Second Round of NBA Playoffs features plenty of FIBA World Cup experience for the USA

Colorado Springs (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) -  Now that Gregg Popovich's day job is done for this NBA season, the man who will lead the USA to China is watching the playoffs with a different eye.

Seventeen* players on the USA's current 35-man national team roster, from which  the World Cup squad will be picked, are engaged in the Second Round of the NBA playoffs. (* Includes DeMarcus Cousins who was injured in the first round.)

Five of those players - Cousins, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson were key players on the American team that stood atop the podium at the 2014 World Cup in Spain. 

Three of the four series underway feature three national teamers each. The Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets matchup almost matches that by itself with eight players who could possibly feature at the FIBA Basketball World Cup that begins in August.

In all, these players account for 9 World Cup appearances as well as 10 Olympic participations.

The Warriors start four who have already represented the USA at World Cups and/or Olympic competition including Curry (2010, 2014 WC), Kevin Durant (2010 WC; 2012, 2016 Olympics), Draymond Green (2016 Olympics), and Thompson (2014 WC; 2016 Olympics). Questionable whether he'll be able to return for these playoffs, Cousins played on the 2014 WC and 2016 Olympic teams.

Worthy of being called Team America, the fifth starter against Houston in Game 2 was Andre Iguodala who won a 2010 World Cup title and 2012 Olympic gold medal for the American squad.

 Houston's red, white and blue contingent includes James Harden (2012 Olympics; 2014 WC), Chris Paul (2006 WC; 2008, 2012 Olympics), and Eric Gordon (2010 WC).

The Boston-Milwaukee series includes Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving (2014 WC; 2016 Olympics) from the Celtics and Khris Middleton of the Bucks.

Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry (2016 Olympics) are playing for the Toronto Raptors against the Philadelphia 76ers and Tobias Harris.

The Portland Trailblazers' backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and  CJ McCollum are facing off against Denver Nuggets' Isaiah Thomas.

Who, if any, of these players are named to the final roster for China will be determined later this summer. How far their teams go in the playoffs, injuries, and other factors will be part of that. Also factoring in will be the USA's tradition of using the World Cup to test NBA stars at the top level of international play.

FIBA