2020 Tokyo Olympics - USA Basketball: Who will be the starting 5?
The final roster of the USA basketball team is set for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and it is as expected, a formidable one. The collection of basketball talent in the United States is unmatched and the country bags a medal almost every time it participates in the Summer games.
Players and fans alike will hope the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will not be any different from the previous Olympic games for Team USA. As usual, the USA Olympic committee has selected All-Stars from the NBA and we should expect a dominant run in the quadrennial Summer Games.
Who is expected to start in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for Team USA?
The reputation of the players in the Olympic squad precedes them and they will be selected based off their NBA play and not the Team USA practice sessions. Gregg Popovich will be the head coach of Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics along with a coaching staff consisting of Steve Kerr and Lloyd Pierce. These coaches have seen every player up close in the NBA and will know their strengths and weaknesses.
The 12-man roster is led by three-time Olympian Kevin Durant, which means he will most certainly be one of the team's starters on the frontcourt.
The other players in the squad include Damian Lillard, Draymond Green, Kevin Love, Khris Middleton, Bam Adebayo, Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, Zach LaVine and Devin Booker.
Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker will all be contesting the 2021 NBA Finals. Even if they don't get injured in the heat of the finals, the fact that they'll be playing till the third week of July is likely to mean they won't start in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics just days later. There is even a chance that they'll rule themselves out of the event because of their Finals appearances.
Damian Lillard is the best option to play point guard on the roster and we can safely say he will be a starter in that position.
Bam Adebayo is the only listed center for the team and we can say with confidence that he will be the starting center at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The power forward role is expected to be filled by Draymond Green, a three-time NBA champion and the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. He can be the team's defensive anchor and given his brilliant playmaking IQ, Green can also create plays for the team.
The shooting guard position can be occupied by a variety of players and we predict Bradley Beal for the role at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Beal was the runner-up scoring champion this season in the NBA and is one of the best scorers in the game. Grant, LaVine, Tatum and Love are likely to come off the bench for Team USA in the Olympics.
So, the Starting Five for the USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is predict to be:
Point Guard - Damian Lillard | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - Kevin Durant | Power Forward - Draymond Green | Center - Bam Adebayo
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