3) Jrue Holiday-Kawhi Leonard
Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday and LA Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard are known as two of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Moreover, putting two ballhawks on the court at the same time could pose a major problem for opponents this summer.
Especially since both could come off the bench for Team USA. Imagine having to go up against a talent-filled starting lineup consisting of Steph Curry, Jason Tatum, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid, only for Curry and LeBron to be subbed out for Holiday in Kawhi.
Team USA only has three "traditional" centers with Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo, suggesting that we will see a lot of small ball. Of course, they have positional size with LeBron, Durant, and Kawhi, while Holiday is more than capable of locking down guards and some wings.
That gives Team USA coach Steve Kerr plenty of options to mix and match and Holiday and Kawhi will be key to that lineup flexibility. He could pair Curry and Holiday together in certain lineups or try Kawhi and LeBron or Durant together to see if they can wreck havoc. Ultimately, Holiday and Kawhi might not be the first pairing that comes to mind but their inclusion on the roster is huge.