The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio are only 59 days away, which means it is almost time for the national team to gear up to make another run at a gold medal. While there has been news about, which NBA players will not be a part of the national team for the upcoming Summer Games. The USA Basketball Select Team roster is starting to take form as they will help prepare the national team and be able showcase their talent in front of the Team USA brass.
The players that are on the USA Basketball select team are Malcolm Brodgon, Devin Booker, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Willie Cauley-Stein, Kris Dunn, Aaron Gordon, Rodney Hood, Brandon Ingram, Brice Johnson, Stanley Johnson, C.J. McCollum, Doug McDermott, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, Marcus Smart, Myles Turner, Denzel Valentine, Zach LaVine, Justise Winslow and Cody Zeller.
You can also add two Sixers players to the team as according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jerami Grant and Jahlil Okafor have been named to the squad.
This is a great honor for both young players especially Grant, who has taken major strides this season in his young career. Grant, the 21-year-old improved in all statistical categories this season being force on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. This season, he averaged 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.
He also averaged a ridiculous 1.6 blocks per game, which was better than Nerlens Noel, who only averaged 1.5. Grant’s shooting also improved as he shot 41.9 percent from the field and 47.7 percent, when it came to two-point field goals. Grant is only 6-foot-8 and is still developing as a NBA player, this opportunity with Team USA should serve him well.
Finally, when it comes to Okafor, it was only a matter of time before we heard his named being called by Team USA. As a high schooler, he played on the 2014 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team and the 2012 USA U17 World Championship Team. This season with the Sixers, Okafor dominated as a rookie averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 30 minutes per game.
For the 20-year-old Okafor, this will be a great challenge for him to go up against big men such as DeMarcus Cousins or Andre Drummond if they both make the final roster for the senior team. Okafor’s season ended in March as he suffered a small meniscus tear in his right knee. It was said that Okafor should be able to resume basketball activities six weeks after surgery, so he should be good to go.
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