For those of us conditioned to American basketball on this side of the pond, jumping into international waters every Olympics can be quite an experience. The Olympics — particularly on the men’s side of the proceedings — facilitate more of a free-flowing, team-oriented style of play that can open up the field for everyone.
Alert to LeBron James and Team USA — now is not the time to let your guard down with the rest of the world bearing down.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll see whether the American men can capture a fifth-straight gold medal in a highly anticipated Olympic basketball run. Team USA features some of the game’s greatest modern legends — such as James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, among others — who are likely playing in their last Olympics. That adds a bittersweet tinge of motivation to finish on top one last time.
The issue is that the rest of the world has kind of caught up to the Americans’ unofficial All-Star team. Let’s break down the three countries that are the biggest threats to another American men’s basketball gold medal.
1. Team Canada
Call me a fool if you want, but I love how this Canadian roster has shaped up.
Leading the way is NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a wiry and crafty scorer at guard. His sidekick is the savvy point guard Jamal Murray, who is already accustomed to shining as a No. 2 option on the Denver Nuggets. Then you have your quality two-way wings, perimeter defenders and forwards like RJ Barrett, Lu Dort, Andrew Wiggins and Trey Lyles.
There’s not a lot of size on the Canadian roster, and it could be exploited by bigger non-USA teams. Still, expect them to pick up the space with a lovely brand of all-around small ball that should give the rest of the field headaches.
2. Team Serbia
Any conversation about Serbia starts and ends with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. (And, to a lesser extent, world-class sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic.)
Jokic is the best player in the world, a guy who can elevate his teammates’ play in any setting. He’s the rightful centerpiece of a Serbian grand plan that expects to make a deep run in these Olympics. It helps that Jokic has Bogdanovic, a lights-out 3-point shooter, a steady point guard in Vasilije Micic, a promising stretch-four power forward in Nikola Jovic and a roster with four approximate seven-footers (!).
The Serbians aren’t stacked with sheer star power like the Americans. But they play together in concert and have enough top-end talent to make anyone sweat. Overlook them at your own risk.
3. Team France
The next generation of French basketball has won the lottery. As long as super phenom Victor Wembanyama is healthy, France will likely always be considered a prime gold medal threat. Wembanyama is just that dominant, and he should only get better.
In the here and now, though, Wembanyama still has a solid supporting cast. He’s flanked by four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, while playmaking/connecting forwards Nicolas Batum and Bilal Coulibaly bring exactly the style of play you need in Olympic basketball.
Wembanyama alone would’ve been intriguing enough. The rest of the big names on France’s roster give it a real shot at standing on top of the podium.
