2012 Olympics Men's Basketball: Power Ranking Players on the Roster

The men's basketball draw was announced today for the 2012 Olympics. So what better way to whet your appetite about who will get to don the red, white and blue this summer in London than to bust out a good old-fashioned power ranking of the players vying to make the final cut.

Yes, that's Michael Redd standing in the center of the 2008 U.S. squad pictured above. The 2012 edition can do a little better than that, don't you think?

Entering the weekend, four of the original 20 finalists had been scratched off the list of contenders due to injury or personal reasons, but USA Basketball head man Jerry Colangelo held firm that he wouldn't make any roster replacements.

But on the heels of Derrick Rose's ACL injury in the Chicago Bulls' NBA playoff opener on Saturday, Team USA now has just 15 players gunning to make the final dozen headed to London. Rose, the reigning MVP, joins LaMarcus Aldridge (hip surgery), Chauncey Billups (ACL), Dwight Howard (back surgery) and Lamar Odom (personal reasons) among the original nominees who will now have to cheer on their fellow NBA stars from the couch this summer. 

The final roster deadline is June 18, but according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Colangelo wants to release the final roster on June 1.

How does the current crop of 15 U.S. players stack up? Who deserves a shot to defend the nation's gold medal this summer?

Here's a slideshow that will address those questions and more.

Let me know how you would rank Team USA's players. Happy hoops debating, everyone!

15. Andre Iguodala

A member of the 2010 squad, Iguodala was a force on the fast break and was arguably the gold medal team’s best perimeter defender in Turkey. That group didn’t boast the exploits of LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, though, two players that will play similar roles for Team USA this summer.

In 62 games in 2011-12, the Sixers vet boasted career high in three-point shooting (39 percent), while averaging 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game for a balanced Sixers team.

He would blend in well amongst the superstar-laden team, but a few other small forward/swingman options seem a little more intriguing at this point in the process.

14. Eric Gordon

Limited to only nine games this season due to a nagging knee injury, year one in New Orleans was a bumpy one for Gordon. The smooth-shooting guard was traded to the Hornets in the second Chris Paul deal that looked to provide the Hornets with a new offensive centerpiece for their team.

The injury, combined with a roster missing the nurturing care of point guard and team leader Chris Paul, has led to a long six months for Gordon in the Big Easy.

Gordon was a member of the 2010 U.S. team that went a perfect 9-0 in Turkey. He averaged just under nine points a game during the FIBA tournament and finished second on the team with 19 made three-pointers.

That strong showing, combined with his shooting prowess is the reason he’s on the list. Still, fresh off an injury and with his first chance to make big bucks with free agency looming in July, don’t expect to see Gordon in the U.K. this summer. 

13. Rudy Gay

Will an injury over a year ago hinder Rudy Gay's chances of heading to London this summer? 

Gay had to sit and watch as his Memphis Grizzles team upended the San Antonio Spurs and took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the 2011 NBA playoffs.

Back after a shoulder injury limited him to only 54 games in 2010-11, Gay is back to his previous form in the lockout-shortened season, averaging 19 points per game and a career-high 6.4 rebounds.

Still a high flier, Gay offers a little more to the table than the previously mentioned Iguodala, but doesn’t have the elite game that King James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant can provide at the small forward/swingman position.

When the list stood at 20, his dreams of draping the USA across his chest looked to have to wait a few more years.

Now, Gay is only one of a small handful of players that could snatch up the final roster spot. He's playing better ball than Iguodala, but will Blake Griffin be the choice over him because of his superior size?  

12. Blake Griffin

Only 12 can make the final cut and Blake Griffin is right on the cusp of making his first Olympic team. Compared and contrasted with Kevin Love before the season in regards to who the best young power forward in the game was, Griffin’s game has grown up under the watchful eye of Chris Paul, but still has several key flaws.

An improved array of post moves and shooting touch has helped Griffin put even more pressure on the defense, but his woeful free-throw shooting has turned into a Shaq-sized liability. A 64 percent shooter at the stripe during his rookie year, Griffin has bottomed out all the way to just above 52 percent in 2011-12.

Adding his athleticism to the roster could compare to the addition of budding star and high-flyer Vince Carter to the 2000 team that won gold in Sydney. Carter’s dunk over French center Frederic Weis was dubbed “The Dunk of Death” by the French media.

However, only still just 23, the bushel of hard fouls and run-ins with the guys in stripes have looked to take a toll on the young Los Angeles star. Other big candidates like Love and Chris Bosh should blend in better with the top 12 than Griffin.

In the end, the selection committee will have a hard choice to make. Griffin gives the U.S. squad the most size, especially if the end result could be a meeting with Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka of Spain.

Yes, Spain somehow got Ibaka onto its roster—a major coup for the top threat for the Americans' quest to repeat as tournament champs.  

11. Russell Westbrook

Normally, a team with three world-class point guards at the top would be enough. In the past, the final 12 has included three point guards to handle the floor general duties, with the top two players eating up the bulk of the minutes.

