Cade Cunningham should be on Team USA
With no offense to Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Austin Reaves, it’s hard to look at this Team USA roster and not think they need an upgrade at the guard position. Is this really the best they can do? Austin Reaves?
Brunson was supposed to be the leader of the team but it was clear early on that Tyrese Haliburton was actually more effective and better fits the successful mold Team USA has at guard, which is guys who are big and physical.
Brunson is 6-foot-2 and Reaves is 6-foot-5 and though they are both tough players, it was hard watching them get carved up by Dennis Schroder, who was getting wherever he wanted on the floor and hit the dagger after casting Reaves aside, without thinking that Team USA could have done better.
Cade Cunningham would give Team USA another big guard who can play either spot, an unselfish player who wouldn’t mind being the facilitator for others (unlike the shoot-first Brunson and Reaves) or scoring if needed.
He’d give them another player who can defend bigger guys, crash the boards and won’t get pushed around. Of course, Team USA invited Cunningham to play, but he chose to sit out and focus on the Detroit Pistons, which I am glad for, but once he establishes that he is healthy this season, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be on the Olympic team.
He provides more size, physicality, playmaking and rebounding that could help offset some of the team’s big-man deficiencies.
One thing is for certain: Team USA can’t just show up and expect to win. They need to build a roster suited to the more physical style of play in the FIBA World Cup and Olympics (I can’t believe I just wrote that) and that could include Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham.