USA vs Tunisia: Players Who Should Get Extra Minutes Against Weak Opponent

The United States basketball team should easily win its upcoming match against Tunisia, but that does not mean the game does not have value.

Tunisia comes into the Olympics ranked No. 32 in the world according to FIBA, have zero NBA players and the team lost its opening matchup against Nigeria.

Conversely, the Americans are expected to sweep through the tournament with ease with a squad that rivals the 1992 Dream Team that featured 11 Hall of Fame players.

This game will not be an indicator of the team's quest for gold. Still, coach Mike Krzyzewski can use it as a way to get some of his bench players some extra playing time to help prepare the squad for the tougher games later in the competition. 

These players especially should see a boost in minutes in the upcoming game.

Anthony Davis

In a span of a little more than one year, Anthony Davis went from playing high school basketball to dominating the NCAA to eventually playing on a team with the best players in the world at the Olympics. This is all happening really fast, and the center is still struggling to get acclimated to the speed.

Davis has been used sparingly throughout the exhibition season and played a team-low eight minutes in the opening game against France. This is justified as he is the least experienced player, but the game against Tunisia might be a great time to give the youngster some confidence.

With teams with better frontcourts still to come in the tournament, the former Kentucky player might be needed in key situations. Therefore, he needs to get all of his jitters out of the way now.

Kevin Love

With only one player over 6'9", Kevin Love should have a field day against Tunisia. His ability to rebound as well as step out for jump shots is nearly impossible to guard for anyone in the world, but this opponent will not come close.

By allowing Love to get more playing time, Tyson Chandler can get more rest as he prepares to face tougher teams like Spain and Argentina. Chandler is the only true center on the roster, and he will be more important against teams that can match the U.S. physically.

Most other positions on the U.S. roster are replaceable, but they do not have much depth up front and they should save their best defensive players for the important games.

James Harden

Although the entire U.S. roster has players who can shoot the ball successfully from deep, Harden might be the best three-point specialist on the team.

Unfortunately, the Oklahoma City guard was 0-for-3 from behind the arc in the first game against France.

The team needs him to spread the floor on offense and allow the rest of the players to drive the line with ease. However, he will be ineffective until he can get on track.

Against Tunisia, Harden should get free range to shoot as much as he wants until he gets into a shooting rhythm. By the end of the game, he should be automatic whenever he gets an open shot.

With these extra weapons, no one will be able to even come close to defeating the American team in these Olympics.

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