Team USA Basketball: Four NBA players who could improve 3x3 men's team at 2024 Olympics

What basketball traits are most important in the 3-on-3 world?

By Sam Quinn Aug 1, 2024 at 4:52 pm ET• 6 min read

USA Basketball is off to a strong start at the 2024 Olympics ... at least when it comes to 5-on-5. That may be the most traditional form of the sport being played in Paris, but it isn't the only one. Team USA also sent a 3-on-3 team led by former college star Jimmer Fredette, and it has dropped its first three games while the 5-on-5 team has already advanced to the quarterfinals round. Team USA's women have also lost their first three games, meaning the world's preeminent hoops power started a combined 0-for-6 in this unconventional format.

If you want to know whyTeam USA has struggled in the 3-on-3 game, Isabel Gonzalez explained it for CBS Sports here. But let's say you want to fix it. Let's say you want to construct a roster of NBA players designed specifically to win a game of 3-on-3 as opposed to 5-on-5. And to make it interesting, rather than simply picking LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, we're going to include the following stipulation: no player who has ever participated for Team USA in a senior men's tournament is eligible. Amateur participation for Team USA is fair game.

So before we build our roster, let's lay out what traits are most important in the 3-on-3 world:

• Individual offense. It's far more difficult to create an advantage with three players than it is with five. Players aren't going to find their own points within the flow of an offense as easily. Someone, ideally multiple players, needs to be able to create their own looks off the dribble or in the post.
• Shooting. In the 3-on-3 format, shots that normally count for two points count for one and shots that normally count for three points count for two. While it might seem like this makes 3-pointers less important, it actually makes them more valuable on a relative basis. In the NBA, a 3-pointer is worth 33.3% more than a 2-pointer. In 3-on-3, it's worth 50% more. Therefore, we need someone who can create and make 3-pointers off the dribble.
• Defensive versatility and toughness. It's much harder to hide a bad defender with three options on the floor than five. You're going to have to defend the ball in 3-on-3, and your team isn't going to switch as comfortably as it does in the NBA when there is more help behind you to cover mismatches.

So with that in mind, here are our four choices for our revamped Team USA 3-on-3 roster: