[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

Traning camp begins for the London Olympics in the beginning of July.  What is your final Olympic roster?

Rose

Paul

Westbrook

Wade

Gordon

Kobe

Durant

Lebron

Granger

Bosh

Griffin

Howard

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Howard is having back surgery, he won’t play in the Olympics.

Tyson Chandler
Kevin Durant
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Derrick Rose

Chris Paul
Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Love
Chris Bosh

Russell Westbrook
Blake Griffin

Deron Williams in for Derrick Rose if he continues to be injured.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Howard just had back surgery today, so he’s out. You can replace him with Tyson Chandler, as long as he doesn’t get injured in between now and then.

I’d also like to wait and see what happens with Rose. He’s been injured all season.

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

I forgot, duh, no Howard this summer.

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

 Melo is going to start, he kills it in international play 

[mj23mj23besteverParticipant]

 how could u have granger over k love? just curious if uve celebrated 420 too much

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

So does Wade and that doesn’t mean he’s starting.

Hell, Durant, Kobe, and James all kill it in international play, who would you bench for Carmelo?

[myers3425Participant]

I would go with 

Starters                           Backups

PG- Derrick Rose        Chris Paul and Deron Williams

SG- Kobe Bryant         Dwyane Wade

SF- Kevin Durant         Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala

PF- Lebron James        Kevin Love

C- Tyson Chandler       Lamarcus Aldridge

I know I’m leaving Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook off but this team is already loaded with guards that can score which is why I inserted Iggy over Westbrook. Iggy can come in with the second unit and guard the the opposing teams best player from SF to PG. If Aldridge is healthy I would take him instead of Griffin because I feel his game translates better than Griffins to the Euro style the USA team must embrace to win gold. Aldridge is not as flashy but is a solid defender and has a more consistant jump shot than Griffin.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

IF I had to guess right now

C: Tyson Chandler (Dwight Howard’s replacement)

PF: Carmelo Anthony (He’s a bull during international play at the four spot)

SF: LeBron James

SG: Kobe Bryant

PG: Chris Paul

—

F/C: Chris Bosh (He’s really good in FIBA play)

F/C: Kevin Love (Lamarcus Aldridge is out due to hip surgery and Lamar Odom is probably out due to personal issues… I think Love will beat out Blake Griffin due to his ability to stretch the floor and make free-throws)

F: Kevin Durant (Tough to bring him off of the bench, but Melo is really good at the four in FIBA)

SG: Dwyane Wade

PG: Deron Williams

—

PG: Russell Westbrook (Team USA carries three point guards. Westbrook making it will depend on Derrick Rose’s health)

SG: Eric Gordon (He’s finally healthy and should play. Chauncey Billups is out with a torn achilles and Stephen Curry wasn’t invited to camp, so Gordon is a no-brainer for the designated shooter role)

[Chilbert arenasParticipant]

Thank you 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Dwight Howard is hurt.  I am not sure if Blake Griffin is eligible.  Danny Granger is ok, but I don’t see him adding much. 

I would go with 9 superstars plus 3 role players — three guys who can do the dirty work, rebound, and defend.  I posted this team last night and I think it works.

Starters:

PG:  Chris Paul — the best in the business.  Might cut back on minutes but he will have some great backups.

SG:   Dwayne Wade — a two guard who can do it all.  He can drive, score, pass, and defend.

SF:   LeBron James — he might take it all this year.  MVP, DPOY, title, Finals MVP, and Olympic gold. 

PF:  Carmelo Anthony — a great NBA player. An even better international player.  A stretch 4 with touch.

C:   Tyson Chandler — great defensive big man.  Rebounds, and dunks too.  A great role player for this team who can also block a few shots.

Bench:

PG:  Derrick Rose — a blur, when healthy.  Can dominate with scoring.  A good passer who fits in well with a team.  A great point man for a great second team.

SG:  Kobe Bryant — a legend who is my senior veteran for this team.  Can come off the bench and pick his spots.

SF:  Kevin Durant — a pure scorer who gives you unlimited range, rebounding, and some shot blocking.  A matchup nightmare at the 3.

PF:  Kevin Love — a legit power forward who is the best rebounder in the game.  Great range all the way out to 3 point land.  Can also throw nice outlet passes.  Might have to play some center too, which he has done some this year.

