After going 1-2 in the first three exhibition games of the Tokyo Olympics, just when you thought it can't get worse for USA Basketball, it does.
Not only was Bradley Beal placed on COVID health and safety protocols, on Wednesday, but Jerami Grant joins him on COVID protocol a day later.
USA Basketball is set to make their debut at the Tokyo Olympics on July 25th. However, Beal is lost for the rest of the Olympics because of COVID protocol, and Grant's status is is doubt now. Grant has not tested positive for COVID, and it's not clear if Bela has contracted the virus nor if he was placed in protocol for a possible exposure to the virus.
Think that's it? Kevin Love withdrew from Olympic competition because of a lingering calf injury.
It doesn't help that Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday won't be joining USA Basketball until the conclusion of the NBA Finals because they are in the NBA Finals.
Early on, USA Basketball looked vulnerable. They lost in not one, but two upsets to Nigeria and Australia, 90-87 and 91-83, respectively. While they regrouped and took care of business against Argentina with a 108-80 victory, that does not solve all the questions about USA Basketball.
They are really missing the presence of some of the other best players in basketball, such as James Harden, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James.
What made it harder for USA Basketball to find replacements for Beal and Love is the shortened NBA season from 82 games to 72, another short offseason, injuries to star players, and the still-ongoing COVID pandemic. Under normal circumstances, it would be a hard challenge, but given the current circumstances, this challenge became even harder.
There was some speculation that Christian Wood would land a spot on USA Basketball's roster, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Wood who is coming off his best season of his young NBA career, would have given USA Basketball a much-needed presence in the paint and a big man who can provide spacing on the floor. He averaged 21.0 points per game on 51.4% shooting and 37.4% on three-pointers and 9.6 rebounds per game in his first season with the Houston Rockets.
The two selections that were made for the roster spots to fill in the holes left behind by Beal and Love? Keldon Johnson and JaVale McGee. Selecting Johnson makes sense, but I'm surprised that McGee was taken.
Johnson is 21 and is coming off a breakout season with the San Antonio Spurs after appearing in just 17 games as a rookie, averaging 12.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 67 starts. He also has the advantage of being familiar with the system that is run by Gregg Popovich, and became a favorite of USA Basketball's staff, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
Johnson, Darius Garland, and Saddiq Bey were called up from the Team USA Select Team to participate in the exhibition games before this. They were in Las Vegas with the team, so their availability wouldn't be that much of a problem. Don't expect them to play heavy minutes in the Olympics, but this is the easiest option logically.
McGee, on the other hand, is a three-time NBA champion, winning championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He can also provide frontcourt depth for the team, which is stacked in terms of guards and wing players, but has concerns on rebounders and rim protectors. Perhaps Pop also wants to prioritize championship experience for the final roster selections?
However, another concern about USA Basketball is playmaking.
Kevin Durant has displayed his playmaking ability during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, most notably in Game 5 of the Brooklyn Nets' second round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
USA Basketball, unfortunately, only has one true point guard: Damian Lillard. And the lack of playmaking from the team has been evident at some points when the team was playing in the exhibition games.
Trae Young would have been a nice addition to the team, talent-wise and scheme-wise. However, he tweeted a video of Isiah Thomas lamenting the fact that he did not get selected to be on the Dream Team, which may be a sign that he is not in consideration on the team.
With the additions of Johnson and McGee, and when Booker, Middleton, and Holiday come in, how do you think USA Basketball will fare during the Olympics? Will everything go a 360 or will it result in more disappointment?
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