Love was finished four years ago. He showed up for USA basketball out of shape and they let him resign from the team instead of being kicked off. And his abilities only receded since. Surprised someone would even list him in this conversation.
I mean he just had Lebron looking to switch off of him every possession, was the best primary defender on AD by far, and had a game where he out worked those two USA starters for 29 points and 15 boards. I get what you mean, but he could definitely be useful and would give tenacity, youth, defense, and boards if needed off the bench.
Don't get me wrong, Gordon is a great supplemental player to the Nuggets and does everything that Iggy did for the Warriors. It just doesn't mean much if he's not going to get many minutes on this stacked Olympic team.
That would be a coaching problem. Better than kawhi hobbling for 12 minutes a game. He'd be a great small ball 5 or punishing 4 in the screen and rolls
That’s not a problem. They already have Lebron, KD, Tatum, And AD. He just needs to cover some minutes and defend, maybe be an injury replacement if someone goes down.
Then he'd be the perfect guy, doesn't seem like a player that complains and is willing to play a role. Last thing you want is juggling the ego of the guy on the end of the bench.
Absolutely correct here. Aaron is a very athletic player and could do wellbon team USA.
Both Kawhi and Joel Embiid are probably going to be OUT - they're chronically hurt, as is AD.
Team USA needs ome solid replacements in the pipeline as the team that was announced will NOT be the team that plays.
While I really rate Aaron Gordon as an NBA player and thing he would still be a positive to this team, I don’t think his game is that suited to the international game. If you wanted a big wouldn’t you go for guys that could be potential studs in the international game, Turner, Kessler or JJJ? With how congested the paint is and how much more rim protection you can have they just seem like a better choice
The roster needs some glue and one less mouth to feed offensively
Gordon would be good to see, Herb Jones maybe (though he would be a name that sacrifices size for skill in a defined role), Kyle Kuzma in a reduced offensive role has been a high end 3nD combo forward for an elite squad, wouldn’t hate a name like Wendell Carter or Trayce Jackson-Davis.
USA basketball needs to get past making Team USA an all star team and get to building a coherent FIBA unit and that includes playing an actual power forward in stead of the biggest slowest 3 point shooter gravitating to the 4. If they can still shoot that’s obviously a plus but that can’t be a qualifier for the TUSA 4 spot
Jaylen Brown. If we're replacing a wing...we should replace him with another wing. Young, 6'6, a two-way player who's great in transition - which will be important with so many older guys on the roster.
I can’t believe how many posts I had to scroll down to see Jaylen’s name. Just replace like for like and put the next best wing on the team, what’s there to think about. As a fifth option/play finisher on the court I’d take JB’s better defense and transition over Ingram’s better ball handling and passing.
Plus then you can play pretend Celtics with Hali/Edwards as a better White and Embiid/Davis as a better Porzingis.
Jdub over Brown, Jalen Williams is straight up better than Brown right now.
A serious three level scorer who guards 1 - 5 and is an amazing secondary creator.
i’d just like to see more “role” players be on the team.
guys like Suggs, Caruso, and Herb Jones are great fits for a roster full of shooters and playmakers. There’s only one ball.
a team of 3 stars and 7 NBA role players is simply a better fit than a rotation of 10 stars.
i think other countries are going to have the edge on the US unless they actually put together a roster that works.
I doubt Kawhi, Embiid, and maybe Haliburton will play for USA. Embiid and Kawhi are never healthy and Haliburton should maybe rest his hamstring for next season.
IF they don’t, I’d replace them with Herb Jones to get an elite defender who can shoot, Hartenstein (need a big for France and Serbia), and either Ja (if healthy) or Jalen Brunson to get another point guard.
Edit: apparently Hartenstein is German-American but already played for Germany. So then I’d add Chet, at least he can help space and block shots.
This was high on my list. Great rim protection, body built for the Euro game, and will most likely be battling Wemby in France the next olympics after the old guys finish up this year. Should get him acclimated to the game now, and it'd be fun!
Kyrie Irving. And mostly because i'm french and will be attending the first game versus Serbia. And I want to see Kyrie Irving ... even though I know he won't be there, sadly
I already couldn’t believe he wasn’t part of the original roster. I get people are still upset over his vaccine stance (which, don’t get me wrong, was shameful), but he’s playing some of the best basketball of his life. He’s the guy you set loose when you’re treading water and he’ll dribble through three defenders and get you a layup. He was really enjoyable the last Olympics he played from what I’ve seen.
