[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Disclaimer: I have not watched all the games for Team USA. I saw a couple and didn’t know the whole roster. I heard Bill Simmons talk about it on the podcast ( The BS Report)

What’s up with Team USA’s roster? Billups, Rose, Westbrook Rondo, Curry AND Gordon? Is that really all needed? 6 players under 6-4, only 2 of them are superdefenders ( Rondo and Westbrook)

Iguadala, Granger and Gay are all not needed. I like somewhat the Frontcourt with Durant, Chandler, Love and Odom.

This is something Simmons brought up: Why isin’t Dwight Howard playing? In Simmons eyes, Howard hasn’t proved this “Alpha Dog” status and hasn’t shown that he’s a clutch player.

My opinion: Team USA needs to get some bigs. I think Iggy, Westbrook and Gordon should be replaced with different players. I say Josh Smith ( combo 3-4 guy who can defend), Andrew Bynum ( LA probably wants him healthy and told him no) and ( This is my out there pick) but how about Andrey Blatche? Jason Thompson, I would have even liked to see Marvin Williams out there.

Thoughts?

[McDunkin]

Yeah..i could see Blatche learning another language just to ask opposing players to let him get a triple double

[McDunkin]

Yeah..i could see Blatche learning another language just to ask opposing players to let him get a triple double

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

They have a small lineup and this is the reason they are going to play a fast uptempo, Phoenix Suns/Golden State Warriors type offense.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

They have a small lineup and this is the reason they are going to play a fast uptempo, Phoenix Suns/Golden State Warriors type offense.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Yea but who are they stopping over 6-10?

Kevin Love is a below average defender
Chandler is average
Odom is below average in the paint

They will run but I think they needed some more size. You cannot run all the time.

You know who’s smiling at the Team USA roster? Ricky Rubio. Last Olympics he had a good game dispite being injured. If he has a good game against all 4 of those point guards? He might increase his value coming into the NBA..

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Yea but who are they stopping over 6-10?

Kevin Love is a below average defender
Chandler is average
Odom is below average in the paint

They will run but I think they needed some more size. You cannot run all the time.

You know who’s smiling at the Team USA roster? Ricky Rubio. Last Olympics he had a good game dispite being injured. If he has a good game against all 4 of those point guards? He might increase his value coming into the NBA..

[gregoden08Participant]

Would be terrible for team USA. Guarantee coach K would never want him on the team.Bad defender, bad shot selection and not a team player.

[gregoden08Participant]

Would be terrible for team USA. Guarantee coach K would never want him on the team.Bad defender, bad shot selection and not a team player.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

But that’s the thing, not everyone comes in ready for Team USA.

You be surprised, alot of those guys have to grow together. I would think Washington would encourage him to go and try out ( I don’t know the process) and play against better talent. For 2-4 seasons, he playing against Odom, Chandler, Love and Durant? He would develop fast.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

But that’s the thing, not everyone comes in ready for Team USA.

You be surprised, alot of those guys have to grow together. I would think Washington would encourage him to go and try out ( I don’t know the process) and play against better talent. For 2-4 seasons, he playing against Odom, Chandler, Love and Durant? He would develop fast.

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

The best bigs Team USA would face would be like Scola, Oberto, Varejeo, Asik, Kristic, M.Gasol etc since most good big men are sitting out like Dirk & Yao so they dont exactly need world beaters out there

@McDunkin Lmfao at Blatche the triple double whore

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

The best bigs Team USA would face would be like Scola, Oberto, Varejeo, Asik, Kristic, M.Gasol etc since most good big men are sitting out like Dirk & Yao so they dont exactly need world beaters out there

@McDunkin Lmfao at Blatche the triple double whore

[llperez]

bynum said no. Dwight said no. SO unless you think they should have gone to their house and played hardball, what do you expect USA to do? And you really hitnk jason thompson and andray blatche are the answers? Team USA is very solid considering all the stars declined. This is essentialy USA’s B team. How many international players on the wing really post up? I dont see the perimiter size having any negative effect. And if it did, not sure why getting rid of iggy would help that.

