[canadabasketballisrisingParticipant]

Should Harden make the USA team? Obviosuly, this has NOTHING to do with talent, but rather, more fit..

 

Would someone like Thompson, or Butler who is more comfortable playing off the ball, and will cover for Curry’s defense make more sense?

 

I say, no, only because Hraden has shown he can play without holding on to the ball on previous usa teams, but based on what ive seen this season, I would rather have Thompson spotting in the corner, and would not want to have aline of curry and hraden together for defensive puposes ever….  or could he back to being the perfect 6th man with westbrook?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 I think Harden’s skills are best utilised when he’s an alpha dog and able to be in control of an offense- when theres guys like Steph Curry, LeBron, Kevin Durant on a team, I think I’d rather have a knock down marksmen or a fantastic hustle defender in the 2 guard spot- I’d take Kawhi, Butler and Thompson over Harden IN THIS CONTEXT because Harden’s best skills are with the ball in his hands, and playing off the ball he just isn’t as good as those guys.

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 I think Harden’s skills are best utilised when he’s an alpha dog and able to be in control of an offense- when theres guys like Steph Curry, LeBron, Kevin Durant on a team, I think I’d rather have a knock down marksmen or a fantastic hustle defender in the 2 guard spot- I’d take Kawhi, Butler and Thompson over Harden IN THIS CONTEXT because Harden’s best skills are with the ball in his hands, and playing off the ball he just isn’t as good as those guys.

[UncledrewParticipant]

Harden will be a great 6th man for team USA. I give the starting nod to westbrook for his advantage defensively. Harden has a complete offensive package and teams won’t be able to key in on him like they do on his Rockets team. The uptempo style coach K plays will open up his game more especially in transition, at 6’5 220 he’s too strong for these international guards. He should routinely be able to check in and make 7 or 8 point runs his self at times. Klay is a good fit but harden can create more offense when the play stalls and is a better playmaker. I’d say he has an x factor type role in that if he plays well they will extend leads quicker but with all the scoring on this team his best player trait scoring isn’t needed as much. But he’s still a valuable player to have on the team and in the rotation.

 

[UncledrewParticipant]

Harden will be a great 6th man for team USA. I give the starting nod to westbrook for his advantage defensively. Harden has a complete offensive package and teams won’t be able to key in on him like they do on his Rockets team. The uptempo style coach K plays will open up his game more especially in transition, at 6’5 220 he’s too strong for these international guards. He should routinely be able to check in and make 7 or 8 point runs his self at times. Klay is a good fit but harden can create more offense when the play stalls and is a better playmaker. I’d say he has an x factor type role in that if he plays well they will extend leads quicker but with all the scoring on this team his best player trait scoring isn’t needed as much. But he’s still a valuable player to have on the team and in the rotation.

 

[thetruth87Participant]

 Let me preface this by saying that I think James Harden is the most valuable SG in the NBA, and if I was starting a team I’d choose him over other SGs. I just feel on team USA his skills are redundant with those of Lebron, Curry and Westbrook. Harden needs the ball in his hands to be at his best. RPM estimates 70% of his shot attempts this season have been unassisted. On team USA he will not be able to dominate the ball nearly as much as with the Rockets. He also ranks in the bottom 10 defensively amongst SGs according to RPM. While his offensive prowess, and playmaking skills far overcome his poor defense to actually make him the most valuable SG in the NBA according to RPM, his best attributes wouldn’t be utilized, and his poor attributes would be a lot more evident. Depending on the rest of the roster I would rather have Kawai, or Klay at SG on this specific team. 

[thetruth87Participant]

 Let me preface this by saying that I think James Harden is the most valuable SG in the NBA, and if I was starting a team I’d choose him over other SGs. I just feel on team USA his skills are redundant with those of Lebron, Curry and Westbrook. Harden needs the ball in his hands to be at his best. RPM estimates 70% of his shot attempts this season have been unassisted. On team USA he will not be able to dominate the ball nearly as much as with the Rockets. He also ranks in the bottom 10 defensively amongst SGs according to RPM. While his offensive prowess, and playmaking skills far overcome his poor defense to actually make him the most valuable SG in the NBA according to RPM, his best attributes wouldn’t be utilized, and his poor attributes would be a lot more evident. Depending on the rest of the roster I would rather have Kawai, or Klay at SG on this specific team. 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

Lets not forget Harden was the best player on the 2014 FIBA team. Granted that team had quite a few strong performances, but Harden was the go-to guy down the stretch, the leading scorer on a team with Curry, AD, Cousins, Kyrie and others, and was incredibly efficient (66% TS).