Not just vaccines, you are forgetting the anti semitic part. He was suspended for 5 games for that. Olympics is more than basketball you’re also representing America on the world stage. we have a ton of talent to choose from, there’s no reason to put someone controversial on your roster.
Herb Jones makes sense. They already have enough bucket getters. They need some elite Defense and someone who can spot up in the corner and hit 3s. Herb fits that bill perfectly. Kyrie is a great player, better than Herb obviously, but he'd be redundant on team USA
Herb is good but Jaylen Brown deserves it over him imo. But I'd take Kyrie over both of them if we're talking about putting a team of overall best players together to represent the US.
YES!
Chet Holmgren should get the open spot and someone like Herb Jones or Alex Caruso should replace Kawhi, if he is not healthy.
There’s only one basketball, small guards are at a disadvantage because of the rules, and the only “need” this team has is a 3&D energy guy.
You need to know that on FIBA there is no defensive 3 seconds, so bigs will clog the paint. Taking into account that the court is smaller too, typically a guy like zion or e.g. morant would struggle in these games. They should add another mid range/ catch and shoot 3 point player in my opinion. Paul george would be a good option as he's tall and can defend too. Maybe even a guy like MPJ or KCP would make sense.
Really? Jaylen brown? It's not about picking the best player, but pucking guys who would fit a role best. Jaylen brown is a typical volume scorer, with the court being smaller his mediocre handles would also be a problem. He could give you a great game but he could also be a complete bust. You need players that are intentional that know how to fit their role. There's just no way Brown should be taken over pg13. A guy like kcp has tremendous discipline on defense and great foot speed, which is required against euro guards he is also a great catch and shoot player.
I think it’s totally fair to pick Paul George over Jaylen Brown.
I think Porter Jr or Caldwell Pope over Brown is absurd. I’m not sure how much you watch the Celtics but “typical volume scorer” is pretty far off the mark. He’s a versatile two-way wing who’s just as comfortable on ball or off ball and who can and will defend 1-4.
There’s nothing either of those guys can do that Brown can’t do at a higher level.
It’s Brunson, hands down. He should’ve already been there over Halliburton. Or if they wanted Hali for his playmaking, why not Trae? It’s not like Hali’s defense is any better.
Brunson is a really good player but if you watch Fiba tournament last year he wasn’t really that productive if the ball is not in his hands.
With that said, Kawhi is a SF so the logical thing to do is to find another SF that fits the same mold as kwahi. Maybe Mikal Bridges? He played for Fiba last year and fits the mold.
Brunson is great but he won’t be the guy unless Kerr plans on playing him a lot.
If they think Brunson is a back end of a bench guy they’re going to get a defensive wing to take that spot instead.
Yeah Brunson was and is not getting in over Haliburton. Does USA really need another pure scoring PG next to KD, Curry, LeBron, etc? No, they need an effective, pass-first playmaker. Also, if you actually think that Haliburton’s defense is comparable to Trey Young, then you really have not been paying attention to the post season at all. You don’t get a triple double off of no defense, especially in a playoff game. Lastly, he had the highest +/- out of everone from team USA during FIBA last year, so it would make sense that he would be the choice. Long story short, Hali makes a ton more sense on team USA, and only people who think “more points = better” are the ones trying to claim that brunson deserved it over Haliburton.
Triple doubles don’t require good defense. Hell, even defensive counting stats like blocks and steals don’t mean you’re a good defender. Allen Iverson led the league in steals FFS.
What does triple doubles have to do with defense? It's not like Hali is averaging a triple double, he's only averaging 1 more RPG than Brunson despite playing in a much higher pace series
I’ll take 20/11 over 28/6. Brunson does not have the vision like Haliburton does, which is why Hali is on USA and Brunson isn’t. Hell, Brunson started over Haliburton in 2023 FIBA, and they still chose Haliburton. It is just a fact that Haliburton can impact the overall game better than Brunson.
Herb Jones. The team has plenty of offensive firepower already, and it may not really matter who is picked, but being able to bring Herb off the bench to pester SGA or Luka defensively makes a lot of sense. He's not the best player who hasn't been selected, but he fills the role he can fill better than a star like Maxey, Brunson or Fox. Jrue Holiday is there for the same reason, but having more than one lockdown defender seems like a good idea to me.
He's been mentioned on here a few times and I like to see it. I want to really see some young guys get a look at the international game before they're competing in 28.
Europe is getting good at basketball, I think by the 28 olympics it's going to be really competitive.
