• Trae Young is still upset at his snub from the Team USA roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup
• A fan tried telling Young his size was the reason he wasn’t selected for FIBA play
• Young pointed out that Jalen Brunson is the same size as him and was selected
The Team USA roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup isn’t like the stacked superteams of years past. The team may be better on paper than all other countries but features players that are mostly inexperienced in international play.
Trae Young was controversially snubbed from the roster in favor of Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. Young has been upset about the snub for a while and lashed out at a fan explaining why he wasn’t selected on Instagram.
“You said ‘small guards don’t fare well’, then went on to bring up JB (Jalen Brunson) was the reason y’all won.”
Brunson has a proven resume in FIBA ball, winning MVP of the U-19 FIBA World Championships in 2015.
Young played in the 2016 U-18 FIBA World Championships but had a torrid time. In five games, Trae averaged 6.0 points and 3..2 assists per game on an appalling 20.6% shooting from the field.
Why Would Trae Young Not Be Selected?
Statistics from a tournament in 2016 shouldn’t be the barometer for selection in Team USA. Trae Young averaged 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game last season and is considered one of the best individual scorers in the world. However, it seems Young has a negative impact on the court whenever he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.
Team USA needs players that excel off-ball and Brunson is one of the best off-ball guards in the NBA. He excelled next to Luka Doncic in Dallas for a reason, while also showing he can run an offense alone last season with the Knicks. He averaged 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in a breakout year, with many tipping him to become a first-time All-Star next season.
Brunson’s ability to share the ball, play without it, and higher defensive work rate made the decision easy. Young may have deserved a call-up over Tyrese Haliburton, but it seems the Brunson call-up is what’s gotten under his skin right now.
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