[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

Eric Gordon should make it because the team needs a designated shooter like Michael Redd in 08 and he could be that guy. Now I realize that the same can be said about Steph Curry, and OJ Mayo. However, unlike Curry, Gordon is a good defender. Also, unlike Mayo, Gordon is not a volume shooter. You can’t have a volume shooter that needs a lot of touches to be successful as your designated shooter off the bench. Gordon would be a much better fit on a team full of great players than mayo because he doesn’t force shots and is more unselfish. Now people will mention that unlike Curry and Mayo, Gordon doesn’t provide the versatility to play pg, but does that really matter if Team USA plans on taking 4 PG’s??? I mean when is OJ Mayo going to be asked to play point guard for Team USA?? When Rondo, Billups, Westbrook, and Rose are ALL on the bench? Its not even like he is a way better PG than Gordon. I mean Gordon isn’t exactly a great PG, but Mayo isn’t either. If he was a good PG, Mayo would not have been put on Memphis’ Summer League team to work on his PG skills. To me, Eric Gordon should definitely be on the Team USA roster in the FIBA World Championships. Mayo imo is too streaky to be relied on as the designated shooter.

[ChewyParticipant]

So what does your usa roster look like?

[Zeke33Participant]

ill take curry over gordon any day. Curry is a scorer and not that bad of defender. he gets in the passing lanes and sees the floor and has a soft and wet jumper

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

Whether Gordon makes the team or not I really think this has been a valuable experience for him and he’s gonna have a breakout year for The Clippers

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

missed the game…any known where i can catch a replay at?

[ChewyParticipant]

nba tv will play some replays probably

[nateoak10Participant]

Curry>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Gordon

[the_truth34Participant]

nbatv has the replay of the scrimmage game on monday 10am west coast time

[RicoParticipant]

The thing about Gordon is that he doesn’t need the ball in hands to be an effective scorer. Curry and Mayo dominate the ball too much. On a team with so many stars, a guy like Gordon simply fits in better.

[mattyun11Participant]

Steph Curry would be the best designated shooter for this USA team.

p.s- Mayo shot a better percentage in the scrimmage than Curry and Gordon.

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

Just caught the replay and Gordon looked pretty damn good…His handles seem much improved,he looks quicker(looks like he dropped a few pounds),had a few really nice passes!

Two things that stood out was his defense and he’s a deadly spot up shooter

Its gonna be really hard to leave him off the team! He could do some damage off the bench

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

With that being said Curry is the best three point shooter there and he is versatile at the 1 and 2 positions. Gordon is the better defender, but Steph gets a lot of steals wich this team is going to need to get easy baskets with no inside presence.

[courtvisionmagParticipant]

Gordon is REAL. dude is can score so many ways and is real strong. but curry’s shoot is better and curry’s feel for the game is a lot smoother. curry may not be that great as an on the ball defender but he can get away with that in the international game. curry gets in the passing lanes and is a very heady player. i would love to see gordon destroy oppents with his arsonal of ways to score ut i think curry is a better fit

http://www.courtvisionmag.com

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Clippers, why not just say

” I think Eric Gordon should make it because as a Clippers fan, I think he’s the best remaining”

Fair, sweet and to the point.

[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

You guys are so dumb. I never said that I think gordon should make it over curry, nor did I say he was better. I just compared 3 SG’s vying for final spots on the team. I stated why gordon should make it with very valid points. If you call that being a homer your just ignorant. I mean really, your going to tell me that Gordon is not a good shooter, and that he is not a good defender. Your telling me Gordon isn’t really strong which will really help in FIBA play. And your telling me Curry IS strong. And your telling me Mayo IS NOT a volume shooter. And my favorite comment was that Curry and Mayo are better fits than Gordon because he cant play PG like they can. Why the hell does it matter that Mayo can marginally play PG??? Team USA will carry 3 or 4 PGs along with Steph Curry. That said, do you really see Mayo ever playing PG for Team USA…NO. And the fact that people call me a homer when I write anything about the Clippers is a joke. I’ll say gordon is a good shooter and get a lot of negatives or I’ll write a case for Gordon to make the team with valid points and I’ll get negative 7 points. what a joke. And if you were wondering, here is what I believe the roster should be:

pg: rose, billups, westbrook
sg: iguodala, curry, gordon
sf: durant, gay
pf: love, odom
c: lopez, chandler

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

I would rather take Mayo IMO.

I think he’s the better player, has the combo ability ( on offense and defense) and could thrive in FIBA rules.

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

one thing Gordon was doing really well was drawing contact and picking up fouls on the opposing players…hes alot stronger than mayo or curry and that will play in his favor

[OhCanada-Participant]

When I read your second post you only had – 6 but since you asked for -7 im there for you buddy.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Gordon should make the team.

There isn’t another guard on the roster that brings the combination of shooting, physicality, defense, strength, length and athleticism that he does. He’s not just a jumpshooter either… He can take it to the rim and finish with contact.

He also plays a team game. He moves the ball and isn’t a volume shooter. I’d be surprised if he didn’t make the team.

[Zeke33Participant]

u said curry isnt a good defender…thats a joke.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Saying Curry isn’t a good defender isn’t that big of a joke. He’s not going to stop anybody on the ball and if you take him into the post, it’s a wrap.

All he does is pick up steals in the passing lanes. I’d say he’s a decent defender, not a good one.

[Zeke33Participant]

hes solid. but ur right hes not GREAT. but hes just as good as someone like gordon. i think its important to get in the passing lanes. hes got quicks hands. hes not bad by any means

[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

Zeke33: look ur wrong. you can argue and take points away all you want, but the truth is…he is not a good defender. When he was working out for NBA teams before the draft, everyone liked his shooting ability but they worried about what position he could play because they were not sure about his playmaking ability to play PG and his ability to defend NBA SG’s. Now he has been a pretty good playmaker thus far in the NBA, but he has not been a good defender AND that’s just at defending PG’s. For Team USA, he will be forced to guard SG’s because he will be playing SG and the other PG’s that will be on Team USA aren’t tall enough to switch on to the SG for Curry. Look getting steals is great and all but it does not mean your a great defender by any means. It could actually hurt your team if you take a lot risks going for steals due to the fact that you can not stop your defender and your left to try and get steals. On the other hand, Eric Gordon is a great defender. He has received praise many times by coaches, star players, and many others. He is a very good defender and your dismissal of it is flat out ridiculous and probably due to being partial to Stephen Curry. Don’t lie, you just saw that Curry and Gordon were around the same height and figured Gordon can’t be much better on defense due to his size. Actually he is way stronger and that helps him on defense.

[stealsgaloreParticipant]

FIBA basketball is much more physical than the NBA. I think the stronger Gordon will do much better defensively against teams like Greece and Spain with their taller, bigger guards.

Also I think with the amount of playmakers and point guards that are probably already making the roster (Billups, Rose, Westbrook, Rondo, also Iggy and Odom not from the PG spot) makes the fact that Gordon doesn’t have as much playmaking ability as Curry not really an issue.

Thirdly, while Gordon may not be a super elite shooter, he can definately hit open threes, get his own shots, and generally keep defenses honest.

[stanford hoops]

To be honest if the pick mayo over goddam or vice versa no one can really complain. Neither really has a upper hand over the other. I’d take both because u can never have enough shooters when playing fiba ball.

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah you can’t go wrong with Mayo or Gordon really. No point in trying to make an argument for either, it’s too close.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@Zeke33

“but hes just as good as someone like gordon.”

NO he’s NOT LOL.

Curry isn’t even close to BEING CLOSE to Gordon on defense lol. Gordon is stronger, longer, more athletic and moves better laterally. Gordon can hold his own defending three positions at only 6′ 3″. It’s because he has a 6′ 9″ wingspan and weighs 220 lbs. His arms are six inches longer and he weighs like 35 lbs more than Curry lol.

Curry isn’t a good defender. He’s a gambler in the passing lanes. Curry isn’t going to stop anybody on the ball and he’ll get punished in the post. Allen Iverson was great in the passing lanes, but I don’t think anyone in their right minds would consider him a good defender.

[stanford hoops]

I take curry over both for fiba though bthats a no brainer. With the hand checking rules his defense won’t be as bad. Even without it his shooting puts him on automatically and his playmaking ability

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’d go with Gordon and Mayo over Curry.

They’re not pure shooters like Curry, but they’re both great shooters and more than capable of making the FIBA three-pointer. They bring more to the table. Curry isn’t a physical guard and FIBA is a physical game.

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah…..I wouldn’t take Gordon over Curry.

Curry is the best fit for FIBA over both. Gordon is more erratic creating for himself in half-court sets off the dribble than Curry, and even Mayo for that matter, and while he’s capable of playing off the ball he’s also not better off the ball than Curry is.

Gordon’s D is the only thing that’s better than anything Curry offers, but Mayo is arguably a better overall defender than Gordon is. No way does Gordon make this team over Curry. Mayo maybe…but definitely not Stephen Curry.

[SlimParticipant]

@JNixon-Iggy9

“Mayo is arguably a better overall defender than Gordon is”

Please explain?

[llperez]

i would put both mayo and gordan on the team. Westbrook, rondo, curry would all be behind those 2 if it were up to me.

[stanford hoops]

What does rose do better then any of thoses guys that’s a plus in fiba basketball(against zone since that’s all they will face) think about that. For some drop the bias and remember this is fiba not NBA.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Other than his shooting, what makes Curry a great fit for FIBA? He’s small, weak, isn’t a great defender nor is he physical.

I think it comes down to opinion as to who plays off of the ball better, because I think Gordon is pretty good in that area as well.

Not only is he a better defender than Curry, he brings more to the table that’ll translate over to FIBA. He’s a strong, long, tough, physical and athletic guard… He also finishes better. He’ll be able to take that contact. He’ll have no problem with the physical play.

He won’t need to create much for himself in the half-court set, which he’s more than capable of doing if called upon. That’s why Rose, Rondo, etc will be on the team. They’ll create. The only players I expect to seriously create their own offense is Durant, Rose and Gay.

[JNixonParticipant]

I don’t know what to explain.All I can say is what I said the 1st time: Mayo is arguably a better overall defender than Gordon is. By overall I mean on and off the ball.

[JNixonParticipant]

The thing that makes Curry a better fit than Gordon is that he can play both guard spots with near equal effectiveness, is strong in pick and roll. He’s one of the only guards who can play both guard spots with as much interchangeability as possible (Chauncey Billups is the only one who could give him a run for his money).

I’d take Curry over Gordon if I had to make a decision. Especially since Mayo brings all of the exact same things to the table that Gordon does, it’s no real point of snubbing both Curry AND Mayo just for Gordon.

It’s not really an argument, since Curry is almost a lock to make it. The real race is between Gordon and Mayo.

[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

When it comes down to it, Curry and Gordon are both great shooters and both can play the 2. However, Curry can also play the 1 and is a little better at creating in the halfcourt. However, Gordon is better on defense and in the FIBA game (more physical) will be just as good at creating in the halfcourt because Curry might have more difficulty creating in the halfcourt with the physical defenses where as Gordon is much stronger so he’ll be able to adjust to the style of play more easily. So its pretty much Gordon’s defense versus Curry’s ability to play the 1. Given the fact that there will be 3 or 4 point guards on the Team USA roster, Gordon’s defense is the better quality. His defense is especially important for a role player off the bench which the designated shooter will be. Therefore Curry is far from a lock.

[JNixonParticipant]

Curry will make the roster. It’s a battle between Mayo and Gordon. There would be no point in keeping Gordon over Curry, since Gordon is a duplicate of Mayo, and Curry is the best shooter of the bunch. I don’t understand why y’all are arguing Curry over Gordon. Curry will definitely make it, especially over those 2.

[NarcParticipant]

Curry will make it over Gordon mainly because of his higher basketball IQ…and I agree with Iggy, Gordon and Mayo are carbon copies of each other, with the edge in strength going to Gordon, Mayo is just two inches taller.

[stanford hoops]

But that’s the thing his shooting is what’s baulable nevaise teams play zone. Driving to the basket isn’t as baulable in fiba. Curry can shoot and get to the basket. Rose can only get to the basket sand his defense is bad

[Afactor4Participant]

Also, Mayo has a higher release point on his shot than Eric Gordon, something that would help him out big in any type of game.

Gordon is definitely worth keeping on the team, even just as a luxury type player, but I’d take Mayo over him head to head in this particular situation.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@Narc

Mayo isn’t two inches taller than Gordon… He’s about an inch taller. And it’s really irrellivant when you consider Gordon’s wingspan is three inches longer.

@Ara Minats

What does Mayo having a higher release point have to do with making the team?

[Afactor4Participant]

In a battle of undersized 2 guards that are almost evenly matched, one’s shot will be harder to block, thereby making Mayo a tidbit more effective. Very basic.

[stanford hoops]

I doubt if coach k is gonna says”hmmmm mayo has a higher release point I think I’ll keep him over gordan”

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