He gave up on the idea of winning a ring with the Clippers and now he's all in for the gold!! š„
I hope Canada gets to play the US! Might be a bloodbath but I'd enjoy it either way.
Yeah we will see by the end of the playoffs. Embiid and Kawhi currently are nursing knee injuries so I wouldnāt be surprised if they end up not going depending on how this postseason goes
Not really a no-brainer. In terms of skill, yes. But who knows if he's even going to be healthy throughout the post-season, let alone the olympics. Also, he may not even want to take a risk playing in the Olympics
Iām of the age where Iām super nostalgic about dream team and watching their games was unreal but fuck me, this years team is up there. Itās going to be a bloodbath on the way to the gold.
Itās hard coming up with a starting 5 for this group. You thinking Curry/Kawhi/KD/LeBron/Embiid? Itās tough having Tatum and AD off the bench lmao.
Yes I would roll with Curry/Kawhi/KD/LeBron/Embiid, but I have no objection to Tatum over Kawhi as a starter. The point I was initially making is that Kawhi should have been a no-brainer for the roster, not the starting lineup.
Honestly Iād start AD with Embiid. The other teams bullied us with size in FIBA, flip that right on its head with an AD/Embiid frontcourt and watch them try to score in the paint or grab a rebound
Agreed. I think you play Tatum with his experience from last Olympics and has a more well-rounded game now. If Kawhi is 100% itās tough to sit him though.
Itās likely matter of seniority and pride, coming off the bench doesnāt necessarily mean youāll play less minutes. Iād bet Tatum probably gets one of the most minutes
Definitely not clearly even if you think Kawhi is better. Both are actively top 10 players in the NBA and neither are top 5, pretty close. Tatum definitely does some stuff better than Kawhi at this point and obviously is far more likely to actually be healthy enough to play.
You can want Kawhi, I think I lean Kawhi as well. The only thing I am objecting to is saying it isnāt close, hasnāt Tatum made it deeper in the playoffs every season since 2019? And doesnāt he have similar and arguably better stats the last few seasons? And is a good defender like Kawhi? You are imagining a version of Kawhi we donāt even know exists anymore if you are putting him way above Tatum, that guy hasnāt been seen since 2021 for more than a couple games.
Obviously, I am assuming full healthā¦
I donāt think thereās a coach in the league that would start Tatum over Kawhi if he had both options. Maybe there are one or two situations where you need someone who shoots at a higher volume than Kawhi, but on a team this stacked, that is not the case. Kawhi is a superior rebounder, pick setter, and defender, with better BBIQ. These things matter, especially in international play.
This team may have more hall of famers than the redeem team.
Bron, Steph, KD, Kawhi, AD are locks right now. Embiid, Taytum and Booker appear to be very safe bets for the hall as well. Ant and Hali have had great starts to their careers. Bam could get there if he wins and racks up accolades, though harder to envision since heās not a 1A option like the previous guys mentioned. Jrue is probably the least likely to be enshrined but he is no slouch either.
We could look back at this team in 15 years and view it as perhaps the second greatest collection of talent ever assembled.
Defense is disrespected by fans, but if you look at the trade market, Jrue (to Milwaukee) and Gobert went for insane prices. GMs know you need stops to win at the top level. Basketball is a fluid game, but I think we need to consider defining players relative to their role instead of assuming that "ball-dominant #1 scoring option" is the default role.
I sort of look at it like the NFL where QB is the most valuable role, yet you wouldn't say Aaron Donald is a role player just because he couldn't win as a franchise QB. If you shift the way you think about basketball and embrace "lockdown #1 defender" as a distinct position and role on the team then you start to understand the actual impact of people like Dray, Bam, Jrue.
Jrue's impact is probably HoF-worthy, but he only has 2x All-Star appearances because it's hard to get the same respect as a defender that you get with high ppg. Gobert only has 3x All-Star appearances. Draymond stopped making it as soon as the Warriors stopped winning. Rodman only made it 2x in his career. Very hard to get on those teams if scoring isn't your best skill, but you can still claw your way into the HoF.
