The USA’s “Avengers” squad has started training for the 2024 Paris Olympics in a bid to clinch a gold medal. The team is so loaded that it will be difficult to decide the starting lineup for the tournament. In a major recent development, The Athletics‘ Joe Vardon reported that LeBron James will not come off the bench during the Olympic Games and will be a starter for the team.
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He is going to assume the Point Forward duties, a role that he has been accustomed to for a long time. Since LBJ will be the major facilitator, the question now is what will the rest of the lineup look like?
As James will be the Floor Manager, Stephen Curry will have the role akin to a Shooting Guard. He is likely to play off-the-ball, an area where he thrives owing to his incredible ability to find open spots around the perimeter. Since LBJ is a maestro at passing to open wing players and has vast experience playing alongside Kevin Durant, KD will likely fill out the Small Forward spot to supply the required scoring.
But what about the other spots?
Team USA is unlikely to bring LeBron James off the bench during the Olympics, per @joevardon
James is expected to start, play point forward, and have Steph Curry play off the ball.
“James coming off the bench, probably won’t happen. I spoke with two USA Basketball sources and… pic.twitter.com/m9WMcHXrOc
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 5, 2024
Young sensation Anthony Edwards can act as the other guard along side Curry. The USA will thus have an injection of athleticism alongside sharpshooting. However, Devin Booker is also a viable option as a more effective long-range bomber than Ant-Man. On the other hand, Edwards’ dogged defense can earn him the starting SG position.
The Center spot has high competition. Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo can all hold a claim to the position. 2023 NBA MVP Embiid is going to be a force as an inside scorer with the floor stretched out. He is also an elite rebounder and defensively, he can hold his own. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis is an all-purpose Center.
If Steve Kerr opts to start Curry and Booker, AD can help them out through his elite perimeter defense. He has no qualms about getting in the paint and doing the dirty work either. Bam Adebayo also appears to be an enticing option. He doesn’t need the ball a lot in his hands, which can be a boon with many ball-dominating players in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, his defensive coverage also extends to the perimeter and he can clean up the boards well. As we evaluate these scenarios, what can be the expected starting lineup?
Stephen Curry at Point Guard, Anthony Edward at Shooting Guard, Kevin Durant and LeBron James as Forwards, and Anthony Davis at the middle can clinch the deal.
The offensive balance can be supported by the elite defense of AD and ANT. With James running the show, the defenses will be on their heels at all times because this lineup has both inside and outside prowess. Curry, James, Durant, and Davis also form the most experienced quartet among all combinations.
Apart from that, LBJ, KD, and AD are all Olympic gold medalists while 35-year-old Curry is hyped to earn his first Olympic Gold.
At any rate, no matter what the team USA rolls out, the opposition will be in dire straits. They have the best combinations among all squads. They are by far the favorites to seize the gold medal in the 2024 Olympics’ Men’s Basketball Competition.
