In Addition To Joel Embiid We Can Now Add Jayson Tatum And Bam Adebayo To The Beyond Stacked Team USA Roster

Ned Dishman. Getty Images.

As Jordie broke down this morning when the news broke, Joel Embiid finally made a decision and is choosing to ride with Team USA. Add that to the commitments we had already from LeBron, KD, AD, Devin Booker and Steph and Team USA is shaping up quite nicely. Hell, you could stop the roster there and only play with those 6 guys and still probably win gold. 

But unfortunately for the rest of the world…

Call me crazy, but considering Tatum was one of the best players on Team USA during the last Olympics, I think it's safe to suggest he'll get the invite. No need to suggest the whole "if invited part" Same with Steph, even though he phrased it as "if he makes the team". Uhhh yeah dude. You're Steph Curry. I think you'll be able to find a spot.

Maybe because this is the last chance for all of these older superstars is why finally all the best of the best are down to play, or maybe the extremely embarrassing FIBA World Cup finishes are what did it, or maybe it was the fact that we keep hearing about how the rest of the world is catching up with the US in basketball, but when you see all these names now officially on board it's hard to not get this vibe

I think it's fair to now ask the question not if Team USA will win gold, but will this be the most dominant showing we've ever seen? That's a bold claim I know. The Dream Team exists. Looking back at Team USA history, there are also these tidbits to remember

- The 1956 team led by Bill Russell and KC Jones had an average margin of victory of 53.5 points (!!!)

- The 1960 team had an average margin of victory of 42.4 points

- The 1992 Dream Team had an average margin of victory of 43.8 points, second all time.

- In more recent years, the 2008 Redeem Team had an average margin of victory of 28 points

- The 2012 team was an offensive powerhouse, averaging 115.5 points per game which was the 2nd highest ever for Team USA. They had a margin of victory of 32.1

- The 2020 gold medal team was probably the "weakest", averaging just 99 points a game with a 20 point margin of victory

I see no reason why based on the names we've seen commit and then the additional names that are going to try and make the team that this can't be a combination of say the 1992 Dream Team in terms of margin of victory and then rival the offense of the 2012 team. So yeah, I don't think it's crazy to suggest this might end up being one of if not the best Team USA's we've ever seen.

There's just no solution for opposing countries on either end of the floor. If you don't double Embiid, he's going to dunk on you or turn and face and hit a jumper in your eyeball. If you do double, he can easily kick it out to Steph/Tatum/Booker/KD etc. With Embiid/Bam/AD on the frontline, you have quickness, switchability, and rebounding coming from your frontcourt. As we just saw in FIBA, rebounding was a huge issue. 

Can you imagine a P&R set with let's say Steph and Embiid or Steph and LeBron with these types of shooters around them? I seriously have no idea how you stop it. If you don't guard the roll man, it's over. If you try and switch, you now have Steph Curry up against a big. You can't cheat in because you have legit shooters on the weakside and then the strongside corner. It's basketball death everywhere you look. 

So to me, the goal shouldn't just be gold. That's always the baseline expectation, no matter what the Team USA roster is. But given the firepower that is already on board, the goal should be to become the greatest Team USA we've ever seen at the Olympics. I'll honestly be shocked if they don't.