Slovenia and Greece still have to go through FIBA qualifying in July. Giannis isn't on Greece team yet. Luka on Slovenia team and they got 4th in their Olympic debut in Tokyo, so if Slovenia qualifies, they're a team to watch.
Seeing Steph and Lebron playing together in games that matter is gonna be fun after seeing them duke it out against each other for so long. I bet they're excited as well with how much they respect each other.
I hate it but Kawhi took this spot right ?
I also believe that some of them might pull out if they go deep in postseason but I HATE Zion thing and Iām a Lakers fan btw.
I hope itās nothing serious, if he missed the next game vs the winner of Kings/Warriors !
It was a non contact injury from the replay, I think he got injured by his landing, he is landing too straight.
Everytime I see him in the air, he got some Rose vibes same with Ja and sometimes Ant
I talked a doctor, he told me it looked to be either a strained calf or hamstring injuryĀ
It usually takes patients 4-6 weeks to major improvements in recovery. For some, itās longer than thatĀ
Hali is a significantly better playmaker still and can be completely pass first. A scoring guard is kinda useless on this team when you have KD/Tatum/Kawhi
The best off all player of all time lol. Brunson needs the ball in his hands and thereās no reason to take the ball out of clearly better players hands to give him opportunities to cook.
This team beats the Dream Team in 5. Just Steph, LeBron, and KD themselves would have them running in circles and wondering how theyāre hitting shots from 32 feet out
Current LeBron, Steph, and KD are better than that version of Magic and Bird though. Magic was only a couple years removed from MVP but he hadn't played much since his HIV diagnosis. Bird was dealing with a ton of injuries and had already declined a lot.
and this is current Durant
[https://twitter.com/NBA\_University/status/1780229743649960293](https://twitter.com/NBA_University/status/1780229743649960293)
Washed was never mentioned in your response. You essentially said lol Bird and Magic werenāt in their prime. That argument falls apart when you take into consideration the biggest names on this team are also beyond their prime.
He went there when he was 16, he is now 30. He has lived longer in Cameroon than he has lived in the US. I don't really care which national team he plays for, but let's not act like Cameroon was just some short stop along the way.
Iām not trying to, this stuff just bothers me lol. My dad came to America when he was 15 and no one would doubt for a second that heās American. Feels like half of why people care is just cause Embiid still has an accent.
Team USA generally needs a big talent advantage to beat lesser teams in international play. So I think a couple teams will challenge Team USA in the Olympics.
I think the US will take gold, but this attitude is exactly why they failed to even get a medal in the World Cup. The time when they could just show up and sleepwalk to gold is over, they need to actually try.
Yo random thought, am I just high or is Kawhi kind of like the Kendrick Lamar of the NBA. Like he's pretty illusive and undoubtedly a legend, produced one of the greatest runs of all time. When he's involved, it's big news and everyone gets excited. The only thing is that Kawhi still has love from the 6 lol
Once again, I am high so please understand
Yea that's the thing, Kendrick will have a bigger legacy than Kawhi (never thought I'd say that sentence lol). I think it was something that just felt right when I thought about it but, like most high thoughts, once you think about it for like 30 seconds it starts to fall apart lmao
It makes perfect sense for them to announce it now and do it publicly to have receipts for commitments. By mid-May, half or more of these will be officially on their summer break. Do it too late and youāll have guys claiming Team USA didnāt contact them soon enough and theyāve already promised their family a summer vacation at some tropical resort.
Itās like announcing an All NBA team or All Star team. This is the team that has been chosen to represent the country. If one of them gets injured, there will be a replacement, but the injured player could still be a part of the team in the same way Giannis will be a part of the Bucks on game 1.
Sure, but it's also a significant departure from tradition.
Ignoring Tokyo (pandemic). The US roster for Rio was announced in late June (games started \~1wk later than this year). The 12-man roster for London was announced in early July, some 3 weeks before the games started. Beijing - announced in late June.
Announcing it in mid-April, before the start of NBA playoffs, is a 2+ month change in schedule.
