Team USA’s Olympic men’s basketball: predicting who will represent USA at the 2024 Summer Games

Team USA officially won their fourth straight basketball gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but remember we’ve already wasted 25% of the time we usually had to start preparing for the tournament. 2024. COVID-19 has delayed the Tokyo Olympics, and now Team USA and the rest of the peloton have just three years to begin preparations for Paris.

Fortunately, time is seldom something Team USA needs. Unlike their opponents, Americans tend to finalize their roster just a few months before the tournament itself. The USA team won’t even begin to consider the possible outlook for 2024 before the 2023 World Cup. But that doesn’t mean we can’t start looking ahead. Here’s a far too early look at Team USA’s possible roster for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Coach: Steve Kerr

Gregg Popovich could return as coach of the USA team in 2024, but he will be 75 by then, and before Mike Krzyzewski, extended stays with the USA team weren’t really common. The last coach to lead the United States to the Olympics on several occasions was Henry Iba, who did so in 1964, 1968 and 1972. Since then, every coach before Coach K has done everything. Even though Popovich wants to return for 2024, it’s worth noting that his tenure hasn’t been particularly smooth, even with a gold medal now in his back pocket. The US team finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup, and the preliminary loss to France was the US team’s first since 2004.

Steve Kerr seems to be the obvious compromise here. Passing the baton on to his friend and former protégé would probably appeal to Popovich. Kerr played for the United States in the 1986 World Cup before joining the staff of the United States team from Popovich, and his background as a coach of the Golden State Warriors speaks for itself.

Another candidate to watch would be Erik Spoelstra. The longtime Miami Heat head coach led the Select team in Las Vegas earlier this summer and, like Kerr, has won multiple championships. If Popovich is unsuccessful, expect Team USA to rely on someone who has been on the program before. Fortunately, there would be no shortage of options on this front.

Guards

Stephen Curry has won World Cup gold twice, but has never played in the Olympics. If Kerr trains in 2024, he will do whatever it takes to recruit his partner from Golden State. Even at 36, Curry’s shot will be lethal in international play.

Holiday’s defense has made him perhaps the second MVP for the 2020 squad. The United States team enjoys bringing players back for several Olympic races, and assuming Holiday remains a strong defender in the game. At 34, he would make perfect sense as a returning goalkeeper. Before you consider if he would be interested in returning, remember that his wife, football star Lauren Holiday, has two gold medals. He needs one more to balance the household.

Bradley Beal has been excluded from this team due to COVID protocols. The USA team usually try to give guys a second chance when bad luck robs them of medal opportunities. Paul George comes to mind. He was injured in 2014 but wanted to compete in 2016. He won gold then, and Beal should have the chance to do that too.

Trae Young has made a lot of noise about wanting to compete this year, especially when Team USA were looking for replacements. Team USA manager Jerry Colangelo said he “didn’t do the job” this time around, but “he had a future with USA Basketball”. This future should arrive in 2024.

Damian Lillard struggled through parts of the Olympics as the first goalie. The lesson that Team USA learns time and time again is to focus on the passage of its leaders. LaMelo Ball could be the best passer in the NBA by 2024. He would be a perfect fit for the international game. Imagine him taking quick breaks with Team USA level athletes.

Devin Booker could make a strong argument for a second round, but his skills are relatively easy to find for Team USA in their pool of players. Cade Cunningham could be good enough to play by then too, but at this point he’s yet to prove himself. Also keep an eye out for Anthony Edwards. He played for Team Select before getting injured. He will surely be fighting for a spot in 2024, and by then he could be as accomplished as most of the other players on this list.

Before

Kevin Durant really should have won his fourth gold medal in 2021. He was the last cut for the 2008 Redeem team and is still crazy about it. Without a medal since 2008, he still needs one more to beat the gold record for the American team. He’s such an Olympic legend that no age-related decline can keep him away if he wants to play. History suggests he will.

Jayson Tatum was one of the best players on the 2021 squad, and having also played in the 2019 World Cup, he is becoming a fixture on the US program. By 2024, he may have replaced Durant as America’s deadliest forward in basketball. He could be a starter when 2024 arrives.

The basketball world deserves to see LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson in transition together. The Pelicans star is already America’s top indoor scorer in basketball. The United States team will not be able to repel such an easy attack. If you want to become a conspirator, Williamson will be exiting his fifth NBA season in 2024. That’s the experience LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had in 2008, when many believe they concocted their plan to play for the Miami Heat. Williamson, Ball, and Young will all be at roughly times in their careers when tampering tends to get more serious, and super teams often emerge from the Olympics. Keep an eye out for these younger names and other potential candidates.

Team USA always keeps a few defensive specialists on the roster for specific clashes. In 2024, they will almost certainly have someone on the squad specifically for the purpose of locking up Slovenian star Luka Doncic. Many of the NBA’s top young defenders such as OG Anunoby (Nigeria), Ben Simmons (Australia) and Lu Dort (Canada) were born overseas. Mikal Bridges is American, thankfully, and he’ll be adding some very welcome shots.

Team USA also tends to keep a few shooting specialists. Duncan Robinson and Joe Harris could be options, but with Curry in place, Team USA could be a little more flexible on that front this time around. Another name to watch out for, although Colangelo has indicated his time as an Olympian is likely over, is LeBron James. Remember that his contract with the Lakers expires in 2023. If the NBA changes its draft rules by then, his son Bronny could get into this project straight out of high school. James has said he wants to end his career playing with his son, so if he does so in the 2023-24 season, he might see the Olympics as a final hurray. Whatever state James, then 39, is in, he’s won inclusion if he wants to play regardless of his age or ability. Larry Bird could barely run in 1992. James is one of the few players of this stature.

Centers

The United States team has just seen how difficult it is to build an all-American front court for the Olympics. Most of the best big men in the NBA were born in other countries and that really took a toll on Team USA’s bounce and rim protection. They got by with a switching defense and his incredible shooting and athleticism, but with Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) who could return to the Olympics in 2024 after being out in 2021, the Team States -Unis will have to have its great men exactly as it should. .

Bam Adebayo is an obvious choice. It’s not the big, bulkier option they’d want for a clash with Jokic, but the change has largely worked for the USA side in 2021. They’ll want to have the option again in 2024. His lob finish is especially powerful with the quality of choice -and-roll ball-handlers that an American team always has.

Myles Turner is probably Team USA’s best bet as a rim protector, and he has the added benefit of shooting well beyond the arc. This could prove problematic for Jokic. Kevin Love was originally on this list specifically to take Rudy Gobert away from the basket. Turner would give Team USA that confrontational advantage.

The last place is the most difficult to fill. Jarrett Allen could provide some of Turner’s defense and a lot more rebounds, but without a 3-point shot these traits just aren’t worth it. There are a number of possible big star men who will enter the draft in the coming years, but among them only Chet Holmgren is American. Evan Mobley is too, and even though Holmgren has a higher cap, Mobley will likely be the best player in three years thanks to his more developed body and additional NBA experience. He projects himself as an elite all-round defender capable of shooting 3s, a balance between Turner and Adebayo.