The 2016 USA Olympic Basketball Team Roster Is Better Than You Think

Since NBA players began participating in the Olympics back in 1992, the United States has won five gold medals and one bronze. The 2004 bronze medal squad was considered a massive disappointment when it returned from Athens and sparked a rebirth for the country’s Olympic basketball program.

Team USA is supposed to dominate in basketball, regardless of who plays or sits out for the squad. The 2016 Olympic squad was announced this weekend and some are already calling it the weakest roster since NBA players were admitted. But is it? Some of the previous squads have had their own glaring weaknesses. What follows is a breakdown of the weaker rosters the USA has boasted in Olympic basketball tournaments.

(Side note: Obviously, the 1992 Dream Team and 1996 team – that may have actually been better – are both omitted from this analysis since no one would argue their dominance.)

This edition of Team USA was fairly weak on paper, but still mostly dominated the 2000 Olympic tournament. The Americans went 8-0, but did have a few close games. In the quarterfinals, they topped Russia 85-70, then squeaked by Lithuania in the semifinals 85-83, before topping France 85-75 in the gold medal game.

Vince Carter was the clear leader of the team, and everyone remembers this tournament for “The Dunk” over French center Frederic Weis. Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd and Alonzo Mourning were also key to the team’s title run.

This team had a few weak links though. Steve Smith was two years removed from his only All-Star appearance. Antonio McDyess was a solid battler but only got an All-NBA nod once, and it came on the third team. Shareef Abdur-Rahim showed flashes but never made an All-NBA team and had just one All-Star appearance that came two years after this. Vin Baker was two years removed from his last All-Star appearance. Allan Houston was in the middle of his two All-Star years but was always an up-and-down guy. This roster is also the only one that didn’t boast an NBA MVP or NBA champion on it at the time.

While this squad wasn’t overwhelming it wasn’t as bad as it looks on the surface. There were solid role players who fit the roster, while Carter, Garnett, Ray Allen and Jason Kidd led the way. The whole wound up being much better than the sum of its parts thanks to the way the players all fit together. Head coach Rudy Tomjanovich also must be commended for the coaching job he did with this group.

This is the only time American NBA players have failed to win a gold medal, and this group embarrassed itself by losing three games in the tournament. The team was a mess, a mismatched grouping of young talented guys and veterans who didn’t fit a team concept. In hindsight, everyone should have seen the disaster coming.

This edition of the “Dream Team” quickly turned into a nightmare. Larry Brown’s squad dropped its opening game to Puerto Rico by 19 (!!!) points. The Americans rebounded by topping Greece and Australia, but then lost to Lithuania 94-90. A blowout win over Angola got them out of group play, and a 102-94 victory against Spain put them in the semifinals. But in the semis they fell to Argentina 89-81, and were relegated to the bronze medal game, where they beat Lithuania 104-96.

The team never gelled and despite near-heroic efforts from Lamar Odom, Tim Duncan and Shawn Marion, this squad was doomed from the start. It was a terrible roster that just didn’t fit together and wasn’t built to win at the international game.

This team will always stand as the reason you can’t just throw a group of NBA players together and expect it to win gold. Basketball teams need to be crafted, not just crammed together.

The “Redeem Team” stands as the antithesis of the 2004 team. This was a team crafted of superstars who also happened to fit the international game and were selfless enough to buy-in to the team concept.

The roster was tailored for international basketball. It boasted post players who could move and guard away from the hoop (Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer), defensive length on the perimeter (Tayshuan Prince, LeBron James), quick driving guards (Chris Paul, Deron Williams), stronger guards/wings (Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony) and a 3-point specialist (Michael Redd). In any situation coach Mike Krzyzewski could call on a different type of player to turn the tide of a game.

Aside from having three of the greatest players of all-time in Bryant, James and Wade, Coach K also had a bunch of guys hitting their primes who were willing to give up touches in order to win games. Wade’s defense was one of the big stories of the 2008 run and he emerged as a true superstar during and after the Beijing Games.

While everyone pretty much deferred to the reigning NBA MVP (Bryant), he bought into the team as well and relished winning a gold medal.

The Redeemers breezed through the opening rounds, smoking the host Chinese team (101-70), Angola (97-76), Greece (92-69), Spain (119-82) and Germany (106-57). In the knockout rounds, the Americans topped Australia 116-85, then battled with Argentina before securing a 101-81 win and topped Spain 118-107 in a hotly contested gold medal game.

While this group will never be exalted like the 1992 and 1996 teams, it was just as important to Team USA’s legacy.

The 2012 team was, again, an expertly crafted roster, built for the international game. While Olympic veterans like Bryant, James, Anthony, Williams and Paul dotted the roster, Coach K and Jerry Colangelo added key pieces to surround them. Guys like Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler were perfect fits for international basketball because of their versatility.

Durant led the Americans in scoring (19.5 points per game), while Anthony, Bryant and James were the clear leaders of the team. Andre Iguodala provided outstanding perimeter defense off the bench, Russell Westbrook gave energy and athleticism no opponent could counter and James Harden gave the team instant offense when needed.

The Americans dominated this tournament for the most part. They blew through the preliminary round, ripping France (98-71), Tunisia (110-63) and Nigeria (156-73). They almost slipped up against Lithuania but managed to escape with a 99-94 win, before blasting Argentina 126-97.

The Lithuania loss served as a wake-up call, as Coach K’s squad took gold with relative ease. The Americans beat Australia 119-86 in the quarterfinal, bested Argentina again 109-83 in the semis and fought a tough Spanish team for a 107-100 win in the final.

The pure talent of the 2012 team may have surpassed that of 2008, but the “Redeem Team” looked like a group on a mission from the start, whereas the 2012 squad nearly slipped up a few times. Still, the 2012 roster is one of the best ever assembled.

The 2016 team has already received its fair share of early criticism, but I believe it’s unwarranted. Though this roster is more notable for the names not listed, it appears to be built for success internationally. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Dwyane Wade, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Blake Griffin, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are all out, which means the team staying home is likely better than the team making the trip to Rio. But that doesn’t mean the squad going can’t win gold.

Durant and Anthony appear to be the unquestioned leaders of this year’s team, while the pieces surrounding them all bring something to the table. Paul George, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Harrison Barnes bring versatility that is incredibly valuable in an Olympic tournament. Klay Thompson will give Krzyzewski a knock-down shooter to rely on. DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving and Kyle Lowry will give him three relentless drivers who can get into the paint and score or distribute. DeAndre Jordan is a mobile big man who can block shots, defend away from the hoop and finish at the rim. While DeMarcus Cousins is a ball-stopper offensively and doesn’t seem to fit the international model, he likely wouldn’t have made the team if Davis or LaMarcus Aldridge were healthy. Still Cousins has value as a bull in the post who can gobble rebounds and score around the hoop.

This year’s team has an underrated mix of quality guys with games that fit international basketball. I’d be shocked if the Americans didn’t take home the gold. If this team can gel quickly and move forward with a singular purpose it should cruise to victory. But cohesiveness will be the key.

While this year’s roster may be more notable for the guys sitting out the summer, it certainly blows away the 2004 and 2000 teams in terms of quality. It has guys who know how to win big games and several players who can take over games single-handedly.

The 2016 Team USA squad is far from the worst group of NBA players sent to the Olympics and there’s a reason the Americans are still overwhelming favorites to capture gold.