First Look: Chet Holmgren And Jalen Williams Practice With Team USA Select

The Oklahoma City Thunder have plenty of delegates in the FIBA World Cup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey are some popular names in the competition.

However, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are representing the team with Team USA on the Select Team. They're practicing with the main squad and helping them prepare for the competition.

Chet & JDub getting to work at the first USA Select practice 🤝 pic.twitter.com/wcItBgp1ye
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 4, 2023

Both players are candidates to join the main squad as replacement players ahead of the World Cup beginning. To do so, they'd have to play their way into a position to show the coaches that they're the next best players not already rostered.

The Select Team beat the main squad twice on Friday, showing that the competition level isn't all that far off between the two sides. However, Cade Cunningham was in the driver's seat of them doing so, and he will be the main competition for Williams and Holmgren when it comes to being added as a replacement player.

Williams may be the most versatile option to make the main squad. He's 6-foot-6, but his ability to play the point guard through power forward position on both sides of the ball, as he did all last season, would allow him to fit into any lineup thrown out there.

Holmgren, on the other hand, would provide size to the main squad if they need to replace a big man. His versatility makes him easy to play with and spaces the floor for his teammates. Either way, both players are candidates to make the final squad for World Cup play if need be.

Playing in these practices also allows Holmgren and Williams to go head-to-head. The teammates won't get much opportunity to do as teammates, so they're maximizing the chance to do so now.

"It's great to be out here with JDub," Holmgren said on the Thunder's social media. "We'll be in the same jersey all year next year, so it's kind of cool to be able to match up with him and bump heads a little bit."

The two players will be key contributors for the Thunder in the upcoming season, and both will benefit from getting solid reps in a situation that allows them to both embrace and be around high-level talents.

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