C:  Anthony Davis — the lone collegian on this team.  Gives the USA team a great shot blocking talent who alters a ton of shots and blocks shots and keeps them in bounds.  Helps out on the boards to and runs the floor well.  Not a polished offensive player but his game is similar to Tyson Chandler but AD is younger, quicker, and better shot blocker, and has a better shooting touch.  Played unselfishly on a great Kentucky team.  A winner who can play the 5 for the US team as well as some 4.  Looks to be an ideal role player for this team.

Reserves:

PG:  Deron Williams — a great 3rd point guard with solid size and a great shooting stroke.  He’s a good passer who will be a nice spot player at either guard spot, similar to how Chauncey Billups was used on previous US squads.

SF:   Andre Iguodala — a perfect 12th man for this team.  A great utility/glue guy who provides energy and defense.  Doesn’t need the ball to play well.  Since I want to limit Kobe’s minutes Iggy will get some minutes at shooting guard as well as small forward.  He can also play some stretch four.

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I mean, you can’t go wrong with Durant starting. He was the MVP of the World Games.

Melo isn’t the long range shooter that Durant is, but he’s so much better and tougher to defend in the mid-post area.

It’ll be interesting to see who Coach K starts. He could just end up going by seniority.

[imahustla1Participant]

 never thought about anthony davis i wonder if coach K is thinking about it. atleast give him a invite to the camp and see what he can do. with Howard out it couldnt hurt to see what hes capable to do. Blake griffin deff needs to be on this team!

[bballjunkie09Participant]

@Memphis Madness a VERY bold decision considering Anthony Davis to play on Team USA for London… Players that are PFs in the NBA would be a better option at C than Davis right now imo. But who knows until the roster is actually finalized.

If two players are extremely close and  fighting for the starting position, I believe seniority will be a factor in whos to start and sit. With that said this is my prediction on the USA team for 2012:

Starters:

PG – Chris Paul (starting PG of Beijing will stay the starting PG for London, unless a setback hits Paul greatly)

SG – Kobe Bryant (Captain)

SF – Carmelo Anthony (debatable between him and Durant. Ill give Melo the upper hand because of his experience with Beijing, Athens and various FIBA tournaments. But if Durant wins MVP this season…)

PF – LeBron James (Captain)

C – Tyson Chandler (there is no true C besides Dwight Howard and since D12 may still be recovering from surgery Chandler will be looked upon as starting center)

Bench:

PG – Derrick Rose/Deron Williams

SG – Dwyane Wade

SF – Kevin Durant (if Durant wins MVP, he will be a starter imo. But with not much experience compared to Melo he will have to play behind them… FOR NOW.)

PF – Kevin Love

C – Chris Bosh (not a true center, but shown in Beijing he can throw down with time given)

Reserves: Derrick Rose/Deron Williams, Andre Igoudala/Blake Griffin/Joe Johnson???

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Team USA will be loaded but they could use a shot blocker with fresh legs who can play the 5 and 4. Hello, Anthony Davis.

… I would start Melo since he can play the four.

[Charlie SheenParticipant]

Melo is a bull in the post and is our biggest mis-match, KD lite teams up in the World Championships but isn’t the versatile player Melo is

C- Tyson Chandler- with D12 out for the Olympics he is the 2nd best option for USA

F- Carmelo Anthony- as I stated above every year he’s the best offensive player on the team and with the way he is thriving at the 4 this year he gets the nod

F- LeBron James- we all know what he brings

G- Kobe Bryant- Best In The World

G- Chris Paul- Best PG in the NBA

F- Kevin Durant- split time with LBJ and CA at both spots

G- Dwyane Wade- D-Wade is who he is and thrives for Team USA coming off the bench

G- Deron Williams- fell off the radar since being traded to Jersey but he’s a great player and 2nd Best PG on the team

F/C- Kevin Love- Another mismatch and rebounding machine

F- Andre Igoudala- glue guy

G- Russell Westbrook- D-Rose will rest this summer he has too many injuries

F/C- Chris Bosh- he is the only other legit option at 4/5, he’s playing more physical which bodes well for him

F/C- Blake Griffin- I wouldn’t put him up there but Aldridge/Howard are gone he is really the only option left

[bballjunkie09Participant]

@Memphis Madness I dont want to agree or disagree with you. But realistically, Anthony Davis is way too young to be on coach K’s depth list of players he would consider on his 2012 USA squad. PFs like Chris Bosh, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin would be taken over Davis any day by Coach K for the backup Center position.

