The USA’s 2024 Men’s Basketball Olympic roster is locked and loaded with superstars Stephen Curry and LeBron James leading the charge. However, Gilbert Arenas didn’t seem too impressed with the selections. He especially disapproved of Jrue Holiday’s inclusion in the squad. On ‘Gil’s Arena’, he claimed that the selection committee could have made a better pick because Holiday is not an All-NBA player.
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The discussion was triggered when co-host Josiah Johnson asked Arenas if he was satisfied with the Olympic squad. Agent Zero claimed that while the team might land a Gold medal, the roster didn’t meet the “bar”. He alluded to the 1992 and 1996 Dream Team rosters, where the 12 selections were the “best players” in the league and most of them made it to the All-NBA team.
However, the 3x All-Star didn’t feel the same about the 2024 roster. He pointed out that Jrue Holiday will be the likely PG replacement if there are injuries to multiple players, however, there will be a drop-off in the scoring skillset if Holiday checks in for Curry,
“Now let’s say something happens to some of these players and Jrue Holiday has to step in for Curry. Do he have the ability to turn into what Curry does? See that’s the problem when you need a player to step up, do they even have the capability to do it?”
Thus, Arenas isn’t convinced by the roster’s depth. While there are a ton of defensive options, he lamented the lack of offensive prowess. The former NBA guard couldn’t wrap his head around the team adding several defensive options while overlooking offensive stars.
Does Team USA lack offensive ammo?
As per the former Wizards superstar, the team already has defensive dynamos such as Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Edwards. He argued that much like Holiday, Edwards can also press the ball-handler to force tough offensive possessions.
“When they say we have Jrue Holiday for defense. Even with defense, we’re saying Anthony Davis don’t play defense, Anthony Edwards don’t play defense, Joel Embiid don’t play defense, Bron don’t play defense, Jayson Tatum don’t play defense. How much fu**ing defense do we have! How much do we need!” Arenas complained to his crew.
While Arenas’ gripe is understandable, Holiday has more than just defense in his arsenal. He is a motivating locker room presence and players love being around him. Considering his championship experience and two-way anchor skills, the selection committee may have hit the right chord. For them, the goal is to bring in people who can build a winning culture.
Contrary to Agent Zero’s point, Team USA already has enough offensive firepower, and defenders like Bam Adebayo and Holiday just add to their depth. Apart from that, both these players are also good on the offensive side and regularly score over 15 points a game.
