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ugadevil
06-21-2008, 03:36 PM
I didn't see a thread about the 2008 Olympic Basketball team now that they're naming the players. No big surprises yet, other than Amare turning down the offer - which is a little unusual but not a shock.

So who've we got so far? Quite a few names have been leaked.

Jason Kidd
Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Carlos Boozer
Tayshaun Prince
Dwayne Wade

Has anyone else been named yet?

roywhite
06-21-2008, 03:41 PM
I didn't see a thread about the 2008 Olympic Basketball team now that they're naming the players. No big surprises yet, other than Amare turning down the offer - which is a little unusual but not a shock.

So who've we got so far? Quite a few names have been leaked.

Jason Kidd
Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Carlos Boozer
Tayshaun Prince
Dwayne Wade

Has anyone else been named yet?

No inside info, but I think LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have a pretty good chance of making the team. :)

ugadevil
06-22-2008, 03:54 PM
No inside info, but I think LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have a pretty good chance of making the team. :)

I wonder if those two names haven't been "leaked" because it's basically common knowledge that they will be on the team. How would that be for a scenario? Kobe decline to play in the olympics this year. WHAT!?

Edouble
06-22-2008, 05:11 PM
I wonder if those two names haven't been "leaked" because it's basically common knowledge that they will be on the team. How would that be for a scenario? Kobe decline to play in the olympics this year. WHAT!?

Yeah but it's also common knowledge that 'Melo and Howard will be on the team and they made the "leaked list". That's why it was sort of funny that Kobe and LeBron weren't on your list. 'Melo has basically been the MVP of the offense and Kobe has been the MVP of the defense, so if Kobe is a non-thought, it seems like 'Melo should be as well. Seems like a few locked-in starters made the list and a few did not, so it was kind of a weird list.

ugadevil
06-22-2008, 06:55 PM
Yeah but it's also common knowledge that 'Melo and Howard will be on the team and they made the "leaked list". That's why it was sort of funny that Kobe and LeBron weren't on your list. 'Melo has basically been the MVP of the offense and Kobe has been the MVP of the defense, so if Kobe is a non-thought, it seems like 'Melo should be as well. Seems like a few locked-in starters made the list and a few did not, so it was kind of a weird list.

Well the difference with Carmelo and Howard is that the local newspaper in their areas have made reports about how both individuals will accept a spot to play on the Olympic Team. I haven't seen the same thing done with Kobe or LeBron. If it has happened, I didn't see it linked on the main page of DBR. No one was a "non thought"; but some people have actually received coverage even though it was already assumed they would be on the team.

Edouble
06-23-2008, 11:37 AM
There's a live press conference with Coach K on the front page of www.nba.com right now!

Edouble
06-23-2008, 12:09 PM
Here's our team:

Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony
Jason Kidd
Tayshaun Prince
Carlos Boozer
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Michael Redd
Deron Williams

roywhite
06-23-2008, 12:10 PM
No particluar surprises.

Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Dwayne Wade
Carmelo Anthony
Jason Kidd
Tayshaun Prince
Carlos Boozer
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Michael Redd
Deron Williams

Some of the commentary I have heard is that we might not have enough size, particularly if our "bigs" get into foul trouble. Just my own opinion, but I don't have any criticism of the selections, and expect this to be a dynamite team that wins the Gold decisively.

Devil in the Blue Dress
06-23-2008, 12:25 PM
No particluar surprises.

Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Dwayne Wade
Carmelo Anthony
Jason Kidd
Tayshaun Prince
Carlos Boozer
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Michael Redd
Deron Williams

Some of the commentary I have heard is that we might not have enough size, particularly if our "bigs" get into foul trouble. Just my own opinion, but I don't have any criticism of the selections, and expect this to be a dynamite team that wins the Gold decisively.

Mmmmm...... interesting..... that sounds similar to commentary and criticisms of Duke teams.

ugadevil
06-23-2008, 12:26 PM
I'm a little surprised Tyson Chandler isn't there. I figured he'd get a spot since Amare declined to go. Still, size shouldn't be an issue with guys like Howard, Boozer, Bosh, etc.

kramerbr
06-23-2008, 12:31 PM
I wouldn't be suprised to see LeBron, Carmello, or Prince playing the 4 at any given time. International play seems to be much more perimeter oriented.

