Ranking Team USA men's basketball's 5 best players after showcase games
The Team USA men's basketball team is 5-0 during their run-up to the Olympic Games in Paris, but that flawless record does not tell the whole story. There have been some close encounters over the warmup games. The team's nail-biting 101-100 win over South Sudan will be a particularly stern warning that the players will need to be at their best at the Olympics.
Head coach Steve Kerr has plenty of options going into the tournament. Team USA is littered with future Hall of Famers and All-Stars. Kerr will have learned a lot over the last five games about his roster. While some players have used this opportunity to demonstrate they belong on the national team, others have shied away from the spotlight.
We look back at the numbers and rank Team USA's top five players after a rollercoaster run of exhibition games.
Ranking Team USA men's basketball's 5 best players after showcase games
#5. Stephen Curry
The four-time NBA champion and two-time league MVP would usually be a lot higher on this list, but some uncharacteristically poor performances from Stephen Curry will have USA fans worried about the impact he can have at the tournament.
After recording 12 points in the team's first game against Canada, Curry managed just three points against Australia. He finished the night shooting an abysmal 1-6 from the field and managed just one rebound and one assist. In the slender win over South Sudan, the Warriors star had just 10 points on 3-10 shooting.
Curry had some difficult outings but showed glimpses of brilliance against a talented Serbia team, leading all USA scorers with 24 points.
#4 Bam Adebayo
With Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis on the roster, it was unclear what Adebayo's role would be in the tournament. The Miami Heat star has been productive when allowed to play.
Adebayo had six points and seven rebounds in the opening game. He followed that up with 10 points on 4-5 shooting against Australia and a whopping 17 points against Serbia. Limited minutes saw Adebayo record just 10 points in the final two games.
Adebayo has been particularly strong on the rebounding front. The 6-foot-9 forward/center averaged 4.75 rebounds over his first four games.
#3. Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards had a strong finish to the NBA season, and the energetic guard seems to be bringing that intensity as he prepares for Paris. He will be a key figure as Team USA go in search of their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
Edwards has been consistent over the exhibition games and has averaged 13 points per game. His standout performance was against Serbia where he finished with 16 points in just 16 minutes.
#2 Anthony Davis
Davis is the first of two Los Angeles Lakers players on this list. The powerful center has shown that he can contribute in all facets of the game and has been in great form going into the final stretch before the Olympics.
Davis started strong with a double-double against Canada (10 points, 11 rebounds). That was followed by a 17-point, 14-rebound performance against Australia.
The nine-time All-Star has produced consistently with points, rebounds, assists and blocks.
#1. LeBron James
If not for LeBron James' heroics against the South Sudan and Germany, Team USA could have had two losses before the Olympics. The Lakers superstar has been clutch when called upon, and he showed that he can still influnce games late in the fourth quarter.
James has been outstanding, especially over the team's last two games. The four-time MVP had a critical last-minute layup to give his team the win over South Sudan and some clutch baskets late against Germany. The 39-year-old has averaged over 14 points per game and chipped in with plenty of assists, rebounds and steals.
With the Olympics just a few days away, LeBron James seems to have established himself as the leader of this group going into the tournament.