With the Olympics right around the corner (starts in August) and with the US poor showing in the last World Basketball Championships (on our home turf I might add) there is alot of controversy surrounding this year's team. I believe with the rest of the world getting better by the year the US team needs to have a good showing in Athens if they still want to be considered the best basketball country. The point of this thread is for you to assemble the 12 man US roster that would have the best chance of winning the Gold in Athens. In my opinion going with 12 superstars is not a good idea. Too many egos and not enough basketballs is a recipe for a letdown. True that the 1992 Dream Team was dominant but other teams are catching up and the US can't win just by showing up with talent alone. Before I post my team here are the commitments from the US team so far: http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2004/04_moly_roster.html Ray Allen, Mike Bibby, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Karl Malone, Tracy McGrady, and Karl Malone. Now here is my team (considering everyone who got invited would except the invitation): C - Shaquille O'Neal: the most dominant force in the world; no one on the planet can stop him (China would have the best shot at slowing him down with Yao) F - Tim Duncan: another dominat force down low; i think the US main advantage is their low post players. F - Kevin Garnett: this year's MVP gives the US team a frontline that is hard the best out of any three frontcourt players of any era G - Ron Artest: where are the role players you might be asking after the first 3 starters are 3 of the best players in the world; Artest is not a role player in the NBA but he would be for this team; his main job will be sticking the plethora of outside shooters that the international teams can throw at you ala Peja G - Jason Kidd: ball distribution is the name of the game here and no one gets more assists that Kidd bench Jim Jackson: consummate team player; good shooter and defender Tracy McGrady: instant offense off the bench Sam Cassell: backup point guard duties Brad Miller: backup center or power forward that can give the US team different looks at the 5 position Jermaine O'Neal: again the US teams main advantage is its size Doug Christie: another good role player with the ability to defend on the perimeter Steve Francis: more offense off the bench and as a Rocket fan I would be salivating over the potential Yao v Francis match-up I think this team could compete with the best of them.
Personally, I'm not a fan of sending purely All-Star squads to the Olympics, for the same reason that teams overloaded with marquee players (2000 Trailblazers, current Mavs, this year's Lakers?) rarely win championships. A roster full of 20-plus-shots/game scorers don't tend to mesh well, and typically lack hardnose defenders and dirty-work players. You don't want a shoot-first PG (that means you Baron Davis) running the offense when everyone needs the ball. The biggest criteria I'm using to select from the NBA's top performers is whether or not they are team-first guys. After that, I'm looking at overall versatility. Eric Snow making the list is no mistake. Tracy McGrady Kevin Garnett Tim Duncan Jason Kidd Ray Allen _______________ Jermaine O'Neal Eric Snow Ben Wallace Richard Hamilton LeBron James Brad Miller Michael Redd alternates: Sam Cassell Vince Carter Karl Malone Dropped for Character Issues Kobe Bryant Chris Webber Stephon Marbury Allen Iverson Ron Artest Shaquille O'Neal not included due to lack of interest. Evan
C - Shaq - Most Dominant Big Man. PF - Duncan - No-brainer SF - Garnett - No-brainer SG - Kobe - great defender - great clutch player. PG - Kidd - best court leader. ------- Michael Redd - very solid player, can bring excitement. Ron Artest - tough defender - would bring things that many cannot. Jermaine O'neal - Can play pf or center. Ben Wallace - Great defense - role player. Sam Cassell - 2nd best option at PG. Ray Allen - Has the experience to help lead this team. Vince Carter - Steps up in olympics...way up (Weis). Alternates: Mike Bibby - solid floor leader. Lebron James - get this young superstar in the system to build for the future. Karl Malone - Experience, if necessary.
Duncan KG Marion McGrady Kidd bench Brad Miller Bibby J. Oneal Lebron James Michael Redd Bobby Jackson Ben Wallace These are the players I would like to send. All the big guys are versatile enough to play pf and c(and with kg, sf). Marion is a super atletic sf with lockdown d and great help d. McGrady is the one guy w/o great d in the starting lineup, but he does have height, and his offensive prowness(inluding his passing) makes up for that. Lebron would play sf/sg, and set up his teamates off the bench. Redd brings the 3 point threat, but him, along with Jackson and Wallace would most likely be the guys that come out in garbage time, and they are exactly the type of hustle guys you want out there to finish off the game in blowouts.
with the controversy that is going on with the players selections for the US team I tought I'd give this thread a kick in the BUTT to see if anyone else would care to chime in on the topic.
