3 reasons why Derrick White is a better selection than Kyrie Irving for Team USA

According to Shams Charania, Derrick White is the frontrunner to replace Kawhi Leonard on Team USA after the Clippers star's withdrawal from the Olympics. Despite joining the team for training camp and being ready to play, Leonard, Team USA, and the LA Clippers have all collectively decided that it would be best for him to focus on preparing for the upcoming NBA season.

Team USA will now look to find a short-notice replacement to fill out their roster ahead of the start of the Olympic Group Phase games on Jul. 27. While Derrick White is the frontrunner, there has also been talk of Jaylen Brown or Kyrie Irving replacing him on Team USA.

With that in mind, let's take a look at three reasons why Derrick White would be a better fit for Team USA compared to Kyrie Irving.

Three reasons why Derrick White makes more sense for Team USA than Kyrie Irving

#3: Durability

NBA: Finals-Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics

Derrick White has shown impressive durability throughout his career. This past season, White played in 73 games, with the guard also notably playing in all 82 games during the 2022-23 season.

On the flip side, Kyrie Irving played in just 58 games this past season, and 60 games the season before. Given that, for both Irving and Team USA's sake, it may be better if Derrick White replaced Leonard.

#2: Off-ball play

NBA: Preseason-Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics

Derrick White has shown that he's capable of impacting winning at the highest level without needing the ball in his hands. While Kyrie Irving may be higher on the NBA's all-time list, he's primarily a ball-dominant player. On a Team USA squad with a number of ball-dominant players, that may not be the best fit.

White on the other hand can play off-ball, facilitating and playing as a spot-up shooter on offense while thriving on defense. Irving on the other hand, despite showing that he can be a pass-first player for Team USA, simply plays better with the ball in his hands.

#1: Defense

NBA: Finals-Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics

Where White truly shines is on the defensive end of the floor. As one of, if not the single best shot-blocking guard in the league, he can bolster the team's defense in a way that Kyrie Irving can't. Last season, White averaged 1.2 blocks per game, leading all point guards.

While Irving's defensive abilities are often underappreciated, and the two players both averaged over a steal per game, with Irving averaging 1.3 spg and White averaging 1.0 spg, White's ability to block shots is an X-Factor opposing teams will likely struggle with.

Of course, this isn't to say that Irving would necessarily be a bad fit for Team USA. He has shown both in the NBA and while representing Team USA in the past that he's one of the best offensive guards in NBA history.

With Team USA's first Olympic Friendly scheduled for Wednesday night, the USA Basketball program will have to act quickly to find a replacement for Kawhi Leonard.