The year 2012 has very many interesting aspects, my 21st birthday, the release of Ghostbusters 3, Paradise Lost, Beverly Hills Cop IV, and The Dark Knight Rises. However, the most interesting aspect of 2012 for me and basketball fans across America is the fight to be on the roster for the 2012 USA Olympic Basketball Team. This generation of NBA players have learned that the Olympics are important and that they actually want to play on the team. After a few lackluster performances in past Olympic and FIBA games, American players want that Gold Medal every time around. My job today is too analyze the roster of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Roster of the 2010 FIBA World Championship team, other American players that have been rising that could create the best team for Coach K.
Combined Roster of 2008 Team USA & 2010 Team USA:
F/C | 6-11 | 240 | 7/19/85 | Portland Trail Blazers / Texas | |
F | 6-8 | 230 | 5/29/84 | New York Knicks / Syracuse | |
G | 6-3 | 202 | 9/25/76 | New York Knicks / Colorado | |
F | 6-9 | 266 | 11/20/81 | Chicago Bulls / Duke | |
F | 6-10 | 230 | 3/24/84 | Miami Heat / Georgia Tech | |
G | 6-6 | 205 | 8/23/78 | Los Angeles Lakers / Lower Merion H.S. (PA) | |
C | 7-1 | 235 | 10/02/82 | Dallas Mavericks / Dominguez H.S. (CA) | |
G | 6-3 | 185 | 3/14/88 | Golden State Warriors / Davidson | |
G | 6-9 | 230 | 9/29/88 | Oklahoma City Thunder / Texas | |
G | 6-6 | 220 | 9/19/89 | Sacramento Kings / Memphis | |
F | 6-8 | 230 | 8/17/86 | Memphis Grizzlies / Connecticut | |
G | 6-3 | 222 | 12/25/88 | Los Angeles Clippers / Indiana | |
F | 6-8 | 228 | 4/20/83 | Indiana Pacers / New Mexico | |
F | 6-9 | 235 | 08/28/86 | Boston Celtics / Georgetown | |
F/C | 6-11 | 265 | 12/08/85 | Orlando Magic / Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA) | |
G/F | 6-6 | 207 | 1/28/84 | Philadelphia 76ers / Arizona | |
F | 6-8 | 250 | 12/30/84 | Miami Heat / St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. (OH) | |
C | 6-10 | 265 | 1/04/85 | Utah Jazz / Prentiss H.S. (MS) | |
F/C | 6-9 | 250 | 4/29/83 | Golden State Warriors / Florida | |
C | 7-0 | 265 | 4/01/88 | New Jersey Nets / Stanford | |
C | 7-0 | 255 | 4/01/88 | Phoenix Suns / Stanford | |
F | 6-10 | 260 | 9/07/88 | Minnesota Timberwolves / UCLA | |
G | 6-4 | 210 | 11/05/87 | Memphis Grizzlies / USC | |
F | 6-10 | 230 | 11/06/79 | Los Angeles Lakers / Rhode Island | |
G | 6-0 | 175 | 5/06/85 | New Orleans Hornets / Wake Forest | |
C | 6-10 | 280 | 11/10/84 | Oklahoma City Thunder / Clifton J. Ozen H.S. (TX) | |
F | 6-9 | 205 | 2/28/80 | Detroit Pistons / Kentucky | |
G | 6-1 | 171 | 2/22/86 | Boston Celtics / Kentucky | |
G | 6-3 | 190 | 10/04/88 | Chicago Bulls / Memphis | |
C | 6-10 | 249 | 11/16/82 | New York Knicks / Cypress Creek High School (FL) | |
G | 6-4 | 220 | 1/17/82 | Miami Heat / Marquette | |
F | 6-7 | 220 | 7/23/82 | Portland Trail Blazers / Alabama | |
G | 6-3 | 187 | 11/12/88 | Oklahoma City Thunder / UCLA | |
G | 6-3 | 207 | 7/26/84 | New Jersey Nets / Illinois |
Other players I think should be added to the mix: Blake Griffin, Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, DeAndre Jordan, John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Mike Conley, James Harden, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Nick Collision, Zach Randolph, Anthony Morrow, David West, Andrew Bynum, Brandon Jennings, and Javale McGee.
