Who will Coach K pick for Team USA, Iggy or Granger?

Iggy will be selected. End of story.

Here are 7 locks for the team:
Rajon Rondo
Derrick Rose
Andre Igoudala
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Lamar Odom
Tyson Chandler

Guaranteed not going to Turkey:
JeVale McGee
Tyreke Evans
Jeff Green
OJ Mayo
Gerald Wallace (apparently doesn't want to go)

These 7 will compete for the final 5 spots:
Chauncey Billups
Brook Lopez
Kevin Love
Russell Westbrook
Stephen Curry
Eric Gordon
Danny Granger

 

I gotta go with Granger. If we were talking NBA rules and such, it would be Granger in a walk for me. Since we're talking FIBA, I think this is a much closer debate. With the shorter three point lines and more finesse bigs, Iguodala becomes a much more useful player.

 

Chauncey Billups is also a lock. His maturity and experience are greatly needed.

 

Heres my team


Rose/Rondo/Billups
Curry/Gordon
Granger/Igoudala/Gay
Durant/Love
Chandler/Lopez

Reasonings

Rose - Best point guard. Seems to have a good feel for the game and I like his chemistry with Durant. Gets to the rim at will.

Rondo - Dude is a defensive beast. Also an underrated passer IMO.

Billups - Need some veteran leadership. Ability to hit big shots.

Curry - His game translates perfectly in FIBA. He's a zone buster.

Gordon - Same as Curry. Not as good a shooter but better slasher.

Granger - Works well with Durant. Great shooter.

Igoudala - Defensive purposes. Great during fast breaks.

Gay - Soild all-around game. Can take the ball to the rack.

Durant - the best player on the team. Enough said.

Love - Chuck Hayes of the US team. All hustles and rebounds.

Chandler - Most important big for US. Basically the defensive anchor for this squad.

Lopez - provides some low post scoring.



Westbrook - His game doesnt translate to FIBA very well.
Mayo - He's just not needed. We have plenty of players like him
Odom - His head is just not in the game. Looks like he gained a good 10 pounds since the finals
Wallace - Heard he didnt want to go overseas
Evans - Injured
Green - worst player on the team. Doesnt bring anything unique to the squad.
McGee - He can make the team if Coach K decides they need another big man.

 

Probably Iguodala.

Granger is really only good at scoring, iirc. They have Durant for that.

Iggy can create his own shot. Not sure if Granger can do that.

 

The team is short on big men. After Coach K won the NCAA's I think he realized, there really is no substitute for depth on the front line. It makes your forwards/centers play much better, knowing they don't have to hold back in fear of risking foul trouble. I think he knows he needs at least 4 traditional big bodies to rotate since FIBA tends to call more fouls on our big men than they do other teams'.

That means Love, Chandler, and Lopez are locks. McGee would really have to suck to not make it, in which case he would go with Green or Odom or something.

I think Durant might slide to the four occasionally but will start at the three, like Singler did. That means there will be a numbers crunch at the wing. I think Iguodala and Granger both have proven themselves to be useful in terms of defense and 3pt shooting, respectively. If that were the case, then Gay may be the odd man out since his main skill is athleticism and, well, once you reach a certain point it ceases to be beneficial. I mean, every single player on the US team will be more athletic than their counterpart, that's a given. How much more athletic will not matter as much as being able to consistently play lockdown defense or being able to shoot the world 3pter at a high clip. I just don't see how the guys who thrive with the dribble penetration and pull jumper alone are gonna make this team. They need to bring other skills to the table.

Finally, since other teams (particularly) Spain have so many talented guards that they are almost assured to run multiple PG sets out there, I feel Coach K will have no problem at all starting a PG as an "off-guard". Particularly those PG's in the NBA who are not pure but rather establish their own scoring first and then look to distribute.

PG: Billups, Rondo
SG: Rose, Westbrook, Curry
SF: Durant, Iguodala, Granger
PF: Love, McGee
C: Lopez, Chandler

Although there's less depth on the bigs than the guards, you'll see a rotation of 9 where all four bigs are regulars and guys like Rondo/Westbrook/Curry/Iguodala/Granger fight it out for the final 2 rotation spots.

 

PG: Billups, Rose, Rondo, Curry

SG: Iguodola, Granger, Curry, Billups

SF: Durant, Gay,

PF: Wallace, Love, Durant

C: Lopez, Chandler

 

I was outa town this weekend so I missed the game so I dont know who did better.. based off their regular season play its a tough one, but I'd have to go with Granger because I believe he is more of a balanced player and the European style of players needing to knockdown shots and the zone suits Danny better than Iggy, whos not really a good shooter

 

Granger is the more complete player. Physically, Iggy has the edge but when it comes down to a national team you gonna want the player who is the complete package.

Granger's ability to shoot clearly puts him in a better situation to make the USA team. I would like for both of them to make the team but its a numbers game.

 

Both should make the team. They are bosh better then Rudy Gay and are equil to Gerald Wallace. Iggy should play some SG imo