USA Basketball Team Roster (1 Viewer)

[Voice Of Reason]

I agree that Griffin isn't a good fit, but you can't go into a tournament like this with only 2 "true big guys"Obviously Lebron will play a lot of 4, but one injury to chandler or Love would kill the team.

LeBron will be fine guarding every PF in the tournament, even Pau Gasol or Serge Ibaka.

Gasol is going to be a tougher guard under FIBA rules and in Spain's offense vs the Lakers offense. LeBron is still a better 4 than Griffin on both ends.

 

[Moe.]

Krzyzewski said they're taking Griffin to play the 5.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

It just wouldn't seem right for K to have backup options for his bigs.

 

[otello]

Olympics 2012 Winner

USA.-600

Spain+500

France+2500

Russia+3300

Argentina+3300

Lithuania+3300

Brazil+4000

Australia+10000

Puerto Rico+15000

Great Britain+35000

Dominican Republic+50000

Angola+50000

China+75000

Nigeria+150000

Tunisia+300000

http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=280328

 

[Voice Of Reason]

Good posting FBF, but Gameplay Tendency #3 is off. Tactical fouling is often used in the Euroleague.

To expand on Officiating notes #1, FIBA refs are much less likely to award a foul to an offensive player who creates contact. Attacking the basket is less effective because offensive players aren't going to draw as many fouls this way. The game is more physical in the paint, which has the strange effect of making the game more perimeter oriented.

 

[TLEF316]

Qualifying wraps up tonight, the twelfth and final spot will be decided when Nigeria take on the Dominican Republic in Caracas. The game will be on NBAtv at 8 eastern. Nigeria (led by Ike Diogu) upset Greece in the knockout round eliminating them from contention. Argentina, France, Tunisia, Russia, and Lithuania will be in group A with the US. Group B is Spain, Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain, and the winner of tonight's game. If things go as planned the US won't have to play Spain until the finals.

Nigeria beat the Dominican Republic to get the last spot.John Calipari coached the Dominican national team this summer. Afterward today's game, Hollinger tweeted it was good than Nigeria won, because if DR had, they would have had to vacate the win.

As a noted Calipari hater (totally respect what he's accomplishing right now, but I hate how he's doing it) I was very pleased to see this, especially since he was blatantly using this job to get an upper hand recruiting the top rising sophomore in the country, 16 year old NJ native Karl Towns. (who he kept on the team instead of NBA veteran Charlie Villanueva)

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Qualifying wraps up tonight, the twelfth and final spot will be decided when Nigeria take on the Dominican Republic in Caracas. The game will be on NBAtv at 8 eastern. Nigeria (led by Ike Diogu) upset Greece in the knockout round eliminating them from contention. Argentina, France, Tunisia, Russia, and Lithuania will be in group A with the US. Group B is Spain, Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain, and the winner of tonight's game. If things go as planned the US won't have to play Spain until the finals.

Nigeria beat the Dominican Republic to get the last spot.John Calipari coached the Dominican national team this summer. Afterward today's game, Hollinger tweeted it was good than Nigeria won, because if DR had, they would have had to vacate the win.

As a noted Calipari hater (totally respect what he's accomplishing right now, but I hate how he's doing it) I was very pleased to see this, especially since he was blatantly using this job to get an upper hand recruiting the top rising sophomore in the country, 16 year old NJ native Karl Towns. (who he kept on the team instead of NBA veteran Charlie Villanueva)

Is there a cap on how many split-citizens can play for DR? Was it possible that Towns and CV could have both made it?Kinda ####ty for Squid to say that Villanueva was cut because he was "fat", leading to the tweeted picture of Villanueva on the scale clocking in at 243.

 

[Short Corner]

Good posting FBF, but Gameplay Tendency #3 is off. Tactical fouling is often used in the Euroleague.To expand on Officiating notes #1, FIBA refs are much less likely to award a foul to an offensive player who creates contact. Attacking the basket is less effective because offensive players aren't going to draw as many fouls this way. The game is more physical in the paint, which has the strange effect of making the game more perimeter oriented.

I would also add that the low post game plays off of the screen and roll/throwback to rising wing. They don't play the traditional pound it inside as that can remove a possible advantage for the offense if the big has a perimeter mismatch against his defender, although some teams (Greece/Spain) have no problem trying to straight isolate down low. The Euro ball screen game has the same effect as the hi-low game, quickly changing the entry angle to the post, who is anticipating the pass, and seals up on his defender.The shot clock and 8 second violations have been in play for some time now and I don't remember the men playing with a size 6 ball. You have to be aware on the mid-line inbounds, that one of your feet is lined up in the back court to throw into the back court. A player can get 4 technicals and not be DQ'd as they only count as PFs. They do have unsportsmanlike fouls (flagrants) which you are ejected after 2. A clear path foul counts as one of these.

