5 Concerns for Team USA Men's Basketball as 2024 Paris Olympics Loom

The 2024 Olympics basketball tournament starts this weekend, and after a full slate of tuneup games, it's not hard to see why Team USA is an overwhelming favorite to take the gold.

Several countries in the fray have NBA talent on the roster, but no one boasts as much as the Americans. Overcoming their depth, athleticism and star power will be very difficult.

But recent closer-than-expected contests against South Sudan and Germany may have some wondering if this group is vulnerable. And the short answer is yes.

Even with a roster that includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Team USA winning this tournament is not a foregone conclusion.

The reasons for concern can be found below.

On a team with as many superstars as the USA, and with the truncated lead-up to the tournament, it's hard to develop real offensive cohesion.

And that's shown throughout these exhibition games. Instead of the possessions packed with the kind of ball and player movement we've come to expect from coach Steve Kerr's Golden State Warriors games, Team USA's offense is too often a "my turn, your turn" affair.

That's a little less common with some of the other national powers because there's more roster continuity from major tournament to major tournament.

Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton are the Americans from the 2023 team that took fourth place at the FIBA World Cup. So, to a certain extent, players relying on their one-on-one prowess should be expected.

But in the medal rounds, Team USA's offense bogging down to the degree it has in some of these exhibition games could cost this squad its ultimate goal.

Even with the quick turnaround from the NBA playoffs to the mini-training camp in Las Vegas to the tipoff of this tournament, the Americans need to do a better job of moving without the ball and creating advantages with their passing.

The roster certainly features plenty of gifted distributors, including Haliburton, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, but more than just those three have to buy in on that front.

This is a relatively quick tournament. From the opening of the group stage on July 27 through the gold-medal game on August 10, it's basically a two-week event.

And there's probably no team in the field better equipped to handle an absence or two than this one. There are All-NBA and multi-time All-Star talents on Team USA's bench.

But to this point, they're being led by a 39-year-old LeBron James. Lack of durability has always been a concern for Joel Embiid. And Kevin Durant is already dinged up. He's missed all these warm-up games with a calf strain.

If the injury bug strikes, and there isn't much time for recovery, the Americans' shot at gold could, at the very least, be affected.

If you were to watch an NBA regular-season game and then immediately follow it up with a bout between two national teams, the difference in officiating would be striking.

In the NBA, officiating has gravitated heavily toward an offense-favored approach. Even with the implementation of the flopping technical for 2023-24, foul grifting maintained a constant presence throughout the league.

NBA players know that theatrics, tricks and straight-up faking can get them freebies at the line, so it's kind of hard to blame them for going for it.

FIBA officials, on the other hand, aren't fooled anywhere near as much.

The international game has become far more physical than the NBA. And most international players, including those who play professionally in the NBA, seem better suited for (or at least more used to) that style.

If a big, physical team gets a little rough with Team USA, knocks it out of its rhythm and comfort zone and maintains its own composure, the Americans are beatable.

Having to survive four separate seven-game series to secure an NBA championship typically means the last team standing was usually that season's best.

Over that large a sample size, barring significant injuries, the best rosters usually prevail.

The Olympics, like March Madness, have no such safety net for the favorites. If you're off for one night in the medal round, you could be done. If you run into a team with less talent that just happens to be on a heater from three, you could be done.

So, while there is a pretty significant talent gap between Team USA and the rest of this field (especially when you look at the benches) the "anything can happen" nature of a one-and-done tournament like this should have fans glued to their TVs.

Once we get past the group stage, things can get real volatile, real quick.

Ultimately, Team USA's vulnerability has more to do with the rest of the world than it does with them. And it has a previous iteration of the squad to thank for that development.

The 1992 Dream Team inspired basketball fans all over the world. On the heels of that tournament, NBA commissioner David Stern aimed to expand the worldwide talent pool. And he accomplished his goal.

Now, arguably, the five best players in the NBA are all from outside the United States. Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid (now on Team USA, of course) and Giannis Antetokounmpo have won the last seven MVP awards. Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are now perennial candidates for that honor. Victor Wembanyama is likely next to join that tier.

The supporting casts on their national teams aren't quite as deep as Team USA's, but on a random night against Serbia, Greece, Slovenia (who didn't qualify for these Olympics) or France, the non-American side might have the best player on the floor.

That can go a long way toward winning a single basketball game.