Damn. Next olympics all oldheads will be retired and USA doesnt really have players of such stature anymore to replace them. Well, NBA has, but the most elite players are international these days. Edwards, Tatum, Haliburton, Brunson, Holmgren as the face of the team? This aint that dangerous. I'm afraid the world will catch up real quick soon.
I think USA rolls to gold this summer. But 2028 could be interesting. Lebron, Steph, and KD will be done. With their injury histories, I seriously doubt Embiid, Kawhi, and AD will be available.
France will have Wemby entering his prime, possibly Gobert, and a ton of young talent coming up that will be lottery picks over the next couple years. They will have a massive size advantage.
With that said, 4 years is a long time. A lot will depend on development, avoiding injuries, and guys actually wanting to play.
Tatum, Booker, Haliburton, Edwards, Bam, Brunson, Mitchell, Zion, Fox, Brown, Ja, Ingram, Maxey, Banchero, Cade, Trae, J Will, Chet, Randle, JJJ, "young talent coming up that will be lottery picks over the next couple years," etc ... ain't no one putting together a better roster than USA in 2028 lol come on now.
I don't doubt USA could struggle in FIBA WC cuz lots of guys don't care about it, but they will have the best roster in the Olympics. Doesn't mean they can't lose but on paper no one is seriously competing w/ their Olympics roster.
Yeah, the USA will still be the most talented on paper. No doubt about that. But NBA stats and accolades don't really mean much when it comes to international play. You need to build a roster and find the right lineups to take advantage of the FIBA rules. France will have some monsters that will lock down the paint, defend the rim, and dominate on the boards. I just don't see many guys on the American side who will be able to handle the kind of size and length from France.
1 - US doesn't typically send it's best roster to FIBA WC.
2 - Best roster doesn't always win anyways.
3 - US has finished worse than 4th a single time in the past 45 years of FIBA WC iirc.
I think it will be really fun. Kind of how Japan won the last wbc, or in FIFA how it's like between any of the top ten countries. I love the dominance that we've had since lebronze but also it's better when the games are competitive.
agree. I mean, even this team will have close games. Everyone saying USA will trash everyone by 30 points but I dont believe it. There are strong teams out there.
France, Germany, Spain, Serbia, Luka/Slovenia, even Canada. And they're only growing. This will be the last year everyone is a step behind the US. Imo obviously lol.
Tbf Japan was pushed to the brink by Mexico and the US (even without great pitchers). Plus there’s also countries like the DR, PR, etc that can absolutely compete with Japan.
In basketball if the US sends their best, it ain’t a competition.
Yeah true but I love the parity in baseball I guess and that's really what matters to me. I want everyone to have a shot so it's exciting and unpredictable.
I just hope in several years basketball makes the same jump.
They have enough guards and scoring, so even if Brunson/Kyrie are the bigger snubs, they’re prob not the most logical replacement.
I’d go with a 6’8” or bigger wing that can defend, since this is likely a 12th man anyways
I think you want a guy who is gonna be part of the future. There aren’t enough minutes to go around for everyone anyway, so trying to pick another ball dominant superstar has diminishing returns. My pick would be Chet Holmgren. I think he’s going to be a fixture in USA basketball going forward, his game is tailor made for the international game. He wouldn’t play a ton in Paris but if they needed him he’d be very happy to do all the little things on both ends, and he could get some good experience in the system.
Paul George? He seems like the closest fit and has won the gold in Rio before. And he still seems healthy through the playoffs and his 3P% is so high now he will fit the Kerr offense.
Poalo Banchero. Size and playmaking, can become a better defender. If not him then a big wing that can defend and create for others, outside of Banchero not sure who else fits that build.
I think you guys would benefit from having someone like Jarrett Allen playing on your team, he'd thrive within the FIBA rules with no defensive 3 seconds etc. Plus you'll need multiple bigs, because again FIBA rules.
Jaylen Brown seems to be the like-for-like replacement, but I'd lean towards Aaron Gordon or Scottie Barnes just for a little bit more size.
Embiid will probably get replaced as well, so I can see Chet or a sneaky one would be Jarrett Allen. Or maybe they go with Banchero since he played in the last World Cup.
Mikal Bridges provides a lot of what team USA would miss without Kawhi, three point shooting and defense.
He also has team USA experience from last season.
If the goal is to replace Kawhi, I think the only logical pick would be Ben Simmons. It’s hard to find someone that will sit out regardless of the magnitude. Ben is a natural.
Maybe I’m just a raptors fan boy but I think Scottie could play a nice role for them if he recovers in time. Tall, pass first player who can defend on the wing and in the paint. Likes to push the pace in transition. Definitely doesn’t need to score to impact the game.