Edouble
06-23-2008, 12:55 PM
I wouldn't be suprised to see LeBron, Carmello, or Prince playing the 4 at any given time. International play seems to be much more perimeter oriented.

Carmello has been our starting "4".

roywhite
06-23-2008, 01:04 PM
Carmello has been our starting "4".

Insert Coach K boiler-plate:

"We don't look at them as position numbers; we look at them as basketball players." :)

Billy Dat
06-23-2008, 03:52 PM
The primary criticism of the team, from ESPN expert Chris Sheridan who has been covering the international game for 12 years, is that the combination of inconsistent FIBA officiating and the rough physical play allowed by FIBA will combine to plant Howard on the bench during an elimination game leaving us thinner up front. It is interesting that despite European's rep as being soft, the FIBA game is very physical, especially when it comes to moving screens and such. Sheridan does pride himself on being a nay sayer with the flexibility to say "I told you so" or "they beat the odds" depending on the outcome. FIBA officiating is quirky with 1972 being the most egregious example and Tim Duncan's foul trouble in '04 being a recent, practical example. Bottom line, if we can't win with this line-up, that has been playing together for a couple of years in a row (at least big chunks of them have), then we'll have to tip our cap because this is truly putting forth our best effort, despite a couple of the best Americans who might not be present (e.g. Duncan, KG, Pierce, etc.)

Jaymf7
06-24-2008, 11:32 AM
Keeping with the concept that a great team has depth that can help the starters prepare for games in practice, I like the idea of having both William and Boozer from utah on the team. They should be able to work an effective pick and roll (taught by one of the best on the play in Sloan) to help us avoid another loss to Greece or a similar team employing the strategy.

Highlander
06-24-2008, 11:40 AM
FIBA officiating is quirky with 1972 being the most egregious example and Tim Duncan's foul trouble in '04 being a recent, practical example.

I remembered Duncan being largeley ineffective in his last Olympic debut, but didn't remember a good reason other than he got hacked hard every time he touched the ball. Do you have a link to the article? Or, better yet, what's your recollection of why Duncan had such a problem with the officiating?

dukeENG2003
06-24-2008, 12:41 PM
Duncan just flat out got jobbed by the refs in Athens, theres no real other explaination. On a fouls per minute basis (I can't remember the article, but it was on ESPN.com at some point), he got whistled for twice as many fouls as he does during his NBA career in the supposedly "more contact allowed" international game.

The game that we went out in, was officiated by Spanish refs. We went out largely b/c Tim Duncan picked up 3 quick fouls, then a quick 4th foul upon returning to the game, and fouled out with 5 minutes remaining. The team that we beat in a heated, contentious battle the game before (including a little jawing between Pau Gasol and Duncan): Spain. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. . .

Calling FIBA refs "quirky" is a polite way of saying "if they want to screw you they will". Tim Donaghy was "quirky" too. We still should have won though, we should be able to win even if the refs have bet against us.

SilkyJ
06-24-2008, 04:08 PM
I'm a little surprised Tyson Chandler isn't there. I figured he'd get a spot since Amare declined to go. Still, size shouldn't be an issue with guys like Howard, Boozer, Bosh, etc.

really? he lacks an offensive game really, and he was beaten out by 2 allstars (bosh and boozer). so I'm not surprised at all. In fact, I haven't heard anyone on this board ever predict that he would make the final 12.


I wouldn't be suprised to see LeBron, Carmello, or Prince playing the 4 at any given time. International play seems to be much more perimeter oriented.

Agreed. As someone else pointed out, melo is the starting 4 on this team (or at least he has been). I expect him to be our leading scorer in China, though I expect kobe to play the most minutes.

ugadevil
06-24-2008, 07:28 PM
really? he lacks an offensive game really, and he was beaten out by 2 allstars (bosh and boozer). so I'm not surprised at all. In fact, I haven't heard anyone on this board ever predict that he would make the final 12.


Well...I put very little into the predictions that are made on this board. However, I do put some credibility into the group that played on last summer's team. Chandler isn't a strong offensive option, but I don't think this team will struggle for offense. I'd think he'd be in the game to provide strong defense in the post and rebounding. I'm not saying I have a problem with him not being on the team (he is an alternate) and I have plenty of confidence in Boozer and Bosh, but I don't think Chandler would struggle to find a role on this team.