With vet Chauncey Billups out with an ACL tear, the 12th roster spot is up for grabs.

Based on performance alone, it was going be hard to keep 23-year-old Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook away from London this summer.

Now, with Derrick Rose lost for an extended period of time due to an ACL tear, Westbrook's inclusion is a necessity. 

Named an All-Star for the first time this year, Westbrook is averaging a career-high 23.6 points per game in 2011-12. Perimeter players are coveted for Olympic play and with the health of Derrick Rose now costing Coach K a key guard, Westbrook can provide an explosion of defensive energy and playmaking to the team.

Easy buckets always help, especially in a short tournament where a spotless record en route to a gold medal is the only acceptable end result for this year’s team. 

10. Chris Bosh

Despite being an easy target for opposing players and members of the media, Chris Bosh is a certain lock to make the team. Bosh backed up Dwight Howard at center on the 2008 team that won gold in Beijing. He averaged 9.1 points per game during the 8-0 run and led the team in rebounding (6.1 boards per game).

The lanky power forward doesn’t provide the bulk of Howard, but can pull opposing big men away from the lane with his deft shooting touch from the perimeter.  

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski likes to play small ball with LeBron James, Durant and Carmelo Anthony all set to see time at power forward. With that lineup, Bosh would be an ideal fit to play center and provide the U.S. team a versatile frontcourt option to combat some of the burly European and South American lineups. 

9. Deron Williams

The soon-to-be former New Jersey Nets guard hasn’t let his dreadful supporting cast slow down his production this season. Williams averaged 21 points per game and nearly nine assists for the perennial basement-dwelling Nets.

An Olympic vet, Williams came off the bench for the U.S. squad in 2008, helping his team run the table and capture gold. His production in limited minutes was solid, scoring 18 points in two games versus silver medalist Spain.

Chris Paul is the clear starter, but Williams' ability to make the most of his minutes and run the second unit will be invaluable to the coaching staff.  Russell Westbrook has a shot to make the team as well, but Williams has the nod in experience and is a more willing passer than the trigger-happy Thunder guard. 

8. Tyson Chandler

Ask any of the four formidable foes the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks dispatched en route to an NBA championship if they’d like to go to battle with Tyson Chandler anchoring the middle of their front line.

I know a few of his Team USA teammates would surely rather see him on their bench, especially the King who took his talents to South Beach. 

Chandler has developed from a skinny high-schooler drafted by the Bulls into the second-best defensive center in the game behind Superman in Orlando. He won’t need offensive touches and already has super chemistry with potential starting point guard Chris Paul from their time in New Orleans together.

Chandler is averaging a double-double in his first season in New York and boasts a career-high 68 percent field-goal percentage. The Knicks' point guard situation has been up-and-down all year. In London, Chandler will have Chris Paul, LeBron James and Deron Williams passing him the rock.

Listed at 7'1", Chandler may end up being the lone seven-footer on the roster, making him vital cog in Team USA's plans.  

7. Kevin Love

A member of the 2010 U.S. Team that took Gold at the FIBA Championships in Turkey, Love’s game gets better and better each season. The Timberwolves power forward was named to his second All-Star team in 2012 and in only his fourth year in the Association, he’s become the best power forward in the game.

The numbers don’t lie. Love is fourth in league in scoring at 26 points per game and second in rebounding with 13.3 boards per game. His inclusion is a lock, as he adds relentless rebounding, post scoring and shooting range to boot.

The 6'10" UCLA grad even won the NBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout, edging soon-to-be Olympic running mate Kevin Durant.

Love was held out of the final two games of the regular season for precautionary reasons due to a mild concussion sustained on April 11 against the Nuggets.

If the Timberwolves snuck into the playoffs, my bet is that Love would be suited up to play this weekend. Tyson Chandler will most likely start, but expect Love to log big minutes in London at center and power forward. 

Tyson Chandler, Love and Chris Bosh won't all receive big minutes each night. For now, it looks like matchups may dictate minutes more than anything. 

6. Kobe Bryant

Drafted 13th in the 1996 NBA draft, Kobe Bryant didn’t begin his international career until 2008 in Beijing. The delay to the international stage was certainly worth the wait.

Bryant helped Team USA string together a spotless run in the tournament, highlighted by a thrilling 118-107 victory over Spain in the gold medal game.

Four years later, the gifted scorer's role hasn’t changed a bit. Bryant scored 20 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter against Spain, proving yet again that he’s the best closer in the game. Durant and Anthony will be able to take some of the overall scoring load off Bryant in London, but the Black Mamba will still have the ball in his hands as option number one when a clutch bucket is needed.

It's health that keeps Bryant from creeping up higher on the list. Now 33, Bryant will have another playoff push under his belt by the time the games come around. Durant and Anthony's younger legs will be able to contribute more for the U.S. squad overall in London.  

5. Carmelo Anthony

It doesn't look like Carmelo Anthony will get that NBA Finals berth onto his hoops resume this spring after all.