[Future_Scout board]

cp3

lebron

kd

c. anthony

love

…

rose/ westbrook/ deron

wade/ kobe

griffin/ bosh

chandler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@The Amateur

 

I agree with you, but would you be shocked if Anthony Davis was at least invited to camp?

[bloodshyParticipant]

The man’s flop-ability is definitely all-world.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

For that backup center spot I was trying to think of a shot blocker who would be a good role player.
So I was thinking that Melo, Love, and Iggy and LeBron could play at power forward, so who would the backup center be?
AD is a shot blocker and would be a great asset for Team USA down the road. If this is Chandler’s last appearance then the US
will be even thinner at center. Roy Hibbert is an option but he is not the mobile shot blocker I was looking for.

I thought that Blake missed the cut in 2010 and was somehow ineligible this time. So that spot is basically between Bosh, Hibbert, and Davis.
AD gets the nod because he is more of a center and a Tyson Chandler type player with perhaps a better shot. Josh Smith would be nice but he is always left out of these things for some reason. Cousins would be a beast but
he is a head case. I would never have an argument if Bosh got that spot but AD brings some other things to the table. I doubt that there will be
enough shots to go around and Davis is a guy who won’t need a lot of them.

If I were Coach K I would definitely give Anthony Davis a look. He is a guy who could play in several world championships and Olympics as a 5 and a 4. With Howard out, the depth at center is weak. Chandler is next in line with Hibbert third as guys who are pure centers. Next in line are Bosh and Davis. Take your pick depending on what you want. Hibbert doesn’t have the toughness, motor, or shot blocking skills to get in this time.

I would also take a look at Greg Monroe as a young big with great fundamentals and a ton of potential. He is my sleeper candidate if Blake is ineligible and if Josh Smith/Cousins don’t get a look.

I just think that AD would be a great fit for my team but Bosh would be too. Hey, bring a bunch of guys in and see who comes out on top. But
I do know that Davis would be a great asset for Team USA now and in the future.

[bballjunkie09Participant]

@IndianaBasketball 100% i would most definitely be shocked. Davis is only 19 years old and getting that much credibility at that age is obscure. I’m just leaving the possibility open because nobody knows what is going to happen this year since nothing is finalized. but the likeliness of Davis being invited to tryout = 0.0005% lol

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Wait, is Andrew Bynum eligible? The guy has a bit of an attitude but he is a beast. He has the potential to
start and should at least be brought in for a look.

Here’s another guy they might want to take a look at. Ryan Anderson isn’t a pure power forward but he is 6’10 can play the four, hit threes, and
rebound. He would be a real long shot but he can score and board like Bosh but with much better range. He might be perfect for international play, but he wouldn’t be the guy if they want more of a power player.

Marcus Camby is ancient but worth a look. A great shot blocker who can rebound with the best of them. A legit center. He’s putting up some nice assist numbers this year too. He can score enough to keep the other teams honest.

[xavier328Participant]

I would give dwight spot to Andrew Bynum….you might need him against spain with their big bodies….good inside game that Tyson Chandler cant give you.

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 That would make anthony davis such a great player instead of the summer leauges. 

I think they should do it. What he did in college was pretty legendary. Yeah his team was stacked but on a stacked team he was the best player without trying.

Thats exactly what team USA needs

[qDizzle32Participant]

First of all, it’s been out for a day now that Dwight Howard’s not gonna play in the olympics! Second of all do you even remember how pitiful Danny Granger was in the world championships? He sat the bench behnd a bunch of 2nd year players at the time and he never did anything. But idk about the whole Center situation now with no Dwight. Theres Chris Bosh, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Lamarcus Aldridge on the player pool but none of them are true centers. Lamar Odom also on the player pool I thought did a great job playing the center in the World Championships two years ago but there’s no way he’ll make Team USA this year with the crappy season he’s having this year in Dallas. I really don’t understand why they didn’t invite Andrew Bynum?

[goldie92689Participant]

 http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/2012MOLYroster.html

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

probably safe to sa Lamar Odom wont be on the team.

