USA Basketball: 3 Takeaways From Win Against Argentina

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Jul 19, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USA forward Carmelo Anthony (left) and guard Kevin Durant (middle) and forward Draymond Green (right) look on during a practice at Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports /

Who needs LeBron James or Stephen Curry?

With players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, James Harden, Damian Lillard and many other top players not playing in the Olympics for one reason or another, it led some folks to wonder if the 2016 USA Olympic team was vulnerable.

It became easy to look at the roster for the Olympic team and the names who weren’t on there stood out more than the names of the players who did make it.

From the early going of Friday’s exhibition, Team USA’s play allowed those who wondered if some of the top players staying home would lead to a repeat of the USA’s embarrassing results in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and 2004 Olympics to exhale.

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The team still has a great talent advantage over every other team that they will play and that was exhibited by the team’s depth of talent. It’s important to remember that every player on the Team USA roster is not only an NBA player, but a high-level player at the NBA-level.

If you were to pick the top 12 players in the game against Argentina, it’s safe to say that 11 of the players would come from the USA roster, with Manu Ginobili having a case for the 12th spot against Harrison Barnes (I’d still take Barnes, but if you wanted Ginobili, I wouldn’t laugh at you).

Playing against Argentina was a great measuring stick as they possess a roster that will resemble some of the best competition that Team USA will face in Rio.

The United States has such a great and deep talent pool that they don’t need the top 12 players in the country to play for them to win gold. Obviously, they’d prefer that James, Curry and the rest of the elite players in the NBA to play, but these guys with “USA” on their jerseys aren’t too bad.

Kevin Durant is unfair. Carmelo Anthony is one of the best international players to ever play. Paul George is far too long, athletic, and skilled for other countries to handle. Kyrie Irving can embarrass defenders on any given play. DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan are too big and too athletic.

This team is too good, too well-rounded, and just better than the competition.

No LeBron, no Curry, no problem.

Next: Cousins, Jordan Aren't Fair