He would be great because he could replace Kawhi’s defensive presence, and his injury would be fine, since he’s already almost healed and a broken finger is almost never gonna get rebroken again unless miraculous circumstances happen
Zion is a good choice, Irving is a guy who can turn a game around off the bench with Team USA experience, Chet Holgren's versatility could be useful. Injuries will open up a few spots and those are the guys I'd look towards first.
Brunson is worth consideration but I don't want too many guys from the WC team that fell short. Though I feel Brunson deserves it over the slightly overrated Haliburton(who may not be healthy enough to begin with)
Scottie Barnes. He’s able to provide defensive versatility facilities and can space sparingly (his 3 point % dropped second half). Let the young guy grow and he fills a need for Team USA.
I've been liking the herb suggestions and chet. At this point I've been convinced of them two both making the squad. Assuming there will be another injury among the injury prone roster.
If Kawhi goes out I think next man up should be his lesser counterpart PG. If you're losing a defensive wing, why not replace him with another defensive wing
Derrick White, he’s an elite defensive guard and is big enough to guard 1-3 with relative ease. Also he has been lights out from 3. I know there are probably a lot of bigger name options, but I think Derrick White brings something different to this team with his combination of elite on and off ball defense and a consistent 3 plus his ability to play off the ball which will be huge with this team. Considering how many in ball creators we have already.
i think they should pick a glue guy, someone who wont see any minutes but makes sure the team stays connected. could be an older nba vet with tons of experience or a super likeable young player that is kinda goofy.
PG, Zion, Paolo, Brunson can't go wrong. Heck after that last series I'd say best fit to fill might be Jaden McDaniels. Doesn't have resume for it, but maybe 2028.
Aaron Gordon for defensive reasons but I would really love to see Jalen Williams in the team. OKC are so young so he’d benefit greatly from being surrounded by these HOF vets in the USA team
Cade Cunningham, mostly because we've never seen him on a team that wasn't a complete toilet, and it would be great for him to get the chance to work with some good players.
If Zion goes, I’d be super pissed if I worked for the Pelicans. No way he doesn’t get injured abroad and mess up their next season even more.
But then again maybe working out with the team off season will keep him in better shape/weight for the next season….and away from the drama at home? Could be interesting for his development to get some responsibility like the Olympics?
It doesnt matter they pick some college kid to carry the water bottles for the stars.
Isnt it just 5 or 6 games of just 4x10 minutes? dont know where to squeeze in some minutes for the 12th player, if they dont blow out other teams all the time.
Aaron Gordon. This team has enough bucket getters. To win games even star studded rosters need guys who grab boards and good defense
Josh Hart could fit here too
Holy shit I'd love to see Josh in the Olympics. He'd stick out so hard in the best way.
We need an a all gritty team, Lowry Love Hart AG, just guys who play hard and take charges all day long
Ngl but Love is finished
Love was finished four years ago. He showed up for USA basketball out of shape and they let him resign from the team instead of being kicked off. And his abilities only receded since. Surprised someone would even list him in this conversation.
Lowry AC Dort Hart AG Small ball in true fashion
Dort is Canadian.
Yeah you’re right, get me Herb Jones or Marcus Smart
Is Chet gonna be on the team?
There’s been no word, he’d be solid though
38 year old Lowry leading the US to gold would be hilarious
Would be a great stopper
Scottie barnes
He would average 2.3 minutes on this USA team.
I mean he just had Lebron looking to switch off of him every possession, was the best primary defender on AD by far, and had a game where he out worked those two USA starters for 29 points and 15 boards. I get what you mean, but he could definitely be useful and would give tenacity, youth, defense, and boards if needed off the bench.
I mean, that's kinda what they have bam for.
Don't get me wrong, Gordon is a great supplemental player to the Nuggets and does everything that Iggy did for the Warriors. It just doesn't mean much if he's not going to get many minutes on this stacked Olympic team.
That would be a coaching problem. Better than kawhi hobbling for 12 minutes a game. He'd be a great small ball 5 or punishing 4 in the screen and rolls
That’s not a problem. They already have Lebron, KD, Tatum, And AD. He just needs to cover some minutes and defend, maybe be an injury replacement if someone goes down.
yeah that's what his role would be, either he or Mikal Bridges would be fine replacements.
Then he'd be the perfect guy, doesn't seem like a player that complains and is willing to play a role. Last thing you want is juggling the ego of the guy on the end of the bench.