[goldie92689Participant]

Chris Paul – starting pg

kobe bryant – starting sg, defensive stopper and go to scorer

Lebron James – do – it – all, less of a half court scoring option(hint spoelstra)

Kevin Durant – dominance in turkey makes it hard to bring him off the bench, he’s even better now 

Ty Chandler – He is as perfect for this Job as Superman, Chandler has been in the usa program since 06 

Dwade – stars in his role as 6th man, he is an assasin when he gets the green light (hint spoelstra)

Rudy Gay – I think rudy gets the nod is the 3rd forward because of his size, verstility and athleticism

Kevin Love- He will not get one of the forward spots as many people think, he will be the back up center.. he thrived in limited minutes in  Turkey, he as most of that group have taken off since

Griffin/bosh/iguadala – i give the nod to blake, bosh may get it on politics

Derrick Rose/Deron Williams/Russell Westbrook – everyone sounds so sure about their selection for this role, we’ll call it the next guard. Its a tough call, i think 2 of the 3 will make it, because i think the player i mention next is gonna get an honorary spot because he is gonna kill people in camp

Eric Gordon- this guy, the 11th man and 5th guard

 

 

I would love to see the Usa Basketball version of Hard Knocks, that would be must see tv.

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@The Amateur

I didn’t feel like doing any research, but wasn’t Greg Oden invited to Team USA camp when he was a rookie, but couldn’t go because he had his tonsils removed?

I think the reason was because Team USA envisioned him being apart of the team for the future and wanted to get him involved early.

It wouldn’t surpise me if they did this with Davis.

[AireazzyParticipant]

 Is Andrew Bynum eligible ?

[DurantsWingspan]

I agree that Melo is very very good in International play so I see what you are saying, but on the other hand so is Durant. He single handedly dominated when he played that one summer with all the younger players (I forget what it was called). Maybe all the greatest players werent on the team but most the international players were playing. I think Melo is great at the 4 in internation but Durant is even better. Watching him pull up after that crossover from the Euro 3 point line over his defender is one of the best shots you can get and it is beautiful to watch.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@The Amateur

Saw this today…

http://espn.go.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/7856643/jerry-colangelo-says-team-usa-add-prelim-roster-injuries

"Cousins and fellow Kentucky big man Anthony Davis, who is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, are among the players contending for select team invites."

Looks like Anthony Davis is being considered to be invited to camp in Las Vegas to practice with the Olympic Squad. Still shocked?

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Wow, should be interesting to see him get coached by Coach K and learn a bit playing alongside Chandler (who I think he can be like on defense), Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Durant and CP3.   

This could be a huge boost for him coming into the league if he’s able to make the team.

[Charlie SheenParticipant]

Anyone who thinks Durant should start over Melo are over reacting to the media hype of Durant and bashing of Melo

A PF in international play has to be able, step out and defend on the perimeter, step out and hit perimeter shots, defend the post, post up, rebound and take a beating from the physical play FIBA allows

Durant cant do that for the duration of a game, LeBron is bette suited at the 3

Anthony has seniority over Durant also, you go with the guys who have longevity and chemistry is also key.

Anthony is a better player than Durant, though this year he’s had his down moments, but now we’re seeing the real Melo, I think come playoff time we’ll see who really steps up and shines and thats how coach K will decide his rotation

But to those of you keeping Melo off the team…..get real

[bballjunkie09Participant]

@IndianaBasketball Lol man im not tryna argue with you, but yeah that was quite surprising to me. Theres no doubt Anthony Davis has an immense amount of potential to be a superstar, but I think people are giving him too much credit (although much credit is due for his outstanding job with UK all season). He is still quite frail, not fully developed in his frame and has only played a year of experience as a Center. But with D12 going down, I guess that does leave USA a bit on the short side with Centers. IMO Demarcus Cousins, Roy Hibbert, Al Horford if are in contention should get the nod over Davis for now… This however may change in Davis’ favour down the road with some more experience. What do you think?

[llperez]

my roster:

pg-chris paul

sg-kobe bryant

sf-lebron james

pf-carmelo anthony

c-tyson chandler

bench: kevin durant, chris bosh, kevin love, dwyane wade, deron williams, russell westbrook, andre iguodala

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@The Amateur

Wasn’t trying to argue with you bro. I saw the article and thought of this thread, so I wanted to post it.

It’s smart to get Anthony Davis in the program now. Not that he’ll actually make the Olympics roster or anthing like that, but just to get him in the program. This will be great for him heading forward. Being apart of Team USA has only meant positives for the NBA’s young players.

[Author]

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