[llperez]

bynum said no. Dwight said no. SO unless you think they should have gone to their house and played hardball, what do you expect USA to do? And you really hitnk jason thompson and andray blatche are the answers? Team USA is very solid considering all the stars declined. This is essentialy USA’s B team. How many international players on the wing really post up? I dont see the perimiter size having any negative effect. And if it did, not sure why getting rid of iggy would help that.

[stanford hoops]

yeah there isnt gonna be any unstoppable big men that they will be facing.
Josh smith’s game isnt really built for fiba. his defense is but not his offense
in fiba shooting is more important then size because of the zone. when a team plays zone they dont rebound well because you dont have a man to box out you have a area
bynum had surgery not to long ago so he wouldnt be able to play anyway
not sure about the rubio smiling thing..i dont recall his stats but he played ok at best..i remember he turned the ball over more then he got an assist and might have had 6pts. he had 2 or 3 highlights plus i dont see him doing much against rondo

[stanford hoops]

yeah there isnt gonna be any unstoppable big men that they will be facing.
Josh smith’s game isnt really built for fiba. his defense is but not his offense
in fiba shooting is more important then size because of the zone. when a team plays zone they dont rebound well because you dont have a man to box out you have a area
bynum had surgery not to long ago so he wouldnt be able to play anyway
not sure about the rubio smiling thing..i dont recall his stats but he played ok at best..i remember he turned the ball over more then he got an assist and might have had 6pts. he had 2 or 3 highlights plus i dont see him doing much against rondo

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Perez….calm down bud. I didn’t know how the process worked. No need to get all on me for it.

I think the perimeter thing could come into play down the line. In 2 years, a team like Spain, Brazil and even France have players I think that could be a really good team. Like Lithuana as well and not to mention Greece.

Am I saying those teams will all beat USA? No. I’m saying alot could happen when the Olympics come around. Who knows what could happen. I just feel like we have the best players and the roster looks confusing to me.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Perez….calm down bud. I didn’t know how the process worked. No need to get all on me for it.

I think the perimeter thing could come into play down the line. In 2 years, a team like Spain, Brazil and even France have players I think that could be a really good team. Like Lithuana as well and not to mention Greece.

Am I saying those teams will all beat USA? No. I’m saying alot could happen when the Olympics come around. Who knows what could happen. I just feel like we have the best players and the roster looks confusing to me.

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

can forget bro that lebron, wade, carmelo, dwight and bosh arent playing…. so size is an issue when ur elite players arent there that actually take up space… and yes… team usa is going to more of an uptempo pace, but i wouldnt call this roster terrible… they did destroy france and china.. BY A LOT!! even with their roster that they have right now

and marvin williams??? how the hell marvin williams gnna be on team usa or try out when he cant even hold his own in atlanta???

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

can forget bro that lebron, wade, carmelo, dwight and bosh arent playing…. so size is an issue when ur elite players arent there that actually take up space… and yes… team usa is going to more of an uptempo pace, but i wouldnt call this roster terrible… they did destroy france and china.. BY A LOT!! even with their roster that they have right now

and marvin williams??? how the hell marvin williams gnna be on team usa or try out when he cant even hold his own in atlanta???

[llperez]

i am calm, i just disagree with your post and told you why i thought so. I didnt call you names or anything dont be so sensitive. And why does the perimiter size of this team matter for the 2012 olympics? Its pretty widely anticipated that the majority of the stars will likely play for the olympics. This team is fine and i expect they will go undefeated in the tournament. If you made a post about how you think the roster could be improved, then thats one thing. But to say its terrible and then suggest adding guys who turned down inivtes already as well as guys like jason thompson who is a bench player on one of the worst teams in the league, i have to scratch my head.

[llperez]

i am calm, i just disagree with your post and told you why i thought so. I didnt call you names or anything dont be so sensitive. And why does the perimiter size of this team matter for the 2012 olympics? Its pretty widely anticipated that the majority of the stars will likely play for the olympics. This team is fine and i expect they will go undefeated in the tournament. If you made a post about how you think the roster could be improved, then thats one thing. But to say its terrible and then suggest adding guys who turned down inivtes already as well as guys like jason thompson who is a bench player on one of the worst teams in the league, i have to scratch my head.

