Suns' Stars Projected to Represent USA in 2024 Olympics
The United States typically assembles the best roster in any international contest - and though the world has greatly accepted and engraved the game of basketball - the red white and blue will always be favorites in every game they play.
Team USA wasn't able to walk away with either gold, silver or bronze in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and now there's heavy expectations to rebound in the 2024 Olympic Games.
That could see the NBA's biggest stars enter the mix after guys such as Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges were two of the mainstays for this World Cup squad - which no slander on them, but it wasn't exactly the strongest American team possible.
In Bleacher Report's projections of who will make the Olympic roster next year, Phoenix Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were obvious choices to make the list as starters alongside Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Davis.
Starting Guard: Devin Booker
Andy Bailey: "Devin Booker has been one of the game's most complete scorers for most of his career, but he's reached another, more complete, level as a postseason performer.
"In his 43 playoff games, he's putting up 28.0 points, 5.2 assists and 2.8 threes, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from deep and 89.1 percent from the line.
"And while he's probably not going to contend for any All-Defense nods in the near future, he competes on that end. His 6'5" frame gives him good size for a 2, which also helps.
"With him and Curry, USA would almost certainly have the best backcourt in Paris (though Canada's Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might have something to say about that)."
Starting Forward: Kevin Durant
Bailey: "When you include the 2019-20 season he missed entirely due to a torn Achilles, Durant has averaged just 34.3 appearances per campaign over the last four years.
"But when he plays, Durant is still perhaps the most unguardable, high-volume scorer in basketball.
"Over the last two years, he's put up 29.5 points per game with a true shooting percentage 7.9 points over the league average.
"He also has solid rebounding (7.1) and assist (5.7) averages over that stretch, suggesting he'd help in those two areas, as well.
"And, on what would essentially be an All-Star team playing 10-minute-quarter games, he probably wouldn't be required to play much more than 20 minutes per game. That'd cut down the injury risk.
"Perhaps most importantly, though, Durant has played in each of the last four Olympic tournaments and is one of the most prolific scorers in Team USA history. In 31 games for the senior national team, KD has put up 20.6 points. And he has four gold medals to show for it."
