Team USA captured it's third consecutive gold medal in Rio this past weekend, going 8-0 and beating it's opponents by an average margin of 22.5 points per game. However, people were quick to criticize this team after close games with Australia, France, and Serbia. Americans have come to expect complete basketball dominance in the Olympics and a few close scores in Rio led to widespread criticism of the roster selection. While this team certainly wasn't the 'A' team as they were without superstars LeBron James, Steph Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damien Lillard, or Russell Westbrook, they did have a competent roster of NBA All-Stars like Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, and Carmelo Anthony. So even without its full compliment of star power, this Team USA managed to run away with Olympic gold, but how does the most recent edition of Team USA rank among past American Olympic teams?

Here is a breakdown of every American Olympic Men's Basketball team since the 'Dream Team' in 1992:

- 1992: Record: 8-0, Avg. Points For: 117.25*, Avg. Points Against: 73.5, Avg. Margin of Victory: +43.75*

- 1996: Record: 8-0, Avg. PF: 102, Avg. PA: 70.38*, Avg. Margin of Victory: +31.62

- 2000: Record: 8-0, Avg. PF: 95, Avg. PA: 73.38, Avg. Margin of Victory: +21.62

- 2004: Record: 5-3, Avg. PF: 88.13, Avg. PA: 83.5, Margin of Victory: +4.63

- 2008: Record: 8-0, Avg PF: 106.25, Avg PA: 78.38, Avg. Margin of Victory: +27.87

- 2012: Record: 8-0, Avg. PF: 115.5, Avg PA: 83.38, Avg. Margin of Victory: +32.12

- 2016: Record: 8-0, Avg. PF: 100.88, Avg. PA: 78.38, Avg Margin of Victory: +22.5

Overall Team USA Average Points Per Game Since 1992: 107.11

Overall Team USA Points Average Against Per Game Since 1992: 77.27

Overall Team USA Average Margin of Victory since 1992: +26.30

Based on these numbers, I would rank the last 7 American Olympic basketball teams in this order:

1. 1992

2. 2012

3. 2008

4. 1996

5. 2016*

6. 2000

7. 2004

Now it is important to note that strength of opposition is not entirely factored into these numbers. While USA-Spain may have had a closer margin of Victory than USA-Angola, it is difficult to quantify how international teams have progressed and improved since 1992. Team USA has not gotten worse since 1992, but the game has grown globally and more and more talented players now come from all over the world. You now see recognizable names on teams like Croatia and Nigeria. Furthermore, these international teams have figured out efficient offensive and defensive schemes and typically have more familiarity playing together on their national teams than their American counterparts. So the decline in American Olympic basketball's blatant dominance is more a product of the rest of the world catching up than 'poor roster selection' or 'selfish NBA style of play.'