USA Basketball: Top 5 Possible Lineups Mike Krzyzewski Can Use at Olympics

The London Olympics are drawing close, which means that Mike Krzyzewski is doing some drawing of his own as he tries to figure out the best possible lineups to baffle Team USA's opponents. 

Fortunately for the Duke head coach, I've saved him the trouble. 

These are the five he should use most commonly: the starting lineup, big lineup, small lineup, defensive lineup and best second unit. 

Read on to find out which players are included in each one and why. 

Best Starting Lineup

Point Guard: Chris Paul

The best point guard in the world, Chris Paul can be a threat on either end of the court. His herky-jerky movements when handling the ball are difficult enough to deal with for NBA players who have seen them a million times. 

No point guard on the roster can get everyone involved, and the offense flowing, like CP3. 

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant

There was a time this season when I thought that Dwyane Wade was the best shooting guard in the world, but the throne is Kobe's once more after Wade's lackluster run through the playoffs (even if it did result in a second title). 

Kobe is another two-way threat and an experienced veteran on this young national squad. Plus, there aren't many other intriguing options at this position. 

Small Forward: Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant was born to score the basketball. Whether he does so in the United States or in London should make absolutely no difference. 

Carmelo Anthony is the incumbent starter at small forward and one of the veterans on this team, but he'll be pushed by the second-best player in the world. 

Power Forward: LeBron James

Duh. 

Center: Tyson Chandler

Another "Duh." 

Tyson Chandler is the only true center on the roster and brings size to the table. No one else on this roster—not even LeBron James—is big enough to hold down the fort at center against an opposing lineup with a strong big man. 

Big Lineup

Point Guard: Deron Williams

Deron Williams may not be on the same level as Chris Paul—or even Russell Westbrook—but in a big lineup, he brings the most size to the table. 

The 6'3" floor general is a strong, physical presence. He isn't inordinately tall, but he plays far bigger than his frame would indicate. 

Shooting Guard: Kevin Durant

According to 82games.com, Kevin Durant didn't play a single minute at shooting guard during the 2011-2012 season. I still think he can line up here capably, though, and he'd create an even bigger mismatch than he does at small forward. 

Durant has the ball skills and the perimeter game to fill the shooting guard role, even if he's not an adequate passer. 

Small Forward: LeBron James

LeBron James is a mismatch at any position, but asking international small forwards to guard him is almost unfair. 

James can play on both the perimeter and the block, so he's going to be included in any sort of lineup that includes the word "starting" in it. 

Power Forward: Kevin Love

LeBron shifting over to small forward frees up Kevin Love to step onto the court and knock down a few threes while terrorizing the glass on both ends of the court. 

Love would stretch out the floor with his inside-outside game and provide a tough rebounding presence alongside this lineup's center. 

Center: Tyson Chandler

Once again, Tyson Chandler is the only true center on the roster. Of course he's going to be present in a big lineup. 

Small Lineup

Point Guard: Chris Paul

The 6'0" point guard was present in the best starting lineup, which makes him a lock for the small lineup because we don't care at all about size here. 

His quickness and ball-handling skills still have a major benefit with the other four players in this lineup. 

Shooting Guard: Russell Westbrook

Going with a second point guard on the floor—just one who will be lining up at shooting guard—this lineup gets Russell Westbrook out onto the court. 

He'll thrive in a setting in which he can worry about scoring more than facilitating for his teammates. His athleticism drives the opposing team absolutely crazy. 

Small Forward: Kevin Durant

This was Kevin Durant's spot to lose in the starting lineup, and it's his natural position, so it makes sense to include him here. 

Durant may be called upon to rebound more often than normal with this five. 

Power Forward: LeBron James

LeBron James' natural position is small forward, but if he's good enough to play power forward in the starting lineup, he's good enough to play power forward in the small lineup. 

Let's move on. 

Center: Kevin Love

Finally displacing Tyson Chandler from a lineup, Kevin Love brings a lot of rebounding skills to the table in the small-ball lineup. 

He's a power forward by trade, but Love is certainly physical enough to hold down the fort when the United States chooses to go with a tinier lineup. 

Defensive Lineup

Point Guard: Chris Paul

With his quickness of foot and hand, Chris Paul is always a threat to steal the ball away from opposing point guards. 

He's arguably the best defensive point guard in the game, and he's certainly better on that end of the court than either Deron Williams or Russell Westbrook. 

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant

While Kobe isn't the same otherworldly defender that he was earlier in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, he remains a borderline All-Defensive team shooting guard. 

The same cannot be said about James Harden, the only other natural shooting guard on the roster. 

Small Forward: Andre Iguodala

The sole purpose for Andre Iguodala's inclusion on the Olympic roster was for his defensive abilities. The swingman might be the best perimeter defender on the roster, so we have to use him here. 

With Kobe holding down opposing 2-guards, the small forward slot is Iggy's to fill. 

Power Forward: LeBron James

LeBron James can capably guard any position on the court (with the exception of the rare big and skilled centers), so he has to have a spot in the defensive lineup. 

James can body up with power forwards well enough to allow Iguodala to play small forward in this lineup and get even more defensive studs on the court. 

Center: Tyson Chandler

Tyson Chandler is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. 

Enough said. 

Best Second Unit

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook

This is an incredible battle here between Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams, but the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard takes the cake as the floor general on the best second unit. 

Not only does he already have a lot of chemistry with the shooting guard, but he also brings a level of athleticism to the table that no point guard in the Olympics can match. 

Shooting Guard: James Harden

James Harden finds himself in this lineup out of necessity, as he's the only true shooting guard backing up Kobe Bryant. 

His creativity on offense will still be quite beneficial, and he can heat up at any time. Don't read too much into his terrible performance on the NBA's biggest stage. 

Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony

The leader of the second unit, Carmelo Anthony is an experienced Olympic veteran and a man who can't be stopped when he wants to score the basketball. 

If it wasn't for the presence of the second-best player in the world, Anthony would easily be a starter on this roster. 

Power Forward: Kevin Love

It's a nice luxury to have the best true power forward in the world coming off your bench. The only reason Kevin Love can't start is the fact that both Kevin Durant and LeBron James have to be on the court as much as possible. 

He can rebound the ball as well as anyone, hit threes and use post moves. International squads are going to have a lot of trouble dealing with Love. 

Center: Anthony Davis/Blake Griffin

The severity of Blake Griffin's knee injury determines who will be holding down the paint for Team USA in London. 

There are no true centers behind Tyson Chandler on the roster, so whichever one of these two is on the squad will be here out of necessity.