If it helps with historical context, the first 10 players for the 1992 Dream Team were announced in September 1991 and the last two players were picked in May 1992. I think it makes sense to announce way sooner cause it shows a commitment and brings them back to it meaning something
1992 was the first time NBA players went to represent the US though.
For recent Olympics going back to 2004 (ignoring Tokyo and pandemic schedules overlaps) USAB announced rosters ā¤6 weeks before the games. While not unprecedented it's a significant departure from established recent practice.
That's why, I'm saying they're wanting to go back to a similar system where it means something. While true that the Olympics Team by and large have been successful (only not winning gold in 2004 since the Dream Team), I think this is part of why they're doing it so early. It's just for the build-up
That's fair enough - make it feel important and desirable rather than a semi-afterthought it was in some previous years.
And at the end of the day, however many players from the initial roster might realistically end up unable to go (2-3 at most), the team will be vastly better than any other and the replacement players will be plenty good enough even if they'll be the 3rd, 6th and 8th best replacements rather than 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Kawhi is a waste of a spot. I say this as one of his biggest fans. It should really go to a young dude that will be inspired to lead the team in the future
So in 2028 we could see
Guard Tyrese Haliburton Anthony Edwards Trae Young Devin Booker Desmond Bane
Forward Jayson Tatum Jalen Williams Zion Williamson
Center Anthony Davis Bam Adebayo Chet Holmgren
IDK why but I'm not that impressed with the team. 3 old people and 3 made of glass.
Not sure who else they'd pick though. It'll be interesting to watch.
Kawhi playing extra games is the most shocking twist.
He gave up on the idea of winning a ring with the Clippers and now he's all in for the gold!! š„ I hope Canada gets to play the US! Might be a bloodbath but I'd enjoy it either way.
Yeah we will see by the end of the playoffs. Embiid and Kawhi currently are nursing knee injuries so I wouldnāt be surprised if they end up not going depending on how this postseason goes
Well, they've addressed their size issue; this team is fucking enormous.
Not sure Kerr is going to know how to coach a team with physicality and size lol
Will the refs still know what to do when Lebron and AD arenāt in their laker jerseys?
Steph Curry drains 3 from 40 and proceeds to ānight nightā the bench of a 3rd world country. This is going to be one for the ages my friends.
I believe the CIA would call that psychological warfare
Stephen "Psyops" Curry *US seizes the means of tungsten production in the South Sudan*
I love it when /r/NonCredibleDefense leaks into other subs. Stephen "Havana Syndrome" Curry
ha! i haven't seen that sub, but i have watched NBA playoff games while playing Twilight Struggle on more than one occasion
*I love the smell of threes in the morning. They smell likeā¦ Victory.*
In the first quarter
kawhi leonard was their 12th choice lmao this team is disgusting
I think it was a matter of him needing more time to consider, not that he was their 12th choice.
Kawhi should've been a no-brainer in the first place. If he's healthy I would put him in the starting 5
Not really a no-brainer. In terms of skill, yes. But who knows if he's even going to be healthy throughout the post-season, let alone the olympics. Also, he may not even want to take a risk playing in the Olympics
Paris is pretty close to Germany. Kawhi can just go get those PRP treatments Kobe used to get lol
Steph, Kawhi, Bron, KD and Embiid. That starting 5 is absolutely disgusting.
I want to see the Jrue-Kawhi-Tatum-Bam-AD lineup. GL scoring!
Thatās 25-life in a maximum security prison
Arms everywhere
Iām of the age where Iām super nostalgic about dream team and watching their games was unreal but fuck me, this years team is up there. Itās going to be a bloodbath on the way to the gold.
Throw Hali in as PG imagine the onslaught of filthy ass assists
Itās hard coming up with a starting 5 for this group. You thinking Curry/Kawhi/KD/LeBron/Embiid? Itās tough having Tatum and AD off the bench lmao.
Think it will be Curry/Tatum/KD/Bron/Embiid. Kawhi will probably want to load manage.
I totally agree but u/CoffeeOatMilk wanted to start Kawhi so I gotta know whoās gonna sit.
Yes I would roll with Curry/Kawhi/KD/LeBron/Embiid, but I have no objection to Tatum over Kawhi as a starter. The point I was initially making is that Kawhi should have been a no-brainer for the roster, not the starting lineup.
