LeBron James named USA Olympic flag-bearer, then closes out Germany in final tune-up

Olympians elected LeBron James to carry the flag at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Monday morning. Later in the day, he carried Team USA down the stretch once again.

James scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter as Team USA held off Germany in its final exhibition before the Olympics, 92-88. The NBA's all-time leading scorer added four assists, a block and a rebound in a dominant 18 minutes of play, which included a sequence where he sandwiched a steal between consecutive baskets.

That seems to be Team USA's strategy heading into Paris: Keep things close and let everyone play, then let King James take over in crunch time. That's how it went in their narrow, 101-100 win over South Sudan, when James didn't even start the second half, but hit the game-winning layup with eight seconds to go.

It's important not to read too much into Team USA's narrow victories this week in London. Head coach Steve Kerr has been substituting players five at a time like a hockey team and giving 10 different players significant minutes like he's running a youth soccer team with an "Everyone Plays" motto. When the games get serious, it's hard to imagine James will be playing only 18 minutes, unless a game turns into a blowout.

But one cause for concern might be Team USA's outside shooting. It went 6-for-17 against Germany while Germany shot 13-for-45 from deep. Against South Sudan, Team USA was 7-for-28 on threes, and South Sudan shot 14-for-33. With Kevin Durant still yet to play, the Americans aren't making enough threes — or putting up enough attempts.

Perhaps that's due to the star-studded lineup not wanting to launch lower-percentage shots with so many strong inside players. But getting outshot from three-point range is how more talented teams get upset in the NCAA Tournament. And the Olympics.

Of course, James might handle this problem himself, too. In Monday's win, James was a perfect 2-for-2 from behind the arc. We bet he'll also be incredible at carrying the flag.