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As I caught highlights of the USA Men’s Basketball team’s 116-85 drubbing of Australia, which left them just two wins shy of bringing back the Gold medal, I found myself thinking ahead to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London...

Candidates for the 2012 USA Men's Olympic Basketball Team

by Shaun Ahmad (Columnist)

40

2,451 reads

Opinion

August 20, 2008


As I caught highlights of the USA Men’s Basketball team’s 116-85 drubbing of Australia, which left them just two wins shy of bringing back the Gold medal, I found myself thinking ahead to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. 

Many of the players on the current team are unlikely to stay on for the next go.  Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Carlos Boozer, and Tayshaun Prince will likely pass on the chance to compete again—especially if they capture the Gold this year.

Bryant will be too focused on adding title rings to his fingers, Wade's knee is too iffy, Kidd will be retired, etc.   

 

Sure enough, a friend's email sparked my imagination.  I started thinking of potential replacements among the young guys in the NBA. 

 

Fast-forwarding four years and projecting where they would be skill and talent-wise, I found myself coming up with more than enough names to replace those who will likely be gone.  That led me to entertain myself with a list of players who I think would be gold-medal worthy. 

 

There’s one catch. 

 

I tried to come up with a team of players who have not competed in the Olympics before.  So right off the bat, I've taken away LeBron James, Chris Paul and anyone else on the current team.  

 

 

The criteria is simple:

 

  1. The player has never been on the Olympic team (FIBA is excluded).
  2. The player must currently be in the NBA (no college players).
  3. The player cannot be likely to compete for another international team.
  4. Roster limit is 12, composed of two point guards, three shooting guards, two small forwards, three power forwards, and two centers.

My team is as follows, in order of the depth chart:

 

Point Guards:        Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo

Shooting Guards:  

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40 comments Last one added 4 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Tommy 10 months ago

    Great article. Added to MyPicks.

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  2. Adam Lindemer 10 months ago

    Iggy, J-Smooth, and Tyson would definitely provide the highlight reel dunks. However, you do need some big guys that can shoot from the outside too, so they can compete with the top-European teams. I guess Durant and Beasley would've honed their skills by then though. Good list!

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      You're absolutely right about needing big men who can shoot. But this is assuming that players like Durant and Beasley live up to their potential. Both have been superb scorers in college, and Durant has been pretty darn good so far in the NBA. Assuming they continue on their paths, I think that would address the need.

      Great point though.

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    • Eric Christenson 10 months ago

      dude just totally dissed Oden. Acted like Oden wouldn't be providing all of the highlight reel dunks.

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  3. Quentin McCall 10 months ago

    Nice article, Shaun. Roy should definitely be on the next team -- I'm surprised he isn't on the current roster.

    But a few critiques:

    1) It seems logical that preference would be given to players already on the "extended" roster:
    http://usabasketball.com/men_team.php?page=msnt_roster . They've been trying to establish continuity so it's unlikely they'd take a team of players who haven't played together before. But of course, this is all hypothetical... so that's probably irrelevant to this article.

    2) I'm not clear on why Jefferson, Smith, Rondo and Iguodala would be good fits for international play. None of them strikes me as the well-rounded type that does well in the Olympics.

    3) Why no Elton Brand at PF or Shane Battier at SF? Both will be older, but seem like a perfect fit for international play.

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Thanks for the compliment Quentin. To answer your questions:

      1) This is just a hypothetical highlighting some of our younger players. Only a few of the mentioned players will be playing on the 2012 team with Bron, CP3 and co. Just a fun, different perspective on the NBA's young talent.

      2) Rondo mainly because his defense. He has a lot of quickness and moves laterally as well as anyone I've seen on defense. Jefferson is a very versatile interior player who can match up well in the post in half court situations, but has also been able to run the floor successfully. Iguodala, mainly because he's a good open court player and also a good defender. And Josh Smith because his versatility, his versatility, and his versatility haha. The guy blocks, rebounds, scores. Does everything good except lockdown D.