Ideally: Shaq Duncan Garnett Kobe Kidd That's easy, all professionals, all at the top of their game you could make up a bench of Greg Ostertag and Moochie Norris and I'd like their chances. But to fill out the squad, I'd throw in Carter, Cassell, J'O Neal, McGrady, and maybe LeBron for versatility. Those 9 are enough for me. But with the defections, I'd go like this: Duncan Kenyon Martin (controversial, but I don't like Brand here for his 02 performance, see below) Marion Pierce (controversial, he was kind of a jerk iat Indy 2002, but he was also deadeye from Int'l 3 point line, nearly 50% ) Cassell Reserves: Michael Finley, Richard Jefferson, Jason Williams, LeBron for versatility purposes again. I need another big man too so I would go with Brad Miller, or maybe even Marcus Camby or Stoudemire. Camby is a shocker but he is the kind of long-armed athlete that gives the Euros trouble. Check this recap from 02, btw, by which I decided to exclude Brand; he was horrible in the tourney, I recall observing that too. http://espn.go.com/magazine/bucher_20020906.html
good article Sam thanks. I am reluctant to take most of the players on that US Worlds team for how poorly they played. Here is the latest article about the team: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=1800465 Amare Stoudemire will get his wish and will be added to the U.S. Olympic basketball team, NBA sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Wednesday. The Suns forward had hoped to gain some 11th-hour consideration as the selection committee scrambles to fill a roster in flux. As reported by ESPN.com last month, officials have been operating under the premise that Minnesota's Kevin Garnett will not accept their invitation to join the squad. Karl Malone is also expected to relinquish his roster spot, and Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal is considered a long shot to accept his invitation. Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal is another big man who is at least considering a pullout, after battling through various ailments throughout the season and emerging as one of the first NBA personalities to publicly voice concerns held privately by many of the American stars regarding the level of security that can be provided in Greece. Asked about security fears, Stoudemire recently told Stein: "You're taking a chance in anything you do in life. I just want to play for my country." Stoudemire joins LeBron James, Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion as the newest additions to an American team that will be without many of the top players originally selected or invited. Kenyon Martin of the New Jersey Nets told reporters Wednesday that he would not be willing to accept an invitation, citing a lingering knee injury and his unsettled contract status as an upcoming restricted free agent. The unofficial U.S. roster now includes Tim Duncan, O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Mike Bibby, Marbury, Marion, James, Stoudemire and Richard Jefferson. USA Basketball is awaiting definitive word from Shaquille O'Neal on whether he will play. Conversations with several people in the American federation have found varying levels of optimism or pessimism regarding O'Neal's intentions. McGrady and Bibby have indicated they're having second thoughts about attending the Olympics, scheduled for Aug. 13-29 in Athens. Among the players being considered to replace them are Sam Cassell, Ron Artest, Carmelo Anthony and Lamar Odom. "You can't be mad at somebody who doesn't want to play," Cassell said. "It's up to everybody's choice whether they want to play. Some people might have feelings about security. Personally, I don't think that's going to be a problem." The Lakers' Kobe Bryant has already relinquished his roster spot, citing potential court obligations in Colorado this off-season, and Toronto's Vince Carter turned down the opportunity to join the squad because he'll soon be getting married, leaving USA Basketball with holes to fill on the perimeter. New Jersey's Jason Kidd and Seattle's Ray Allen, both members of Team USA's original nine-man core, have also said they're unlikely to be available for the Athens Games -- Kidd because of health issues; Allen because his fiancée is expecting their first child in early September.
My roster with the players that have said they want to play and have been invited in italics: C - Duncan PF - Jermaine O'Neal SF - Jefferson SG - Artest PG - Francis bench F - Stoudemire G - Iverson G - Lebron F - Marion G - Marbury C - Brad Miller F - Zach Randolph alternates: Carlos Boozer, Sam Cassell, and Doug Christie indicates I don't like these players representing the U.S.
well with yet another player dropping out: Jermaine O'Neal. Ben Wallace has been added to the roster.
First off, I love Ben Wallace to death and think he's a great NBA player, and he is likely the hardest working man in the game. This guy should be a role model for all NBA players, period. He accomplished everything through hard work, but... Ben Wallace is a good player to have in a brawling, trench warfare, low 60's- 70's scoring game where nobody can buy a bucket without eating 6 elbows first. Basically, he couldn't be more ill-equipped for wide lane, movement intensive, less contact, more rangy International rules basketball than anybody else out there. It showed in 2002, and it will show again in 2004 Hell, even Maurice Taylor would be a better selection than Big Ben, at least he can hit a jumper or two. This team is shaping up to be terrible, just terrible. I'm beginning to think just medaling would be ideal.
OK I just thought of a new US Basketball team. And I mean this in all seriousness as the best team with a chance to win Gold in Athens now that the elite NBA players are shunning the event. Send the Detroit Pistons. Seriously, this team has played together and has good team chemistry. They are an excellent defensive team. The problems that plagued the last US team was lack of chemistry with too many stars and not enough role players. The Pistons are already playing for the US Olympic coach Larry Brown so there will be no new system to adjust to. Replace Mehmet Okur (from Turkey) with Tim Duncan. Replace Darko Milicic (from Serbia and Montenegro) with Carlos Boozer. And since I'm sure Rasheed Wallace will opt not to play because the US Olympic team does not CTC (cut the check) replace him with Steve Francis. Starters C- Duncan F - Ben Wallace F - Prince G - Hamilton G - Billups Bench Francis Boozer Campbell Ham Mike James Hunter Williamson Now I know you might think the bench is weak say compared to US teams in the past but that won't matter. Its all about good chemistry. You don't need 12 stars. I'd take a team with 3 or 4 stars that had played together over a group of 12 stars thrown together with no cohesiveness. I know that Pistons ownership wouldn't go for my idea, but I feel they would have the best shot at winning Gold.