[JoeWolf1]

I actually think Chandler looked pretty good the other day, he seems to be over his injuries he’s been battling the past couple seasons and is a really good player to have in the lane with the internation rules in place. To have another C behind him will help, but I think the international rules and the fact he seems to be healthy leads me to believe team USA will be fine with Chandler down low.

[JoeWolf1]

I actually think Chandler looked pretty good the other day, he seems to be over his injuries he’s been battling the past couple seasons and is a really good player to have in the lane with the internation rules in place. To have another C behind him will help, but I think the international rules and the fact he seems to be healthy leads me to believe team USA will be fine with Chandler down low.

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

role players like chandler is what team usa needs, he doesnt need shots or touches to be effective

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

role players like chandler is what team usa needs, he doesnt need shots or touches to be effective

[boxn1Participant]

to me this is like a defacto audition for the 12′ olympics. They could have used a combo of younger pro (25-under) and college players and fielded a much better all around team. Instead they took the b and c options from the nba with the exception of Durant.

[boxn1Participant]

to me this is like a defacto audition for the 12′ olympics. They could have used a combo of younger pro (25-under) and college players and fielded a much better all around team. Instead they took the b and c options from the nba with the exception of Durant.

[stanford hoops]

college players to field a better team???..lolololol..what college players are better then these guys?…that must have been a joke

[stanford hoops]

college players to field a better team???..lolololol..what college players are better then these guys?…that must have been a joke

[billykParticipant]

Tyson Chandler, when healthy is an elite defender… When Durant is at the powerd foward IDK who can guard him.. Rubio is gonna have a problem with the USA guards.. I think the USA team can be beat, but they have the pieces on the at the wing positions to give team issues…

[billykParticipant]

Tyson Chandler, when healthy is an elite defender… When Durant is at the powerd foward IDK who can guard him.. Rubio is gonna have a problem with the USA guards.. I think the USA team can be beat, but they have the pieces on the at the wing positions to give team issues…

[stanford hoops]

im still trippin over the “combo of younger pro (25-under) and college players and fielded a much better all around team” comment. theres not one college player right now better then any of these players and what other 25 players would replace these guys?…i think jerry co know what hes doing as far as picking the team. yes they can be beaten since they dont have there best players playing but its not like there are soooo many other options to replace these players with

[stanford hoops]

im still trippin over the “combo of younger pro (25-under) and college players and fielded a much better all around team” comment. theres not one college player right now better then any of these players and what other 25 players would replace these guys?…i think jerry co know what hes doing as far as picking the team. yes they can be beaten since they dont have there best players playing but its not like there are soooo many other options to replace these players with

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

im still trippin over the “combo of younger pro (25-under) and college players and fielded a much better all around team” comment.

Who said that?

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

im still trippin over the “combo of younger pro (25-under) and college players and fielded a much better all around team” comment.

Who said that?

[stanford hoops]

boxn1

[stanford hoops]

boxn1

[Hoops MaestroParticipant]

One more big guy would have helped, but Brook Lopez was sick, and Robin Lopez and David Lee got injured. So what? No one else in the tournament is anywhere close to Kevin Durant in basketball ability. Steph Curry can shoot lights out. Rudy Gay can play. Need scoring? Bring in Danny Granger. Who’s going to stop Rajon Rondo? Need a big shot? Hey, there’s Chauncey Billups. Love and Odom are both great passers who can rebound and don’t pout if they aren’t the star.

I’ve watched as much of their practices and exhibition games as I can, and I think they’re going to tear it up.

[Hoops MaestroParticipant]

One more big guy would have helped, but Brook Lopez was sick, and Robin Lopez and David Lee got injured. So what? No one else in the tournament is anywhere close to Kevin Durant in basketball ability. Steph Curry can shoot lights out. Rudy Gay can play. Need scoring? Bring in Danny Granger. Who’s going to stop Rajon Rondo? Need a big shot? Hey, there’s Chauncey Billups. Love and Odom are both great passers who can rebound and don’t pout if they aren’t the star.

