London 2012: Latest Chatter Surrounding American Hopefuls

The 2012 summer Olympics is right around the corner. Athletes from the 204 participating countries are preparing to represent their nation and put their skills on display in London, England. Here is the recent chatter surrounding a couple of American basketball athletes hoping to make the squad.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky Wildcats

Recently, the Men's Basketball team has been hit with injuries to some extremely crucial players. The original roster of 20 is now without Derrick Rose (ACL tear), Dwight Howard (herniated disc), LaMarcus Aldridge (labral tear) and Chauncey Billups (torn Achilles tendon). It will be very tough to replace the prowess of those players, however, it was recently announced that two players that may fill those roles are James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Anthony Davis of the National Championship-winning Kentucky Wildcats.

While the final roster has not been announced yet, and it won't be until June 18, it would seem logical that Team USA will attempt to fill the void of Dwight Howard. The team has much more depth in the back court then in the front.

There will be no shortage of impact players at the guard and small forward position with superstars Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Team USA would be smart to add Anthony Davis, even if he is only 19-years-old. He displayed his tremendous ability in his freshman season, and his size would greatly benefit USA when matching up against bigger teams such as Spain.

Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski knows that there will be a dearth of shot-blockers on his team. Davis and his long wingspan will be a huge addition to a team that does not need another play-maker on offense. His 4.7 blocks per game last season is his calling card to the team.

Krzyzewski also knows a great player when he sees one. Davis led a team of freshman and sophomores to a National Title amidst the expectations of "Title or Bust". He is unselfish and will be an impacting player in the NBA for many years to come. By adding a defense-first player, it could make the superstars in the back court more likely to co-exist.

Many sources around the Internet are agreeing with this sentiment, and it seems likely to happen barring an unforeseen event.

The team added James Harden as a roster finalist as well, but he does not figure to fit into the plans with so many other outstanding offensive players.

Lamar Odom, Dallas Mavericks

Things have not been going so good for Lamar Odom. He has dealt with a great deal of personal problems including deaths in his family. He ultimately put on the inactive roster for the Dallas Mavericks, with the final straw coming as he got into a verbal clash with the controversial team owner Mark Cuban.

He was not given his playoff roster bonus either.

America certainly is aware of his much publicized marriage with Khloe Kardashian, but the focus will be on whether he can contribute for Team USA if he makes the final roster.

Had it not been for the injuries to Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge and the fact that Andrew Bynum is uninterested in playing, Odom would probably not be considered to play for Team USA.

With the absence of big men, however, Odom will still be given a chance to make the team considering his 6'10" size and his past experiences in Olympic competition. He also participated on the 2004 and 2010 team, winning the Gold Medal in the FIBA World Championship in the latter year.

If anyone was assuming Odom would not be considered for the team, that was shot down by chairman Jerry Colangelo. He told USA Today:

"

"I'm one who is willing to give someone a second chance. I would like to think he'd like to put this season behind him. His Dallas episode hurt his image. If he comes in and shows he can be a contributor, and his attitude is good and he wants to be here, why not? As far as USA Basketball is concerned, he's in the pool, and we'll see how it plays out."

"

Odom has two rings under his belt and is able to play multiple positions. If he is to make the USA final roster, it would certainly be as a big man, utilizing his 6'10" size at the four or perhaps five positions against a smaller team.

It would definitely seem odd that a player who has gone through as much public scrutiny and did not even finish the season would be representing Team USA but it remains a possibility at this point.