SilkyJ
06-24-2008, 07:55 PM
Well...I put very little into the predictions that are made on this board. However, I do put some credibility into the group that played on last summer's team. Chandler isn't a strong offensive option, but I don't think this team will struggle for offense. I'd think he'd be in the game to provide strong defense in the post and rebounding. I'm not saying I have a problem with him not being on the team (he is an alternate) and I have plenty of confidence in Boozer and Bosh, but I don't think Chandler would struggle to find a role on this team.

There are quite a few knowledgeable posters here, imho. FWIW, I got 10 out of 12, with the miss being having Amare and Joe Johnson and not having Bosh and Chris Paul. But Amare pulled out on his own a couple weeks ago (which was a little after I made my prediction):

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7483&page=2&highlight=olympic

I don't think he would struggle to find a role, but much like last summer, it would include being the last person off the bench.

ugadevil
06-24-2008, 08:23 PM
I don't think he would struggle to find a role, but much like last summer, it would include being the last person off the bench.

Yeah, I didn't think Chandler would be the stud to carry the team or anything, and I'm not even really surprised he's not on the team. There's not much in the selection process that has really been all that shocking. However, for discussion..it'd get rather boring if we just took the perspective of..."Oh yeah, we picked him - he's good and we knew he'd make it." Tyson Chandler not making the team isn't a big deal, just different because he's one of the few who was on the team last Summer that didn't make the Olympic squad. It's not like he should have been guaranteed a spot because he played last year, just something to discuss other than the obvious choices that are on the team.

SilkyJ
06-24-2008, 11:27 PM
Yeah, I didn't think Chandler would be the stud to carry the team or anything, and I'm not even really surprised he's not on the team. There's not much in the selection process that has really been all that shocking. However, for discussion..it'd get rather boring if we just took the perspective of..."Oh yeah, we picked him - he's good and we knew he'd make it." Tyson Chandler not making the team isn't a big deal, just different because he's one of the few who was on the team last Summer that didn't make the Olympic squad. It's not like he should have been guaranteed a spot because he played last year, just something to discuss other than the obvious choices that are on the team.

I guess I get what you're saying, but I don't just say things just for discussion purposes if I don't believe it. Nor did I take a "perspective," though you could be referring to others.

If you're referring to me, I stated before the decision who I thought would make it (which inherently implies that I didn't think chandler was good enough) and then a made a direct reference to not thinking he was going to make it (linked in above post). Frankly, I didn't expound on my explanation b/c I thought it was obvious enough. He was lumped in with Odom and Durant neither of whom played or was really even considered for either team under K ('06 or '07, of course durant only joined the program in '07). I never thought he would make the team or really thought he was on the bubble to make the team. IMO the best thing he had going for him was that he would have been the tallest player on a team that only has one true center. That's the only reason he ever entered the discussion, imo, and we know how K feels about that kinda stuff.

If not, it is the off season so we are always in need of discussion items, I suppose.

Billy Dat
06-25-2008, 09:33 AM
....if we don't win the gold, it aint gonna be because we've took Prince instead of Chandler. In saying that, watch Scola beat out Prince for an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer to win an elimination game.

SilkyJ
06-25-2008, 12:03 PM
....if we don't win the gold, it aint gonna be because we've took Prince instead of Chandler. In saying that, watch Scola beat out Prince for an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer to win an elimination game.

only to have the putback swatted by dwight "superman" howard!

skitelz
06-26-2008, 03:13 PM
What do you guys think about the starting point guard situation? Does Coach K go with the battle-tested veteran leader or the dynamic diminutive-statured superstar?

SilkyJ
06-26-2008, 03:55 PM
hard to imagine him not starting Kidd for so many reasons. The ones you mentioned, and the fact that coach K has publicly stated that smaller, less physical PGs struggle in international play. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me to see D. Williams play more than paul. He's bigger, a better defender, though not a great one, and a better shooter.

skitelz
06-26-2008, 04:59 PM
well, i was wondering mainly based on both kidd's apparent road to mediocrity and paul being unstoppable against him in the playoffs. my main question is, if paul can guard kidd on a consistently okay basis in the nba playoffs, why couldnt he guard bigger international points?

although i would agree with you about Deron...maybe he would take the spot away from kidd?