 

[Voice Of Reason]

Good posting FBF, but Gameplay Tendency #3 is off. Tactical fouling is often used in the Euroleague.

To expand on Officiating notes #1, FIBA refs are much less likely to award a foul to an offensive player who creates contact. Attacking the basket is less effective because offensive players aren't going to draw as many fouls this way. The game is more physical in the paint, which has the strange effect of making the game more perimeter oriented.

I would also add that the low post game plays off of the screen and roll/throwback to rising wing. They don't play the traditional pound it inside as that can remove a possible advantage for the offense if the big has a perimeter mismatch against his defender, although some teams (Greece/Spain) have no problem trying to straight isolate down low. The Euro ball screen game has the same effect as the hi-low game, quickly changing the entry angle to the post, who is anticipating the pass, and seals up on his defender.The shot clock and 8 second violations have been in play for some time now and I don't remember the men playing with a size 6 ball. You have to be aware on the mid-line inbounds, that one of your feet is lined up in the back court to throw into the back court. A player can get 4 technicals and not be DQ'd as they only count as PFs. They do have unsportsmanlike fouls (flagrants) which you are ejected after 2. A clear path foul counts as one of these.

This is the better version of what I should have said in post #408

 

[Capella]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

 

[Jayrod]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

 

[elguapo07]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

I think you have to include Durant and perhaps even Westbrook not sure who you exclude.

 

[TripItUp]

I could see Cousins left off for being a jackass in general.

 

[scoobus]

G: Paul, Irving, Westbrook, Curry, Thompson

F: James, Durant, Harden, Leonard

Bigs: Davis, Griffin, Cousins

 

[Frostillicus]

Wiggins, Towns, and some other guys.

 

[jamil]

Wiggins, Towns, and some other guys.

Lavine, tyus and rubio

 

[jamil]

Kyrie, steph, harden, klay, Westbrook

Durant, korver, butler

Aldridge, Drummond, blake, some young kid

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Let's go no Warriors for now.

 

[JMon348]

My prediction:

PG-Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard

SG-Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal

SF-James Harden, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard

PF-Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin

C-Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins

 

[Capella]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

I think you have to include Durant and perhaps even Westbrook not sure who you exclude.

My God. Why even play the tournament.

 

[Jack White]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

I think you have to include Durant and perhaps even Westbrook not sure who you exclude.

My God. Why even play the tournament.

I love basketball, and the NBA in particular, but USA Basketball is pointless.

 

[Capella]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

I think you have to include Durant and perhaps even Westbrook not sure who you exclude.

My God. Why even play the tournament.

I love basketball, and the NBA in particular, but USA Basketball is pointless.

I really enjoy the international game, even if the US dominates.

 

[jamil]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

I think you have to include Durant and perhaps even Westbrook not sure who you exclude.

My God. Why even play the tournament.

I love basketball, and the NBA in particular, but USA Basketball is pointless.

I really enjoy the international game, even if the US dominates.

An all-star, all-NBA caliber type team playing defense for the whole game is so fun to watch.

 

[Doug B]

My God. Why even play the tournament.

I love basketball, and the NBA in particular, but USA Basketball is pointless.

Never forget the lessons of Athens.

 

[Capella]

A year out. Any cracks at the roster?

LeBron JamesAnthony Davis

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Stephan Curry

John Wall

DeMarcus Cousins

James Harden

Klay Thompson

Kyrie Irving

LeMarcus Aldridge

I think you have to include Durant and perhaps even Westbrook not sure who you exclude.

My God. Why even play the tournament.

I love basketball, and the NBA in particular, but USA Basketball is pointless.

I really enjoy the international game, even if the US dominates.

An all-star, all-NBA caliber type team playing defense for the whole game is so fun to watch.

The best part is seeing how much better Carmelo is in these things. Knicks fans should avoid watching.

 

[Capella]

Qualifying wraps up tonight, the twelfth and final spot will be decided when Nigeria take on the Dominican Republic in Caracas. The game will be on NBAtv at 8 eastern. Nigeria (led by Ike Diogu) upset Greece in the knockout round eliminating them from contention. Argentina, France, Tunisia, Russia, and Lithuania will be in group A with the US. Group B is Spain, Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain, and the winner of tonight's game. If things go as planned the US won't have to play Spain until the finals.

Nigeria beat the Dominican Republic to get the last spot.John Calipari coached the Dominican national team this summer. Afterward today's game, Hollinger tweeted it was good than Nigeria won, because if DR had, they would have had to vacate the win.

As a noted Calipari hater (totally respect what he's accomplishing right now, but I hate how he's doing it) I was very pleased to see this, especially since he was blatantly using this job to get an upper hand recruiting the top rising sophomore in the country, 16 year old NJ native Karl Towns. (who he kept on the team instead of NBA veteran Charlie Villanueva)

Interesting post 3 years later. Maybe Towns was just better than that weirdo.

