Breaking Down Why Kevin Durant and LeBron James Thrive in International Play

After four tune-up games in anticipation of Team USA's attempt to win another Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics, two players have stood out among the superstars lining a fearsome roster.

Unsurprisingly, those two players also stood out as the best at their NBA craft in 2011-12.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant thrive any time they find themselves on a basketball court, but all the more so against the rest of the world. Between James' versatility and Durant's unstoppable scoring ability, Team USA finds itself in some very capable hands.

It would be misleading to describe this rotation as a two-headed monster.

There's far too much talent on board to pretend as though these two perennial MVP candidates are the only reason the U.S. has hope this summer.

Nevertheless, they're the ones leading the club in scoring through their first four contests, and they're doing so by a longshot. Durant is averaging 18.8 points per game pursuant to a dominant 27-point performance against Argentina, and James has steadily poured in 17 per contest to go along with 5.3 rebounds and a smattering of assists.

There are some obvious reasons for the impressive results.

The first among them is that their combination of talent and unique physical tools make them mismatches against the world's best. If the NBA's elite struggle to contain these guys, it goes without saying the rest of the world will have it that much harder.

Durant is longer and quicker than any international players he'll face on the perimeter. His insanely high release-point makes it virtually impossible for opponents to stop his jumper, and the slightly closer three-point line could allow him to have a field-day from range any time he's in the mood.

The seven three-pointers he poured in against Argentina speak volumes here.

Meanwhile, James is simply too big, strong and fast to be stopped. 

At 6'8", he's also one of the very best passers in the world. His ability to exploit mismatches has had a lot to do with the three MVP awards he's earned, and it will have even more to do with Team USA's success against competition that simply doesn't measure up athletically.

Those skill sets also make it nearly impossible for other squads to rely on the zone to stop the U.S.A.'s firepower.

With James breaking those sets down with his drive-and-kick ability and Durant spotting up to finish the job, head coach Mike Krzyzewski boasts a one-two punch that can bust even the most elaborate defensive schemes.

Ultimately, James and Durant excel against the rest of the world for many of the same reasons they excel in the NBA.

They're simply able to do so in an even more lopsided and exaggerated fashion.

Even opponents with NBA talent don't have the necessary athletic tools to make this a fair fight. Argentina stands out among international foes thanks to their reliance on the exceptional talent of guys like Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola.

Regardless, neither of those two has what it takes to even begin to stop Durant or James.

Nor does the rest of the world.