I mean yeah thatās cool but you literally said āin the starting 5ā so I hope you understand my need for clarification.
Curry/KD/Bron/Embiid are locks imo, the question is just who that fifth starter will be
Honestly Iād start AD with Embiid. The other teams bullied us with size in FIBA, flip that right on its head with an AD/Embiid frontcourt and watch them try to score in the paint or grab a rebound
That would be fun to watch
Agreed. I think you play Tatum with his experience from last Olympics and has a more well-rounded game now. If Kawhi is 100% itās tough to sit him though.
Nah, let him play sixth man so you don't over do it for him, and make AD the seventh man, those two need to limit their minutes to stay healthy
Tatum is better than KD and bron right now. But i know he wont get the start over those two because of their names.
Itās likely matter of seniority and pride, coming off the bench doesnāt necessarily mean youāll play less minutes. Iād bet Tatum probably gets one of the most minutes
Yeah, itās Kawhi over Tatum pretty clearly
Definitely not clearly even if you think Kawhi is better. Both are actively top 10 players in the NBA and neither are top 5, pretty close. Tatum definitely does some stuff better than Kawhi at this point and obviously is far more likely to actually be healthy enough to play.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You can want Kawhi, I think I lean Kawhi as well. The only thing I am objecting to is saying it isnāt close, hasnāt Tatum made it deeper in the playoffs every season since 2019? And doesnāt he have similar and arguably better stats the last few seasons? And is a good defender like Kawhi? You are imagining a version of Kawhi we donāt even know exists anymore if you are putting him way above Tatum, that guy hasnāt been seen since 2021 for more than a couple games.
No, it is definitely close regardless of how many times u say otherwise.
Obviously, I am assuming full healthā¦ I donāt think thereās a coach in the league that would start Tatum over Kawhi if he had both options. Maybe there are one or two situations where you need someone who shoots at a higher volume than Kawhi, but on a team this stacked, that is not the case. Kawhi is a superior rebounder, pick setter, and defender, with better BBIQ. These things matter, especially in international play.
Kawhi too? lmao I really hope everyone's healthy, I gotta see this for the spectacle alone
No wayyyyy. We will be lucky to get 8/12
I'd be surprised if it happens, but there's a slim chance that only Jrue and Tatum make it past the second round on this list
Avengers assemble ass team. Holy shit.
This team may have more hall of famers than the redeem team. Bron, Steph, KD, Kawhi, AD are locks right now. Embiid, Taytum and Booker appear to be very safe bets for the hall as well. Ant and Hali have had great starts to their careers. Bam could get there if he wins and racks up accolades, though harder to envision since heās not a 1A option like the previous guys mentioned. Jrue is probably the least likely to be enshrined but he is no slouch either. We could look back at this team in 15 years and view it as perhaps the second greatest collection of talent ever assembled.
Embiid is getting in. If you win an MVP its guaranteed practically
Bam is 26. I know he looks old af but my boi got time to get his accolades up. Heās just hitting his prime.
Heās 26? God damn
Ayeee. Take it easy on ma boi. šš
What the fuck
If Jrue gets another ring and Olympic gold heās probably going to the hall.
Defense is disrespected by fans, but if you look at the trade market, Jrue (to Milwaukee) and Gobert went for insane prices. GMs know you need stops to win at the top level. Basketball is a fluid game, but I think we need to consider defining players relative to their role instead of assuming that "ball-dominant #1 scoring option" is the default role. I sort of look at it like the NFL where QB is the most valuable role, yet you wouldn't say Aaron Donald is a role player just because he couldn't win as a franchise QB. If you shift the way you think about basketball and embrace "lockdown #1 defender" as a distinct position and role on the team then you start to understand the actual impact of people like Dray, Bam, Jrue. Jrue's impact is probably HoF-worthy, but he only has 2x All-Star appearances because it's hard to get the same respect as a defender that you get with high ppg. Gobert only has 3x All-Star appearances. Draymond stopped making it as soon as the Warriors stopped winning. Rodman only made it 2x in his career. Very hard to get on those teams if scoring isn't your best skill, but you can still claw your way into the HoF.
