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Who will start on U.S. Olympic basketball team?

By Andre Pruitt

Jan 16, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Projected starters for Team USA and who will come off the bench for the men’s basketball team at the Rio Olympics.

Representing the USA Team is a great honor that comes around every 4 years for a basketball player. For players, wearing the “USA” across their chest is a life long dream. With that being said, all 12 players should be honored to be representing their country, even though they may be have been secondhand selections with many star players already declining.

The Zika Virus was is a concern for some players and others such as LeBron James and Steph Curry have passed on the Olympics citing a need for rest. With the roster finally set at 12, here are the five projected starters and who will be coming off the bench for Team USA:

Point Guard: Kyrie Irving – Kyrie Irving is coming off a great post season run and now has added a championship to his collection. His stellar play in the NBA Finals should solidify his spot in the starting lineup and it also doesn’t hurt that he has a great rapport with Coach K having played for him at Duke and for Team USA in FIBA 2014. Kyle Lowry should provide little to no competition for Team USA vet Kyrie Irving.

Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson – There is real competition for the starting shooting guard position for Team USA. Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, and DeMar DeRozan all can make valuable cases to start. Though, I ultimately think Klay Thompson will win out due to his ability to stretch the floor which is vital for International basketball.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant – Kevin Durant is one of two no-brainer starters for Team USA. Not only is Kevin Durant the best player on the USA Team, his style of play fits International play seamlessly. Kevin Durant’s name should the first name penciled into the starting lineup and by the time Olympic play starts he’ll have his upcoming Free Agency decision behind him.

Power Forward: Carmelo Anthony – Carmelo Anthony is the other no-brainer starter for Team USA. Carmelo Anthony has valuable Team USA experience competing in the past three Olympics and was one of the key players for Team USA in 2008 and 2012. Draymond Green is a great all around player but Carmelo’s experience should win him the job easily.

Center: DeMarcus Cosuins – DeAndre Jordan may push DeMarcus but DeMarcus should eventually win out for two reasons. The first reason being is that DeMarcus is already familiar with Coach K and Team USA having played in FIBA 2014. The second reason being that DeMarcus has a lot more skill than DeAndre offensively and his ability to step out and hit jumpers will be a welcome asset to the team.

Draymond Green, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, DeMar Derozan, Kyle Lowry, DeAndre Jordan and Harrison Barnes will be playing complementary roles off the bench.

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