and length, will find easy ways to do this over Shai. Tatum will also use these advantages to try and slow down his opponent on defense as well considering how crafty Gilgeous-Alexander can be. 

Shai is a shifty and skilled shot creator who uses a variety of moves to get open short jumpers or shots at the rim. He will have to use this speed and ball control to try and get around Tatum on offense. On defense, Gilegous-Alexander will have his hands full with a talented three-level scorer like Tatum, who can do some serious damage if he can take Shai to the post. Gilgeous-Alexander will have to work with his backcourt partner, Luka Doncic, in order to work his way into the offense off the ball.

LeBron James vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo

If we took LeBron James from 10 years ago and put him against this current version of Giannis, this matchup would be a lot more enticing. As it stands, James will have his hands full getting to the rim against the size and ability of Team World’s front line. By no means does that mean James will not be effective. His drive to the basket and playmaking still needs to be taken extremely seriously, as does his ability to manipulate defenses and get to the foul line despite being 38 years old. 

This version of Giannis Antetokounmpo is as dominant as any version we have seen on both ends of the court. Despite battling some injuries in 2023, Giannis has still shown to be unstoppable in attacking the rim and a freight train in the open court. Giannis will want to attack the slightly smaller front line of Team USA to maximize his impact on Team World. As the best player in the world, Giannis will have a target on his back from Team USA as they most likely try and throw Anthony Davis at him in double-teams as he gets closer to the rim. Giannis is smart enough to pick apart Team USA in the paint and when to find his teammates who might be open off the double team. 

Kevin Durant vs. Nikola Jokic

This is the tale of another two all-time great offensive players with completely different playstyles. All Kevin Durant is going to want to do with Nikola Jokic in front of him is isolate and find his spots. Durant’s control and handles will be his biggest advantage over Jokic, who stands little to no chance of staying with Durant on the perimeter or mid-range. My guess is Durant would have a field day picking apart the size of Team World by spreading the floor and finding his openings. 

As for Jokic, he will have similar success but with his playmaking rather than scoring. Playing power forward for Team World gives Jokic a little more flexibility to spread the offense out and find his passing lanes like we have watched him do in back-to-back MVP seasons. Just as Jokic will have maximum issues in stopping Durant from scoring, Durant will have the same issues with Jokic’s vision, IQ, and playmaking ability. The connection between Doncic and Jokic in this matchup will make for some beautiful basketball to be played.

Anthony Davis vs. Joel Embiid

Anthony Davis’ role on Team USA will be a bigger one than he has ever had in his career. First, he has the matchup against Joel Embiid who is a strong and skilled offensive center who will also be able to hold his own on defense as Davis tries to get his game going. Then, there is the worry of health and endurance for Davis as he likely switches and doubles either Giannis or Jokic when need be. He will serve as the only true rim protector for Team USA and on offense, they will need him to get going in order for the game to open up for their other four starters. A lot sits on Davis’ shoulders tied into USA’s success but we all have seen him do it before.

Embiid has a pretty simple job as far as his game goes in this series. He can worry less about creating for himself and more about getting into the dominant positions or spots he succeeds most from. Embiid will have to expend some energy trying to slow down Davis on defense, especially if Davis is able to get his jumper going and is extra loose in the paint. Embiid should see plenty of opportunities on offensive rebounds as well as the shots that will be created by the likes of Luka, Giannis, and Jokic.

Team USA Advantages

When you take a deeper look into this matchup, you will see that each of these teams has a few things that can and will carry them to victory. Team USA’s first distinct advantage over Team World is their ability to shoot the ball from the outside. The greatest shooter in NBA history, Stephen Curry, leads this attack but Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant are also efficient outside shooters who can create for themselves and give Team USA the tilt in that category. Tatum is a career 37.6% three-point shooter and Durant sits at 38.4% so those two next to the best in the world are a serious three-way threat.

Another advantage that Team USA will hold over Team World in this contest is their attack on the rim and mid-range offense. Tatum and Durant can offset the size difference that Team World has over them by creating and making tough shots from anywhere in the paint or post. Durant is one of the best mid-range shooters in NBA history and Tatum is extremely skilled with his back to the basket within the three-point line. LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is another who can manipulate and power his way to the rim which will wear down the bigs of Team World eventually.

