#2012 WIZARDS ROSTER FULL#

AD’s length and shot-blocking would be huge defensively. He won a gold with Team USA in 2016 in Brazil.Ĭ/F Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers: He might not exactly be a FIBA center, but there’s no doubt Davis is the top American big if they can’t land Embiid. He’s a lockdown defender, strong driver, and just a complete all-around player. G/F Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat: Butler is the type of player you want to go into battle with. G Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: Ultra talented scorer who was a big part of the gold medal team in Tokyo and keeps getting better. He would thrive in FIBA play as a massive center who could put a lid on the rim defensively and score in bunches in the mid-range area. James will be 39 years old when the Olympics begin, but he can still be a bulldozer driving to the lane, a high-IQ defender, and a tremendous passer.Ĭ Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: Getting Embiid is the biggest key for Team USA. He’s also a long defender who can still compete on that end of the court in his golden years.į LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: If LeBron is playing for Team USA in the Olympics, he’s starting.

He’s a supersized wing scorer who can play on-or-off the ball with a sweet shooting stroke and deep range. He’d give Team USA a big wing who can space the floor as a shooter, defend multiple positions, and offer fantastic one-on-one scoring ability.į Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns: Durant was the MVP for the Americans during the Tokyo Olympics. He was a key member of the gold medal team in Tokyo in 2021. He’d obviously give Team USA the greatest shooter of all-time, and someone whose constant movement off the ball would open up space for everyone else.į Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: Tatum is arguably the top American player who will still be in their 20s during the Paris Olympics. G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: For my money, Curry is the top American player in the game right now entering the 2023-2024 season. USA Basketball’s ‘Dream Team’ roster for 2024 Paris Olympics Here’s our initial 12-man group, with some replacements if not everyone chooses to play. With the Paris Olympics set to start on July 26, 2024, we tried to determine the best possible roster USA Basketball could put together. Nikola Jokic could play for Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo could play for Greece, Luka Doncic could play for Slovenia, and Embiid may end up choosing France. The biggest question facing the Americans in 2024 is a recruitment battle with France over Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP who could pick either country to compete for as a native of Cameroon.Įven if USA Basketball does put together its top roster for the 2024 Olympics, it’s possible it won’t have the best player on the floor deep into the tournament. James is reportedly recruiting the top stars, including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and more. While slower-footed big men struggle to survive in today’s NBA, they often thrive in FIBA with less space to cover and the ability to plant themselves in the paint.įollowing USA Basketball’s recent disappointment in the World Cup, there was a report that LeBron James is interested in joining the 2024 team at the Paris Olympics for one last ride with the program. FIBA play has different rules with no three-in-the-key, a smaller court, and a shorter three-point line. The problems with the program run deeper than just top-line talent. filled mostly with young players, but there’s still an easy case to make that Team USA had the most talented roster in the field top-to-bottom in its last two tries and still couldn’t medal. The World Cup typically gets the “B-team” from the U.S. The 2019 team at the World Cup was even worse, finishing in seventh place.

#2012 WIZARDS ROSTER FULL#

sent a team full of quality NBA players to the World Cup this year, and still finished in fourth place with a 5-3 record. While the Americans have claimed gold in men’s basketball during the last four Olympic runs since a disastrous bronze finish in 2004, another dubious effort at the FIBA World Cup this summer highlighted just how tenuous the United States’ gasp on the top podium spot really is. USA Basketball’s supremacy on the world stage is under threat.

2012 wizards roster