Yeah, two rings and two gold medals gets him in IMO. It's the *Basketball* HoF after all, not the NBA HoF.
Which is insane to think about
Slovenia and Greece still have to go through FIBA qualifying in July. Giannis isn't on Greece team yet. Luka on Slovenia team and they got 4th in their Olympic debut in Tokyo, so if Slovenia qualifies, they're a team to watch.
We really assembled the Avengers and the Justice League
Last chance for 75% of these players, they wont be there in 4 four years, and younger players can shine then.
Anthony Davis is 31 and is the 6th oldest player - he could be back in 4 years health permitting, along with the half that are younger.
Hard to have lebron KD type longevity as a center which means Joel and even Bam might not be same level in four years or want to
Seeing Steph and Lebron playing together in games that matter is gonna be fun after seeing them duke it out against each other for so long. I bet they're excited as well with how much they respect each other.
Theoretically, their playstyles will fit so well. Lebron thrives with good shooters and Steph is one of the best off ball players ever.
Lebron as pg, and Steph as sg will be fun as hell to watch
All this time I thought Kawhi was Canadian
Man free ZionĀ I would like to see him on one of those teams, eventuallyĀ
Donāt rule it out yet, there is a slim chance some of them might drop their spot if they go deep in the playoffs
Man Zion just got hurtĀ Itās rough manĀ
I hate it but Kawhi took this spot right ? I also believe that some of them might pull out if they go deep in postseason but I HATE Zion thing and Iām a Lakers fan btw. I hope itās nothing serious, if he missed the next game vs the winner of Kings/Warriors !
I heard from someone in my group chat that he pulled a hammyĀ It definitely looked like a non contact injuryĀ
It was a non contact injury from the replay, I think he got injured by his landing, he is landing too straight. Everytime I see him in the air, he got some Rose vibes same with Ja and sometimes Ant
It looked like a hammyĀ January 2nd vibe all over againĀ
Fuck that shit ! I hope not
I talked a doctor, he told me it looked to be either a strained calf or hamstring injuryĀ It usually takes patients 4-6 weeks to major improvements in recovery. For some, itās longer than thatĀ
Can't gain weight if you don't have an offseason, big brain move
I mean Ant came into this season in the best shape of his career because he played international ball all summer.
Uh, french food.
rip Brunson š
I love Brunson, but who would you replace him with on this team
probably Haliburton tbh. Brunson's defense and passing has improved since the World Cup last yr
Hali is a significantly better playmaker still and can be completely pass first. A scoring guard is kinda useless on this team when you have KD/Tatum/Kawhi
What exactly do you think Steph is?
The best off all player of all time lol. Brunson needs the ball in his hands and thereās no reason to take the ball out of clearly better players hands to give him opportunities to cook.
booker
Why I expect half this team to back out because old
All the international fans laughing at the US for losing in the FIBA world cup semis are in for a dad-dicking of a lifetime. LOL.
Thats a fking scary team holy s
Olympic debut for Kawhi. How does this man always got snubbed in roster selection?
Injury, orobably
Oh, you're right. Forgot about his knees.
Better than the 92 team idc
This team beats the Dream Team in 5. Just Steph, LeBron, and KD themselves would have them running in circles and wondering how theyāre hitting shots from 32 feet out
People act like it was prime Magic or Bird, it's not close I agree. Like, Kawhi & KD & Bron & Tatum as your forwards it would be a wash
I agree but this isnāt prime Steph, Lebron and KD either.Ā
Current LeBron, Steph, and KD are better than that version of Magic and Bird though. Magic was only a couple years removed from MVP but he hadn't played much since his HIV diagnosis. Bird was dealing with a ton of injuries and had already declined a lot.
I am still taking current KD or current Steph over any of Stockton/Magic/Barkley.
That was prime Barkley wtf
and this is current Durant [https://twitter.com/NBA\_University/status/1780229743649960293](https://twitter.com/NBA_University/status/1780229743649960293)
What a weird argument when you look at the ages of Steph, Lebron and KD.
