Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who was invited as a replacement in the Team USA mincamp, argues that the players who will represent the USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup should be prioritized for the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
On The Jump, Marcus Smart says the guys playing on this year's Team USA should be given priority for making the next team competing in the Olympics because they're the ones putting in the work to qualify
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) July 29, 2019
Team USA saw a slew of top NBA stars withdrew from FIBA World Cup selection, headlined by Anthony Davis, James Harden, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal. Paul Millsap, Kevin Love, Tobias Harris and rookie Zion Williamson also opted not to join the talent pool for the quadrennial affair that will be held in China this August.
Team USA doesn't usually send their strongest players in FIBA tournaments, as they are more focused on the Olympics. In fact, the 2020 pool for the Olympics include LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry.
Still, Smart makes a valid point. They are the ones who are playing for the team right now, and they should at least be given proper considerations when the selection for the Olympic team takes place.
The FIBA World Cup is set to take place from August 31 to September 15. Aside from Smart, Team USA will also have his Celtics teammates Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. There's also Kyle Lowry, Donovan Mitchell, Khris Middleton, Harrison Barnes, Kyle Kuzma, PJ Tucker, Thaddeus Young, Julius Randle, Andre Drummond, Brook Lopez, Masom Plumlee and Myles Turner.
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