![]() ![]() The world has largely caught up, and if we don’t send our very best then it’s 50/50 whether the Americans take home the gold. It’s the new reality of basketball around the globe. It’s not an unmitigated disaster of some kind, in fact it’s not a bad outcome in the landscape of the modern game. The USA’s results at the World Cup - they play Canada Sunday for the bronze medal - is not a sign of a failing of USA Basketball. However, there is another level of American talent and those guys chose Paris over the World Cup.Īlso, expect Hill and Kerr to consider a few different role players who the USA for the Olympics - how much would Kevon Looney have helped on the glass in Manilla? Would Alex Caruso fill a defensive role on the 12-man roster? There are other players who are not All-Stars but could help an American roster at the Olympics in specific ways. Cade Cunningham stood out on the Select Team at the USA training camp, and if he has a strong season for the Pistons he could get an invite. Mikal Bridges’ two-way play, Tyrese Haliburton’s passing and Josh Hart’s grit could land them a spot on the Paris roster, for example. Some of this year’s roster players will be in France next summer. However, it had no margin for error, and the rest of the world’s best teams - ones with size to exploit the USA’s weakness in the paint, such as Lithuania and Germany - proved to be too much this time around. It needs to be emphasized that the roster the USA sent to Manilla had genuine talent and was capable of winning gold. A number of other top players sat out as well. After a deep playoff run for the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic didn’t play for Serbia (they are doing just fine without him and are on to the gold medal game) nor did Jamal Murray suit up for Canada. Every one of them has expressed interest in playing in Paris or can expect a call from Grant Hill, head of the USA men’s national team. ![]() None of those players were part of this Team USA roster. LeBron James (although whether he wants to chase a third gold medal at age 39 is a fair question). Joel Embiid (who can play for the USA, France, or Cameroon). Anthony Davis and/or Bam Adebayo - two versatile, defensive bigs the USA could have really used. The best players are forced to choose between the World Cup and the Olympics. The world’s best players- those who expect to be playing for their high-paying club teams into May and June - would essentially be playing two full years without an extended recovery break if they play in both international events. This is partly because FIBA, in its “infinite” wisdom, puts the World Cup and Olympics in back-to-back summers. That’s not to say there is no talent on this roster, there undoubtedly is, but there is not one All-NBA player, nor is there a player who has been on the senior men’s national team for a major tournament before. Which is why when the USA sends its “B” team to a tournament - as it did to Manilla for this World Cup - it’s a coin flip whether they win gold or not. That’s undoubtedly true, the world has caught up. ![]()
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