I’ve watched as much of their practices and exhibition games as I can, and I think they’re going to tear it up.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Team USA should be fine but i do think they should have had a better balace and gotten more legit big men but they should be able to get away with playing Love and Odom at the 5. Also Durant and some others can play the 4. I just dont get why they have all those guards on the team. I don’t see the benefit in trying to play that many small guards when you could have gotter bigger guys. They could have give Artest a chance who could play the 4 against most Euro players and some NBA players.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Team USA should be fine but i do think they should have had a better balace and gotten more legit big men but they should be able to get away with playing Love and Odom at the 5. Also Durant and some others can play the 4. I just dont get why they have all those guards on the team. I don’t see the benefit in trying to play that many small guards when you could have gotter bigger guys. They could have give Artest a chance who could play the 4 against most Euro players and some NBA players.

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

those scrimaages and exbithitions dont mean anything since they have play France’s B team and China without Yao they will do well but the gold medal isnt a garentee

[Demarcus OnealParticipant]

those scrimaages and exbithitions dont mean anything since they have play France’s B team and China without Yao they will do well but the gold medal isnt a garentee

[bobbybParticipant]

that they are undersized, is there some new hakeem olajuwon out there i dont know about. No Yao, Dirk, Bogut. If they dont win gold , it will be because they cant score/ defend the perimeter, case closed

[bobbybParticipant]

that they are undersized, is there some new hakeem olajuwon out there i dont know about. No Yao, Dirk, Bogut. If they dont win gold , it will be because they cant score/ defend the perimeter, case closed

[stanford hoops]

what other legit big men could they have gotten though?

hortford is from another country
oden is saing his self for the season
both lopez withdrew
bynum rehab
bogut another country
howard,bosh,withdrew
perkins hurt
noah another country

[stanford hoops]

what other legit big men could they have gotten though?

hortford is from another country
oden is saing his self for the season
both lopez withdrew
bynum rehab
bogut another country
howard,bosh,withdrew
perkins hurt
noah another country

[joecheck88Participant]

USA’s roster isn’t terrible. Could it be better? Yes, but not with everyone decliining the invite. Look this team may not be the most polished stars in the league, but they are a very good man on man defensive team. They are young and athletic, and have a good mix of shooters and penetrators. Against many teams in FIBA ball they could play a small lineup. For ex. PG- Derrick Rose SG-Chauncey Billups SF- Andre Iguodala PF-Kevin Durant C- Lamar Odom. There are bigger teams out there like Brazil(Varejao, Nene, and Splitter) but we kill those teams on the perimeter. And don’t forget Duran, Rose, and Rondo are fastly becoming top 10 players in the Nba, a claim no other countries can make. From an athletic and talent standpoint, team USA is better than the world(and it is our B team). We aren’t guaranteed gold but we will be in the hunt. As for the Rubio statement, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo will harrass him and people will find out quick that Rubio may not be all that great against super athletes(which almost all PG’s in the NBA are).

We aren’t a shue in for gold because some teams have played together for years but I know we will defend and have energy and try hard, that is all I want from my team because I know we will be there in the end.

[joecheck88Participant]

USA’s roster isn’t terrible. Could it be better? Yes, but not with everyone decliining the invite. Look this team may not be the most polished stars in the league, but they are a very good man on man defensive team. They are young and athletic, and have a good mix of shooters and penetrators. Against many teams in FIBA ball they could play a small lineup. For ex. PG- Derrick Rose SG-Chauncey Billups SF- Andre Iguodala PF-Kevin Durant C- Lamar Odom. There are bigger teams out there like Brazil(Varejao, Nene, and Splitter) but we kill those teams on the perimeter. And don’t forget Duran, Rose, and Rondo are fastly becoming top 10 players in the Nba, a claim no other countries can make. From an athletic and talent standpoint, team USA is better than the world(and it is our B team). We aren’t guaranteed gold but we will be in the hunt. As for the Rubio statement, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo will harrass him and people will find out quick that Rubio may not be all that great against super athletes(which almost all PG’s in the NBA are).

We aren’t a shue in for gold because some teams have played together for years but I know we will defend and have energy and try hard, that is all I want from my team because I know we will be there in the end.

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