Team USA Announced And Duke Is Represented

As the NBA season draws to a close, this is an Olympic year and that means that basketball goes on through August.

Grant Hill and USA Basketball announced the roster for the Games this week and the roster is pretty imposing:

• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
• Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

It’s a great group and Duke is represented first by Hill, who is now running USA Basketball, and Jayson Tatum on the court.

As usual, at least since Mike Krzyzewski reinvigorated the program, the team is highly athletic and capable of pressing another team out of the gym. What it doesn’t really have, with the exception of Edwards, is a dynamic wing.

On the other hand, look how many outstanding defenders are on this team: Davis, Adebayo, Holiday and Leonard are all outstanding defenders.

Three point shooting? Curry, Durant, Tatum, Booker, Haliburton, at a minimum.

The U.S. will be a favorite, perhaps the favorite, but the age of unquestioned dominance is over. Look at what some of the other teams are bringing:

• Australia: Joe Ingles, Josh Giddey, Matisse Thybulle, Dante Exum, Patty Mills
• Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk
• France: Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Nic Batum
• Germany: Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Dennis Schroder, Daniel Theis
• Japan: Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe
• Serbia: Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic

That’s some high-end talent and they’d all love to stick it to the U.S. Note that RJ Barrett is listed for Canada and while he’s not listed here, Khaman Maluach is playing for South Sudan. That brings the Blue Devils, past or future, up to four and possibly five, depending on what happens with Jack White and the Boomers.

We would have liked to have seen Zion Williamson on the US team because he would bring a completely different element and a wild versatility: he could play almost any position and overpower anyone in the field. He would also be a superb defensive force and his Basketball IQ is something else.

That didn’t happen though, and realistically, this team should be able to hold its own. Playing home team France, with Victor Wembanyama and Ruby Gobert, could be a problem and some of the other teams are going to be tough too.

Again though, the US wins with aggressive defense and transition baskets, backed up by threes. It has been a winning formula before and can be again.