One Thing Every Team USA Basketball Star Must Learn from London Olympics

Twelve elite NBA players have given up their summer to play for Team USA in the 2012 London Olympics, but the international basketball experience will reward them if they're willing learners.

Even though they're a collection of top-tier athletes who are on top of the basketball world, there's still plenty of room for improvement for each of them individually.

Some of them need to learn certain nuances of the sport, while others must adopt new mindsets and approaches to the game that will help them succeed in the future.

The unmatchable experience of playing with 11 other standout performers gives each player a chance to grow and prepare for the rest of his NBA career.

Have a look at this list of one thing every Team USA basketball star must learn from the London Olympics.

Deron Williams: Learning When to Defer to Elite Wings

Much like 2008, Deron Williams has the opportunity to work with elite guards on Team USA and run the point on a team full of athletic wings.

With Deron being such a prolific scorer himself, sometimes it's difficult for him to determine when to defer and when to take over the game. So far, he's done a nice job of picking his spots and scoring when the offense needs a spark.

This fall in Brooklyn, he's pairing up with six-time All-Star Joe Johnson, who's one of the best shot-creators in the league.

Williams needs to soak up as much as he can from playing with wings like Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. It will help his overall mindset when he works with Johnson this season.

Russell Westbrook: Don't Settle

Russell Westbrook's shot selection has been the subject of much discussion over the last couple years, as people have debated whether he should keep firing away or exercise more prudence.

I don't have a problem with him being aggressive. He shouldn't change who he is.

However, he can learn an important lesson in these Olympics about not settling for anything less than the best possible shot. Most of the time, that means attacking and getting to the rim.

With the wealth of talent surrounding him, Westbrook shouldn't have to force any shots up. There are too many good options on the squad.

The same is true with Oklahoma City, so he must learn how to transfer this approach to the NBA.

Andre Iguodala: Role-Playing for a Winner

Throughout much of Andre Iguodala's career, the Philadelphia 76ers have relied on him to be the lead dog and carry the majority of the weight.

This summer in London is his chance to learn how to be a supplementary player, a role he'll be better suited for in Philadelphia with rising stars Jrue Holiday, Dorell Wright and Evan Turner sharing the scoring duties.

Mike Prada of SB Nation explains the Iguodala revelation:

"

"Andre Iguodala has spent his entire career miscast as a star player. Over the next two weeks, though, we'll see him play the role on Team USA that he was always meant to play."

 

"

Kobe Bryant: Learning to Share the Load

Although he's still playing at a high level, Kobe Bryant isn't getting any younger.

He must learn to rely on his Los Angeles Lakers teammates more than ever before. With Steve Nash running the point and Andrew Bynum emerging as an excellent scoring option, Kobe needs to take advantage of these improved resources.

Kobe is no dummy. He realizes the importance of sharing the ball with his Olympic teammates, most of whom are younger and more explosive than he is.

Lakers fans, coaches and executives hope he'll continue to improve in this area.

Carmelo Anthony: Quick Strikes Yield the Best Results

When Carmelo Anthony is swift and decisive with the ball, he can be part of a highly-effective offense. When he stalls and relies solely on his footwork and isolation skills, both he and the team are less dangerous.

He's most proficient when he catches and immediately drives to the hoop, leaving his defender off balance and often drawing a foul. These quick drives complemented by outside shots in rhythm make him a threat to score boatloads of points in a short period of time.

The swifter he strikes, the better off his team is. Will he truly grasp this lesson in London and take it with him back to New York?

Chris Paul: How to Mix Things Up

The bread and butter of Chris Paul's game is pick-and-roll and ensuing alley-oops or easy feeds. It's an excellent play that's always good for a few buckets per game.

But it also might be Paul's downfall, and it could keep his team from championship contention every year. If he doesn't mix things up and set up plays for the wide range of talent on his roster, he's limiting how for the Clippers can really go.

It's easily within Paul's skill set to improve his passing to shooters coming off curl screens, or centers who post up properly.

Directing point guard duties on a Team USA roster that goes eleven or twelve players deep will help him learn how to coordinate the Clippers' new roster, which goes ten players deep and includes a couple new faces.

Anthony Davis: Professional Mindset

Training with Team USA in Las Vegas and competing with the squad in London is Anthony Davis' first real exposure to a professional basketball environment.

He'll likely learn more about how to handle himself off the court than on the court in London. Playing with NBA champions like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tyson Chandler is a prime chance to see how they dedicate themselves, prepare for games and stay focused.

Part of this summer-long seminar in professionalism is an overall experience of leadership. He gets to see some of the best locker-room leaders in action.

Davis is getting a crash course in professionalism, something he should definitely absorb and take with him for his rookie campaign in New Orleans.

James Harden: Next-Level Dexterity

This is the Olympic team, so all the players should be well-polished, with strong fundamentals and elite skills, right?

Not quite. James Harden still has some polishing to do, most notably his right-hand dribble and finishing touch to make him more ambidextrous.

At age 22, Harden is already a dynamic playmaker, but he would be significantly more dangerous if he could drive and score with his right hand as easily as he could with his left. It would open up his game, free him for more shots and help him draw more fouls.

With willing mentors like Kobe Bryant and Thunder teammate Kevin Durant available, ambidexterity is something Harden could and should improve on.

LeBron James: How to Hit the Offensive Glass

Even the best basketball player in the world has to keep learning.

For all his natural gifts and competitive drive, LeBron James is an average offensive rebounder.

The Olympic team is short on size and power in the paint, so LeBron should work on his offensive glass production. This is sometimes difficult when he's so busy running the point and dishing assists, but he should still be hauling in more than one offensive board per game.

Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony are great rebounding examples for James to emulate.

Tyson Chandler: Playing Effective D with Foul Trouble

Tyson Chandler's been put in a tight spot this summer.

He's the lone center on Team USA, and he's asked to guard the top centers in the world while adjusting to international referees and the international five-foul limit.

The officials haven't been lenient toward Chandler, who has gotten into quick foul trouble in several of the exhibition games.

He'll likely get into trouble during Olympic play also, and Coach K might still need him on the court during those situations. His play with three or four fouls could be the X-factor for Team USA.

This may help him improve his NBA performance when he has four or five fouls.

Kevin Durant: Less Isn't Always More

One of the most impressive aspects of Kevin Durant's NBA game is that he has a knack outscore everyone on the floor without being a ball-hog.

You would think that on a team full of stars, his shots-per-minute would be fewer on Team USA, but they've actually increased.

The results have been superb, as he's connected on 40 of his team-leading 72 attempts (56 percent) from the field this summer (five exhibitions and one Olympic game), and he's been able to carry Team USA for substantial stretches.

What he taught himself (and what he should learn) from this summer is that less isn't always more, and that he can be a successful high-volume shooter in the NBA. His height, fluid form and quick release will help him maintain a high percentage despite loads of shots.

Kevin Love: Dealing with Struggles

For his entire life, Kevin Love has been "the man" on the basketball court.

He was an elite high school player who became a one-and-done standout at UCLA. Since then, he's become the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise.

Love's role on Team USA is a little bit different, and during the exhibitions, it seemed like his inability to get in a groove had a snowball effect. Inconsistent playing time and coming off the bench isn't something he's used to, so it's a little tricky for him to get in the flow of the game and be as productive as possible.

It's a fantastic opportunity for him to learn how to adjust to adversity and be as productive as he can with the time he gets. Fourteen points in 14 minutes against France is a huge step in the right direction.

This experience could help him down the road when he's working his way back from injury into Minnesota's rotation.

Follow @danielobleacher