Long delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics are now just a month-and-a-half away. The games are scheduled to begin on July 23 and will run through August 8.
With the Olympics around the corner, USA Basketball will soon have to determine which players will make its preliminary roster, then will have to pare that group down to 12 players for Tokyo.
Team USA announced an initial pool of 57 players in March, so there are seemingly plenty of options to represent the country at next month’s Olympics. However, many of the names on that list may be off limits.
As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to skip this year’s Olympics in favor of letting their late-season injuries recover. Other players on that list of 57 names, such as Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker, Pacers center Myles Turner, Heat guard Victor Oladipo, Spurs guard Derrick White, and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson were also dealing with injuries when the season ended and probably won’t be prepared to suit up this summer. LaMarcus Aldridge has retired.
Meanwhile, players who could be poised for deep playoff runs, such as Nets stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, also may be off the table for Team USA, since the NBA Finals could run as late as July 22. Olympic training camps will begin well before then.
Jazz guards Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, Sixers forward Tobias Harris, Hawks guard Trae Young, Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul, and Clippers forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are among the other players who may not be inclined to participate if they’re in the playoffs until July, or even late June.
Still, there are several intriguing names potentially available for Gregg Popovich‘s squad. Vardon hears that Warriors guard Stephen Curry is “50-50” on participating, while Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is thought to have strong interest in playing. Vardon also suggests that Celtics forward Jayson Tatum could be a headliner for Team USA.
Among players whose NBA seasons are over, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Knicks big man Julius Randle, Wizards guards Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, and Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are among the most intriguing names. Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, Warriors big man Draymond Green, and Kings forward Harrison Barnes were members of the 2016 Team USA squad that won Olympic gold and could be considered again.
If Team USA’s top choices opt not to participate, there are plenty of other intriguing names on the list of 57 candidates, including up-and-comers like Jarrett Allen, Jerami Grant, Christian Wood, Duncan Robinson, and Fred VanVleet.
We want to know what you think. Taking into account the players who are unlikely to participate for health reasons or due to deep postseason runs, what would your ideal 12-man USA Basketball roster look like?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your picks!
Booker and Trae gonna have to be a No for me this year .
Talented players, but Id rather see Curry and Lillard represent USA as a country. Just a ton more class, show, and bravados exhibited all around as a Rep.
That should matter
The Olympics are dead to me.
I would love to see Steph, Dame, Tatum and Bam.
The Olympic idea has died a long time ago.
The U.S. and their bought lackeys in the international sports bodies have abused and destroyed a once noble idea of fair athletic competition and international understanding.
Nowadays its all about political grandstanding while inflicting the greatest possible harm on particularly Russian athletes.
Only a handful of the most pathetically narcissistic nations, eager to impress on a global stage, are even willing to host this monstrosity anymore.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Tokyo’s ratings follow the way of the Oscars.
In fairness, the US is only doing what other countries had done for years, using pros. The difference was that usually the US amateurs could still beat the foreign pros. Until 1988 came along and the David Robinson led team lost to the Soviets in the semis and only got bronze. It was the first time the US had legitimately lost ever at the Olympics.
What lackeys? The US was the last to use amatuers, who could have used pros. What grandstanding? What harm done to Russia
athletes? Nearly all nations have shown up. There is no similarity to Oscars.
Don’t bother answering. I doubt you understand burden of proof or care if anything is true. Some ideology must be afoot.
Try picking a failure that is true, they are out there. The inability of countries to host is purely financial, not moral.
Full strength
1. Curry. Dame. Irving
2. Harden. Butler. Beal
3. Bron. Kawhi. PG13
4. Durant. Zion. Tatum
5. AD. Bam. Turner
But this won’t happen
The priority has to be to win, under a unique set of circumstances. We’ve lost, even with pros, when we’ve treated it like an all star team. Find guys who are ready to commit (really) now and put together the core of the team.
Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, (Jalen Green or Cade Cunningham), Zach Lavine, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton, Zion Williamson, Bam Adebayo, Luka Garza, Christian Wood… im speculating that Atl, BK, Den & LAC make the final 4 & none of their guys play for team USA. Im also obv in favor of taking 2 developmental guys. Garza is extremely perfect for the FIBA game & could actually end up being an important part of this team. Whoever plays better during tryouts bw Jalen & Cade should get a spot as well. Spida & Russ would both have spots on the squad if they chose to play but I just feel like they’ll probably both decline. I don’t see Steph & Dame both playing this summer & it seems more important to Dame so I have him om board as the starting pg for the squad. Dame, Jrue, Jimmy, Jayson & Bam would be an extremely tough starting 5 with Ja, Zach, Khris, Zion & CWood behind them
I definitely meant Phx not Den
In all honesty, considering circumstances and ONE short offseason, I’d imagine most (if not all) coaches and owners would prefer that all of their players pass on the Olympics. The USA should just consider it a “rebuilding” year and go with all-star college athletes.
Addendum: You gotta figure at least ONE guy playing in the Olympics will get hurt; it would be a real fluke if that didn’t happen. Imagine the Pelicans outrage, for example, if Zion plays and gets hurt?
I can’t ever remember any nba player suffering any serious injuries during the Olympics from 1992-2016… thats a lot of flukes. What coaches and owners want don’t really matter. If a guy like Zion wants to play in the Olympics he’s gonna play & thats how it should be
Paul George in 2014 gets mentioned but that is about it for major injuries. Players also get injuries NOT playing ball!
Actually the games are typically not that enjoyable to me.
Donovan Mitchell was key to the 2019 FIBA entry.
PG never got hurt during the Olympics. He was hurt leading up to the World Championships in 2014 but played & won the gold in 2016 in Rio… also anybody that can’t enjoy Olympic/FIBA basketball isn’t an actual basketball fan
Sorry to be that guy Luke… but I do believe Oladipo is a Heat not a Rocket, right?
Yes, thanks, that’s fixed.
El Don is right (for a change). I thank Miami for making that trade.
Not sure how the timing works with who is eligible. Of available players, while also considering work load, and injuries to certain guys, like Myles Turner, there are limited options for shooters/defenders on the wing, and bigs. If we look at teams that might get knocked out in this round, that’s obviously different b/c then you have Middleton and Kawhi to potentially add, and maybe even help at guard with Holiday, although workload would still be a question there. I think its arguable that with the shooting issues I mentioned, Steph or Dame would be very helpful, but I kind of want to see them have full offseasons.
So with that being said, these potential rotations still look really good. Soze and knocking down shots are the biggest potential issues I see
De’Aaron Fox, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo
Bradley Beal, Ja Morant, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, KAT, Brandon Ingram, Marcus Smart
Or
Fox, Robinson, Butler, Draymond, KAT
Beal, Ja, Tatum, Bam, Barnes, Smart, Ingram
Lol I probably should have looked at the list first…If Smart wont play, then maybe Malcolm Brogdon if he is healthy.
I’d love to see:
PG: Dame, Ja, Fox
2G: Beal, LaVine, Smart
Wing: Butler, Tatum, Ingram
4 Zion, Randle, Draymond
5 Bam, Towns, C.Wood
For me, this might be the most realistic, best roster the U.S. could put out, with alot of the guys turning down the chance to go…
Id love to see Steph, Booker, KD, Ayton, and Spider going, but odds are they’ll be declining their invites..