Team USA is Loaded, But Who the Hell Starts?

Meet the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team Roster: https://t.co/SVpGiA5Dxl#UNITE #RoadToRio #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/hcg1tqPUOX
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 27, 2016

With an assortment of NBA stars to choose from, fans expect the U.S. Men's Basketball team to bulldoze their way through anything and everything on their path to Olympic gold.

But the idea that other countries lack the talent to compete with the U.S. is a major and somewhat dated misconception—the fact that a record 14 foreign-born players were taken in the first round of this year's NBA Draft is a testament to that. Moreover, a variety of factors such as injury, the need to rest, and concern over Zika virus caused a number of U.S. Olympic mainstays to withdraw from consideration, leaving fans fearful that we could—[gulp]—lose (see: summers 2002, 2004).

In spite of these doubts, the official 12-man lineup we're left with is rather impressive, containing Olympic-worthy players from top to bot—scratch that, how the hell did Harrison Barnes make this team? I digress.

There will be plenty of minutes to go around for these guys, but the lack of standout talent has everyone wondering: who starts?

Point Guard: Kyrie Irving

It's hard to argue against Kyrie. Coming off a fantastic post-season where he outplayed back-to-back MVP Steph Curry, Irving's ball-handling, slashing ability and lights-out shooting is tailor-made for Olympic play. Kyle Lowry, despite being a superior defender, is better suited leading the second unit.

Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson

Thompson gets the nod at shooting guard for his three-point shooting combined with his stellar defense—but as we saw in the NBA Finals, he can disappear completely if his shot isn't falling. When this happens, expect to see Butler and DeRozan get major minutes, due to their aggressiveness attacking the rim, drawing in the defense and creating open shots for others.

Small Forward: Paul George

Power Forward: Kevin Durant

Paul George is back after a gruesome injury sidelined him during the USA Basketball Showcase in 2014, and he's an ideal starting three paired with Kevin Durant at the power forward slot. Both can shoot and slash among the best of them, and their size and defense will help the U.S. make a statement in Rio. It was extremely difficult to bench Melo, who has the most olympic experience on the team, but the thought of Durant and George lobbing to each other on the fast break already has me salivating.

Center: DeMarcus Cousins

Draymond Green is arguably the best defensive player and playmaker on this team, but he tends to miss easy layups at the rim, and his three-point shooting is not unique in Olympic play. There's an argument for starting him at center, but Cousins is just way too good to have coming off the bench. When the shots aren't falling, it helps to have someone that can reliably get you some points in the paint, and Cousins—one of the best scorers in the NBA—can make barbeque chicken out of opposing centers. As a bonus, Boogie can also stretch the floor, add in that he can make most of his free throws and it makes him an obvious choice over DeAndre Jordan.

Expect Coach K to have a lot of fun playing with different lineups over the course of games. If he's lucky, Harrison Barnes might even see the court from time to time. With that diverse and talented roster, Coach K will be able to field a team that fans can reasonably expect nothing short of gold.