"Naz Reid would destroy them dudes" - Draymond Green says young NBA players should represent USA in 3x3 basketball

With the United States being a basketball superhouse, its domination in the Olympic Games has become an expectation rather than an achievement. However, this is not the case in the 3x3 tournament, where the men's team's performances have been very disappointing.

Draymond Green has recently proposed a solution to improve the country's performance in the new-structured format: including young NBA players who, while talented, may never get the opportunity to represent Team USA in the normal format.

Green's solution for 3x3 basketball

The U.S. basketball team won 16 gold medals in the 19 Olympic iterations, whereas the women's team won nine gold medals in the previous 10 tournaments. On the other hand, 3x3 teams are off to an underwhelming start.

Not only did they fail to qualify for the event in the inaugural 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but they registered a lackluster 2-5 record in the Paris Olympics, which resulted in them missing the six-team knockout stage.

In response to these struggles, the four-time NBA champion, speaking on his podcast, advocated for a strategic shift.

"Why are young players not on the 3v3 team? Guys that have not gotten an opportunity to play on the national team yet or guys that may never get the opportunity. Naz Reid would destroy them, dudes Jalen Green, you got like a big Jalen Duren… I think he's on his way to being a superstar… Tyrese Maxey," Green said. "Imagine Maxey on there, getting his first gold medal."

A hole in Draymond's plan

While FIBA rules in normal basketball do not favor 1-on-1 scorers, the 3x3 format, played on a half-court with a quicker pace and shorter game time, would benefit such players.

However, the former Defensive Player of The Year overlooked that NBA players are generally ineligible to compete in the Olympic 3x3 basketball tournament due to specific rules and team composition criteria. In other words, FIBA prioritizes players who actively participate in 3x3 contests to be eligible to represent their respective countries.

So, while the thought of sending young American stars seems enticing, this isn't a valuable option.

Related: Brian Windhorst on why it's impossible for NBA players to participate in 3X3 basketball: "FIBA doesn't want the United States to do good"