Team USA has dominated the Basketball Olympics since its existence. Out of the 20 Olympics that have been played since basketball was added, the USA has won 16 gold medals in the sport. There have also been years of complete dominance, with squads like the Dream team and the Redeem team. Coming into the Paris Olympics, they have won straight Gold since 2008. However, there might be a team this year that has a chance of dethroning Team USA, which is France’s hometown team.
Olympics: Qualified Teams
To make it clear, the odds of France defeating the USA are not very high. But, their young and hungry squad likely has a better chance of beating the US squad than any other team. None of these rosters have been confirmed, but these teams will likely send their best players available.
Canada
Team Canada is being led by superstar Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, and they have an extremely talented roster. They have great guards on their team such as Jamal Murray and RJ Barrett. However, their problem comes in their front court as they don’t have much help down low. Their best big men include talent such as Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell.
Australia
Australia has also qualified for the Olympics, but Josh Giddey, playing with veterans and role players, will probably not be making much noise in this year’s games. They have decent talent such as Josh Green and Patty Mills, however, that can’t be compared to Team USA. They also suffer from the lack of big men on their roster.
Other Teams
Japan is another team that has qualified for the Olympics. However, they have a roster that consists of only one NBA player, Yuta Watanabe, so they won’t be doing much. South Sudan has nobody on their roster competing at the top level, so the same can be said for them.
Team Germany has a decent roster, being led by future star Franz Wagner and his brother Mo Wagner. They also have a good point guard in Dennis Schroder. They have a starting caliber center in Daniel Theis as well, but the team lacks depth. Besides their starting five, they don’t have a compelling case against Team USA.
Serbia is an interesting case, as they’re led by arguably the best player in the NBA right now in Nikola Jokic. They also have some decent NBA players on their roster in Nikola Jovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic. However, the rest of their roster consists of players who are role players in the Euroleague. They also have a depth problem and will likely not be competition to the US roster.
Unqualified Teams
Other teams such as Slovenia, Greece, and Spain could have a chance of qualifying for the Olympics, but all of those teams have a depth problem similar to some of the other teams that have already qualified.
Team USA
This year, Team USA might be the best we’ve seen since 2008. Kevin Durant, Lebron James, and Stephen Curry have all announced that they want to compete in this year’s Olympics. This would be Lebron’s first appearance since 2012. Durant has played in every Olympics throughout his time in the league. Shockingly, Curry has yet to play in the Olympics, so if he joins the roster this year it would be his first appearance for Team USA.
The 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid has also confirmed that he will play for Team USA, likely because it would give him the best chance of earning Gold. Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, and Kyrie Irving are also top names in the player pool for the Olympics.
This is easily the best team on paper heading into France, as they would have a stacked roster from top to bottom consisting of All-Stars.
Team France
The hometown team, France, has a young roster that might have a legitimate chance to take down the powerhouse US squad. France will be led by future superstar Victor Wembanyama, the 7’4 unicorn who has taken the NBA by storm. Wemby has already proved that he can hang with the best, and he has shone at the top level against NBA stars. Team France will also be joined by defensive beast Rudy Gobert. Gobert is a huge favorite to win the 2024 DPOY award, as he has done so three times in the past. He has also helped the Timberwolves become a top team in the West, as they are currently the 3rd seed.
Top Prospects
The question then becomes who else would join these two stars on Team France. The answer to that question is the projected #1 and #2 overall picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 7’1 projected #1 overall draft pick Alexandre Sarr is currently playing in Australia’s NBL. If France were to pick him up for the Olympics, he and Wemby would be an unstoppable force that even the US might not know how to play against. Like Wembanyama, Sarr is an athletic rim protector and can defend from the perimeter and interior. If France decides to play Sarr and Wemby at the same time, it would be nearly impossible for Team USA to score inside. With Gobert and Victor likely starting at the 4 and the 5, having a beast like Sarr coming off the bench every game would be huge for Team France.
Likely joining them is the projected #2 pick in the upcoming draft, forward Zaccharrie Rissacher. In need of some outsider shooting and space creating, France is lucky to have a forward like Rissacher who could knock down threes from any part of the court. Rissacher is currently playing in the LNB Pro A, the same league Wemby played in before he got drafted. He is currently shooting 38% from three in the league and 56% from three in the EuroCup. Rissacher also adds to France’s defense, as his awareness is off the charts. He’s shown that he can disrupt plays and knows how to defend on the ball. Being a 6’9 small forward, he helps add more size to the already huge France team.
Other Players
Nicholas Batum and Evan Fournier will likely join Team France in the upcoming Olympics as the team’s shooting guards. The two players have shown that they are still NBA-worthy players, though their skill and level of play have deteriorated. However, both players are still playing solid minutes in the NBA, showing that they are still top-level talent. Frank Ntillikina is another guard who will probably play for France in the Olympics as their starting point guard. Ntillikina has not gotten a chance to prove how good he can be, but these games could be a chance for him to show that he can play more minutes in the NBA.
Another lottery-projected pick in the 2024 draft class, Tidjane Salaun, is someone France might consider picking up for the Olympics. Salaun is an athletic forward who has great size in his position. He is a versatile defender, showing that he’s capable of defending guards and big men. He is also a decent three-point shooter, though his shot-creating ability needs some work.
Team France vs Team USA
In terms of talent, although Team France has a young athletic roster, they can’t be compared to Team USA. The talent levels of guys like Lebron, Curry, Durant, and Embiid cannot be matched by any other national team.
However, the conversation can start being made when looking at this matchup stylistically. Although Team USA will have big men such as Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis, they can’t match up size-wise to Team France. The French forwards and centers heavily outside the US frontcourt. The same can be said for France’s guards, as both Nic Batum and Evan Fournier are 6’8 and 6’7, respectively.
France is also arguably a better team defensively, with most of their players being athletic, versatile defenders. With their size and long reach, it would be difficult for Team USA and any team in the Olympics to score on them. Despite that, it seems the USA’s roster is just too overpowered. They will likely have a team consisting completely of stars, and that’s something that even France’s size can’t compete with.
Although France has lots of potential on their roster, a Gold medal win will probably not happen in the 2024 Olympics.
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