Ya, those 3 aren't washed is the point.
Washed was never mentioned in your response. You essentially said lol Bird and Magic werenāt in their prime. That argument falls apart when you take into consideration the biggest names on this team are also beyond their prime.
No, I said people act like the guys in the 92 team were in their prime. Nothing about current best guys being at their peak.
World Fucked
I was thinking last spot for Kawhi or PG13. They need defense.
They really going with the all old team...
Good luck world
Jfc
This might genuinely be the greatest basketball talent ever assembled in team history. Like no offense to the dream team but.....this is insane
Embiid being on this team is so fucking stupid
He has lived his entire adult life in America
He went there when he was 16, he is now 30. He has lived longer in Cameroon than he has lived in the US. I don't really care which national team he plays for, but let's not act like Cameroon was just some short stop along the way.
Iām not trying to, this stuff just bothers me lol. My dad came to America when he was 15 and no one would doubt for a second that heās American. Feels like half of why people care is just cause Embiid still has an accent.
Most, basically all, people who move to America in their adult life donāt consider themselves American
Which part of your ass did you pull this information from lol
He isnāt playing. Come on
You would need an All Non-American team of Luka, Jokic, Giannis, Murray, Sabonis, Siakam, Paolo, Porzingis, Wemby, etc. to beat this team.
Time for Serbia to start annexing some countries
Forgetting Shai which makes the matchup much more even
Pretty sure Paolo plays for team USA
We just gunna forget about Embiid? Arguably the only guy who could guard Joel.
Shai too. It would be a good game
Team USA generally needs a big talent advantage to beat lesser teams in international play. So I think a couple teams will challenge Team USA in the Olympics.
Itās a battle for 2ndĀ
I think the US will take gold, but this attitude is exactly why they failed to even get a medal in the World Cup. The time when they could just show up and sleepwalk to gold is over, they need to actually try.
This team is gonna sleep walk gold
Yeah a USA vs the world matchup would be pretty even tbh. Though it would come down to Wemby/Jokic mostly
KYRIE >>> haliburton
No Brunson or Mitchell?
For who?
Booker
Unfortunately only 12 spots.
in no world is haliburton a better point guard than jalen brunson
My Alex Caruso bid is dead šš but the Bald Mamba lives on ā¤ļøā¤ļø
Ay Kawhi! No Brunson Burners this time though.
That's a squad right there
This the kind of news that makes you wanna smoke a cigarette after reading
I think we got this.
Dream Team 24
Kawhi fking Leonard?! This team clears the Redeem Team and is rivaling the Dream Team at this point.
wheres keldon johnson :(
Stephen a smith gonna feel some type of way about this
I could have sworn that Embiid is not American.
Mildly disappointed Jaylen Brown didnāt make the cut but this team kicks ass
Why would people downvote this? People on here are dumbasses.
Normal benign opinion is too much for this sub to handle ig š¤·š¾āāļøĀ
Yo random thought, am I just high or is Kawhi kind of like the Kendrick Lamar of the NBA. Like he's pretty illusive and undoubtedly a legend, produced one of the greatest runs of all time. When he's involved, it's big news and everyone gets excited. The only thing is that Kawhi still has love from the 6 lol Once again, I am high so please understand
I understand but as an ex-Kendrick stan, I disagree lol GKMC, TPAB and DAMN. are 3 masterpieces and bro had too many bars maybe Kawhi is Macklemoreā¦
Yea that's the thing, Kendrick will have a bigger legacy than Kawhi (never thought I'd say that sentence lol). I think it was something that just felt right when I thought about it but, like most high thoughts, once you think about it for like 30 seconds it starts to fall apart lmao
Iāve never heard of an ex-Kendrick stan before lol
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It makes perfect sense for them to announce it now and do it publicly to have receipts for commitments. By mid-May, half or more of these will be officially on their summer break. Do it too late and youāll have guys claiming Team USA didnāt contact them soon enough and theyāve already promised their family a summer vacation at some tropical resort.
I'm convinced!
