Making the Cuts: What the 2012 USA Olympic Team Will Look Like

The 2008 "Redeem Team" was one of the best. The 2010 FIBA "B Team" was also very impressive. Now the real question is, who will be part of the 2012 Olympic team?

Most of the guys on this team will be pretty obvious, as most of them will come from the 2008 squad. There will be some new additions though, a select few chosen from this year's FIBA World Championship team.

Let's take a look at the projected starting lineup for the 2012 team, and then get down to the serious business—the bench.

Obviously there will be some who disagree with these choices, but instead of just ripping me, tell me why you think player A is better deserving and a better fit than player B.

Team USA Starters

Kobe and LeBron

PG Chris Paul

CP3 may not be one of the five best players on the roster, but he is without a doubt the best true point guard on the team. Now that he is finally healthy, he will look to improve his game even more, which is scary.

SG Dwyane Wade

D Wade was one of the best players on the 2008 team, and lifted them at the most crucial times. Even with the other players being added to the team, Flash is still the starter here.

SF Kobe Bryant

Kobe may be a little older at this time, but he will still be one of the best players in the world. There is no way Kobe Bryant will come off the bench for Team USA.

PF LeBron James

The best part about LeBron is that he is big enough to play center, and talented enough to play PG. He will most likely fill the PF spot, where he will be a mismatch for any team. He will be used everywhere.

C Dwight Howard

No doubt Dwight owns this spot. There won't really be anyone that can compete with him to take this spot. He is a no-brainer here and if he keeps improving, he will be entering the prime of his career...scary.

The Best Bench in the World

Carmelo Anthony

Backup PG Deron Williams

Some would even consider starting D-Will over CP3, but I give the slight edge to Paul. Make no mistake, Deron is not even really a drop off at all from Chris.

Backup SG Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo is another guy that could easily be considered a starter. This team is absolutely loaded, and because Kobe and Wade are better defenders, they will get the slight edge over Carmelo.

Backup SF Kevin Durant

The "B Team" Superstar will now join the best players in the league on the Olympic team. Durantula showed what he can do in the FIBA games, and expect the same results in 2012.

Backup PF Chris Bosh

Yes, the third Miami Heat player will join the squad and contribute even more than he did in 2008. Bosh is versatile and can be a mismatch for most teams.

Backup C Carlos Boozer

While not a true center, Boozer will be more than enough to back up Dwight Howard. He has size and may even be a better scorer than Dwight, but that's not what this team will need him to do.

On the Bubble, but Still Making the Cut

Derrick Rose

The end of the bench players in the NBA are usually the guys that don't get a ton of playing time, and usually just play the garbage minutes. This USA team is going to be so loaded with talent that these guys will still be called upon to play major minutes and are very capable of becoming game changers. These two guys will barely make the cut in my opinion.

Derrick Rose

While Rose wasn't spectacular in the FIBA tournament, he is another guard that can find a spot in the rotation and with another couple of years in the NBA leading a great team like the Bulls, he might find himself making the roster.

Andre Iguodala

The abundance of guards will likely force the team to look at getting a little more size. Iguodala is a beast, and he is one of the most athletic players in the world. He may not get the same minutes as the other guys, but he could provide some valuable backup minutes for the team.

The Bubbles That Will Be Busted

Russell Westbrook

The list of guys that in my opinion will not make the 2012 USA Olympic roster:

Russell Westbrook

Probably the hardest choice to not make it. Barely gave the edge to Derrick Rose, but he could easily find a place on the roster.

Rudy Gay

Just on the very outside looking in. Wouldn't surprise me if he made the roster though.

Eric Gordon

If he improves his game over the next couple of years, I could see him on this team, but there are just so many guards you can put on this roster.

Kevin Love

With his size and talent in the paint, it wouldn't shock me to see him make the team. He will one of the best bench players for the 2010 FIBA team this summer.

Stephen Curry

Same situation as Eric Gordon, but he barely made the 2010 team, so I don't expect him to quite make it in 2012.

Danny Granger

If he improves his defense tremendously, he might have a chance, but I doubt he will be able to make the cut.

Chauncey Billups, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Lamar Odom, Michael Redd, Tayshaun Prince

I don't see any of these guys still playing well enough in 2012, because most of them will be toward the end of their careers. Chandler just doesn't have the talent to out-perform any of the current bigs.

The Wild Card Options

Andrew Bynum

Perhaps we will see some players that weren't on the 2008 team or the 2010 squad. Some of these options look better than others, but who knows if these guys finally decide they want to try out. Not sure if any of these guys have a great chance of making the team, but let's look at some potential options.

Brook/Robin Lopez, Al Jefferson, Andrew Bynum, Amar'e Stoudemire, Greg Oden, Josh Smith, Rajon Rondo, Joe Johnson, Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Jennings.