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After five tune-up games in three countries earlier this month, Team USA has arrived in the Philippines for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They have been drawn into Group C for the group stage, along with Greece, Jordan and New Zealand, and will have to finish in the top two to advance to the next round. 

Their journey will begin on Saturday against New Zealand, in what figures to be a comfortable matchup. New Zealand checks in at 26th in the FIBA rankings, and does not have a single NBA player on the roster after Steven Adams was ruled out due to a knee injury he sustained towards the end of the 2023 NBA season. 

Ahead of the action, here's everything you need to know:

Team USA vs. New Zealand

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 26 | Time: 8:40 a.m. ET
  • Location: Mall of Asia Arena -- Manila, Philippines
  • TV channel: ESPN 2 | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
  • Odds: Team USA -35.5 | O/U: 185.5

Roster

PlayerNBA TeamPosition

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic

Forward

Mikal Bridges

Brooklyn Nets

Forward

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

Guard

Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves

Guard

Tyrese Haliburton

Indiana Pacers

Guard

Josh Hart

New York Knicks

Guard

Brandon Ingram

New Orleans Pelicans

Forward

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Memphis Grizzlies

Center

Cameron Johnson

Brooklyn Nets

Forward

Walker Kessler

Utah Jazz

Center

Bobby Portis

Milwaukee Bucks

Forward

Austin Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers

Guard

Storylines

Team USA will face some tests later in the tournament, but they shouldn't have any trouble in their group, especially now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is not playing for Greece. As they showed in the exhibition schedule, they are simply too talented for many of the teams in this tournament, and that includes New Zealand. This is a perfect opening game, as it should allow them to shake off any nerves that come with the start of the actual tournament, and get comfortable against an opponent they are far better than. 

Perhaps the biggest on-court item to watch is how Steve Kerr handles his rotations. When the game got tight against Germany last weekend, he closed with Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves instead of Jalen Brunson and Brandon Ingram, who have been starting. Was that a one-off because of how Haliburton and Reaves played in the second half? Or will we see bigger minutes for those two given how well they fit around Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr.? 

Prediction

Team USA is going to win this game, but trying to make a pick with a spread of 35.5 points is complicated. Once spreads start getting that big, it's hard to feel comfortable on either side. Team USA could completely dominate and still not cover that margin. But at the same time, there's nothing worse than picking an underdog to cover a huge spread and realizing at halftime that they have no chance. In the end, we'll go with Team USA to cover. This is a real opportunity to make a statement after the close call against Germany. Pick: Team USA -35.5