this looks almost identical to a post I saw a few pages back...
I just had Love start instead of Chandler. Also, I don't think Rose fits on this team at all. Too much of a scorer. Paul is the perfect fit and Williams is the perfect back up. Rose is too good to be the 3rd man, so leave him off the team and throw westbrook in as the 3rd. Rose and Rondo just don't seem to fit with this team.
We don't need ridiculous size to win. Love, Chandler, Bosh, LeBron, Melo and Durant should be fine. Melo and LeBron can play the 4 position in Euroball with relative ease.
My point is the list is not complete. A 20-man list that loses half the big men on it is not longer a worthwhile 20-man list. If we want to compete in London that list and not expand it, then we'll compete in London with one true center (Chandler) and that's it. Not wise.
I think you can get by with only Chandler and Howard if they are both on your roster. But with Howard gone, I think Chandler's proven fragile enough over the years that I want two more bigs who can play the 5 if necessary. To do that, you have to address the fact that your 20-man roster has 15 players on it today due to injury. Love can play the 5. But I would not trust Bosh to play the 5 against anyone over 190lbs. I want more size, so I'd go out and find it. Monroe's my guy.
Remember that JaVale almost made the 2010 team...and Lamar Odom started at center. So strange things can and will happen on the way to London.
Bosh did pretty well as Howard's backup at C in 2008. I don't see why he couldn't fill that role again in 2012, with Love and Chandler on the squad to brawl with the Marc Gasols of the world, if necessary.
Also, I think it's far from a given that Rose will play this year, given his health. I would think we'd take both Williams and Westbrook, in that case.
Without Howard on the roster, I would not want Chandler as much my only true center and PFs Bosh and Love as makeshift centers. I want another true center. I think Chandler is fragile, Love is too short and Bosh is too thin.
I agree on Rose. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the playoffs.
I completely agree, as I stated in my previous post. In 2008, we got away with having 1 true center who was dominant, and two PFs who could sub in at times (Bosh and Boozer). Chandler as our lone true center may be servicable, but certainly isn't dominant, and I think it may hurt us if we don't sign another top tier guy.
Bynum is the only real option here. Lamarcus Aldrdige is out with an injury. Neither Griffin nor Garnett are true centers (and Garnett hasn't been involved with USA basketball since he won gold in 2000). Duncan was born in the 14th century and hasn't been involved with USA basketball since 2004. My guess is he's monitoring his mileage, but maybe he could be convinced...given Tim's game and his character, I would have thought Coach K would have approached him the first time around in 2006/2008. Don't know whether he was approached or not, but if he was and he declined I don't see him saying yes now either.
Without a 1st class, true center to man the paint for 20-25mpg, this team would appear flawed when paired against a spain or brazil (other teams with great frontlines?), but then again they won the worlds in 2010 with the "B" team and Lamar Odom starting at Center (they played and beat brazil but did not play spain), so K can probably figure it out.
I thought I remembered hearing that Timmy really didn't like Coach K and really doesn't want to play for him in any facet. Please correct me if this is wrong, I honestly thought I remembered that though.
Regardless of whether there is some animosity towards K from Duncan's perspective, I would be truly shocked to see Duncan play in the Olympics.
Westbrook>Rose in the international game. The World Championsips showed that, although maybe time will make a difference.
US is in a real bind for post players and Chandler is a must, simply to guard Spain. Simmons' Garnett idea isn't as far fetched as it sounds from a practicality standpoint but I am afraid USBA isn't that creative. Blake Griffin will sit the bench and/ or be a disaster. We don't need the offense and he can't play defense. The first time he gets called for an offensive foul for using his non ball arm to clear out the defender will ruin him for the international game.
He won't be playing.
Here is some information on Monday's draw:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/new...1419/arti.html
Soon we will get to think about our actual opponents in the first round.
Here is also an article covering the topic that has been discussed here recently:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/new...1404/arti.html
Looks like it'll be Chandler, Bosh and Love. Griffin is obviously a superstar in the league so I'll give him a shot, but his offensive game isn't a fit at all, and I don't think he's exactly a stalwart on defense, though he could be with the right focus. The people who make the team to play the 5 will be the guys willing to play defense and rebound.
“Those two kids, they’re champions,” Krzyzewski said of his senior leaders. “They’re trying to teach the other kids how to become that, and it’s a long road to become that.”
Per the article linked above (and here again) they won't be inviting anymore people to the training camp. So no.
(BTW At first I definitely thought you were talking about the 300lb monster who ate Larry Drew at UCLA...then couldn't figure it out, then realized you were talking about the ATL Hawks PF. Personally, not a bad idea imo, but I don't think he's the type of guy K and Colangelo are looking for. Either way its moot, the guys that are on the roster now, i.e. the roster that was announced a few months ago, are the ones they are moving forward with)
“Those two kids, they’re champions,” Krzyzewski said of his senior leaders. “They’re trying to teach the other kids how to become that, and it’s a long road to become that.”
Might have even fought in some of the later crusades?
You guys have Derrick Rose, the reigning MVP who started on the 2010 team (the year before he won MVP) not making the team or barely making the team? I'm gonna say you guys aren't giving him nearlyenough credit. I think he not only makes the team, but he's my pick to start at this point. He's got a great attitude, K loves the kid and he's added a legit jumper to his game over the last two years, which puts him over the top imo. Did I mention he's the MVP?
Omg I think i killed derrick rose. (sry I'm watching the playoffs on DVR delay)