USA for the Gold Medals

[ick300]

Whole morning i have been reading about the 41 players selected for the Olympics , so wondered ...
IF you guys are up to choose the team who you will take and who won't ?

LeBron, Curry, Embiid headline U.S. player pool for Olympics - ESPN

Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Jimmy Butler, Alex Caruso, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, De'Aaron Fox, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, Tyrese Haliburton, James Harden, Josh Hart, Tyler Herro, Jrue Holiday, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Ingram, Kyrie Irving, Jaren Jackson Jr., LeBron James, Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Duncan Robinson, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Trae Young.

 

[ick300]

C - Embiid , Holmgren i will definetely miss Davis here
G - Lillard , Hali, Holiday ,Curry , Edwards (Fox)
F - James , Tatum , Durant , Jaren Jackson , Buttler

 

[hrdboild]

Assuming I can only take 12, here's my roster:

C : Bam Adebayo
C : Joel Embiid
F / C : Kevin Durant
F : Scottie Barnes
F : Mikal Bridges
F : LeBron James
F : Jayson Tatum
G : Devin Booker
G : Stephen Curry
G : Anthony Edwards
G : De'Aaron Fox
G : Jaylen Brown

Stars have to be role-players on the national team so I tried to pick guys who are good passers, shooters, and defenders. I also wanted to reward some of the legacy players who are still playing at a high level (KD, Lebron, Steph) with maybe their last Olympics team but also mix in some of the young guys who could be fixtures on Team USA for the next decade plus (Scottie Barnes, Mikal Bridges, Anthony Edwards). Presumed starters are in bold.

Booker and Jaylen Brown are here because I wanted a mix of SGs and PGs. Fox makes the cut over Haliburton for defense and change of pace off the bench. Bam is in over AD for continuity with the previous 2020/2021 Olympic team (which also included Booker, Tatum, and KD). Bridges and Edwards return from last summer's FIBA World Cup team. That just leaves Joel Embiid who is eligible to play for Team USA for the first time in his career and as the best C in the world, he has to be on the roster.