Will Kawhi Leonard (left) and LeBron James be starters for the U.S. national team in Paris?
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Who are the five players who should start for the U.S. national team at the Paris Olympics?
Steve Ashburner
There is an air of “legend” about this U.S. team roster, and it’s worth noting that “legend” is also a polite way of saying “old.”
- LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers
- Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors
- Kevin DurantPhoenix Suns
- Kawhi LeonardLA Clippers
- Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers
It would be nice to have a starting line-up of legendary players. That starting line-up will boast 12 NBA rings and 8 MVP trophies. But it also has a figure of 173 years old, with an average age of 34.6 years old. That’s quite old compared to their global rivals. Let’s not forget that the legendary 1992 Dream Team had only two players over 31 years old, but this team had seven. James, Curry and Durant are already older than Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who left in 1992. And the average age of the top five players who played for the Dream Team in the Barcelona Game was 28.6 years old. What would you say if Team USA wins the gold medal in Paris? “Oh, old people.”
Brian Martin
Here are the five players I would pick to start, but I’m equally interested to see what lineup Steve Kerr will field when the U.S. team is challenged.
- Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors
- LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers
- Kevin DurantPhoenix Suns
- Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers
- Anthony EdwardsMinnesota Timberwolves
Assuming good health (especially considering KD missed part of training camp with a sore calf), I would start four NBA MVPs in Curry, LeBron, Durant and Embiid, leaving one position open. After Team USA struggled with size in the FIBA World Cup, Kerr could put Anthony Davis next to Embiid and have three players over 6’10” up front. Alternatively, he could have a more traditional backcourt with Edwards, Devin Booker or Jrue Holiday next to Curry.
Kerr raved about Edwards all summer while the U.S. missed out on a medal at the World Cup, and his two-way ability and elite athleticism would add balance to a starting five that features three players over 35 years old.
Sean Powell
Steve Kerr has so many options that you could throw darts blindfolded.
- Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors
- LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers
- Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers
- Kevin DurantPhoenix Suns
- Jayson TatumBoston Celtics
To be clear, the only time the starting lineup has any impact is in the gold medal game. That will probably be the toughest test for the U.S., and even there it may call for a small and quick lineup or a big lineup, not necessarily the “best” lineup. The implication is that it all depends on the situation. Either way, Kerr has openly said the lineup will change almost every game. It’s about egos.
John Shuman
It’s a bit of a gimmick, but it also involves a certain amount of strategy.
- LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers
- Jayson TatumBoston Celtics
- Kevin DurantPhoenix Suns
- Anthony DavisLos Angeles Lakers
- Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers
With Davis at the 4, the team’s shooting will obviously be weaker. I’m also a bit worried about James and Embiid being the primary defenders in the pick-and-roll. But it’ll be hard to score in the paint or get rebounds against five guys no taller than 6’8″. It really doesn’t matter who starts. It’s not that the U.S. is invincible, it’s that everyone on this roster deserves to start (or be in the final minutes). It’s about finding the right matchup and in-form players before the quarterfinals on August 6.
Michael C. Wright
The depth of the roster gives Team USA the flexibility to get creative with different combinations depending on the situation, so the starting five likely won’t be the group that ends up finishing games.
- Stephen CurryGolden State Warriors
- Anthony EdwardsMinnesota Timberwolves
- LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers
- Kevin DurantPhoenix Suns
- Joel EmbiidPhiladelphia 76ers
All five of the roster are virtually impossible to guard, so there’s plenty of scoring power. Curry and James (a two-time gold medalist) can serve as facilitators in addition to their scoring, and Olympic legend Durant is hard to leave out of the starting five, when healthy, of course. The three-time Olympic gold medalist led Team USA in scoring averages in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 tournaments and ranks first in Team USA history in points (435), 3-pointers made (74) and free throws made (69).
