The U.S. men's national basketball team will be pursuing its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris. But the path won't be easy.
While Team USA posted a perfect 5-0 record in its exhibition games, it was tested multiple times along the way. After more convincing wins over Canada, Australia and Serbia, the U.S. team needed late-game heroics from 39-year-old LeBron James to get past South Sudan and Germany.
As the Olympics get underway, the American men will certainly be tested multiple times as the field of 11 other teams is replete with NBA talent, including All-NBA First Teamers in Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Serbia's Nikola Jokic.
More than just individual talent, the Olympic field features teams with years of familiarity under their belts. On the other hand, Team USA is learning on the fly after convening for training camp on July 6.
With the above factors in mind, here is a ranking of the biggest threats to the United States pursuit of gold in 2024.
MORE: Full stats from USA Olympic Basketball exhibition games
Team USA's biggest Olympic threats, ranked
1. Canada
FIBA World Ranking: 7
Active NBA players: 10
With 10 NBA players on the roster, Canada ranks second behind only Team USA for most NBA talent. More than that, Canada has built a cohesive roster with its talented players.
At last year's World Cup, Dillon Brooks helped Canada beat Team USA in a high-stakes matchup. With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, Canada has a roster filled with players capable of stepping up and delivering big moments.
Canada's weakness lies in the interior. But the team has multiple perimeter scorers and defenders, which is a major key to keep up with the U.S. The depth that Canada is afforded with 10 NBA players gives the team a unique opportunity to keep up with Team USA.
MORE: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray headline Canada's Olympic roster
2. Germany
FIBA World Ranking: 3
Active NBA players: 4
As shown during the 2023 World Cup and the Olympic exhibition games, Germany checks the boxes for a team capable of dethroning Team USA.
When "Deutschland" is across his chest, Dennis Schröder transforms into a different type of player, making him a handful for Team USA's guards. Franz Wagner is a rising star, and Daniel Theis is no stranger to banging in the interior with the United States bigs.
In addition to the aforementioned trio, Moritz Wagner is relentless with his hustle and it seems like Andreas Obst doesn't miss open shots. Germany is such a cohesive unit that operates like a well-oiled machine capable of taking Team USA off their game.
3. France
FIBA World Ranking: 9
Active NBA players: 4
Led by Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, France is a flashy pick, but it is hard to go all-in on Les Bleus.
The host nation's frontcourt presence alone make them a forced to be reckoned with. They have some major questions to answer on the perimeter, though. Can Frank Ntilikina tap back into what he showed during the 2019 FIBA World Cup? Can Bilal Coulibaly make a FIBA leap in real time? Do Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier have enough left in the tank?
If the answers are yes, the team that handed Team USA a loss at the 2021 Tokyo Games could stand in the way of the dynasty's continuation.
4. Australia
FIBA World Ranking: 5
Active NBA players: 9
The Boomers are another team with great strength on the perimeter. Patty Mills appears to be passing the torch to Josh Giddey, who leads the charge of an NBA-level guard room that also features Dyson Daniels, Dante Exum and Josh Green.
It's also the last go-round for Joe Ingles, who still has a way of doing it all for his team when he's on the floor. Australia's ceiling will be determined by the effectiveness of big men Jock Landale, Will Magnay and Duop Reath.
5. Spain
FIBA World Ranking: 2
Active NBA players: 2
They needed to win an Olympic Qualifying Tournament to make it. Still, don't sleep on the Spanish national team.
Memphis' Santi Aldama is the big name, but the overall strength of Spain's basketball program is on display each time they step on the court. From former G League MVP Lorenzo Brown to the Hernangomez brothers and veteran Rudy Fernandez, there is a high level of familiarity that allows Spain to lean in to an identity and thrive while doing so.
MORE: Australia, Canada, Greece, Spain make up 'Group of Death' at Paris Olympics
6. Serbia
FIBA World Ranking: 4
Active NBA players: 4
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is the headliner, but Serbia's roster also features Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic and Hornets playmaker Vasilije Micic. Due to an ankle injury, the availability of Heat forward Nikola Jovic is up in the air, and that will have an impact on Serbia's ceiling.
Serbia is a solid program, and while it was without Bogdanovic and Jovic in the exhibition, the way it lost to Team USA makes the team appear as less of a threat.
7. Greece
FIBA World Ranking: 14
Active NBA players: 1
Giannis Antetokounmpo is Greece's only active NBA player but the Greek national team is much more than the two-time MVP.
While Antetokounmpo leads the way, Greece benefits from the contributions of guards Nick Calathes and Thomas Walkup, while forwards Konstantinos Mitoglou and Kostas Papanikolaou aid with frontcourt depth. Still, Greece showed some flaws during their exhibition schedule that make it hard to envision them threatening the U.S.
MORE: Inside Giannis Antetokoumpo's rise from little known draft prospect to NBA MVP
8. Brazil
FIBA World Ranking: 12
Active NBA players: 1
Another strong national team program, Brazil has size, talent and depth, but it doesn't have the traits to keep up with Team USA. Brazil measures up with some of the other teams that they rank behind but don't have a star as talented as any of the above squads' top players.
9. South Sudan
FIBA World Ranking: 33
Active NBA players: 0
As shown during the London exhibition, South Sudan isn't afraid of Team USA. And on the right night, they can hang with the Americans. That said, the wake-up call the South Sudan team provided during the exhibition makes me think they'll see a different version of the Team USA they faced at O2 Arena.
MORE: Meet Carlik Jones, the South Sudan PG who posted triple-double vs. Team USA
10. Japan
FIBA World Ranking: 26
Active NBA players: 2
Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe are major contributors at the NBA level, and Japan has a few more electrifying players, such as former March Madness star Keisei Tominaga. But the team just doesn't have enough to defeat Team USA.
MORE: Yuta Watanabe plans to retire from NBA after six-year career stateside
11. Puerto Rico
FIBA World Ranking: 16
Active NBA players: 1
Jose Alvarado and Tremont Waters are exciting and prolific but the fact that Puerto Rico's chances of getting past Team USA relies on undersized guards stands as its downfall. The defense of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White stands as an insurmountable obstacle.