A brief ESPN darling once Jeremy Lin stepped off the bench and onto every basketball fan's big screen across the country, the New York Knicks fired their head coach and will have to deal with the No. 2-seeded defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs.

That matchup means Carmelo and his ridiculous scoring ability will have plenty of bullets left to use this summer in London.  

As a second-time Olympian, Anthony showed off his skills in a big way in Beijing in 2008. The self-proclaimed “bully forward” punished his defenders with his strength in the post, mixed nicely with his silky smooth perimeter game.

Anthony scored 35 points against Italy in a FIBA tournament game in 2006, a U.S. single-game scoring record until Kevin Durant topped the mark in 2010. Anthony toppled two more records during the gold medal run in China.

Going a perfect 13-for-13 from the line, Team USA blew past Argentina in the semifinals before defeating Spain for goal. The 13 makes at the line set U.S. team records for free-throw percentage in a game and made free throws in a game.

Anthony can score in bunches and will make life difficult for any forward that has to deal with him inside or on the perimeter. His chemistry with friends and teammates LeBron James and Dwayne Wade also can’t be discounted. 

Hey, even Kobe Bryant passed him the ball late in the fourth quarter of the gold medal game. 

4. Dwyane Wade

Dwayne Wade was a co-captain of the “Redeem Team” in 2008, the group set out to capture the country's first men’s basketball gold medal since 2000. The dynamic Miami Heat guard wasn’t going to be denied gold during his second trip to the Olympic Games.

He led the U.S. team in scoring in China, averaging 16 points per game. His most impressive performance came in the gold medal game against Spain. "Flash" scored 27 points in 27 minutes, shooting a staggering 75 percent from the field to help his team drop 118 points on a Spain squad that featured several NBA players.

Even with a potential NBA title run ahead this May and June as a member of the Heat, Wade will be counted on to produce on both ends of the floor in London. His scoring exploits earn him the headlines, but maybe only second to teammate James, Wade’s defense on the perimeter makes him a game changer.

Lastly, a lineup that boasts Wade, Anthony, James and Bryant could also host a small feast at the charity stripe, a fact not lost on Coach K. 

3. Chris Paul

Another member of the 2008 U.S. team that took gold in China, Chris Paul quarterbacked the “Redeem Team” starting at point guard, with Deron Williams and Jason Kidd backing him up.

In 24 minutes of floor time in the gold medal game versus Spain, Paul scored 13 points, nine of which came at the free-throw line, and dished out five assists. His five dimes were second only to Kobe Bryant’s six in the tournament finale.

Now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul will once again be counted on to lead the Americans to gold this summer. His unselfish style will blend in perfectly with super scorers Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony.

Fans relish any moment that allows CP3 to jet out on the fast break and look for new teammates Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to finish a lob. Paul will have Tyson Chandler and LeBron James filling in the lanes in London, spelling major trouble for any opponent that hopes to avoid ending up on an Olympic highlight reel for years to come. 

2. Kevin Durant

Just completing his fifth year as an NBA pro, Durant still hasn’t turned 24 yet. His first taste of international competition came in 2010 at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

With the summer of 2010 littered with several marquee NBA names dealing with their respective free-agency decisions, Durant’s initial run for Team USA came with a little added pressure—he needed to be “the man” to deliver the tournament crown.

The OKC superstar did just that, leading the U.S. team to a perfect 9-0 record, a tournament title and was named tournament MVP. Durant scored a U.S. record 205 points in the tournament and broke Carmelo Anthony’s single-game scoring record by three, with a 38-point showing.

A tireless worker, each year you see some new wrinkle added to the lanky forward's game. At 6'9", Durant provides Coack K yet another matchup nightmare for any opponent. Who will start is still up for debate, but whether Durant starts alongside James or comes off the bench behind Anthony, the 2011-2012 MVP candidate will be a force to be reckoned with in London. 

1. LeBron James

In the mix yet again to capture his third NBA MVP trophy this spring, no matter which way LeBron James turns, he's going to receive a truckload of media scrutiny.

At 27 years old, James has already won gold in 2008 in Beijing and played a limited role on the 2004 U.S. team that won bronze in Athens, Greece. His brash demeanor didn’t go over well with Coach K in China, but his talent level was too high to deny him a spot on the “Redeem Team.”

LeBron scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds in the gold medal game victory over Spain in 2008. At 6'8" and 250 pounds, James may be the fastest end-to-end player in the world. If that wasn’t enough to cement his status at the alpha dog of the 2012 unit, James can guard four positions, displaying the best on ball defense on the planet.

Paired with teammate Dwyane Wade, operating on the perimeter won’t be easy for any team that looks to upend the Americans.

Still criticized for his inability to deliver in the clutch, on this team King James just has to play his game and let Durant, Bryant and Anthony handle the pressure shooting duties.

Chris Paul will have the ball in his hands a lot, but so will James. His passing ability breeds easy buckets, making him arguably the best point guard on the roster at times. Remember, this London unit may boast Paul, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook.