Who's your Team USA?

Alright, you are Coach K, you've got your pick of the following players for the Olympic team:

LaMarcus Aldridge
Carmelo Anthony
Chris Bosh
MJ wannabe Bryant
Tyson Chandler
Anthony Davis
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Eric Gordon
Blake Griffin
James Harden
Andre Iguodala
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Lamar Odom
Chris Paul
Dwyane Wade
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams

who do you take on your 12 man roster?

TheMagnus wrote:

Alright, you are Coach K, you've got your pick of the following players for the Olympic team:

LaMarcus Aldridge
Carmelo Anthony
Chris Bosh
MJ wannabe Bryant
Tyson Chandler
Anthony Davis
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Eric Gordon
Blake Griffin
James Harden
Andre Iguodala
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Lamar Odom
Chris Paul
Dwyane Wade
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams

who do you take on your 12 man roster?

LaMarcus Aldridge
Anthony Davis
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Blake Griffin
James Harden
Andre Iguodala
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Chris Paul
Dwyane Wade
Deron Williams

I took Harden over Westbrook. There is no need for 4 PGs and I know Westbrook is supposed to be the shit, but I don't like his game. I love the stuff that Harden does. Westbrook is the type of player that had Team USA lose a while back.

I'm not in love with 90% of the team this time. I guess I'm just getting old and still compare all the Olympic teams to the original Dream Team. That was a Mother FN collection of basketball players!

That is a short squad.

Here's who I think I would take

PG: Paul, Williams, Westbrook
SG: Wade, Harden
SF: James, Durant
PF: Love, Aldridge, Griffin
C: Chandler, Bosh

Melo was my alternate, I actually think he should be on the team, he was huge for the team in 2008, but I just can't stand him and I needed another guard so I left him off. Bryant is another guy who has a spot if he wants it, and if he's in Harden is out, but I'd like to see him sit this one out.

Chandler is a must have to me, he's the only true C on the roster, and he's a really really good one.

PG: Paul, Westbrook, Williams
SG: Harden, Gordon, Wade
SF: Lebron, Durant, Iggy
PF: Love, Davis
C: Chandler

I got rid of Blake last. I think the team could use the size, but I think Hardens shooting and Iggy's length to me are more valuable. Also, I like having a young rookie on the team, ala Laettner. Not to mention big time shotblocker is great.

Melo left off, because as we saw a few summers ago, one on one players blew it in World Ball. You need team players, ball movement, outside shooting and defense. This is a defending, ball moving team. Also, I like this team with alot of the guys having the killer instinct stuff. I dont feel that Aldridge/Bosh/Odom/Gay have a killer mentality. Wanna win sure, but not killer.

Chandler agree, only true center. Also, that dude can do all the Center stuff, but can run too.
Also, no MJ wannabe. He shoots his team out of games, I dont want to see it against the world.

My team is smaller, but has all the length needed, and with guys like Love and Lebron who should play a ton, size is good, or with Durant and Lebron who can both play PF in the Olympics.
Thing we missed most last time was shooting. This team has that, and scoring.

Apologies for not going off your list of potentials, but I'll put together a US team of US players that should be completely unbeatable in the Olympic forum.

PG: Rose*, CP3
SG: Wade, MJ wannabe
SF: Lebron, Durrant
PF: Griffin, Bosh*
C: Howard*, Bynum

with Love (PF/C) and Westbrook (PG) rounding out the 12.

*Due to possible injury conflicts to Rose, Bosh, and Howard, I'll add D-Will (PG), Aldridge (PF/C), and Zach Randolph (PF/C).

Of course, the US has tons of talent that would start on any other nation's teams. We could go 5 deep at any position and still come up with a team that should beat any other Olympic team. But, the Olympic games are different than NBA games, and team chemistry sometimes has made the difference. Still, there is no reason anything the US comes up with should lose to any other Olympic team. And yet, it has happened in the past....

Well that's a different question all together isn't it Saint?

I cut the guys who we know won't be playing because of injury out of the list I gave, but the list is the official Team USA Mens Pool, so that's pretty much all you got to choose from in real life.

But to your answer, here's a good question...

Who isn't on that list that you would REALLY like to see as part of the player pool?

My first obvious response is a couple solid bigs, Andrew Bynum is a no brainer.

I'd also consider Greg Monroe and Favors, Cousins, and Ryan Anderson from the select team. Also, in the interest of building a good balanced team, I'd like to see a couple of guys that just spot up and shoot form anywhere at a high percentage. Ryan Anderson is one of those guys, the next best choice I think is Kyle Korver.

Out of that list I think the Guys I would for sure add are Favors, Monroe, and Anderson.

There is a serious prolem with quality big men in the pool.

Bynum is an obvious stud and Cousins is very talented as well. The problem for USA basketball is that they both have shown themselves to be head-cases as well. The US team doesn't want those kinds of issues on the team.

Monroe seems like the type of player who would fit well into the FIBA world of baskeball.

I suspect A.Davis will be added as well.

zero24gravity wrote:

There is a serious prolem with quality big men in the pool.

Bynum is an obvious stud and Cousins is very talented as well. The problem for USA basketball is that they both have shown themselves to be head-cases as well. The US team doesn't want those kinds of issues on the team.

Monroe seems like the type of player who would fit well into the FIBA world of baskeball.

I suspect A.Davis will be added as well.

Ya, that's why I went Favors over Cousins, you know he's not going to pout about not playing and get into fights with teamates over stupid crap.

I was fairly surprised Monroe wasn't on the Select team, Pistons fans were downright pissed. Rightfully so, Monroe is going to be a top 5 C next year, heck, I could make a pretty strong argument that he was a top 5 C this year, which is pretty freaking impressive for a 2nd year player who just turned 22 today.