before they played the games carmelo would have been one of the first people i cut and i think i posted that before. boy was i wrong. he's absolutely the mvp for the us team so far and his mid-range game translates perfectly to international ball. he's defintely not the best nba player out there but he's now probably the last guy they'd cut. congrats to battier too. he deserves it.
This is the final roster for the WC but I'm sure we will changes by the time the Olympics come around. Amare will probably return, Kobe, Redd--there were plently of invitees that never got "cut".
Nobody gets "cut" from the U.S. Senior Men's Basketball Team. Team USA has simply arrived at its final 12-man roster of players eligible to compete in the 2006 World Championships. These "cuts" have no impact on who plays for the 2008 Olympic Team or the (hopefully unnecessary) 2007 Tournament of the Americas Team to qualify for the Olympics. I honestly think that this World Championships team is almost like our JV team. There are several players on the Team USA overall roster (Kobe, Redd, Billups, Marion and even perhaps Odom, who was Team USA's second best player in the 2004 Olympics) who would have made this team had they been available. I think we will see a very different (and even BETTER) Team USA in 2007 or 2008.
While three point shooting will factor in to team USA's success, I think defensive intensity will be the key to winning the WC. Coach K seems to have really stressed playing tough defense every minute of every game. While the US might not play the best "team" basketball, we are no doubt the most athletic team in the world. Good athletes usually make for the best defenders when they really focus on that aspect of the game.
Definitely Carmelo has been the unstoppable force on this team, but Lebron has looked pretty good too. The guy who said he'd cut Lebron is crazy. Bruce Bowen didn't have a point scored in the first few games. If he can't hit the open three, then they didn't need him. Battier has played well and despite being a Coach K favorite has earned his spot on the team.
He's on the extended roster, he opted out this summer to get hitched. Kinda like Chauncey B -- he is chillin with his newborn this summer. Kobe and Paul P are also on the roster, but they have injuries
Dude. Twan is the prototype international forward. In international style offences, forwards have to run, shoot from distance, and put the ball on the floor. Twan is a zone buster. No way he was getting cut.
LOL. Jamison on roster before Bowen. If CP3 and Howard weren't on that team, I would bet against them any given day. Still, I think they have little chance winning, since Lebron and Carmelo got in that "superstar mode" when playing those poor opponents. I haven't seen Lebron play so bad for a long time, although he was top scorer. He didn't pass a bit..