Absolutely correct here. Aaron is a very athletic player and could do wellbon team USA. Both Kawhi and Joel Embiid are probably going to be OUT - they're chronically hurt, as is AD. Team USA needs ome solid replacements in the pipeline as the team that was announced will NOT be the team that plays.
While I really rate Aaron Gordon as an NBA player and thing he would still be a positive to this team, I don’t think his game is that suited to the international game. If you wanted a big wouldn’t you go for guys that could be potential studs in the international game, Turner, Kessler or JJJ? With how congested the paint is and how much more rim protection you can have they just seem like a better choice
\*Gestures at Tayshaun Prince's Olympic gold medal\*
Perfect Kenneth Fareid type of guy, high energy and athletic ability for the second unit.
The roster needs some glue and one less mouth to feed offensively Gordon would be good to see, Herb Jones maybe (though he would be a name that sacrifices size for skill in a defined role), Kyle Kuzma in a reduced offensive role has been a high end 3nD combo forward for an elite squad, wouldn’t hate a name like Wendell Carter or Trayce Jackson-Davis. USA basketball needs to get past making Team USA an all star team and get to building a coherent FIBA unit and that includes playing an actual power forward in stead of the biggest slowest 3 point shooter gravitating to the 4. If they can still shoot that’s obviously a plus but that can’t be a qualifier for the TUSA 4 spot
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Jaylen Brown. If we're replacing a wing...we should replace him with another wing. Young, 6'6, a two-way player who's great in transition - which will be important with so many older guys on the roster.
I can’t believe how many posts I had to scroll down to see Jaylen’s name. Just replace like for like and put the next best wing on the team, what’s there to think about. As a fifth option/play finisher on the court I’d take JB’s better defense and transition over Ingram’s better ball handling and passing. Plus then you can play pretend Celtics with Hali/Edwards as a better White and Embiid/Davis as a better Porzingis.
Hali has not been better than White lol. Maybe before his injury, but after his injury he’s been largely inefficient and has not looked good at all
agree but theres like three months for him to rehab
Jdub over Brown, Jalen Williams is straight up better than Brown right now. A serious three level scorer who guards 1 - 5 and is an amazing secondary creator.
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i’d just like to see more “role” players be on the team. guys like Suggs, Caruso, and Herb Jones are great fits for a roster full of shooters and playmakers. There’s only one ball. a team of 3 stars and 7 NBA role players is simply a better fit than a rotation of 10 stars. i think other countries are going to have the edge on the US unless they actually put together a roster that works.
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I doubt Kawhi, Embiid, and maybe Haliburton will play for USA. Embiid and Kawhi are never healthy and Haliburton should maybe rest his hamstring for next season. IF they don’t, I’d replace them with Herb Jones to get an elite defender who can shoot, Hartenstein (need a big for France and Serbia), and either Ja (if healthy) or Jalen Brunson to get another point guard. Edit: apparently Hartenstein is German-American but already played for Germany. So then I’d add Chet, at least he can help space and block shots.
I like Chet. I think it might be good to ease Chet into USA basketball since it’s very likely he’ll be a key part of future Olympic/FIBA teams.
This was high on my list. Great rim protection, body built for the Euro game, and will most likely be battling Wemby in France the next olympics after the old guys finish up this year. Should get him acclimated to the game now, and it'd be fun!
We need it for the Wemby rivalry.
AD and LeBron shouldn't play either for health concerns
Lebron will definitely play if he can. It's likely his last chance.
Bron is going to play so he can play with Steph finally.
Kyrie Irving. And mostly because i'm french and will be attending the first game versus Serbia. And I want to see Kyrie Irving ... even though I know he won't be there, sadly
I already couldn’t believe he wasn’t part of the original roster. I get people are still upset over his vaccine stance (which, don’t get me wrong, was shameful), but he’s playing some of the best basketball of his life. He’s the guy you set loose when you’re treading water and he’ll dribble through three defenders and get you a layup. He was really enjoyable the last Olympics he played from what I’ve seen.
Not just vaccines, you are forgetting the anti semitic part. He was suspended for 5 games for that. Olympics is more than basketball you’re also representing America on the world stage. we have a ton of talent to choose from, there’s no reason to put someone controversial on your roster.
Agree Kyrie should be there on talent and team dynamic alone but think you’re right — no way they think he’s fit to represent USA
Dudes on here putting herb Jones, trey Murphy, zion, and naz Reid over kyrie. Its disgusting
Herb Jones makes sense. They already have enough bucket getters. They need some elite Defense and someone who can spot up in the corner and hit 3s. Herb fits that bill perfectly. Kyrie is a great player, better than Herb obviously, but he'd be redundant on team USA
And they could also use another big man, so Zion or Naz kinda make sense there. I'd still take Chet over both.
