[armchairgmParticipant]

So USA announced 44 in the player pool have to get it down to 12 before Olympics. Assuming everyone is healthy and wants to play who are your 12?
Bam Adebayo
AD
Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Jimmy Butler
Bradley Beal
James Harden
Russell Westbrook
Steph Curry
Damian Lillard

[OhCanada-Participant]

I get it Im just a crazy Raptors homer… But Lowry will be on the team. Coaches really like Lowry and he just won a championship. He can give you a 30 piece and still mixes it up diving for loose balls and taking charges. They can trust him to make the right play at all times. Hes gonna be like a better Marcus Smart for team USA.

[BKGingerSnapParticipant]

Tatum over Jimmy Butler
Kyle Lowry over Russell Westbrook

Both Westbrook and Butler’s 3 point shooting has fallen off a cliff and both of them have been known to cause issues with their teammates. Give me Tatum’s improved 2 way game and Kyle Lowry’s veteran savvy instead.

Bam Adebayo
AD
Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Bradley Beal
James Harden
Steph Curry
Damian Lillard
Jason Tatum
Kyle Lowry

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

assuming Durant and Klay play

Curry, Lillard, Kyrie
Thompson, Harden
Lebron, Kawhi Harris
Durant, George
Davis, Drummond.

Durant wont play=Turner
Klay doesnt play=westbrook

[ThefabulousjqParticipant]

I’m also assuming everyone is able to and wants to play (Durant/Klay/etc.)
Curry, Lillard, Kyrie
Klay, Harden
Lebron, Kawhi, Butler
Durant, George
A. Davis, Aldridge

I think I would put out a starting lineup of Curry, Kawhi, Lebron, Durant, Davis. Backup C is tough, but I think Aldridge has done enough in his career to earn a spot. My top guys that just missed the cut are CPIII and Beal. With the Olympics only being every 4 years I think you need to earn your roster spot and they need experience, veterans, and leadership. We saw what happened in 04. Maybe Paul should be on the team for this reason, but I just didn’t know who to take out to put him in.
I think in 4 years guys like Beal, Booker, Oladipo, and Bam are definitely on the team.

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

I’d actually prefer to see a team of guys who don’t already have a ton of Olympic experience. When the US sends it’s absolute best of the best the outcome is basically a forgone conclusion. As long as they use nba players, the US will always have the most talented team in the field, but it’s more exciting to watch imo when the talent gap isn’t so great that it basically overwhelms whatever advantages the international teams might have. Plus, I like to see other players get a chance to win besides the guys that already have several of them. My team would be:

G curry, lillard, Beal, booker, Mitchell
F kawhi (if he’d play), Tatum, Ingram , Aldridge, Brown
C AD, Bam

[OaktownBallerParticipant]

If everyone decides to play….and remember in international play, having true centers isn’t as important, as having players that can play more than one position is. And for some reason Mason Plumlee plays well in international games. Tatum/Adebayo would serve as alternates.
Curry
Lillard
Harden
Westbrook
Thompson
Butler
James
George
Leonard
Durant
Davis
Plumlee

[The GoatParticipant]

Team USA are clearly going to put up a hell of a team, but they can only have 5 guys on the floor at once. I don’t know if it’s worse to have a team of role players and no stars orca team of stars and trying to make some of them be role players. That’s why the US has started losing games in tournaments in recent years. The other countries have more NBA players, sure, but the gap in talent is still incredible. America could put out 5 teams that could win. I think they will go for certain types and particular roles to be fit, but the one thing for sure is they need to load up on shooters. Curry, Klay, Beard, Booker, Kawhi, KD, Dame. Looking forward to see teams with multiple nba players and all stars trying to prove the USA are beatable. Embiid and Siakam for Cameroon, the Antetokoumbros for Greece, Jokic leading Serbia, Luka with Slovenia, Gobert with France, Spain always strong.

[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

KD is not playing so..

Curry/ Lillard/ Kyrie no curry=lowry
Harden/ Klay no Klay-Booker
Kawhi/ Harris no kawhi=butler
Lebron/ George pg can play 4 in international. And for huge teams, thats why they have 3 5s.
Davis/ Bam/ Drummond dont get why whiteside isnt invited. Weird bam makes it over butler

Butler and westbrook have been shooting way too horribly from 3 to play if everyone is healthy

[Author]

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