SilkyJ
06-26-2008, 06:33 PM
well, i was wondering mainly based on both kidd's apparent road to mediocrity and paul being unstoppable against him in the playoffs. my main question is, if paul can guard kidd on a consistently okay basis in the nba playoffs, why couldnt he guard bigger international points?

although i would agree with you about Deron...maybe he would take the spot away from kidd?

totally valid thinking, but I guess the counter argument is that we arent as worried about him on the defensive end but on the offensive end where he will get bumped around and won't get foul calls he normally would. On the defensive end, he could get abused by bigger PGs backing him down in the post a la Marc Jackson.

I'm not 100% sold on the reasons I mentioned above, I am half (or maybe 30%) playing devils advocate.

skitelz
06-26-2008, 11:42 PM
no, those are completely valid points...i guess im not really a big fan of Jason Kidd and believed his play dropped drastically this year.

Plus the Illini are my home state team and I LOVED the dee/deron/luther years. i think that deron is ready to take the helm, but that could just be me.;)

ice-9
06-27-2008, 12:33 AM
I think Kidd will be the PG starter primarily for his leadership, experience, skill on the fast break, and "calming factor," but Williams and Paul will get a lot of minutes.

For DW vs. CP it's all about the match-ups...

...When playing against big, physical guards that like to pick and roll, DW will be the main back-up guard. He's better equipped than CP to defend against the pick and won't get intimidated on the offensive end due to his size.

...When playing against everyone else, I see CP as the main back-up guard. He may be small and may have trouble defending bigger guards, but everyone else will have trouble guarding him. When there are no defensive concerns CP will be used to drive the offense.

I think taking three guards is the right call.

Edouble
06-27-2008, 03:03 AM
I think Kidd will be the PG starter primarily for his leadership, experience, skill on the fast break, and "calming factor," but Williams and Paul will get a lot of minutes.

For DW vs. CP it's all about the match-ups...

...When playing against big, physical guards that like to pick and roll, DW will be the main back-up guard. He's better equipped than CP to defend against the pick and won't get intimidated on the offensive end due to his size.

...When playing against everyone else, I see CP as the main back-up guard. He may be small and may have trouble defending bigger guards, but everyone else will have trouble guarding him. When there are no defensive concerns CP will be used to drive the offense.

I think taking three guards is the right call.

Yeah, this is really how I see things playing out. There was a really good article in SI last year comparing/contrasting CP3 and DWill, basically saying that they are the two point guards of the future in the league and that they both bring something distinctly different from the other to the table/court. I think Kidd is clearly the starter and the back-up that logs more minutes will be determined by who we are playing.

SilkyJ
06-27-2008, 03:58 PM
I agree with the above compare/contrast of D Will and CP, but at the end of the day I still think D Will sees more minutes (or SHOULD see more minutes), for a couple reasons.

The one thing overlooked in the above 2 posts is Williams vs Paul's shooting. Williams is a better shooter, period. Paul isn't bad, but Williams is just better (they are both better than kidd) and its not like we have a glut of shooters, though I think we have enough.

Additionally, whereas you admit that Williams has a competitive advantage over Paul when playing against bigger PGs, you say that Paul is better against smaller or more normal sized guards. I don't think thats really true. Williams hasn't struggled against smaller or bigger PGs, he can play against both. So whereas Paul is rendered more ineffective against the bigger PGs and will see less minutes as a result (we think), I don't think Williams is rendered ineffective by playing against smaller or normal sized PGs.

In other words, in most cases Williams and Paul are "a wash" meaning you could play either and both would be equally effective, with the one slight advantage being Williams' shooting. Combine that with Williams competitive advantage against bigger guards and I see him as the #2 PG.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised to eat my words in a month or so if Paul becomes a major force for the team. He is real good and has a competitive fire...but as this moment my money is on DW.

tecumseh
06-29-2008, 02:51 PM
I think the US Olympic team will win the gold but media likes a star. Who will the star be? I think it may be Jason Kidd, I think the points will be evenly divided don't look for Kobe to have 40 point gams. The media loves a good story and nice smile and Kidd has both. He is the old man, the player coach, the steady influence etc, etc. He can be very personable when he wants to be and IMHO has more charisma than DWade, Kobe, LeBron. He is probably the most photogenic of the lot.

skitelz
06-29-2008, 02:57 PM
what? jason kidd have more charisma than dwayne wade? hahahahahaha. maybe kobe or lebron but not wade. plus the media is in a love-fest with both kobe and lebron, so one of them will be the "star".

sagegrouse
06-29-2008, 07:40 PM
I think the US Olympic team will win the gold but media likes a star. Who will the star be? I think it may be Jason Kidd, I think the points will be evenly divided don't look for Kobe to have 40 point gams. The media loves a good story and nice smile and Kidd has both. He is the old man, the player coach, the steady influence etc, etc. He can be very personable when he wants to be and IMHO has more charisma than DWade, Kobe, LeBron. He is probably the most photogenic of the lot.