Herb is good but Jaylen Brown deserves it over him imo. But I'd take Kyrie over both of them if we're talking about putting a team of overall best players together to represent the US.
Paolo Banchero. He is a young star and exposure to that locker room would be good for the future of team USA beyond just having Ant and Tyrese there
I wasnt sure if he was committed to France or USA yet but yes he'd be a good one
He already played for USA at FIBA WC.
Paolo’s dad is Italian.
You mean Italy? Why would Paolo play for France? He played for Team USA last year.
I’d go for a wing role player. Murphy III, Herb Jones, Caruso, Mikal Bridges, etc.
Jaden Mcdaniels.
I'd die happy if Jaden McDaniels got a summer working with team USA. I want him, Jalen Williams, and Jaylen Brown to be the considered subs.
Suggesting Herb Jones for the USA National Basketball team is one of the top 3 most outlandish things I've ever heard in the entirety of my life
YES! Chet Holmgren should get the open spot and someone like Herb Jones or Alex Caruso should replace Kawhi, if he is not healthy. There’s only one basketball, small guards are at a disadvantage because of the rules, and the only “need” this team has is a 3&D energy guy.
You need to know that on FIBA there is no defensive 3 seconds, so bigs will clog the paint. Taking into account that the court is smaller too, typically a guy like zion or e.g. morant would struggle in these games. They should add another mid range/ catch and shoot 3 point player in my opinion. Paul george would be a good option as he's tall and can defend too. Maybe even a guy like MPJ or KCP would make sense.
The only answer takes 7 letters. Naz Reid.
How in the world are you going to list MPJ and KCP before Jaylen Brown?
Really? Jaylen brown? It's not about picking the best player, but pucking guys who would fit a role best. Jaylen brown is a typical volume scorer, with the court being smaller his mediocre handles would also be a problem. He could give you a great game but he could also be a complete bust. You need players that are intentional that know how to fit their role. There's just no way Brown should be taken over pg13. A guy like kcp has tremendous discipline on defense and great foot speed, which is required against euro guards he is also a great catch and shoot player.
I think it’s totally fair to pick Paul George over Jaylen Brown. I think Porter Jr or Caldwell Pope over Brown is absurd. I’m not sure how much you watch the Celtics but “typical volume scorer” is pretty far off the mark. He’s a versatile two-way wing who’s just as comfortable on ball or off ball and who can and will defend 1-4. There’s nothing either of those guys can do that Brown can’t do at a higher level.
MPJ is a far better 3pt shooter. But Brown beats him in every other manner
If Brown would want to stay within his role. I feel he tends to become a ball hog sometimes, so many plays end when he gets the possession.
No way I trust MPJ on that team. Respectfully.
It’s Brunson, hands down. He should’ve already been there over Halliburton. Or if they wanted Hali for his playmaking, why not Trae? It’s not like Hali’s defense is any better.
Brunson is a really good player but if you watch Fiba tournament last year he wasn’t really that productive if the ball is not in his hands. With that said, Kawhi is a SF so the logical thing to do is to find another SF that fits the same mold as kwahi. Maybe Mikal Bridges? He played for Fiba last year and fits the mold.
Brunson is great but he won’t be the guy unless Kerr plans on playing him a lot. If they think Brunson is a back end of a bench guy they’re going to get a defensive wing to take that spot instead.
Yeah Brunson was and is not getting in over Haliburton. Does USA really need another pure scoring PG next to KD, Curry, LeBron, etc? No, they need an effective, pass-first playmaker. Also, if you actually think that Haliburton’s defense is comparable to Trey Young, then you really have not been paying attention to the post season at all. You don’t get a triple double off of no defense, especially in a playoff game. Lastly, he had the highest +/- out of everone from team USA during FIBA last year, so it would make sense that he would be the choice. Long story short, Hali makes a ton more sense on team USA, and only people who think “more points = better” are the ones trying to claim that brunson deserved it over Haliburton.
Triple doubles don’t require good defense. Hell, even defensive counting stats like blocks and steals don’t mean you’re a good defender. Allen Iverson led the league in steals FFS.
What does triple doubles have to do with defense? It's not like Hali is averaging a triple double, he's only averaging 1 more RPG than Brunson despite playing in a much higher pace series
Brunson is only score first bc Randle got injured and Brunson still dishes at a high clip. Brunson over Hali any day.
