Does anybody know the selection process of the Dream Team? What's their reasoning for picking some players... or what is their goal in the Olympics? Two players that very much so wanted to play in the Olympics were snubbed, Steve Francis and Ron Artest. Two veteran All-Stars were left behind, while young players that never made an All-Star team were chosen (Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade). I won't even mention Okafor and Boozer, but they do play a diff position than the All-Star guards I mentioned. I don't recall any other all-star americans that expressed interest in playing, maybe some of you can help out with that part. If Francis was on the team, he'd easily already be the best shooter on the team (the obvious weakness of team). Artest, coming off a Defensive MVP season, would have been the best defender (the 2nd obvious weakness of the team... especially at guarding the outside shooters). With this in mind, what's the selection committe's goal in selecting players? Seems like there's some hidden agenda to it all. It doesn't take an NBA/Basketball expert to foresee that this team would lack outside shooting and experience. Is US Basketball that arrogant? They feel they can send just about anyone decent and bring home the gold?
Steve Francis has been discussed to death - and he's not that great a shooter. Sending Artest would mean you'd have a kook liable to blow up and throw tv monitors at foreign players. I'm happy we didn't send him.
NBAs purpose is to MARKET TODAYS YOUNG PLAYERS With winning the Gold as an afterthought. I am sure that they thought the team they put together would suffice but clearly they did not have the intention of putting together the BEST team
The US came within one win of a gold medal, enough of this marketable bullcrap. "If Francis was on the team, he'd easily already be the best shooter on the tea" Is this a joke??? He shot TWENTY NINE PERCENT last year from downtown. He'd be the worst shooter. This has been discussed to death. Becuase of all the withdrawals it was a bad team, if the team the Selection Committee picked went, there would be no problem. Too bad you get unpatriotic selfish players like McGrady and Bibby and the US loses. Oh well.
I do agree that if these guys went, we'd have the best of both worlds. We'd have one more gold medal and the NBA would succeed in marketing the NBA. But these guys didn't want to go. While I probably wouldn't do the same and I wish they did go, I don't put all my blame on them. Most of the blame I put on the selection committee. I could just about guarantee that if you replaced, say Marbury, with Brent Barry, they'd win the gold...and maybe even in blowout fashion. Replace a few of the other guys with more shooters or great defenders, and they probably would blow out everyone just about. That's my opinion but I think that it would have happen. Seeing some of the guys receiving the ball at the international 3 pt line and being wide open just makes me mad every time, even if they make it. It looks like such an easy shot to make, yet the US team couldn't hit it, if they even took it. It just looks so close and so open to me. Now, as for Francis going, I wouldn't put him on the top of my list of guys to go to the Olympics, but I probably would put him higher than a few of the guys who went, although not by much. He isn't a great shooter, I imagine even worse of one against a zone, but he couldn't do much worse than the team they sent. He probably wouldn't really help the team do any better, but he probably wouldn't make them do any worse, IMO. Just another perimeter player who can't shoot from the perimeter I guess. From an experience factor, though, I guess you might as well put in a veteran player who can't shoot instead of a rookie/younger player who can't shoot. I'll admit I never even really thought about Artest all that much, but he could have made a difference possibly. Just imagine sticking him on the Lithuania guard who was draining 3s. I guess he would be somewhat of a risk like mentioned, although the Odom selection makes it a little more of a gray area. I guess I'd be more worried about Artest than Odom, but that's kind of strange saying I'm worried more about a guy who could go crazy any time than a guy who has been caught smoking pot so many times. Hindsight wise, Odom has played well and didn't let his proximity to Amsterdam get to him. Basically, tweak the roster a bit, replacing "marketable" guys with better shooters, defenders, etc., and they win. Although I'm not really saying anything new.
Michael Redd - all star, solid shooter, young star Brent Barry was previously mentioned Brad Miller Reggie Miller- If he would have accepted again Artest- DPOY, and if we are gonna mention kooks liable to blow up at the olympics, think back to Sir Charles in '92 and his cook status. I believe that choice turned out ok. There are plenty of names on the team but if we coulda gotten at least 2 or 3 of these guys to come we woulda been much better off. Athens was pathetic. -eg
