"I don't need Harden when I have Tyrese": Gilbert Arenas snubs Clippers star in favor of young guns in Team USA's 12-man Olympic roster
Even though it is still months away, Gilbert Arenas is already looking ahead to the 2024 Summer Olympics. When putting together his ideal roster, he opted for a young emerging star over a former MVP.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Gilbert Arenas discussed the potential Olympic roster with Bomani Jones. At the point guard position, he would prefer Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton over James Harden.
"What Tyrese is doing is right now, pushing that second unit, I don't see how they take him off," Arenas said. "I don't need a Harden when I have a Tyrese."
This summer, Team USA will be looking to make a statement. After walking away with a medal in the FIBA World Cup, multiple NBA players have stated they want to compete in the upcoming Olympics. News recently came out that Team USA will have a pool of around 30 players to build their roster with.
Haliburton was among the many young stars to compete for Team USA in the World Cup last summer. Across eight games, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. The Pacers All-Star also shot the ball efficiently, shooting 51% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc.
Despite being an All-NBA caliber player at his peak, Gilbert Arenas was never picked to play for Team USA during his NBA career.
Is Gilbert Arenas right to put Tyrese Haliburton over James Harden on Team USA roster?
When it comes to playmaking, Tyrese Haliburton and James Harden are two of the facilitators in the league. Some may feel the Indiana Pacers guard is still unproven, but Gilbert Arenas is right to put him on Team USA over Harden.
For starters. Haliburton is much younger. His body is far more likely to still be in good shapre come the summer. Harden has the wear and tear of a 14-year career under his belt, and is on a team with title aspirations. If the LA Clippers do go on a deep playoff run, he'll have minimal time to get ready physically to compete in the Olympics.
Fit is also another aspect that needs to be discussed. Following the World Cup, elite stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry expressed interest in suiting up. If they do play, they'll surely be in the starting lineup. Meaning that whoever joins will have to embrace coming off the bench.
Haliburton has already proven he's find with coming off the bench. As Arenas mentioned, his style of play would be perfect for Team USA's second unit. Haliburton is more than capable of sharing the basketball and keeping multiple stars engaged on the offensive end.
As a young star on the cusp of his prime, playing alongside a stacked Olympic roster could do wonders for a guy like Haliburton.