Amare Stoudemire will be added to US Olympic Roster

that sucks. i'm not an amare fan.

 

solid.

 

didn't realise there was a hole in the team for an athletic PF with less shooting range than Kelvin Cato...... damn that is a joke

 

That's incredible.

The Olympic roster looks worse by the day. Talking about a one dimensional player...

 

This is terrible.

After the debacle in Indy in 2002, we supposedly rededicated outselves to the Olympics. That meant picking a team and having them play together on a regular basis like other NT's do.

That's why we picked the next Olympic team back then and sent them to PR for the American tourney last year.

But all of that goes for naught; these guys just decide to quit. Ray Allen can't be bothered to go? Please, he's lucky he was even picked. Instead of a dream team like 92, we're sending an exhbition squad of second tier stars.

All the guys who backed out should be banned from NT competition for life. These guys made the commitment to play years ago, they should honor it.

The biggest idiot of them all is Karla, as usual. Why they picked that jackass to be on the team is beyond me, Karl hasn't been able to commit to not retiring for the last 4 years, and he's been before so he as no real motivation to go back to the Games. Why they thought this idiot wouldn't pull something like this given his track record of being unreliable is beyond me (stu jackson...stu jackson....stu jackson)

 

Can't they delay their weddings? it can't be more important then honoring your country

 

i guess us is going for all show but no go this year.

 

i mean U.S.

 

Steve's never going.

 

Good, he shouldn't as long as the idiots who currently run it are in place. I don't want to see Steve humiliated like the World Championship team. Francis should seriously come out with Marbury (if he's also pissed) publicly in a news conference and say how they will honor their country in more 'respectful' and 'important' ways than this pathetic Scheme Team. (not saying T-Mac and Duncan aren't bad, but it's getting to the point where playing for the National Team is like playing for college these days).

They should either quit sending NBA players if they act so foolish. What I don't understand is I thought this 'Dream Team' was about getting back to 'proper' basketball, which is specifically why they didn't necessarily want Francis. Yet when half the team quits, they go out and get flashy, little skills players. And I ask..WTF?!?!?!?

 

wich players are part of the team now?

 

Unbelievable. First ROY and now the Olympics. They should have chosen Yao.











Just kidding.

I am having trouble figuring this out. On one hand it looks like they are having trouble getting players who can go, but then you hear some stars would love to go but are not asked.

 

The following have been asked:

Ray Allen
Mike Bibby
Tim Duncan
Allen Iverson
Jason Kidd
Karl Malone
Tracy McGrady
Jermaine O'Neal

http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2004/04_moly_roster.html

 

IN
Mike Bibby
Tim Duncan
Allen Iverson
Tracy McGrady
Jermaine O'Neal

OUT
{Shaquille O'Neal}
{Kevin Garnett}
{Jason Kidd}
{Karl Malone}
{Kobe Bryant}
{Ray Allen}
{Elton Brand}
{Kenyon Martin}

To be Invited
Richard Jefferson, Amare Stoudamire, Lebron James, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion

Next in Line
Sam Cassell, Ron Artest, Carmelo Anthony, Ben Wallace, Brad Miller, Lamar Odom

Evan

edit - Kenyon Martin has declined to join the team, wishing to protect his interests as a FA. Lamar Odom is on the consideration list.

 

thanks.
i can understand why allen does not want to join the team. if i was him i would want to be with my wife.

With Duncan on the team whey should be able to win

 

BTW, hearing that Ron Artest is the guy they want if McGrady backs out upsets me. That Iverson, Starbury, and Stoudamire are in definitely ticks me off in that they've obviously hedged on the "only character guys" law. If that's the case, it's no longer a reasonable argument for why Franchise is left off.

That said, I wouldn't go with Steve to run the team. I still say Team USA has only done well when "pure" PGs run the show: Stockton and Kidd being the best examples. Baron Davis did a horrible job directing the offense in the World Championships, one the biggest reasons they went down so hard.

Team USA needs guys that can play roles, and that's largely absent on this team. You don't want an All-Star squad, per se. Unfortunately, that's what we're looking at.

If Ben Wallace does not go and Amare does, that's a bad bad bad situation.

Evan

 

I get the feeling that as more guys back out, it's creating a snowball effect. Many top-tier guys wouldn't want to go and not win the gold like last time. So, if Shaq backs out, it puts doubt in other players' minds and they think maybe I should get out too because this could become a debacle and I don't want my name attached to it.

I appreciate Amare's attitude about going. But, he just doesn't have the skills to deserve the invite.

 

It's more the security fears of Athens, coupled with the reality that participation in the Olympic games takes a significant toll on the players. 90% of the stars in the NBA depend on the off-season to heal up or focus on their families. Playing in the games greatly increases the possibility of starting the 04-05 season hurt (Vince Carter, Elton Brand, Reggie Miller, Baron Davis, etc).

Evan

 

Artest = best defender in the NBA, does all the dirty work on BOTH ends of the court

Francis = vastly overrated shoot-first point guard who defends when he is in the mood and has never been one to make his teammates better with unselfish plays

I can see why team USA needs more of Artest and less of Steve, who is the one you should be lumping with the Marburys and Iversons of the world.