In the NBA, and in a featured role, he struggles at times with other ball-dominant players. But on a team with comparably elite talents, he knows how to defer and score at an extremely efficient clip, as we saw in OKC. 

He should absolutely be on the 2016 team. 

 

 

 

 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

Lets not forget Harden was the best player on the 2014 FIBA team. Granted that team had quite a few strong performances, but Harden was the go-to guy down the stretch, the leading scorer on a team with Curry, AD, Cousins, Kyrie and others, and was incredibly efficient (66% TS).

In the NBA, and in a featured role, he struggles at times with other ball-dominant players. But on a team with comparably elite talents, he knows how to defer and score at an extremely efficient clip, as we saw in OKC. 

He should absolutely be on the 2016 team. 

 

 

 

 

[MatosParticipant]

 Who do you think gets in? Who accepts? Too many questions.

I think Lebron is done. He only accepts for the purpose of being the only player to play 4 Olympics.

If Lebron accepts, and its a 15-man roster the team should look like this:

Steph
Harden
KD
Lebron
AD

Kawhi
Blake
Westbrook
PG
CP3
Drummond or DeAndre
Thompson
Draymond Green
Wall
Butler

Too many questions unanswered though – whos going to accept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MatosParticipant]

 Who do you think gets in? Who accepts? Too many questions.

I think Lebron is done. He only accepts for the purpose of being the only player to play 4 Olympics.

If Lebron accepts, and its a 15-man roster the team should look like this:

Steph
Harden
KD
Lebron
AD

Kawhi
Blake
Westbrook
PG
CP3
Drummond or DeAndre
Thompson
Draymond Green
Wall
Butler

Too many questions unanswered though – whos going to accept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[goldie92689Participant]

 First, the roster is 12 not 15. Second this is an already existing team and only Blake and Kawhi have a chance at making the team as 1st timers to the national team.  

You are most likely to see as of today;

G- Paul, Harden, Westbrook, Curry, Irving, Derozen

F- Lebron, Durant, Melo, Blake, Love, P George, Klay, Kawhi, Faried

C- Davis, Cousins, Drummond

That’s your top 18 and 6 of them won’t make it. 

CP3, Lebron and Davis are locks to start. There is also a good chance Melo, Lebron, CP3 may back out. If not, they are locks. 

[goldie92689Participant]

 First, the roster is 12 not 15. Second this is an already existing team and only Blake and Kawhi have a chance at making the team as 1st timers to the national team.  

You are most likely to see as of today;

G- Paul, Harden, Westbrook, Curry, Irving, Derozen

F- Lebron, Durant, Melo, Blake, Love, P George, Klay, Kawhi, Faried

C- Davis, Cousins, Drummond

That’s your top 18 and 6 of them won’t make it. 

CP3, Lebron and Davis are locks to start. There is also a good chance Melo, Lebron, CP3 may back out. If not, they are locks. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 I think Harden is a LOCK.

To me, it comes down to the last spot.  If they want a third point guard or another shooting guard.  If they want a 3rd point guard then I think they go with CP3 (or Irving, Lowry, Wall, or Lillard).

If they want another shooting guard then the last spot comes down to Klay Thompson or Jimmy Butler, and I would think that Klay would be the better pick due to his superior long-range shooting and the fact that Steph Curry is a major RIO 2016 piece.

Curry and Russ are LOCKS, but they are the only locks at point guard on this team.  Not sure they could start both, since they wouldn’t have a backup point guard.

What they COULD do is run with the GS Warriors starting backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson backcourt.  I would assume that the front court would be LeBron, Durant, and Anthony Davis.

For the second unit they could go with Russell Westbrook and James Harden at guards, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George at the forward spots, and either Andre Drummond or Draymond Green inside.

I can see THREE Warriors making the team: Steph, Klay, and Dray.

Then they can approximate the killer Warriors small ball lineups with those 3, Kawhi Leonard at a forward spot as their two way 3/4, and probably LeBron as their other two-way forward, but the best slasher and passer of the bunch.

If they go with that then the ALTERNATE would most likely be a point guard.  

