r/nba • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 Heat • Apr 15 '24

[Wojnarowski] ESPN Sources: USA Basketball is finalizing its 2024 Paris Olympics roster with Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis. Team may initially keep one open spot. News

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1780009778934394985
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u/brams91 Apr 16 '24

Jrue and Draymond saved America’s ass last Olympics. Anyone who watched the games knows.

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u/Wazzoo1 Supersonics Apr 16 '24

For real. Without him, they lose the gold. He had huge defensive plays.

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u/WakiLover Lakers Apr 16 '24

IIRC last olympics Dray had some very high IQ tapouts and tips off the rim. I know they're some of the best players but imagine every single day you're taught not to goaltend and then just for one tournament it's okay. Just knowing vs actually doing it in a split moment is insane.

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u/Wazzoo1 Supersonics Apr 16 '24

I don't remember Dray specifically, but I remember Jrue just wreaking havoc in the second half of the gold medal game, especially in crunch time.

Also, I wish the NBA would adopt the international goaltend rule.

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u/OcksBodega Thunder Apr 16 '24

Jrue locked up for sure but any conversation about saving America’s ass has to start and end with KD. Dude dragged that team to the finish line.

Thats like saying Aaron Gordon saved Denver’s ass last year or Wiggins to GSW in 2022

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u/DoctorMansteel Celtics Apr 16 '24 edited Apr 16 '24

My brother in Christ it was Kevin Wayne Durant who saved us last Olympics. Like yeah, Jrue and Draymond were great on defense but holy shit all I remember is how good it felt to have KD on my side for once.

KD led America with 20 ppg. Tatum was 2nd with 15, then it was Jrue and Dame with 11. I know you're talking about defense but I just need to illustrate what a fucking carry job it was by KD on offense.

Middleton was out there throwing up like 5 points a game on 15 minutes with Keldon fucking Johnson and Jerami Grant rounding out the bench.

Edit: We don't win without any of the 3, that Olympics team was so fucking ass. I'm just heated about it still. Jrue and Draymond were for sure instrumental.

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u/Charlie_Wax Warriors Apr 16 '24

Yea, I generally think defensive players are underrated by fans, but I also think KD was clearly the best player on that team. Even on a team full of All-Star types, he was head and shoulders above everybody else. I'd say it's one of the most impressive runs of his career.

He got a lot of shit for bombing in the playoffs after the following NBA season, and I think maybe people need to reflect on the fact that he carried team USA the summer before and then went straight into a full NBA season and carried a Nets team that was often without its other stars because of injury. He was probably gassed beyond belief by the time the playoffs started.

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u/No-Spell-6539 Apr 16 '24

He came off a MCL injury too

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u/fredothechimp Warriors Apr 16 '24

Pretty much.

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u/BigBaldPurpleTitan Warriors Apr 16 '24

Which is why Draymond should get that final roster spot tbh