The 2016 Olympics are over so why not start thinking about the 2020 Tokyo games? SI projects Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons to be highly sought after by USA Basketball.
It’s never too early to start thinking about the next Olympic games. Ben Golliver of SI got the ball rolling a few days ago, looking ahead at the Tokyo Olympics prospects for Detroit Pistons’ center Andre Drummond in 2020.
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Golliver used the criteria of first-time Olympians, eliminating anybody who has played for Team USA in past Olympic games. Players with World Cup and world championship experience were not exluded, and no current college players were included in the projection he used.
Players that have USA Basketball ties were given preferences while players who have turned down invites multiple times were eliminated.
In order of preference, Andre Drummond came in third on this roster, behind reigning MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs.
According to Golliver:
"USA Basketball has had to dig pretty deep to fill out its frontcourt in recent years. That will almost certainly be the case in 2020, unless Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and other previous Olympians decide to return. If Towns is indeed off the table, Drummond looks like the most proven option among Olympic rookies.Detroit’s new max-contract center fits the mold of the high-efficiency finishing, high-volume rebounding big man we’ve seen in Games past (Tyson Chandler in 2012, DeAndre Jordan in 2016). Although Drummond won gold at the 2014 FIBA World Cup after just two NBA seasons, the 2016 All-Star will only be 27 years old in 2020. Perfect."
The roster breaks down as follows, in order of preference:
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
3. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
4. John Wall, Washington Wizards
5. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
6. Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
7. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
8. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
9. Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
10. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
11. Justise Winslow, Miami Heat
12. Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz
While it’s clearly a bit too early to make realistic projections, hopefully the Pistons will have a representative or two on Team USA in 2020.
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Stanley Johnson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope participated with the USA Select squad in helping Team USA prep for the Rio Olympics, paving their way for future participation with USA Basketball, and Drummond is a shoo-in for an invite if his level of play maintains over the next four years.