Coach K = star, because he is well spoken and because of the contrast with the lamentable Larry Brown.

sagegrouse

moonpie23
06-29-2008, 09:24 PM
let's not count our chickens......howard with a bum sternum, kobe's pinky finally showing more of a problem......this doesn't make me feel too good..

dukeENG2003
06-30-2008, 11:16 AM
Guys, remember, Melo is the star of this team, period.

May not be the best NBA player of the bunch, but he's an international star.

If Lebron can shoot 75% for the olympics though, he might take Melo's place. . .

SilkyJ
06-30-2008, 11:36 AM
If Lebron can shoot 75% for the olympics though, he might take Melo's place. . .

HA

have you seen his jumper? (sorry if you were making a joke or being sarcastic)

roywhite
06-30-2008, 12:09 PM
HA

have you seen his jumper? (sorry if you were making a joke or being sarcastic)

On the 2007 USA team, LeBron shot 76% FG and 62.2% 3-pt, while Carmelo Anthony was "only" 61.3% FG and 57.8% 3-pt.

The team shot 47% 3-pt. My favorite stat was the USA team 58.7% FG, while opponents shot 27.9% FG.

Billy Dat
06-30-2008, 01:19 PM
...was incredible on Team USA last summer. To me, he was the best player, and he really thrived next to Kidd. I don't know if he can shoot like that again, but everyone who critiques his jump shot here must remember that the majority of times, if we are patient, our guys will have wide open 3s. The K/D'Antoni "shoot it if you're open" offensive philosophy has held firm the past two summers. When we lost to Greece in '06, it was because of our bad defense, the fact that they played one of those "priest from Caddyshack rainstorm round" games, and the fact that we couldn't knock down wide open jumpers. Most other teams don't play such great defense...they are stellar offensive units who know better then us how to clutch and grab. Anyway, the interesting thing about Team USA games is it's really a "pick your poison" defensive strategy for the opposition. If you decide to key on Kobe and Lebron (or any other 2 players), the possibility exists that you are leaving Melo, Kidd and Howard open. If I was another squad, I'd never leave that zone...but last summer we destroyed those zones because we shot well...especially Lebron.

SilkyJ
06-30-2008, 03:52 PM
On the 2007 USA team, LeBron shot 76% FG and 62.2% 3-pt, while Carmelo Anthony was "only" 61.3% FG and 57.8% 3-pt.

The team shot 47% 3-pt. My favorite stat was the USA team 58.7% FG, while opponents shot 27.9% FG.

something about blind squirrels. i dont think he'll repeat it, though if he limits his jumpers, which he is likely to do and focuses on fastbreak and driving opportunities, then i guess its possible.

Definitely impressed by all those numbers tho.

BlueintheFace
06-30-2008, 04:18 PM
Here is my treatise on this team and the upcoming olympics based on watching every international game on tv since K took over.

Jason Kidd- This is obvious. Jason Kidd's role on this team will be distributor. There will be games in which he doesn't shoot once or maybe just once or twice. You don't see a lot of outlet/run and gun teams against the USA since that is our pace, so (no need to drop back deep after offensive possessions) Kidd will be best when he is able to rebound the ball (as he does so well) or get the quick pass off the defensive rebound in order to push tempo. Nobody makes better decisions in the fast break than Kidd.

Deron Williams/Chris Paul- Deron will get a good deal more playing time than Chris Paul for one reason, he is stronger and therefore more capable of defending bigger guards. Also, he is a better three point shooter than Paul. In the international game there is no such thing as hand check fouls and defenders are allowed to be extremely physical on pick and roll plays. Paul is just a bit small and if there were more guards like him in the olympics then he would have more playing time to work his magic, but all of the heavy contenders have guards that will toss him around when he gets anywhere near the lane. Look for him to play much more in the round robin play than the elimination play.