 

[Doug B]

My prediction:

PG-Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard

SG-Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal

SF-James Harden, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard

PF-Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin

C-Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins

Like this proposal a lot. People might double-take on Beal, but a consistent 40% shooter from 3 over three NBA seasonswill be gold in FIBA competition. Also, I understand that Carmelo is a ridiculous offensive freak in international ball, but it's nice to see a solid defender (and more) like Kawhi Leonard get a nod.

Based on 8ebok24's proposal, I want to throw a few questions out for the house:

a) How many elite perimeter defenders does Team USA need, especially at guard?

b) How many elite shotblockers does Team USA need? Anthony Davis is on board ... is Cousins close enough to Davis as a defender to not be much of a step down?

c) Do (a) and (b) not matter so much because of Team USA's collective scoring prowess?

 

[TLEF316]

Qualifying wraps up tonight, the twelfth and final spot will be decided when Nigeria take on the Dominican Republic in Caracas. The game will be on NBAtv at 8 eastern. Nigeria (led by Ike Diogu) upset Greece in the knockout round eliminating them from contention. Argentina, France, Tunisia, Russia, and Lithuania will be in group A with the US. Group B is Spain, Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain, and the winner of tonight's game. If things go as planned the US won't have to play Spain until the finals.

Nigeria beat the Dominican Republic to get the last spot.John Calipari coached the Dominican national team this summer. Afterward today's game, Hollinger tweeted it was good than Nigeria won, because if DR had, they would have had to vacate the win.

As a noted Calipari hater (totally respect what he's accomplishing right now, but I hate how he's doing it) I was very pleased to see this, especially since he was blatantly using this job to get an upper hand recruiting the top rising sophomore in the country, 16 year old NJ native Karl Towns. (who he kept on the team instead of NBA veteran Charlie Villanueva)

Interesting post 3 years later. Maybe Towns was just better than that weirdo.

Better now, but not then.

 

[Timmay]

No Paul George? The guy gave his right leg for the team.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

USA will need enough perimeter defenders to have at least one on the court at all times. However, since the starters will be playing 24-25 minutes at most, everyone will be able to go hard on defense every possession and not have to save their energy for offense like the might have to for their NBA team. In this format, Westbrook will be a smothering defensive presence at all times, unlike the NBA regular season where he sometimes coasts or takes a few shifts guarding weak side spot-up shooters to keep his energy up.

Elite shot blocking won't be as important as defending high screens and staying strong on rebounds. USA won't encounter many back-to-basket scorers, and their opponents will be more interested in creating an open three-pointer than driving to the hoop for a layup. A PF/C who can disrupt screens out top and can handle an environment under the basket where over-the-back fouls aren't called will be the biggest assets on defense. IIRC, FIBA hasn't adopted "in the cylinder", so once a shot hits the rim it's fair game for both teams to knock it in or knock it away.

If our current wave of superstars are all on board for Rio, the last 3-4 spots on the bench could be filled with first-round picks from the 2015 NBA Draft and USA would win every game going away. A starting five of Paul, Curry, Durant, LeBron, and Davis cannot be stopped by another nation's starting five.

 

[JMon348]

Rumors of Kobe being on the team in the Kidd 2008, vet role.

Sounds like Lebron will play again.

My prediction:

PG-Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard

SG-Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal

SF-James Harden, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard

PF-Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin

C-Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins

Maybe take off Beal and Cousins for those two? Has Kawhi been a part of team USA yet?

 

[Capella]

Great of Kobe to take someone's spot who is currently far better

 

[the moops]

Kidd shot 38% from 3 point land, and averaged 11 pts, 10 asst, 7.5 reb in the 2007-2008 season

 

[JMon348]

Just a possibility. Depends on how Kobe's feeling and if Coach K and Colangelo think he would fit.

The assumed end for Kobe Bryant will come on a Wednesday night in April at Staples Center. April 13, to be exact, when the Utah Jazz visit Kobe’s Los Angeles Lakers for the final regular-season game of Kobe’s 20th (and farewell) season.

Our advice?

Don’t assume.

It is more than conceivable that our last dose of Kobe hooping at the highest level could come in August, with those goodbye waves and thankful blown kisses to the crowd dispatched from atop a medal stand.

In Brazil.

The sheer math of it will undoubtedly make the mere suggestion sound outlandish to some. Give a roster spot to the battered Bryant for the Rio Olympics? With such a deep pool of players to pick from?

Trust me: No. 24 will draw serious consideration from USA Basketball elders Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski -- two of the biggest Kobe fans on Planet Roundball -- if Bryant makes it to the summer in reasonably good health and makes himself available.

