Funneling a league overflowing with superstars into a single 12-man roster is a daunting task, but every four years, only a dozen of the NBA's top-tier talents are chosen to represent Team USA at the Olympics, while plenty of well-deserving guys are left in the dark.
The field was narrowed down to 31 finalists earlier this year, but with the recent withdrawals from some of basketball's biggest names like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo's selection process has gotten a bit easier than in years past.
With the USA Basketball Showcase fast approaching (July 22 to August 1) and the Olympics in Rio following closely thereafter (August 5 to 21), the official 12-man roster will be announced by the end of June. In conjunction with the analytics team at Synergy Sports Technology, we predict that 12-man roster, assuming no more last-minute withdrawals are made.
First, the original field of 31 ...
Guards
- Jimmy Butler
- Mike Conley
- Bradley Beal
- Stephen Curry
- DeMar DeRozan
- James Harden
- Kyrie Irving
- Damian Lillard
- Chris Paul
- Klay Thompson
- John Wall
- Russell Westbrook
Forwards
- Carmelo Anthony
- Kevin Durant
- Harrison Barnes
- LaMarcus Aldridge
- Anthony Davis
- Kenneth Faried
- Rudy Gay
- Paul George
- Draymond Green
- Blake Griffin
- Gordon Hayward
- Andre Iguodala
- LeBron James
- Kawhi Leonard
- Kevin Love
Centers
- DeMarcus Cousins
- Andre Drummond
- Dwight Howard
- DeAndre Jordan
Who's already out?
- Stephen Curry (rest)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (hand injury)
- James Harden (unspecified)
- Chris Paul (rest/ hand surgery)
- John Wall (double knee surgery)
- Anthony Davis (knee surgery)
- Blake Griffin (quad injury)
- Russell Westbrook (unspecified)
Our final 12
Guards
- Damian Lillard: Don't let the fact that Lillard was the 31st and final addition to the pool of Team USA finalists fool you; the 25-year-old point guard has proven time and time again that he sits in the upper echelon of NBA playmakers. With Curry, Paul and Westbrook out, Lillard should see his first (and surely not his last) Olympic competition this summer.
- Kyrie Irving: As the MVP of the 2014 FIBA World Cup team and a former player under Duke (and Team USA) coach Mike Krzyzewski during his lone season with the Blue Devils, it's not a question of whether or not Irving will earn a spot on the roster, but whether or not he'll be a starter. His heroic performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals certainly didn't hurt his chances, either.
- Klay Thompson: Unlike Curry, there's little concern over whether or not this Splash Bro. plans to withdraw from consideration. He recently said that he "hopes to play for Team USA" and that "just thinking about (the Olympics) gives (him) butterflies." A gold medalist with the team in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, one of the planet's best shooters is a lock for Rio.
- Jimmy Butler: Despite his all-around talent, Butler more than likely would have found himself on the outside looking in before the surge of recent withdrawals, particularly James Harden's. Now, Butler figures to be the next man up at the two-guard spot behind Thompson, ahead of DeRozan and Beal, the other shooting guard candidates.
Forwards
- LeBron James: If the four-time NBA MVP wants in, he's in. With 68 games played for 11 different USA Basketball teams on his resume, few players in the team's history have as much experience as James. But after his lengthy run to his sixth consecutive NBA Finals, you can't help but wonder if he plans on taking some much-needed time off.
- Kawhi Leonard: The small forward position is as loaded as they come, but the back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year should make his Olympic debut this summer, especially after missing his first chance when he withdrew from consideration prior to the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
- Kevin Durant: Durant led Team USA in scoring in the 2012 Olympics (19.5 points per game) and recently told ESPN's Royce Young he intends to play in Rio. Despite all of the drama that will surely follow Durant this offseason during his free agency nightmare, the 2013-14 NBA MVP has his spot on lock.
- Paul George: With the best season of his career in the books and with the after-effects of the gruesome leg injury he suffered during a Team USA scrimmage two summers ago a thing of the past, expect to see George back in the Stars and Stripes.
- Carmelo Anthony: The 32-year-old Anthony may not be the prolific scorer or MVP candidate that he once was during his glory years, but his extensive USA Basketball resume (12 teams, 72 games played) should be more than enough to earn him a roster spot.
- Draymond Green: Green lacks Team USA experience, but makes up for it with his do-it-all capabilities on both ends of the floor. He's a bit of a wild card, as was seen during the 2016 playoffs, but there's no denying his talent and versatility.
Centers
- DeMarcus Cousins: He's in.
- Andre Drummond: With Davis and Aldridge out and Cousins in, Drummond is the most viable second option at the center spot. His league-leading 14.8 rebounds per game and 66 double-doubles last season doesn't hurt his case, either.
Follow AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK
