While Team USA runs through Lille like the Monstars, Jaylen Brown hasn’t been happy. Sure, he’s supporting his home country and his Boston Celtics teammates. However, he believes he should be playing in the Paris Olympics as well.
Frankly, nobody can blame Brown. He’s fresh off of winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards.
Nonetheless, Brown’s bitterness has helped taint the perception of Team USA’s roster. Now, there are questions about USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill’s selection criteria. The questions were at their loudest during their Olympic warmups in Las Vegas. Their vulnerability exposed, it was worth wondering if players like Brown should’ve been there.
As it turns out, Brown wasn’t the only Olympic snub. Philadelphia 76ers swingman Paul George, then with the Los Angeles Clippers, thought he made the team. Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard was also under consideration.
Hill chose Derrick White instead. In the Olympics, the Celtics guard has averaged just 4.8 points and 2.0 assists per game. However, he’s averaged 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as well, while shooting 36.4 percent from 3.
In a recent interview with All The Smoke Productions, Hill defended his decision-making process.
“Look, you’ve got to do your job,” Hill says. “I’ve tried to do this the right way.”
Grant Hill On Jaylen Brown’s Future Team USA-Olympics Eligibility
“When we first put out the roster, before it was announced, I called certain guys,” he reveals. “I called Paul George… Damian Lillard… Jaylen Brown. I felt like they were of a certain stature (to) where they deserved to hear it before it was made public.”
Grant Hill responds to the criticisms and controversies surrounding USA Basketball’s roster construction.
Watch his full sit-down with @Rachel__Nichols on our YouTube: https://t.co/qon0bbeM94 pic.twitter.com/hmSJi1e4Hd
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) August 7, 2024
“I’m confident (Brown) and I will sit down at some point and talk about it; get to some level of understanding,” Hill continues. “Look, he’ll be a candidate if he wants in (2028).”
In 2028, the Summer Games will head back to the U.S. for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Los Angeles, a booming metropolis that’s synonymous with American glitz and glamor, will be the next host.
At that time, Brown will be 31 years old, possibly in the twilight of his prime.
However, he’ll undeniably still be one of the most athletic players on the roster and a staunch defender. Considering his developmental arc, he may take another leap as a jump shooter, ball-handler, and playmaker. There’s also a chance that he’ll be less concerned with his individual recognition in four years.
If so, it should be even more difficult for Hill to turn him down again.
Playmakers vs. Play Finishers
Hill has given multiple reasons for why Brown wasn’t selected. For starters, before Kawhi Leonard was replaced by White, Team USA’s positional depth was thinnest at point guard.
In addition, White’s calling card is his willingness to be a star in his role. It’s impossible to logically argue that White is better player than Brown. He may not even be a better defender, though he is elite at that end. However, he’s been more willing to take a backseat than Brown has.
Lastly, White is a playmaker while Brown is more of a play finisher. This year, Team USA needed the former rather than the latter. Four years from now, when LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant will be in their 40s, that may change. At that point, Team USA could look to the next generation of stars.
“My objective is to win (gold at the Paris Olympics),” Hill says. “As soon as hopefully that happens, we pivot and start looking ahead to the future.”
More First Time Olympians On The Way?
In the LA Olympics, Brown may be joined by players like New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, and Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham are a few other names to watch. Like Brown, they’re all talented players who are among the best at their position.
They would also be first-time Olympians in 2028.
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