Replacing Brandon Ingram with Josh Hart in starting five just part of tweaks, says Kerr

Team USA's bench has been crucial in their first two games in the 2023 FIBA World Cup as they spark the charge when their starters could not pull away.

However, things were different on Wednesday in their game against Jordan.

The starting unit of Team USA composed of Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Jaren Jackson, Jr. was joined by Josh Hart, who replaced Brandon Ingram.

In the first quarter, the Americans got off to a 31-12 romp against Jordan, and it was cruise control since then for them.

"We just wanted to look at some different lineups," head coach Steve Kerr said when asked about the change.

"The tricky part with FIBA is you only have a few weeks to figure out your team as opposed to an NBA season where you have six to eight months. We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh in the starting group and Brandon in the next group and see if their combinations fit."

USA coach Steve Kerr talks about their new rotation and how they went off to a hot start in their game vs. Jordan #FIBAWC @gmasportsph @gmanews pic.twitter.com/5OsfU2wMHz

— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) August 30, 2023

"I liked what I saw. The game wasn't competitive but you see there was good flow with both groups," he added.

However, Kerr said nothing is final yet with their rotation tweak.

"We just wanted to keep on looking at different things."

Kerr and the American squad will join the group of Lithuania and Montenegro and the winner of the ongoing match between New Zealand and Greece for their second round matches.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News