US Olympic Basketball Team 2016: Roster, Jerseys, Top Comments and Predictions

A lot of the best stars in the NBA decided against playing in the 2016 Summer Olympics, but that won't keep the United States basketball team from being the overwhelming favorites in Rio de Janeiro. 

League MVPs Stephen Curry and LeBron James chose not to take the trip to Brazil along with James Harden, Chris Paul and a handful of other top players. Then again, you can live with losing that type of talent when you also have Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and more.

That overwhelming pool of talent has Team USA entering the tournament as -1600 favorites, according to Odds Shark. This means a $1,600 winning bet would only earn you $100 in return. Nothing is guaranteed at this level, but the Americans certainly have the best chance at taking home gold.

Even if there isn't much competition, the next few weeks should be quite a show from some of the best players in the world.

No.	Player	Pos.	NBA Team
15	Carmelo Anthony	F	New York Knicks
8	Harrison Barnes	F	Dallas Mavericks
4	Jimmy Butler	G	Chicago Bulls
12	DeMarcus Cousins	C	Sacramento Kings
9	DeMar DeRozan	G	Toronto Raptors
5	Kevin Durant	F	Golden State Warriors
13	Paul George	F	Indiana Pacers
14	Draymond Green	F	Golden State Warriors
10	Kyrie Irving	G	Cleveland Cavaliers
6	DeAndre Jordan	C	Los Angeles Clippers
7	Kyle Lowry	G	Toronto Raptors
11	Klay Thompson	G	Golden State Warriors

Uniforms

Nike is outfitting the United States squad with its Vapor uniforms, modeled here by Durant and Elena Delle Donne:

While the white alone is a bit dull, the alternative options provide more of a patriotic touch, per Chris Chavez of Sports Illustrated:

In reality, the only things that matter are the "USA" across the chest and the American flag in the corner, which should be enough to get players into the Olympic spirit.

Predictions

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Every Olympic team is different. The Dream Team from 1992 is the "gold standard" when it comes to international competition, although the last two squads with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others were still pretty dominant.

Somehow, the 2016 team has been even better in competitions to this point, per ESPN Stats & Info:

However, none of the exhibitions mean anything when it comes to competing in the Olympics. There are a handful of quality teams such as Spain, France, Lithuania and host country Brazil that can pull off an upset if the squad isn't focused.

Anthony isn't worried about the upcoming games, per Marc Berman of the New York Post:

As DeMar DeRozan points out, one of the biggest issues is getting ready to play right out of the gate.

"We're a talented team, it's about just finding a rhythm," DeRozan said, per Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. "We find rhythms later in the first quarter, in the second quarter. Now, it's about just starting from the gate."

Therein lies the greatest challenge the team will face. There is no denying the talent from top to bottom with a lineup of All-Stars and NBA champions. The challenge is developing chemistry among players who have never competed on the same team.

The good news is the players seem to be getting along off the court (except Melo):

While this was a funny moment on the plane, singalongs always go a long way toward bonding.

As far as how the team looks on the court, head coach Mike Krzyzewski is happy with his options.

"It’s probably the most versatile team that we’ve had," Krzyzewski said, per Steven J. Gaither of Sporting News. "We can put a group out there to really go after people."

It's rare for an international team to be this loaded with defensive stars such as Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson, all of whom are capable of guarding multiple positions on the court. Additionally, being able to move wings like Anthony, Durant, DeRozan and George to different spots gives the coaching staff almost unlimited options throughout the tournament.

While there are some opponents who can match up reasonably well with the starting lineup, no one in the Olympics will be able to handle all the different options Team USA will have throughout the tournament.

The Americans are missing some of their top options and still have two or three of the best in the world at each position. There is simply no team that can stop them, and frankly, no team should come close. 

Predicted finish: gold medal

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