Don’t think it would happen but it would be fun to watch.  The RIO team could roll out a five man lineup made up essentially of ALL small forwards (or guys who play lots of the 3 or have in the past):

LeBron as the nominal point forward, Durant and Paul George as the lengthy deep threats, Kawhi as the lock down defender and rebounder, with Draymond Green as the small ball inside guy who can do lots of things on the court.  That could REALLY be the killer lineup.  A bunch of 6’7-6’9 guys who can do some of everything on offense, and guys who can DEFEND.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 I think Harden is a LOCK.

To me, it comes down to the last spot.  If they want a third point guard or another shooting guard.  If they want a 3rd point guard then I think they go with CP3 (or Irving, Lowry, Wall, or Lillard).

If they want another shooting guard then the last spot comes down to Klay Thompson or Jimmy Butler, and I would think that Klay would be the better pick due to his superior long-range shooting and the fact that Steph Curry is a major RIO 2016 piece.

Curry and Russ are LOCKS, but they are the only locks at point guard on this team.  Not sure they could start both, since they wouldn’t have a backup point guard.

What they COULD do is run with the GS Warriors starting backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson backcourt.  I would assume that the front court would be LeBron, Durant, and Anthony Davis.

For the second unit they could go with Russell Westbrook and James Harden at guards, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George at the forward spots, and either Andre Drummond or Draymond Green inside.

I can see THREE Warriors making the team: Steph, Klay, and Dray.

Then they can approximate the killer Warriors small ball lineups with those 3, Kawhi Leonard at a forward spot as their two way 3/4, and probably LeBron as their other two-way forward, but the best slasher and passer of the bunch.

If they go with that then the ALTERNATE would most likely be a point guard.  

Don’t think it would happen but it would be fun to watch.  The RIO team could roll out a five man lineup made up essentially of ALL small forwards (or guys who play lots of the 3 or have in the past):

LeBron as the nominal point forward, Durant and Paul George as the lengthy deep threats, Kawhi as the lock down defender and rebounder, with Draymond Green as the small ball inside guy who can do lots of things on the court.  That could REALLY be the killer lineup.  A bunch of 6’7-6’9 guys who can do some of everything on offense, and guys who can DEFEND.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

FIBA ball always had more a 4-position split between Guards, Wings, Forwards and Bigs than the standard 5 (though you could argue the NBA is moving towards the same). And Team USA usually carries 3 of each of those four spots. 

I’m going to assume LeBron and Paul sit it out with their age/need for rest on contending teams (well, at least for LeBron). Melo and Dwight too, but they wouldn’t be locks at that juncture, I’d assume.

Guard Options: Curry; Westbrook; Irving; Wall; Lillard; Conley

Wing Options: Harden; J.Butler; Klay; Hayward; Beal; DeRozan; Oladipo

Forward Options: Durant; P.George; Kawhi; Gay; T.Harris; Parsons

Big Options: A.Davis; Griffin; D.Green; Cousins; Drummond; D.Jordan; Aldridge; Faried; Love

– Also think a guy like Towns could be perfect if he decides to join Team USA.

I’d go:

Curry (G)

Harden (W/G)

P.George (F/W)

Durant (F/W)

A.Davis (B)

–

Westbrook (G/W)

Leonard (F/W)

J.Butler (W)

D.Green (B/W)

Griffin (B)

Irving (G)

K.Thompson (W)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

FIBA ball always had more a 4-position split between Guards, Wings, Forwards and Bigs than the standard 5 (though you could argue the NBA is moving towards the same). And Team USA usually carries 3 of each of those four spots. 

I’m going to assume LeBron and Paul sit it out with their age/need for rest on contending teams (well, at least for LeBron). Melo and Dwight too, but they wouldn’t be locks at that juncture, I’d assume.

Guard Options: Curry; Westbrook; Irving; Wall; Lillard; Conley

Wing Options: Harden; J.Butler; Klay; Hayward; Beal; DeRozan; Oladipo

Forward Options: Durant; P.George; Kawhi; Gay; T.Harris; Parsons

Big Options: A.Davis; Griffin; D.Green; Cousins; Drummond; D.Jordan; Aldridge; Faried; Love

– Also think a guy like Towns could be perfect if he decides to join Team USA.

I’d go:

Curry (G)

Harden (W/G)

P.George (F/W)

Durant (F/W)

A.Davis (B)

–

Westbrook (G/W)

Leonard (F/W)

J.Butler (W)

D.Green (B/W)

Griffin (B)

Irving (G)

K.Thompson (W)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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