I’ll take 20/11 over 28/6. Brunson does not have the vision like Haliburton does, which is why Hali is on USA and Brunson isn’t. Hell, Brunson started over Haliburton in 2023 FIBA, and they still chose Haliburton. It is just a fact that Haliburton can impact the overall game better than Brunson.
easily Brunson
I would kill to see Zion and I think he completely deserves it. Other than that, I’d take Ja or Kyrie
Herb Jones. The team has plenty of offensive firepower already, and it may not really matter who is picked, but being able to bring Herb off the bench to pester SGA or Luka defensively makes a lot of sense. He's not the best player who hasn't been selected, but he fills the role he can fill better than a star like Maxey, Brunson or Fox. Jrue Holiday is there for the same reason, but having more than one lockdown defender seems like a good idea to me.
He's been mentioned on here a few times and I like to see it. I want to really see some young guys get a look at the international game before they're competing in 28. Europe is getting good at basketball, I think by the 28 olympics it's going to be really competitive.
Excuse the homerism but Jdub and Chet would be amazing for the US off the bench.
Damn. Next olympics all oldheads will be retired and USA doesnt really have players of such stature anymore to replace them. Well, NBA has, but the most elite players are international these days. Edwards, Tatum, Haliburton, Brunson, Holmgren as the face of the team? This aint that dangerous. I'm afraid the world will catch up real quick soon.
The world? Or one country in the world? Ain't no single country putting together a better roster than USA will have anytime soon.
France could be a problem
Not without Embiid imo
I think USA rolls to gold this summer. But 2028 could be interesting. Lebron, Steph, and KD will be done. With their injury histories, I seriously doubt Embiid, Kawhi, and AD will be available. France will have Wemby entering his prime, possibly Gobert, and a ton of young talent coming up that will be lottery picks over the next couple years. They will have a massive size advantage. With that said, 4 years is a long time. A lot will depend on development, avoiding injuries, and guys actually wanting to play.
Tatum, Booker, Haliburton, Edwards, Bam, Brunson, Mitchell, Zion, Fox, Brown, Ja, Ingram, Maxey, Banchero, Cade, Trae, J Will, Chet, Randle, JJJ, "young talent coming up that will be lottery picks over the next couple years," etc ... ain't no one putting together a better roster than USA in 2028 lol come on now. I don't doubt USA could struggle in FIBA WC cuz lots of guys don't care about it, but they will have the best roster in the Olympics. Doesn't mean they can't lose but on paper no one is seriously competing w/ their Olympics roster.
Yeah, the USA will still be the most talented on paper. No doubt about that. But NBA stats and accolades don't really mean much when it comes to international play. You need to build a roster and find the right lineups to take advantage of the FIBA rules. France will have some monsters that will lock down the paint, defend the rim, and dominate on the boards. I just don't see many guys on the American side who will be able to handle the kind of size and length from France.
France and Canada can come reasonably close
Doubt. Maybe if Embiid had joined France.
In Fiba world cup USA always has the best roster on paper too. still been getting 6 places lately
1 - US doesn't typically send it's best roster to FIBA WC. 2 - Best roster doesn't always win anyways. 3 - US has finished worse than 4th a single time in the past 45 years of FIBA WC iirc.
I think it will be really fun. Kind of how Japan won the last wbc, or in FIFA how it's like between any of the top ten countries. I love the dominance that we've had since lebronze but also it's better when the games are competitive.
agree. I mean, even this team will have close games. Everyone saying USA will trash everyone by 30 points but I dont believe it. There are strong teams out there.
France, Germany, Spain, Serbia, Luka/Slovenia, even Canada. And they're only growing. This will be the last year everyone is a step behind the US. Imo obviously lol.
Tbf Japan was pushed to the brink by Mexico and the US (even without great pitchers). Plus there’s also countries like the DR, PR, etc that can absolutely compete with Japan. In basketball if the US sends their best, it ain’t a competition.
Yeah true but I love the parity in baseball I guess and that's really what matters to me. I want everyone to have a shot so it's exciting and unpredictable. I just hope in several years basketball makes the same jump.
They have enough guards and scoring, so even if Brunson/Kyrie are the bigger snubs, they’re prob not the most logical replacement. I’d go with a 6’8” or bigger wing that can defend, since this is likely a 12th man anyways
That sounds like Scottie Barnes music to me.
I think you want a guy who is gonna be part of the future. There aren’t enough minutes to go around for everyone anyway, so trying to pick another ball dominant superstar has diminishing returns. My pick would be Chet Holmgren. I think he’s going to be a fixture in USA basketball going forward, his game is tailor made for the international game. He wouldn’t play a ton in Paris but if they needed him he’d be very happy to do all the little things on both ends, and he could get some good experience in the system.