Quick Note- Teams mostly play us by running zones or running beneath all high screens. One of Williams' favorite things to do is step back for a three when defenders run under screens (see- most recently the series vs the Rockets)

Lebron James- The International Game seems to suit Lebron very well. Defenders have been giving him the baseline fadeaway which he is decently consistent at and most are afraid to crowd him since he can run right by/through them to the rim. This leaves him lots of open jumpers which he feasted on last summer. I think he shot 76% from the field last summer and almost every shot was a dunk or 15-20 footer.

Carmelo Anthony- The truth is that Anthony was meant for the International game. He will be the star of the team unless Lebron is on and Kidd just keeps feeding him. Anthony was far and away the best scorer last summer. He will be hitting tons of baseline jumpers and when he is not doing that he will be knocking down the shorter threes and pump faking from the elbows to open up drives into the lane. He will most likely be our best scorer (and at the 4 slot for the most part).

Kobe Bryant- Kobe will not be scoring all that much. First off, he is still dealing with torn ligaments in his finger and says his release is still off and that he still doesn't feel that comfortable with his shot. Look for Kobe to be the leader on the team as he was last summer. Each game he asked K if he could guard the best guard on the opposing team and most of the time he absolutely shut them down. Many of us forget that Kobe has been on the All-NBA defensive teams many times. The world's best player will probably be the team's best defender. He also might take over a game or two if it gets tight at the end. After all, he is the best scorer and closer in the world. (Gosh- I just said "best" a lot... but its all true).

Dwayne Wade- the extent to which he plays will obviously depend on his health, but when he plays look for him to fall down way more than "six times" and hopefully get up more than "7 times" as well. Wade will take his acrobatics in the paint to the olympics and based on 2 years ago things will go fairly well. Wade just needs to play better defense than last time around when he comes in for Kobe this summer. He also needs to understand that the calls won't be coming his way as much as in the NBA. Quite a few times in 2006 Wade jumped into players in the lane looking for foul calls and threw the ball up as a prayer... only, the whistles didn't come.

Dwight Howard- Stay out of Foul Trouble... Stay Out of Foul Trouble... STAY OUT OF FOUL TROUBLE. Dwight Howard will often times be looking at a very crowded paint with multiple seven footers on the floor (China, Germany, Spain). He needs to take his penchant for Goal Tending in the NBA and use it in the olympics while gobbling up every rebound or alley oop that comes his way. Most of all, he needs to not force it on the offensive end. Last summer most of his fouls came from trying to post up flopping defenders. He needs to get his points from cutters and good ball movement... not postups. and most of all- No foul trouble... no more over-the-back fouls.

Quick Note- Howard has a fractured Sternum and is not playing right now... We really really need him to be healthy.

Carlos Boozer- I think we will all be surprised by how effective and well suited boozer is to the international game. He is a power forward, but a very large one and is certainly a space filler. He is also very quick. I think lots of defenders will leave him open 8-10 footers and he will knock them down. The key for Boozer is good rebounding (especially when Howard isn't around).

Chris Bosh- It is hard to make out exactly what Bosh's role will be. I have a hard time seeing him playing as the only big man on the floor during any of the games unless fouls make it necessary. Most likely he will be setting lots of high screens for guards and popping out while boozer/Howard clear space in the lane, but to be honest I am not sure.

Michael Redd- A zone breaker... plain and simple. Make Threes. Redd did not shoot that great last summer and needs to be on his game this summer... especially if others are struggling.

Tayshaun Prince- This will sound odd, but I see Prince's roll ending up similar to Michael Redd. Prince can really knock down the NBA three and shoots a great deal of shots from the Olympic three area. He will also be asked to rebound a lot and defend. Really, he will be this year's Battier. Corner threes... defensive stopper... energy player on the boards.

Final thoughts- 1) sorry this was so long, but I am sure there is plenty you all can disagree with me on now, 2) remember the lanes are wider and the US has had trouble with violations 3) goal tending is allowed in international play, 4) there WILL be games in which the USA gets screwed by officials for simply being the USA... we can't dwell on it, just overcome it, 5) things are a lot more physical in International play and European teams run much more complex offenses with essentially audibles off of sophisticated pick and roll plays, 6) The Europeans are kings of the jump shot and will have plenty of Dirk Nowitzki type/sized players coming out of the woodwork (see- Greece and Spain), 7) GO USA!!!!