      3) Today, Brand and Battier would be great fits. However, in 2012, they'll be 33 and 34 respectively. I don't know if they will be more effective at that age than some of the guys I have on the roster.

      Thanks for your great points/questions.

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    • Montgomery Woseley 10 months ago

      They have played for Team USA before and they sucked. Elton Brand is undersized at international C and Battier is not skilled.

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Battier brings a lot of good defense though. Either way, I think he'd be too old at that point anyway.

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  4. John F 10 months ago

    Greg Oden in international play would be great to watch. I agree with everyone on that list, the point guards for us seem a little weak, it depends on how well Derrick Rose adapts to the NBA and I like Rondo but I dont know if he is good enough to play for the 2012 team. I might suggest OJ Mayo, but like Rose it all depends on how they adjust to the NBA. Good team though.

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  5. Daniel Damico 10 months ago

    Great Article. They only question I have is, where is the shooing? In the past that has been the major down fall of the US teams. Even the Redeem Team is struggling, but they have enough offensive fire-power to get past that. I am not sure your line-up would. Kyle Korver, would fit the criteria, but is a huge defensive liability and would be 31. Eric Gordon could do the job and is young enough. He showed unlimited range in college. JJ Redick, who is already on the squad, would be able to stretch that defense, then play very little. He would 28. If you look at the current 3 pt % shooting, there are not a lot of young Americans. so that might be the single biggest issue. Sorry. I felt the need to join-in the article. Thanks for the topic!

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Deep shooting is one thing this team lacks. The hope would be Joe Johnson, Brandon Roy and Kevin Durant would be able to shoot well enough from the perimeter but that may be asking too much. There probably should be a shooting specialist on the squad. Great point.

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  6. Thomas 10 months ago

    very cool. rondo yes, oden yes, durant yes. how bout gilbert arenas? just a name i threw out.

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      As long as Jerry Colangelo is coming up with the teams, Gilbert Arenas will decline. He was burned by the FIBA team in 2006 and I am positive that as long as anyone from the current regime is calling the shots, he'll want nothing to do with them. Good suggestion though.

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  7. Tyler Hill 10 months ago

    I hate to tell you but... its still 2008. Don't get ahead of yourself

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      haha i know. But like I said, I was watching the highlights and thinking about who will replace some of the guys we have now and I realized how much good young talent there is. That's where the idea came from.

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  8. Marcus 10 months ago

    What about Gilbert Arenas???

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      As long as Jerry Colangelo is involved in the USA team, I am positive Arenas won't want anything to do with the Olympic team after what he went through with FIBA.

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    • Thomas 10 months ago

      apparently i'm not the only one who thinks arenas should play :)

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      haha believe me.. i don't believe he shouldn't play. He's one of my favorite players who I've watched at least a dozen times being in DC.

      But, he has such a sour taste from the FIBA competition because of Jerry Colangelo, I don't see him participating as long as Colangelo is there.

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  9. TJ Zwarych 10 months ago

    Nice article, but you should put Iguodala at shooting guard, because he usually plays there and Caron Butler is a small forward, other then that great article!

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  10. Curly Morris 10 months ago

    PG - Monta Ellis and Devin Harris
    Rose is an unproven commodity so far and Rondo is waaaaay overrated.

    SG - Johnson and Durant keeping with coach K's philosophy of being bigger than everyone else on the perimeter, add Gibson to play 2012 version of Michael Redd.

    SF - Josh Smith - Rudy Gay - Jeff Green
    Igudola is quick and athletic he couldn't hit the ocean beyond 15 feet and Roy will certainly be in the middle of off season surgery

    PF - I'll take Al Thornton and Kevin Love

    C - Give me Oden and Al Jefferson (unless of course Oden is in the hospital with Roy then we'll Chandler take his spot.

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Good stuff Curly. But isn't Kevin Love as unproven of a commodity as Rose? I like Josh Smith at SF but not sure about Gay and Green being better than Butler and Iguodala.

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  11. Curly Morris 10 months ago

    You're right about Love. I concur.
    I believe that his skillset is already a given however, whereas Rose has a much higher learning curve, still, point well taken.

