Olympic Basketball 2012: Why Young Guns Will Carry the Load for Team USA

The 2012 Summer Olympic season is officially upon us and as usual, few sports are getting more attention than basketball, where a tremendously talented Team USA looks to reassert their global dominance and prove once more that the game invented by Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts will always belong to the Americans.

However, if the United States is looking to bring home the Gold, they will need to rely heavily on their younger, more inexperienced players. This year's crop of Olympians features several faces with little international experience and some who have never participated in foreign competition at all.

Despite their lack of experience, these players will be counted on to not only contribute, but shoulder a major part of the load for Team USA this summer. Their combined abilities, from blocking shots and throwing pinpoint passes to playing ferocious defense, is what got them on the Olympic roster and is what they will need to bring every second they spend on the floor.

Unlike in past years the youngest athletes on the squad cannot just let a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James do the brunt of the work, they must step up to play a vital role in the team's success.

Luckily the team is comprised of incredibly talented youthful players who will be able to do more than pull their own weight. From All-Stars like Kevin Love and Kevin Durant to rising figures like James Harden and Anthony Davis, America has the kind of fresh talent any qualifying team would kill for.

With the games not so far away, let's take a look at a few reasons why Team USA's young players will step up and carry the team to Olympic glory.

The Team Will Need to Push the Pace

Team USA's lack of size has been well-documented, with Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh and now Blake Griffin all missing the trip to London because of various injuries. In order to make up for the missing big men, the team must be able to use their youth to control the tempo of the game.

Had the United States had their full compliment of players available, they could have built a roster where they could dominate the boards, slow the game down and play inside-out. Unfortunately, with only one true center on the roster in Tyson Chandler, that game plan is simply not a reality.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden are excellent at running the break and attacking the basket in transition. They both have excellent floor vision, are gifted passers and will be able to move quickly from defense to offense before their opponent has gotten back on defense.

Young big men Anthony Davis and Kevin Love will also have to run the floor hard and consistently carve out good position in the post. Davis showed at Kentucky that he is a tremendous athlete that can sprint up and down the floor and does not get worn down during the course of a game.

Love is not as athletic, but he could very well spend time at center due to his rebounding prowess and interior play.

Mike D'Antoni is one of the assistant coaches on the USA basketball squad, and running a form of his "seven-seconds-or-less" offense where they push the pace and look for a quick shot to catch the defense sleeping is the best way to create easy scoring opportunities.

They Can Run a Brutal Defensive Press

The USA's roster is filled with stalwart defenders. LeBron James is capable of covering all five positions thanks to his strength and quickness, Kobe Bryant can still shut down opposing guards thanks to his defensive instincts and Tyson Chandler, the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is excellent at covering the post and pulling down tough rebounds.

Still, the team's young guns are also capable of playing high level defense, and will be trapping opponents and pressuring them full court.

Chris Paul is capable of disrupting the rhythm of opposing point guard easily with his pickpocketing skills and lateral quickness. The same goes for Russell Westbrook, who despite not being a great one-on-one defender is capable of forcing turnovers easily and getting out on the break.

One constant for Team USA is their ability to crank up their defensive intensity when necessary. Because the team is comprised of entirely of NBA players (unless you don't count Anthony Davis as one yet), they are almost all capable of playing extremely high level defense that can suffocate teams with less talent.

They have great mobile forwards in Davis and Kevin Durant whose length can disrupt any opposing offensive player, but who can move around the court and cover multiple positions if necessary. Davis, in particular, as an agile shot blocker and help defender will play a crucial role in the team's defense during his minutes on the court.

Against Brazil, the team forced 12 second quarter turnovers, helping to erase a double-digit deficit and seize control of the game.

The United States may not have the most intimidating presence in the paint, but their young legs are all capable of playing the kind of full court defense that will allow them to seize a lead and throttle their opponent.

They Can Help Offset the Team's Lack of Size

I've harped on it plenty in this article, but Team USA will need to do everything possible to make up for their small roster when playing supersized countries like Brazil and Spain, who boast a bevy of talented frontcourt players that could prevent serious issues.

Brazil has Anderson Varejao, Nene and Tiago Splitter in their rotation, all of whom are capable of hitting the glass and scoring on the interior, while Spain features the Gasol brothers, who are multi-faceted and capable of playing both power forward and center as well as shot blocking machine Serge Ibaka.

