USA vs. Brazil: Why Kevin Durant Should Come off the Bench

When Team USA takes on Brazil in an Olympic tuneup Monday night, coach Mike Krzyzewski needs to continue to use forward Kevin Durant off the bench.

It is difficult to not start one of the top players in the NBA, but the team would be better off with Durant coming off the bench.

The Americans have an extremely athletic group, so there is really no wrong decision. 

While defeating the Dominican Republic 113-59 on Thursday, Durant came off the bench and was the game's leading scorer. There will be teams in the Olympics who are better than the Dominican Republic, but the strategy should not change.

Still needing to figure out a way to rotate players, a tuneup game against Brazil allows the coaches to see how players respond to their roles.

Brazil will be one of the biggest threats to the Americans, so they will be able to test their lineup rotation against a tough opponent before they go to London.

Benching the three-time NBA scoring champion would not be an easy decision, but Durant can give the team a boost if the starters struggle to get things going.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony was inserted into the starting lineup against the Domincan Republic and seemed to fit in well with the other starters.

Am I saying 'Melo is better than Durant? No.

However, he may be a better choice to play alongside the rest of the starters.

Anthony made three of his six shots and seven of eight free throws in limited action against the Dominican Republic. Durant ended up playing more minutes than Carmelo, but Coach K chose to give his starters most of the game off.

Giving 'Melo the opportunity to start consecutive games can give him confidence to play aggressively. 

Brazil has big men but not many players who can guard a physical 'Melo. Guilherme Giovannoni would likely draw the assignment of Anthony, and he would have trouble guarding him. 

As a member of the Redeem Team in 2008, 'Melo gained experience playing with every starter except Tyson Chandler. Because it won gold in Beijing, Team USA should not mess with the lineup.

Durant brings a team-first attitude and can embrace his new role.

LeBron James

The reigning NBA MVP (and Finals MVP) LeBron James will look to add to his legacy with another Olympic gold, so he could use an explosive player like Durant coming off the bench.

With a duo of LeBron and Durant on the floor to start a game, it would cause headaches for opponents. They would eventually need to come out of the game for a break, so why not make it so one is on the floor at all times?

The starters can put up points quickly to give the team a lead and then it can begin to rotate players in and out of the game.

LeBron and Durant played into June, so their legs will not be as fresh as they would like. Subbing Durant for LeBron would allow both players to get plenty of rest and not put too much stress on their bodies.

LeBron can play just about every position, and he plays better defense than Durant. 

Team USA will use different players at power forward, and LeBron could be matched up against former teammate Anderson Varejao. LeBron can shut Varejao down with great defense and he can get him in foul trouble by driving to the rim.

When he comes into the game, Durant would have an easier time getting to the rim with Varejao on the bench.

Brazil will be a good test for the Americans, but LeBron's ability to get their big men off the floor will open the door for Durant to take over.   

If last Thursday was any indication of things to come, both stars can play into the third quarter before leaving for good. Team USA will not blow every team out by 54 points, but the team will not need either player to rack up the minutes.

Although the two would be great together, Team USA would be better off by making sure one of the two players is on the court until the game is out of reach.    

Chemistry with Other Bench Players

The ability to play alongside the other bench players is probably the biggest reason Durant should start the game on the bench.

Brazil has a talented squad, but they do not have the depth to keep up with the Americans. Leandro Barbosa can be a good player, but he will eventually run out of gas when Team USA brings in players off the bench.

Starters will play with substitutes throughout a game, but Team USA has the ability to make a mass substitution to give its starters a break.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden are also on the bench, so the Thunder trio would bring great chemistry when they enter a game. 

Westbrook has turned into an explosive player and he began to play well with Durant as the season went on. Harden is a great defender, and he will try to involve his teammates on offense.

When they play their best, these players play quicker than almost any group in the world. They can get up and down the court in a hurry to score points in transition.

Chandler, Kevin Love and Andre Iguodala can rotate to fill the other two positions when the Thunder players are on the court. 

They can come in when the game is starting to turn into a blowout and remain in the game until they put the game out of reach.

The team has an incredible amount of talent and they can be even better if they keep the trio together. 

More Opportunities to Shoot

Even though Durant would benefit from playing with Chris Paul, he would have to share the ball with the other starters.

With LeBron and Kobe Bryant on the floor at the same time, Durant would need to defer to them at times. 

If he came off the bench, Westbrook would be the only player he would have to share the ball with. After playing together for a few seasons now, Westbrook and Durant have no problem throwing the ball up to each other.

With Brazil, they do not have anybody to come out and cover Durant. At 6'9", he is taller than any guard on Brazil's roster. Although he is considered a forward, Brazil does not have a forward who can keep up with him.

LeBron, Kobe and Durant can take advantage of the defense if they were on the court at the same time, but it would be difficult to figure out a way to get those three enough touches.

Kobe, who sat out the final game of the regular season with the scoring title on the line, may be playing in his final Olympics. He will want to go out with a great showing and look to put up a lot of points.

Although LeBron is a great distributor, he will look to get his shots. 

Durant would get more looks with the second unit, so he can take over when he enters a game without Kobe and LeBron on the floor.

Matchups

It may not happen every time Durant enters a game, but coming off the bench may allow him to play when the opposing team's big men are not on the floor.

This will be a factor against Brazil and Spain.

Brazil features Nenê and Varejao down low, but they do not have much behind them. The starters can wear those two players down and let Durant come in to finish them off.

Both of Brazil's big men come in at 6'11", so Durant will not be giving up much size. Those are the team's tallest players, and it would be even easier for Durant to drive in the lane if he came in when they were on the bench. 

With the Gasol brothers, Spain can give teams trouble inside and make it difficult for anyone to get to the basket.

Team USA should not have too much trouble, but Durant could come onto the court with one or both of the Gasol brothers on the bench. Spain has depth with Serge Ibaka but does not have the talent to stop Durant. 

The Americans can get teams into foul trouble and get opposing teams tired. When that happens, Durant will be able to blow by players and dominate.

The Thunder trio would benefit from staying together and coming in when the opponents are tired. Their pace of play can put a game out of reach in a hurry.

While no opposing player in the world can stop Durant, he can be a dominant player who gives the starters a break.