The FIBA World Championship team was a team made because basically the Redeem Team didn't want to play if it wasn't the Olympics. So the young FIBA team went out there, kicked some ass, and took home the Gold Medal. However the Redeem team players think they should automatically be on the team because of what they did in 2008, on the other hand you have the FIBA Young Gun's who dominated and think they should be on team, thus creating a hyper-competitive tryout for Team USA 2012.
Because of age or poor play, realistically these are the players we have at each position:
Point Guard: Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Jrue Holiday, John Wall, Mike Conley, Brandon Jennings, and Kyrie Irving.
Shooting Guard: D'Wayne Wade, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, Joe Johnson, Gary Neal and Anthony Morrow
Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony, Danny Granger, Jeff Green, LeBron James, Andre Iguodala, Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith, James Harden, and Rudy Gay.
Power Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, David Lee, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Blake Griffin, Thaddeus Young, Demarcus Cousins, Nick Collision, Zach Randolph, and David West.
Center: Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Al Jefferson, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Kendrick Perkins, DeAndre Jordan, Andrew Bynum, and Javale McGee.
This is what I think our 50 player tryout should be. A 50 player tryout death-match, is what it should be to find those 12 players who will bring home a second straight Gold Medal and remind everyone in the World that we own them in basketball.
My 2012 Olympic Team USA Basketball Roster:
The Starting 5
PG: Derrick Rose- Rose the 2010 NBA MVP is the league's premier point guard and possibly by 2012, he may be the league's premier player.
SG: Kevin Durant- The only player Coach K said had a spot on the FIBA World Championship team, has led the league in scoring the last 2 years, and has led his Thunder to the Western Conference Finals this season. A SUPER Superstar in the making.
SF: LeBron James- One of the most controversial NBA players ever, I wanted him to be Jordan but he failed me. James is a menace, an athletic specimen on both sides of the court and someone who will undoubtedly help this US team reach it's Gold.
PF: Blake Griffin- The league's most entertaining player, and I am banking on him expanding his mid-range and around the basket offense, we all know he can fly but he has a chance to be an All-Time great if he expands his offensive range.
C: Dwight Howard- Possibly a Laker now? However, Howard is just another type of athletic specimen even when compared to LeBron, he always could do it on the defensive end and now he has the skills on offense, hopefully by this time he will have Shaq-like dominance in all his games.
Bench
PG: Russell Westbrook- Westbrook is one of the fastest and most entertaining players in the league, just as athletic as Rose, however, he has been shooting more than he should recently but Team USA will need him.
PG: Deron Williams- This was a tough last PG spot for me to fill, I had with either Williams, Paul, or Wall filling this last spot but Williams is a true PG who simply makes every player on the floor better.
SG: D'Wayne Wade- Simply a truely drynamic player, who is helping lead the Heat. Wade, along with Durant, will be Team USA's closer. Wade is also a great team player and will be a guard who will add some physicality.
SF: Carmelo Anthony- One of the league's most offensively talented players, Anthony will bring size, athleticsism, and offense off the bench for Team USA.
SF: Danny Granger- He's got it all and Coach K will notice. He can play defense, he's a player with size that can shoot which is vital in International play and Granger sure is fiery and competitive.
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge- Aldridge is a great team player who was an All-Star snub and a player I can see leading the Trail Blazers in points and rebounds for many, many years.
C: Al Jefferson- I love watching Jefferson play with the Jazz, he's a smart, tough team player that will give Team USA size and balance.
Team USA needs to make a big showing in London in 2012 to again reassure everyone that we are the best, anything less than a Gold Medal will be a disappointment.
Kobe = 5 LeBron = 0
