Rio Olympics 2016 News: Starting Five Projections for Team USA Olympic Basketball -- Who's In and Out?
Which NBA Stars will Start for USA Olympic Basketball 2016
Team USA Olympic basketball team now has a complete roster with 12 NBA stars in its lineup. Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving are the last two players to commit to the U.S. basketball team.
The U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Roster includes guards Jimmy Butler, DeMar Derozan, Klay Thompson, Kyle Lowry and Kyrie Irving; forwards Carmelo Anthony, Harrison Barnes, Kevin Durant, Paul George and Draymond Green; and centers DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan.
Stephen Curry and LeBron James are most notably absent in this lineup. Curry is nursing knee and ankle injuries, while LeBron James says he needs to take a break after a grueling NBA season. Other stars that won't play for the U.S. team include LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul, James Harden and Russel Westbrook.
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With this current lineup, which players are likely to compose the starting five? Here's a projection.
Kyrie Irving, Point Guard
Uncle Drew gets this starting position in lieu of Curry's, or even Paul's and Westbrook's absence, but the young point guard HAS definitely showed he is one of the best guards in the league with a stellar performance in the NBA finals. In that finals series with the Warriors, Irving averaged 27.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals. That includes a 41-point Game 5 performance and a 25 foot three-point dagger late in the 4th to seal a Game 7 victory for the Cavs.
Klay Thompson, Shooting Guard
Thompson didn't show up in Game 7, having only 14 points and hitting two out of 10 3-point attempts. However, there's no denying the fact that he has one of the smoothest shooting strokes in today's game. He can shoot the lights out without warning and is also a terrific defender.
Paul George, Small Forward
Last month, George expressed his desire to play for the U.S. team and give it another shot after the terrible compound fracture on his right leg two years ago. His wish has been granted now, but it's not a pity move. George is easily a top 10 NBA player and just had his best season, leading his team in points (27.3 ppg), rebounds (7.6 rpg) and assists (4.3 apg).
Kevin Durant, Power Forward
Durant is this year's Olympic team captain, taking over King James' crown. Simply put, Durant is the best all-around player in this team. Despite blowing off the 3-1 lead they had against Golden State in the West playoffs, Durant had a great season stat-wise, averaging 28.2 points, 5.0 assists and 8.2 rebounds.
DeMarcus Cousins, Center
The 6-foot-10-inch center can play incredible offense and defense, and some experts have compared him to Shaquille O'Neal. That's because he is the first center since Shaq to average 27 points per game. Unlike Shaq, though, Cousins has added a new dimension to his offense with the 3-point shot.
