Should Austin Reaves be starting for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup?
As he continues to prove himself as one of the best players on the team, is it time to move Austin Reaves into the starting lineup for Team USA?
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As much as everyone else was just as surprised as he was by his inclusion on the roster, we are well past the days of discussing whether Austin Reaves should be on Team USA. Instead, we’re well into the days of discussing whether he should be starting.
From pretty much the very beginning of the start of play even in exhibition games, it was clear that Reaves was not only worthy of a big part in Team USA’s gameplan but arguably a starting spot.
Even as exhibition games have given way to “real” games, Reaves has only continued to impress and has arguably been Team USA’s best player in the tournament so far. And yet, he remains a bench player, even if he’s seeing big minutes.
But should that change? Should Reaves be moved into the starting lineup? That’s the question for this week’s SB Nations React survey as we want to know if Steve Kerr should be looking at a lineup change
Not only is Reaves playing well, but multiple players in the starting lineup have struggled. Jalen Brunson broke out of his slump in the win over Greece but had struggled in the handful of games leading up to that.
Brandon Ingram is the most obvious candidate to move to the bench. In two World Cup games, Ingram is 3-8 for seven total points and his struggles predate the start of the tournament.
The argument against starting Reaves, though, is the chemistry built with the bench lineup so far. The team’s best backcourt features Tyrese Haliburton and Reaves. As bad as the starting lineup has been together — and it’s been pretty bad from the very start — the bench has been fantastic and a catalyst in their games repeatedly.
Is it worth potentially splitting up that bench lineup during tournament play? Ultimately, it’s an argument that Kerr, Ty Lue, Erik Spoelstra and the Team USA coaching staff is surely having.
Let us know what you guys think and we’ll include the best responses in the results post!
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