Harris One Of 13 Players Fighting For Final Team USA Spot

Photo: netsdaily.com

Brooklyn Nets guard and University of Virginia alum Joe Harris is one of 13 remaining players vying for the 12 spots on the USA Basketball National Team roster as the FIBA World Cup approaches.

Several NBA standouts — including shooting guards James Harden, CJ McCollum and JJ Redick — have either declined their invitation altogether or began training with the squad and have dropped out of contention, leaving only one more roster cut prior to the World Cup, which begins Aug. 31.

As the team departs for its final tuneups (three more exhibition games in Australia), the 13 remaining players are Harris, Harrison Barnes, Jaylen Brown, Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Mason Plumlee, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Myles Turner, Kemba Walker and Derrick White.

Harris, who will be a free agent in 2020, was originally chosen in late July as part of the 13-man USA Select team, which is assembled to practice, train and scrimmage alongside the National Team.

When more players decided to step away, it allowed Harris to become one of 17 finalists for the National Team. Four of those finalists have since called it quits, and now head coach Gregg Popovich has a little over a week to trim one more player from what will be the final roster.

Harris played in all but six games for the Nets last season — his third with the team and fifth overall — starting in all 76 of them.

He posted career highs in nearly every statistical category: 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while also registering career marks in overall field-goal percentage (.500) and 3-point percentage (.474), which happened to lead the entire league. He made a career-best 183 triples last season in 386 attempts.

To highlight his breakout season, Harris outlasted fellow sharpshooter Stephen Curry — in Curry’s hometown of Charlotte, no less — back in February to claim the NBA 3-Point Contest.

Harris, who later referred to Curry as the “greatest shooter of all time,” put himself on a list of 3-point champions with guys like Larry Bird, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Price, Craig Hodges, Peja Stojakovic, Kyrie Irving, Devon Booker, Curry and Klay Thompson, among others.

“For me to come in and win on my first time, it’s surreal,” Harris said after hoisting the trophy. “It’s been an honor for me to be here, for me to participate this weekend, and it’s something I’ll remember for a long time.”

Harris said he was “honored” and “super excited” for the opportunity to represent his country on the national stage.

If Harris makes the final cut, he’ll be the only member of the squad to be able to say he shot 40-percent or better from downtown last season. The World Cup runs from Aug. 31 until Sept. 15 in China. The United States, winner of the previous two World Cups, is one of 32 countries competing for this year’s title.