With the NBA season and the draft having ended, and the madness of free agency due to be wrapped up in July, the focus will soon turn to international basketball.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup featuring 32 nations is due to take place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia starting in August. And Team USA has received a boost with Rookie Of The Year Paolo Banchero committing to play for them during the tournament.
“Orlando’s Paolo Banchero – the NBA’s Rookie of the Year – has committed to play for Team USA’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines this summer,” Shams Charania tweeted.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero – the NBA’s Rookie of the Year – has committed to play for Team USA’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines this summer, sources tell me and @joevardon.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2023
There was a time when international competitions seemed like a cakewalk for Team USA but that is no longer the case. International superstars and teams have made huge strides and many like France, Greece, Serbia, and Slovenia will be hoping to get a win in the tournament.
For Team USA, it is always a wait to see which NBA stars will commit to playing for them and having the Orlando Magic‘s Rookie Of The Year is a big boost. A lot of the biggest NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are unlikely to feature, and our writer, Nick Mac, predicted the most realistic roster for the team. Banchero wasn’t on it, and his addition will be notable.
Paolo Banchero Had A Stellar Rookie Season For The Magic
There was some confusion about whether Paolo Banchero might declare for Italy, but now that it is Team USA, they know they have a solid player on their hands. In his very first season, Banchero averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, living up to the expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Banchero was almost selected to be Rookie Of The Year unanimously, although there was a single voter who ruined that. He also made the All-Rookie First Team and looks like a superstar in the making.
Banchero will have pressure on him to excel considering that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Victor Wembanyama, has become the center of attention in the NBA world. Wembanyama will likely be playing for France, so this could be the first opportunity for Banchero to prove that he will be in the running to be considered one of the NBA’s best young talents for the next few years.
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