Edouble
06-30-2008, 04:55 PM
Kobe Bryant- Kobe will not be scoring all that much. First off, he is still dealing with torn ligaments in his finger and says his release is still off and that he still doesn't feel that comfortable with his shot. Look for Kobe to be the leader on the team as he was last summer. Each game he asked K if he could guard the best guard on the opposing team and most of the time he absolutely shut them down. Many of us forget that Kobe has been on the All-NBA defensive teams many times. The world's best player will probably be the team's best defender. He also might take over a game or two if it gets tight at the end. After all, he is the best scorer and closer in the world. (Gosh- I just said "best" a lot... but its all true).

Chris Bosh- It is hard to make out exactly what Bosh's role will be. I have a hard time seeing him playing as the only big man on the floor during any of the games unless fouls make it necessary. Most likely he will be setting lots of high screens for guards and popping out while boozer/Howard clear space in the lane, but to be honest I am not sure.


An excellent all-around assessment of this summer's squad sir. I'd disagree on just a few things. As has been mentioned elsewhere, this is Kobe's chance to redeem himself a bit for his sub-par performance in the NBA Finals, and I definitely see the guy showing up heavily on the stat sheet. I said in another post that Carmello will lead the offense, as Kobe leads the defense, but I also think that the reigning NBA MVP will have plenty to say with the ball in his hands. While Kidd is the king of fastbreaks, Kobe has plenty of point guard in him, and with so many outstanding potential targets, I can see him driving and dishing in spades. He's also strong enough to finish at the rim, even if his pinky slows him some with the stop-and-pop.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Bosh on the court. I really believe that he could be the X-factor in the frontcourt. Everyone on this site knows that Boozer is a beast with sufficient strength to compete with most big men, however I truly believe that Bosh's ability in this department is overlooked. He's wiry, but powerful, especially on the defensive end, and I can see him spelling Howard and Boozer as the only big on the floor. A frontline of 'Melo and Bosh could indeed be most formitable. Don't sleep on the Bosher; he was selelcted among many for a reason.

JimBD
07-01-2008, 10:14 AM
Tyson Chandler has been selected as an alternate on the Olympic team. Apparently insurance in case Howard can't play. Chandler was awesome on defense this year and very effective on the pick and roll with Chris Paul.

moonpie23
07-01-2008, 12:59 PM
i had a second to muse today..... Do the international refs hate our guts?

BD80
07-01-2008, 03:50 PM
i had a second to muse today..... Do the international refs hate our guts?

Yep. But they won't hate us as much without Larry Brown, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, and Stephon Marbury.

BD80
07-01-2008, 04:28 PM
How were we supposed to win in 2004 with Iverson and Starbury at the point, and comprising 2 of the five veterans? Two of the other veterans were Jefferson and Marion. Not much in the way of leadership. Then there were seven YOUNG kids. Add a coach (Brown) who relies on his veterans. We didn't really stand a chance.

The best four of those "kids" are back with much more experience. We add the best player in the world (Kobe), a true point guard undefeated in international play (Kidd), two more very talented point guards (Williams and CP3), the most dominant big man in the NBA (Howard), one of the best shooters in the NBA (Redd), one of the best all-around big men in the NBA (Bosh) and one of the most versatile players in the NBA (Prince).

And one coach to unite them.

Other than the four we bring back, who would you want from the 2004 team?

Boozer and Bosh are going to do well, because they can catch Kidd's passes and shoot from the creases in the zones we will face. Good shooting doesn't just mean from 3-point range. Prince can shoot well and operate in the creases of a zone if needed, but I don't see him getting much PT unless the match-up demands. The key is that we will have to attack the zone quickly rather than have an Iverson pound the ball while watching his teammates cut for the chance to set him a pick. Kidd will make all the difference, and Williams and CP will take their cues from him.

Our guys also have some experience with the International Goaltending rules, which don't apply once the ball hits the rim (interfering with the downward flight of a shot is still goaltending). Howard should be an animal on the rim.

I think we will absolutely dominate the competition, with only the officiating to keep it close.

BlueintheFace
07-01-2008, 05:42 PM
i had a second to muse today..... Do the international refs hate our guts?

More than anything, the international refs hated Tim Duncan. Duncan is a great player, but he is widely regarded as one of the, if not THE, biggest crier in the NBA and his "eyes wide, hands out, shoulders scrunched up, following the ref to the scorers table in disbelief" routine seriously pissed them off... and they were just looking for an excuse to hate us. This time around I have a feeling K has told his team that they will screw us over and we just have to move on and get enough of a lead that it doesn't matter.