[RUDEBOY_Participant]

According to ESPN.com Chris Sheridan Coach K is having a hard time picking which guards make the team..
OKC guard Russell Westbrook is excelling so far in the 3 day camp..Coaches love Billups experience & leadership..They also love the way Rose attacks the basket and makes teammates better..Mayo & Curry are surprisingly the most vocal out all of the guards..Pointing out to players where they should be at on the floor..Celtics guard Rajon Rondo might be the odd man out..Coach K has placed an emphasis on finding players that can play multiple positions..And thats a negative for Rondo who is pigeoned holed as a pure point guard..His unreliable jump shot & shaky free throw shooting also limit him..
But Coach K loves the ball pressure & tenacity of both Rondo & Westbrook..As a point guard if you’re putting on that pressure ,the very 1st thing you want is guys playing passing lanes behind you..Maybe you can gamble more,get steals for easy baskets or force teams to make turnovers..With so many guards and lack of big men..Team USA might have to go to an ”unconventional” style..Meaning they will play to their strength run an up tempo and try to create miscues…

[Mr.BigShotParticipant]

If they try to run up- tempo, Curry knows how to do that.

[llperez]

fiba basketball has an emphasis on perimiter shooting. Unless you are lebron or wade, guys who’s biggest strength is driving dont always do well. We saw what happened with the 2004 squad when they lacked shooters and iverson, marbury, jefferson and the bunch shot poorly and couldnt get teams to respect them on the perimiter.

With that said, westbrook, rondo and rose are probably not all gonna make the roster. Maybe pick 2 of those and leave one out.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

They’ll have a hard time not picking Curry. He’s the best shooter there, not to mention he can play on or off of the ball.

[Mr.BigShotParticipant]

I guessing they will leave Rondo, out as he a poor shooter.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Yeah that 2004 team had great athletes but poor shooters..

My picks to make the team are….

Center..Brook Lopez
Forward..Durant
Forward..Rudy Gay
Guard..Rose
Guard…Curry
Center…Love
Forward..Lee( Jeff Green if Lee’s inury is serious)
Guard..Billups
Guard..Mayo
Forward ..Odom
Center..McGee
Guard..Evans

[KevinDurantRocksParticipant]

They were talking Rondo as one of the best pgs in the game and he won’t make the team haha

[JNixonParticipant]

“They were talking Rondo as one of the best pgs in the game and he won’t make the team haha”

Doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not one of the best PG’s in the game because he’s not a safe bet to play. More so, that he’s not as great a fit for international ball. Stephen Curry isn’t better than Rondo IMO as an NBA basketball player, but in international play? You HAVE to put him on the team over Rondo. He excels at everything FIBA basketball is all about, while Rondo’s shooting limits him in this setting somewhat.

[McWinningParticipant]

Hah Timmy would make the team over Rondo.

Lol just kidding.

I think Lees done.

[sheltwon3Participant]

the Rondo Curry argument would have to start with do you value offense over defense because in the few year you could make the argument that Curry is better especially if you value offense. Right Rondo is better but international play is different and it pays to have as many shooter as possible. Westbrook is going to be screwed unless they keep his as a two guard.

[Buckets RevengeParticipant]

I would like to see Evans make the team. He is better defensively than every guard except Rondo and possibly Westbrook, He can play three positions, and depending on who they play he could at times guard a smaller 4. I think as time goes on his shot will improve enough to not be that much of a hindrance.

Curry should make the team just because they need a good shooter really badly.

I think the Guards that should make the team should be: Curry, Evans, Rose, Billups, Mayo or Westbrook. Leaning more towards Mayo.

I think that group has a good mix of different skills Curry’s shooting, Evans power , Rose decision making and midrange game, Billups veteran leadership (very important to have with this young of a team), and I think either Mayo or Westbrook would fit well also.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

buckets revenge thats 1 ugly avatar..it looks like my ex-girlfriend’s mom

[Buckets RevengeParticipant]

Who’s to say it isn’t?

[butidonthavemoney]

That’s crazy to think about, but I had it down to Rondo or Westbrook. It doesn’t make sense to keep both on the team.

Like Iggy said, you can’t exclude Curry. He is just a perfect fit. Then you need the experience, which is where Billups comes into play. The guard most likely to play in the 2012 Olympics (With Williams and Paul) is Derrick Rose. So he’s probably a shoo-in at this point.

After that, it comes down to Westbrook, Rondo, Mayo and Evans. None (except Mayo) are good outside shooters. Evans isn’t a great defender, and he also needs to dominate the ball to play at his best. That’s why I have him out. Mayo is a little more experienced, is a much better shooter, and would have an easier time adjusting to playing a role than Evans would. Rondo is better than Westbrook, but Westbrook can play two positions, and likely would be a better role-player.

At Center I have Brook Lopez and Kevin Love. And at the forward positions I have, Kevin Durant, Lamar Odom, Jeff Green, Danny Granger and Gerald Wallace.

Not nearly as good as 2008, but still among the favorites (along with Spain).

PG: Chauncey Billups/Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook

SG: Stephan Curry/OJ Mayo

SF: Kevin Durant/Jeff Green

PF: Lamar Odom/Danny Granger/Gerald Wallace

C: Brook Lopez/Kevin Love

[SubZeroParticipant]

Gerald Wallace is gonna have a swat party

[SlimParticipant]

Chauncey Billups
Andre Iguodala
Danny Granger
Lamar Odom
Brook Lopez

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

What is the difficulty for Team USA? It should be simple. He needs a vet, and that is Billups. Rose is the best athlete/player of the group. He needs shooters, so Gordon and Curry should be in. Mayo can play both positions and is probably the best defender of the group.

[BasketBalAllanParticipant]

What is with this idea that Evans is bad defender? He won games for the Kings last year because of his defense and Westphal has said that Evans is already the best defender on the team.

[Mr.BigShotParticipant]

Starting Line Up
Rose
Curry
Durant
Odom
Rose

[SDEParticipant]

Rose/Rondo/Evans
Curry/Mayo
DurantGay/Granger
Odom/Green
Lopez/Love

[Author]

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