    I certainly think that Gay and Green are better than Butler and Igudola for this team. Green has the offense but is usually committed to defense because he plays with Durant (a lot like Prince's situation with Detroit and Team USA and Gay is better than all three of them.

    I like Butler, don't get me wrong but he's a little undersized to play the SF at the international level and not a good enough ball handler to play the SG.

    I think that Iggy is just super overrated. He jumps high and runs fast, but his pure basketball skill set is limited (in my humble opinion)

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Can't argue with that. You made valid points. I am a big Butler fan because I see the dirty work he does night in and night out for Washington, being that I live here. The guy has to be one of the most unselfish players I have ever seen, in any sport. A lot of people like Gay though and Green is a solid young player. Good squad!

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  12. Cyrus Faridi 10 months ago

    you gotta start roy, not have him be your 3d string SG. i guarantee that in 4 years roy will be much better than joe johnson.

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  13. 12 10 months ago

    Entertaining thought process on your selection. In 4 years we might see some others emerge as well, but I think LeBron, as young as he is, might still want to play...and who could say no.

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Oh I'm sure Bron will definitely consider it. But for the sake of this article and for some fun, I said to exclude anyone who has ever played for the USA Olympic team as part of the parameters.

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  14. Michael Brown 10 months ago

    If Rondo makes like J-Kidd and doesn't shoot the ball, then he would be a great member of the team. But if teams start backing off Rondo and leaving him wide-open looks that he can't really pass up, that's when the trouble can start. He has had flashes of brilliance, but he would have to play much more consistently over the next three seasons to be a candidate for the US National team.

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      I agree 100%. His shooting, or lack thereof, is a glaring weakness. I had him on primarily as a defensive specialist but also assuming that at some point in the next four years, he works on his awful jumpshot. Great point Michael.

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  15. chris feaver 10 months ago

    overall that team would come up short...no way that team wins a gold

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  1. Steven Goldman 10 months ago

    My time is similar to yours with a couple of changes:

    PG - Derrick Rose (the best PG - enough said)
    SG - Brandon Roy (in a couple of years... man this guy is going to be good)
    SF - LeBron James (best player in the world)
    PF - Al Jefferson (he scores in the paint, great athleticism, great rebounder)
    C - Greg Oden (toughness, rebounding, defense)

    Bench:

    PG - OJ Mayo (3 point specialist)
    SG - Kevin Martin (solid scorer)
    SF - Kevin Durant (bench scoring is taken care of)
    PF - Chris Bosh (hopefully he wants to go again)
    C - Andrew Bynum (he can get the job done)

    Others:

    Rajon Rondo, Joe Johnson

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    • Shaun Ahmad 10 months ago

      Solid squad Steven. Only thing is, for the sake of this article, you can't include anyone who has already competed in the Olympics, so that takes away Lebron and Bosh. I love the Kevin Martin and Andrew Bynum additions. I didn't even think about Bynum, which is crazy considering I'm a Lakers fan. Go figure.

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  2. donald caraccio 10 months ago

    pg- Rose, Devin Harris
    sg- Roy, Monte Ellis, Kevin Martin
    sf- Butler, Iguodala
    pf- Durant, Horford, Love
    c- Bynum, Aldridge

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  3. donald caraccio 10 months ago

    The only pick of yours that I really disagree with is Josh Smith. Too much of a head case and other character issues to be picked in the new format where chemistry is heavily considered. I just prefer the players above.

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  4. Carlo Miguel Narboneta 9 months ago

    Good one dude but I totally disagree with the lineup. Too inexperienced and lacks talent and athleticism. The most important ingredient of the team is the "go-to-guy", the leader.

    The player who would not hesitate to take over the game or the final shot. The player who would likely take the winning shot and win the game despite being 0-20 from the field in 36 minutes.

    More power to you. Cheers!

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  5. gergoe mark 4 months ago

    how about LaMarcus Aldridge he is another GREAT young talent........ im a Detriot guy so how about Rondey Stuckey he is develpoing well?

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