Top Five Most Valuable Players for Team USA Basketball

Perhaps the most surprising player on this list, Bosh's value is monumental, given that the only two true big-men on the squad were Bosh and Howard. Howard often struggled to get going and fell into foul trouble, leading to more playing time for Bosh—who took advantage, leading the team in rebounding.

Additionally, when the team had their shooting struggles, Bosh proved to be even more valuable, scoring a huge percentage of his points on alley oops, tip-ins, and putbacks. This, in turn, led to a high shooting percentage, as he led the team by shooting 77 percent for the tournament.

He also got to the free throw line more often then anyone on the team except for Wade, and connected on 86 percent of his free throws.

 

2. Kobe Bryant 

It was a tough decision to put Bryant at number two instead of number one, given how instrumental he was in putting the Spaniards away late in Sunday morning's game. Bryant took over the offense at times, hitting key shot after key shot. Each time Spain made a run to cut the lead to two or three, Bryant would come down and knock down a key three-pointer or draw a foul to keep the USA in front.

The only thing that keeps Kobe out of the top spot was his inconsistent shooting throughout the tournament. He shot only 46 percent for the tournament,  and32 percent from three-point range. Couple that with an assist-turnover ratio of 17:15, and it just wasn't quite enough for Bryant to garner the number-one spot, clutch as he may be.

 

1. Chris Paul

Just like in the NBA season, Paul led his team without putting up the ridiculous offensive stats of the likes of Bryant, James, or Wade. But Paul was the leader of the offense, always making the right decision at the right time.

Paul's assist-turnover ratio was a ridiculous 33:9, and although he averaged only eight points per game, he still shot 50 percent from the floor.

Paul was also second to James on the team with 18 steals for the tournament. But again, his value cannot be understated, as he would do things to help the team that often don't show up on a stats sheet.

He would make a pass to set up an assist, and his defense against guards such as Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino, C.J. Bruton, and Spanouli Valleious was key in keeping teams at bay.

So while it's tough to pick a Most Valuable Player in a team so loaded with stars, Paul stood out among the rest. It may not have been in the stats and he may not have been as flashy as the rest—but without Paul, this team may not have been as successful as they were.

 

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