Team World Advantages

From the outside looking in, it would seem that Team World holds the larger advantages over Team USA. When we take a look at their offense, two of the best playmakers in basketball lead the way for three other extremely talented scorers. Luka Doncic can control the pace of the game in any situation as a scorer or facilitator as the game wears on. Nikola Jokic can also have the offense run through him and pick apart Team USA from his spots in the post/ high post. Embiid, Giannis, and Shai will all thrive having two of the best offensive players at their position set them up.

The other advantage that Team World has over Team USA is on the defensive side of the ball. There are certainly weaknesses in both defenses and Anthony Davis will be Team USA’s primary defender. However, Joel Embiid and Giannis pack a stronger punch on the interior for Team World. This series will be all about which team can make stops on these two high-powered offenses when it matters most. I would take my chances betting on the versatility of Giannis and the rim protection of Embiid.

Who Would Win This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?

Game One would kick off with Team USA jumping out to an early lead behind Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis’ beautiful inside-outside game. Curry would drain 8-0 threes in the games and finish with 31 points. Davis would pour in 25 points and grab 13 rebounds as well in the victory. Giannis was dominant for Team World in Game One with 36 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists in the loss, while Luka Doncic finished with 32 points and 13 assists. Team USA takes a 1-0 series lead in a 124-118 win.

Game Two would be a much different story for both teams involved in this matchup. Team World would put their foot on the gas from the opening tip and never let it off. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kicked things off with 28 total points on 11-16 shooting from the field overall as he battled with Jayson Tatum on the other end, who had 32 points on 12-21 shooting. Once again, Giannis Antetokounmpo would dominate the matchup between him and LeBron James as he recorded 43 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks to lead Team World to a 134-121 victory and a 1-1 series tie.

Game Three would be an instant classic as each team looked to gain the first real advantage in the series. Stephen Curry and LeBron James locked in early for Team USA and finished with 30 points each on the night. Joel Embiid was able to take advantage of switches from Anthony Davis and pour in 33 points on the night while Luka Doncic scored 29 and dished out 14 assists. The real star was once again Giannis, who played a massive role on defense with five steals and four blocks, as well as 26 points on the offensive end. Eam World proved to be far too much for Team USA again and took a 2-1 series lead.

Team USA would get a chance to get even in Game Four behind big nights from their biggest stars. Team World did not make it easy as Giannis once again was a terror on the defensive end, not allowing any easy shots inside from Team USA. Curry would make sure that didn’t matter as he once again was on fire from the perimeter going 13-19 from three in this one, recording a team-high 41 points. LeBron James would have 22 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists in the matchup as well as a poor shooting night from Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic allow Team USA to even the series at two games apiece.

An ever-important Game Five got started with Team USA looking unstoppable as Tatum and Curry both got things going early from the outside. Kevin Durant would finally have his breakout performance for Team USA, benefitting from the attention Curry was drawing all over the place as he moved without the ball. Durant would go for 39 points in this one, but Team World had answers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would have a 38-point night as he benefitted from the attention elsewhere as well. Once again, Giannis led the way for Team World from an all-around standpoint with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, as well as elite defense to give Team World a 3-2 series lead.

With their backs against the wall, Team USA would turn to their veterans to try and force a Game Seven. The first order of business was to slow down Giannis on the offensive end which is exactly what they did by throwing everything they had at him. This left Jokic and Luka to run the offense, which they did well, but without Giannis, it was an off night for all. Curry and Durant would lead the offense for Team USA as Curry would hit another nine threes on 16 attempts. Durant would also put in 32 points, and Team USA would cruise to a Game Seven by a score of 133-119.

Game Seven would be a knockdown, drag-out fight for both teams as the battle for ultimate international bragging rights came to a close. Team USA hung around for most of the night due to the play of LeBron James and Stephen Curry. However, this night would belong to Team World and the MVP of the series, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis, along with Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic would have monster nights for Team World as they simply outlasted Team USA down the stretch and would take Game Seven by a score of 129-112. Giannis would finish the game with 31 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks to pick up the victory.

Final Result: 2023 Team USA vs. 2023 Team World 3-4

Series MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo

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