Jalen Brunson seems destined to start for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup

Heading into Team USA training camp, there was some debate on NBA social media regarding the starting point guard position. On one side were the fans of Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, pointing to his All-Star selection last season and his stewardship of a wack-ass, lottery-bound Indiana club. On the side were supporters of Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson...and common sense.

Well count this as a victory for common sense, as Team USA head coach Steve Kerr seems intent on locking in Brunson at the starting PG spot. Brunson started at the point in all three days of scrimmages against the USA Select Team, occasionally playing alongside Haliburton in two-PG lineups.

Kerr has also been effusive in his praise of Brunson from the start. Per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:

“I think Jalen is such a natural leader. Because he’s a point guard, he immediately comes to mind. He’s the one who’s leading the ‘1, 2, 3 USA’ chant. Some guys just, it just comes naturally to them.”

Look, the spreadsheet jockeys can pimp Haliburton’s advanced stats all they want, but we all saw what Brunson did in the regular season and playoffs. His body of work in the NBA, college, and FIBA juniors speaks for itself. He’s the point guard. He’s AMERICA’S point guard. Get used to it.