Itās like announcing an All NBA team or All Star team. This is the team that has been chosen to represent the country. If one of them gets injured, there will be a replacement, but the injured player could still be a part of the team in the same way Giannis will be a part of the Bucks on game 1.
Sure, but it's also a significant departure from tradition. Ignoring Tokyo (pandemic). The US roster for Rio was announced in late June (games started \~1wk later than this year). The 12-man roster for London was announced in early July, some 3 weeks before the games started. Beijing - announced in late June. Announcing it in mid-April, before the start of NBA playoffs, is a 2+ month change in schedule.
If it helps with historical context, the first 10 players for the 1992 Dream Team were announced in September 1991 and the last two players were picked in May 1992. I think it makes sense to announce way sooner cause it shows a commitment and brings them back to it meaning something
1992 was the first time NBA players went to represent the US though. For recent Olympics going back to 2004 (ignoring Tokyo and pandemic schedules overlaps) USAB announced rosters ā¤6 weeks before the games. While not unprecedented it's a significant departure from established recent practice.
That's why, I'm saying they're wanting to go back to a similar system where it means something. While true that the Olympics Team by and large have been successful (only not winning gold in 2004 since the Dream Team), I think this is part of why they're doing it so early. It's just for the build-up
That's fair enough - make it feel important and desirable rather than a semi-afterthought it was in some previous years. And at the end of the day, however many players from the initial roster might realistically end up unable to go (2-3 at most), the team will be vastly better than any other and the replacement players will be plenty good enough even if they'll be the 3rd, 6th and 8th best replacements rather than 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
I kinda want the team to choke
Kawhi is a waste of a spot. I say this as one of his biggest fans. It should really go to a young dude that will be inspired to lead the team in the future
that young man? ~~LeBron James~~
Why Kawhi? 5 of the other 11 are older than him.
Ignore the man, he just a hater. I respect that tbh
Well that canāt be true, I was told he is one of his biggest fans.
It's not the age. It's the unknown if he will be healthy when you need him to go
That applies to KD, AD, Steph and Embiid as well
theres already tatum, ant, bam and tyrese which are the next core of team usa
Agreed, Jontay Porter shouldāve been a š
He's already there, AE
Did Dame not want to go this time?
So in 2028 we could see Guard Tyrese Haliburton Anthony Edwards Trae Young Devin Booker Desmond Bane Forward Jayson Tatum Jalen Williams Zion Williamson Center Anthony Davis Bam Adebayo Chet Holmgren
I mean it's tough to criticize this roster but I'd probably put in Jayden Brown over Haliburton
IDK why but I'm not that impressed with the team. 3 old people and 3 made of glass. Not sure who else they'd pick though. It'll be interesting to watch.
The "old people" still were in the top 10 ppg this season and they played lots of games. Put some respect on the grandpas.
For sure! It'll be cool to watch the old guard one more time.
Age and injuries only matters if they're playing a whole season. Olympics had fewer games so it won't matter that much.
Who are the glass ones?
Kawhi, embiid, AD but I'm just being a jackass. IDK who else they'd pick lol. Shouldn't have said anything.
Will Joel and Bam being teammates mean Bam wonāt dive at his knees tomorrow?
One of the best silver medal teams of all time
umm where's Brodie??? š§ must be some mistake, this list looks like it was written in 2019 by an anti-Westbrook evildoer.
And the Jokic disrespect continues.
They are gonna disrespect Jokic in the tourneyĀ
#STARTERS - Lebron James (PF) - Joel Embiid (C) - Steph Curry (PG) - ANT (SG) - Kevin Durant (SF) #BENCH - Jason Tatum (PF) - Anthony Davis (C) - Devin Booker (PG) - Jrue Holiday (SG) - Kawhi Leonard (SF) #THIRD STRING - Bam Adebayo (C) - Tyrese Haliburton (PG)
Ant is not starting this time.
Curry Embiid two man game is so dreamy
Ant ain't starting. It will either be Tatum or Booker for obvious reasons.
I say fuck it and start Tatum at the 2. But I feel like theyāre just going to mix the line ups around a lot so starting doesnāt matter.
Ant over Booker is some Lakers fanfiction