USA basketball is usually far and away the most talented team in international basketball. And while that usually correlates to massive success, such as when the 2012 Olympic team completely dominated the competition and followed it up with another gold medal in 2016, the most recent display of USA basketball wasn’t exactly reassuring.
Just about half a year ago, Gregg Popovich and Team USA were stymied not once but twice in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Though the roster didn’t possess the same star power it typically does in international play, instead led by intriguing young stars like Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, the team was still the undisputed favorite to take home its sixth consecutive gold medal.
If the first-round, one-point win over Turkey wasn’t enough of an indicator that this team was more vulnerable than in years past, the early double-digit defeat at the hands of France confirmed that this team was different. A loss in consolation play to Serbia was the icing on top of the cake as the US took seventh place in the tournament.
However, whereas FIBA World Cup teams are not always representative of the best players American basketball has to offer, the Olympic teams are always loaded with top-tier talent.
The preliminary candidates to make the team’s roster were announced on Monday, February 10 and feature some recognizable names. Here is the position-by-position breakdown of the finalists that Jerry Colangelo, Popovich and the rest of USA Basketball have selected for further evaluation as they work their way to cut the roster down to 12.
Guards
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks
Mike Conley, Utah Jazz
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Kemba Walker, Boston Celtics
Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs
Chris Paul has the most international experience of this positional group, winning gold in both 2008 and 2012 but missing out on the 2016 Olympic games. The 34-year-old could look to make his return but will face stiff competition, led by MVP candidate James Harden and the red-hot Damian Lillard, who would be making his Olympic debut should he be on the final roster.
Guards-Forwards
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
LeBron James, like Paul, missed out on the 2016 Olympics after declining his invite. He is still one of the most prolific American basketball players in the history of international play, though, with two Olympic golds and a pair of bronze medals in the 2004 Olympics and 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Forwards
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings
Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics
Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Harrison Barnes started in all eight games of the 2019 FIBA tournament and was a gold medalist in 2016 Olympics, but there are several other names that would attract more attention given their status as top-tier NBA players. Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant fit the bill, though it may be unlikely that Durant plays in this tournament given his massive contract with the Nets and his top priority being injury recovery.
Forwards-Centers
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Love and Anthony Davis played side by side in the 2012 Olympics and are likely candidates to appear in 2020, though neither played in the 2016 games.
Centers
Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers
Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers
Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
JaVale McGee, Los Angeles Lakers
Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
While there is youth present in this position group in the Pacers’ electric big man Myles Turner, experience is the more prominent theme here. Dwight Howard has not played in the Olympics since 2008 and is not the same talent that he once was, while Turner, Brook Lopez, and Mason Plumlee all played in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
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