After Colangelo and Coach K's decade together in charge of the national team, it is well understood within the USAB inner sanctum that assembling a squad for the Olympics does not mean simply picking the 12 most talented players. Not for the competition that, unlike the FIBA Worlds, typically attracts every top American name in the game.

Not when the coach has only 40 minutes per game to dole out.

Editor's note Remember our encylopedia-length Weekend Dimes back in the day? On Fridays, whenever the schedule allows, we're going to try to recapture the spirit of the WD thing with a mini Son of Dime ... because you know what nostalgic saps we are here at SLL.

The 11th and 12th men, and maybe even the 10th man, can reasonably expect to do much more watching than playing. Which is why USAB, in similar circumstances, brought Jason Kidd to the Beijing Games in 2008 at age 35.

Kidd averaged 1.6 points and 2.0 assists per game for that Olympic team. He wasn’t there because his country needed him on the floor. He was there because Krzyzewski loved the leadership/presence/mentoring he could offer to the rest of Team USA as a virtual coach in uniform.

And that’s the same sort of role USAB would offer Bryant, at 37, if that's what makes sense for both sides at season’s end.

Colangelo, Krzyzewski and USAB executive Sean Ford have made it clear that they intend to use the whole NBA season to evaluate all of their options, since they're arguably staring at the hardest cutdown to 12 in the history of the program.

LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden,Paul George, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins,LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, John Wall, Jimmy Butler and Dwight Howard... there’s a quick 20 names off the top of our heads to throw at you just to get the dissection and debate started. There are so many different ways USAB can go, while also allowing for the usual disclaimers that injuries and contractual conundrums that arise between now and the end of June will inevitably make some of the decisions for them.

In general, though, USAB officials like to see an old head (a la Kidd in 2008) or a fresh-faced future star (like The Brow suiting up at the 2012 Olympics before he had ever spent a minute in the NBA) on the end of the bench. It's proven to be a wiser approach than stuffing the roster with a dozen dudes who merit major minutes, which would only set Krzyzewski up to find two or three of them seething about sitting.

What the USAB folks won't (and obviously can’t) say, meanwhile, is that the threat of losing in Rio isn't nearly what it was in Beijing or London. As we've lamented in this space more than once since the 2014 FIBA World Cup, we've actually hit a bumpy patch worldwide where the gap between Team USA and the rest of the world is regrettably widening when it should be shrinking. Once-mighty Spain is aging and no other country in circulation has been able to establish itself as a foe that can legitimately steal a gold-medal game from the Yanks.

Which is to say that there is absolutely zero basketball risk in giving Kobe a seat on the plane to Brazil at the expense of a player who presumably has more to contribute numbers-wise.

We repeat: Consider this an SLL-engraved guarantee that the United States, no matter who else it sees in the 12-team tournament next Aug. 5-21, will be collecting another round of gold medals on Aug. 21, 2016.

So why not let Bryant, two days before his 38th birthday, go out in glory?

Maybe he won't be healthy enough to play top-level basketball in July (USAB training camp) and August. Maybe he won’t even have the emotional fuel to make the trip. Maybe Bryant will ultimately decide, after becoming the first player in league history to spend 20 seasons with the same team, that he wants our last meaningful glimpse of him on hardwood to come in Lakers colors.

Yet you can rest assured that bringing Bryant to Brazil isn't going to hurt the team one whit. It’s likewise a safe assumption that playing with all those American stars, as well as that shorter 3-point line, would help Kobe look a lot better than he has in this opening quarter of his swansong in Lakerland, where he's been plagued by a lack of explosion to create openings for shots on top of his own stubbornness ... but also the sort of proven talent around him to make the game a little easier.

I know, I know. I hear the Kobe Haters in the audience shouting: How many farewell tours does this guy need? The Lakers have 64 games left on their schedule. There’s every chance Bryant will be voted in to start in the All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 14. Do we really have to send him to the Olympics, too?

No.

We don’t have to.

It has to be right for everyone involved.

Yet if you’ve had the privilege to follow Team USA around with Ambassador Kobe decked out in red, white and blue, and to see how much he means to basketball fans abroad with his top-10-ish of all-time resume and his flawless Italian and Spanish, you can’t help but be intrigued by the idea.

Especially when you’re an unapologetically sappy basketball romantic like moi.

Another guy quickly gaining steam in my mind would be Draymond Green, he'd be a great fit.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

Honestly, I'd be fine with Kobe taking a farewell run on USA Basketball...assuming he isn't really playing any meaningful minutes.

 

[Gr00vus]

Honestly, I'd be fine with Kobe taking a farewell run on USA Basketball...assuming he isn't really playing any meaningful minutes.

So basically he wouldn't play much vs. Spain, maybe Brazil.