Davis and Love must both be willing to log time out of position at center, a position they are capable of playing, and use their physical tools to offset what could be a height and weight difference. Love is strong and capable of carving out excellent position in the post and for rebounds, while Davis' length and leaping ability allow him to alter shots from larger big men and grab tough boards in traffic.

Even the team's perimeter players will need to contribute, throwing double teams at opponents on the block and working to swarm and force turnovers. Westbrook, Harden and Durant are all capable of hitting the boards and the team will need to gang-rebound often to keep the bigger opponents from killing them on the offensive glass or limiting them to just one shot each time down the floor.

Unlike past squads, this team does not boast a Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan capable of destroying opponents on the interior. Tyson Chandler is a good defender and rebounder, but cannot create offense consistently and is the only true center on the roster.

In order for Team USA to succeed oversees, their young players will need to work hard to play above their size and make up for their glaring weakness, even if it means playing outside of their normal position or comfort zone.

They Are the Team's Main Perimeter Scoring Threats

Sure, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony can hit their share of outside shots, but for Team USA, their youth movement features the bulk of their more consistent scorers from distance. Harden (39 percent from three-point range), Durant (38.7), Love (37.2) and Paul (37.1) will be counted on to shoot the ball well and open up the floor for their teammates.

With a three-point line that is nearly two feet shorter than the NBA's arc, the three ball is a huge part of the international game. Teams like Argentina are capable of hitting outside shots, so the United States needs to be able to answer back consistently.

By hitting their shots from deep, the U.S.' marksmen will create driving lanes for their teammates. Forcing defenders to play tight to their man will allow the likes of Kobe, LeBron and Iguodala to slash to the basket or exploit an available opening off the dribble. It will also create room for players to attack from the block and use their size, because opponents cannot pack the paint.

Love and Durant are capable shooters even with their height, meaning they can draw opposing big men onto the perimeter and away from the basket. Paul and Harden are capable of both spotting up in the corner and pulling up off the dribble, and despite not being a great three-shooter Russell Westbrook can heat up from deep and will benefit from the line being slightly closer to the hoop.

Team USA has plenty of players capable of attacking a defense, getting into the lane and drawing multiple defenders, so it is essential that there are shooters camped out on the perimeter waiting for the ball.

Drive-and-kick offense will be one of the best ways for America to rack up points, and they will need their young guns to find their touch in order to take home the Gold in London.

Because They Are All Capable Playmakers

Not only is the Team USA roster full of young star power, but nearly all of the team's neophytes are extremely skilled at making plays and creating offense for themselves or their teammates. Against some stiff international competition, the ability to switch ball handlers and have players from multiple positions and with very different skill sets initiate the offense will prove to be a nightmare cover for opponents.

Coach Krzyzewski can use the Thunder's three stars all as primary ball handlers. Durant has an excellent handle for a forward and has shown improved passing instincts to the point where he can make plays with the ball at the top of the key. His size and length make him an extremely difficult cover and his ability to get to his spots, raise up and fire over opponents means they must play him tight at all times. Add to that his natural unselfishness, and he makes an excellent point-forward option.

Harden, despite being a natural shooting guard, runs a very crisp and effective pick-and-roll. He was considered by many to be Oklahoma City's best playmaker, even with Russell Westbrook, and will have big men like Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love at his disposal who have proven they can score consistently in pick-and-roll offense. He has great floor vision and can thrive both on and off the ball when necessary thanks to his heady game and high basketball IQ.

Westbrook is an elite athlete capable of breaking down a defense and getting to the rim at will. He can carve up opposing defenses, challenge players much larger then him and once the defense collapses find open shooters on the perimeter. He needs to improve his shot selection to maximize his contributions on the court, but Westbrook has shown that he can make tough passes and find his teammates in their spots on the court.

Obviously Paul is a phenomenal passer whose ability to read a defense and place the ball perfectly makes him nearly impossible to guard. Love and Davis are both solid passers out of the post and can find cutters slashing to the rim from the low block.

Team USA has no shortage of young playmakers, and their unselfishness and passing abilities will play a huge role in the team's success this summer.