It didn’t even take 24 hours for Team USA to replace Kevin Love following the announcement of his withdrawal. His former Cavaliers teammate – three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee – will fill one of two vacancies that opened up on Team USA this week.
It will be up to McGee to provide a presence in the interior. Love was able to bring floor spacing for the United States, but McGee will not. However, he does bring something that the team was lacking before his arrival: Interior defense.
The Denver Nuggets veteran is an elite shot blocker and can alter shots at the rim with ease. Although Bam Adebayo and Draymond Green can defend well, they don’t bother opposing offenses the way McGee can. The 33-year-old can also screen and roll well off the pick and roll. This part of his game shined when he won his two rings with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Not to mention recently too with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
McGee will also reunite with his former Golden State teammate Kevin Durant. The Nets forward already has great chemistry with the Nuggets big man. What they will be able to create together at the Olympics along with the rest of the team will be special.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson will also be joining Team USA, as Bradley Beal was forced to leave the team after entering the health and safety protocol.
Johnson has already participated in the three exhibition games Team USA played. He’s a gifted three-point shooter and he can finish well at the rim. Although he is young, he shows a lot of promise and there’s no doubt he will elevate his game in Tokyo.