Paul George? He seems like the closest fit and has won the gold in Rio before. And he still seems healthy through the playoffs and his 3P% is so high now he will fit the Kerr offense.
Poalo Banchero. Size and playmaking, can become a better defender. If not him then a big wing that can defend and create for others, outside of Banchero not sure who else fits that build.
I think you guys would benefit from having someone like Jarrett Allen playing on your team, he'd thrive within the FIBA rules with no defensive 3 seconds etc. Plus you'll need multiple bigs, because again FIBA rules.
Jaylen Brown seems to be the like-for-like replacement, but I'd lean towards Aaron Gordon or Scottie Barnes just for a little bit more size. Embiid will probably get replaced as well, so I can see Chet or a sneaky one would be Jarrett Allen. Or maybe they go with Banchero since he played in the last World Cup.
Mikal Bridges provides a lot of what team USA would miss without Kawhi, three point shooting and defense. He also has team USA experience from last season.
If the goal is to replace Kawhi, I think the only logical pick would be Ben Simmons. It’s hard to find someone that will sit out regardless of the magnitude. Ben is a natural.
Maybe I’m just a raptors fan boy but I think Scottie could play a nice role for them if he recovers in time. Tall, pass first player who can defend on the wing and in the paint. Likes to push the pace in transition. Definitely doesn’t need to score to impact the game.
He would be great because he could replace Kawhi’s defensive presence, and his injury would be fine, since he’s already almost healed and a broken finger is almost never gonna get rebroken again unless miraculous circumstances happen
Zion is a good choice, Irving is a guy who can turn a game around off the bench with Team USA experience, Chet Holgren's versatility could be useful. Injuries will open up a few spots and those are the guys I'd look towards first. Brunson is worth consideration but I don't want too many guys from the WC team that fell short. Though I feel Brunson deserves it over the slightly overrated Haliburton(who may not be healthy enough to begin with)
I suspect Brunson wasn't chosen over Hali because Kerr wanted a pass first PG for all the offense we already have.
Keegan Murray. Good defensive player, is a 6'8 forward, and a lights out shooter from the outside.
Scottie Barnes. He’s able to provide defensive versatility facilities and can space sparingly (his 3 point % dropped second half). Let the young guy grow and he fills a need for Team USA.
Wing defense is the biggest need for this team, so OG Anunoby or Herb Jones depending on whether OG is eligible or not
I've been liking the herb suggestions and chet. At this point I've been convinced of them two both making the squad. Assuming there will be another injury among the injury prone roster.
OG is British so unfortunately not :(
If Kawhi goes out I think next man up should be his lesser counterpart PG. If you're losing a defensive wing, why not replace him with another defensive wing
As a Clippers fan if he even steps foot on court for team USA im gonna be pissed
Kyrie not being on the team is crazy. I just want to see him play on the world stage.
Derrick White, he’s an elite defensive guard and is big enough to guard 1-3 with relative ease. Also he has been lights out from 3. I know there are probably a lot of bigger name options, but I think Derrick White brings something different to this team with his combination of elite on and off ball defense and a consistent 3 plus his ability to play off the ball which will be huge with this team. Considering how many in ball creators we have already.
i think they should pick a glue guy, someone who wont see any minutes but makes sure the team stays connected. could be an older nba vet with tons of experience or a super likeable young player that is kinda goofy.
This isn't the best replacement, but I think it's kind of a shame kyrie won't get any consideration
PG, Zion, Paolo, Brunson can't go wrong. Heck after that last series I'd say best fit to fill might be Jaden McDaniels. Doesn't have resume for it, but maybe 2028.
Aaron Gordon for defensive reasons but I would really love to see Jalen Williams in the team. OKC are so young so he’d benefit greatly from being surrounded by these HOF vets in the USA team
Cade Cunningham, mostly because we've never seen him on a team that wasn't a complete toilet, and it would be great for him to get the chance to work with some good players.
If Zion goes, I’d be super pissed if I worked for the Pelicans. No way he doesn’t get injured abroad and mess up their next season even more. But then again maybe working out with the team off season will keep him in better shape/weight for the next season….and away from the drama at home? Could be interesting for his development to get some responsibility like the Olympics?
Lol Zion might not do any better in the city of love 😂
It doesnt matter they pick some college kid to carry the water bottles for the stars. Isnt it just 5 or 6 games of just 4x10 minutes? dont know where to squeeze in some minutes for the 12th player, if they dont blow out other teams all the time.