NY Knicks: Julius Randle deserved a Team USA Spot over these Players
By Allen Settle
NY Knicks: The Olympic Roster
Players like Kevin Love, Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, and Jrue Holiday stand out as the most interesting of the selections. Of these four names, Holiday is certainly the most deserving.
The combo guard was traded for a king’s ransom when the Milwaukee Bucks acquired him from the New Orleans Pelicans before the 2020-2021 season. While he has not been an All-Star since the 2012-2013 season, he has long been considered one of the most underrated players in the league.
Holiday is a good scorer (17.7 points per game this season), shooter (50% from the field), and passer (6.1 assists). He is also one of the very best perimeter defenders in the NBA, earning All-Defense First-Team honors and recording a career-high 1.6 steals per game during the past season. His two-way abilities secure his spot.
Draymond Green is an interesting case study. The former second-round pick is one of the few players in the league that boasts a better all-around game than Randle. While he is not able to match the Knicks’ star in scoring, his combination of rebounding (7.1), passing (8.9), and defense (1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game averages) are unmatched for a player at his position.
Green is a three-time All-Star who has Championship and gold medal experience. In a vacuum, I’d rather have Randle’s upside. But I totally understand adding a glue guy and leader like Green to the Roster.