2020 Tokyo Olympics: Beal among latest commits for Team USA originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are just a few weeks away as athletes are beginning to prepare to represent their respective nations.
Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers are not expected to join the team in Tokyo. James and Davis dealt with injuries during the NBA season and will use the summer to get healthy for the 2021-22 campaign. Golden State Warriors guard and MVP finalist Steph Curry is still unsure if he will play in the Olympics or not.
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The full 12-man roster for Team USA is expected to be announced by the end of June. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will lead the team this summer after taking over for Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. The U.S. will be looking for its fourth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.
For the United States, its men’s basketball team is slowly starting to come into form. Here are the latest commits to Team USA for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:
Devin Booker
Devin Booker, a star guard for the Phoenix Suns, is the latest member that is reportedly set to join the roster this summer. Booker and the Suns just finished a sweep of the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs, and will be playing in the 2021 Western Conference Finals. The Suns star is averaging 25.3 points per game so far in the postseason.
After initially missing the cut, Booker was named an All Star for the first time in his career, replacing an injured LeBron James. He also was regarded as one of the snubs for the All-NBA teams.
Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, an All-NBA third team selection, is set to play in his first Olympic Games. He is the first Wizards player ever to be named to Team USA for the Olympics.
Beal and the Wizards made the Play-In tournament and ultimately were able to snag the No. 8 for the NBA playoffs. However, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round.
Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum will play this summer for the U.S. in Tokyo. This will be his first Olympics, too. Tatum was named to his second consecutive All-Star team this season, and is also considered one of the snubs for the All-NBA teams.
Tatum helped the Celtics win the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a Play-In Tournament win over Beal’s Wizards. Despite averaging 30.6 points per game, including a 50-point performance in Game 3, the Celtics lost in five games to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.
Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard was one of the first commits to the Olympic team. It is the first time Lillard will be representing the U.S. at an Olympics Games.
He was named an All-Star for the sixth time and made the All-NBA second team. The Trail Blazers were the No. 6 seed in the West and lost in six games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, where Lillard averaged 34.3 points per game.
Draymond Green
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is committed to the Olympic team for the 2020 Olympics. It will be the second time Green will play for the U.S., as he won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Green was a finalist for this year’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
The Warriors clinched a spot in the play-in tournament but then dropped back-to-back games, failing to make the postseason for the second consecutive season.
