Team USA Basketball 2012: Why Andre Iguodala Needs to Play over James Harden

After languishing toward the end of the bench for much of Team USA's exhibition season, it seems James Harden is headed for a vastly expanded role in Olympic play.

The Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard played 14 minutes and dropped five points in Team USA's 98-71 victory over France on Sunday.

And while it's usually not advantageous to look at minute distribution in a 27-point blowout, it's interesting that Harden's expanded minutes came somewhat at the expense of Philadelphia 76ers small forward Andre Iguodala.

With minutes limited, Harden and Iguodala are the two candidates for the squad's No. 4 spot on the wing. Harden brings his unquestioned swagger and brilliance from outside while Iguodala is a great fit piece who can lockdown almost any wing player in the world.

During Team USA's first three exhibition games Iguodala had seemingly locked up those vital minutes for coach Mike Krzyzewski's squad. He logged at least 15 minutes in the team's first three exhibition games and established himself as the second-best American perimeter defender.

But Iguodala seems to be losing minutes as the Olympic period wears on. He played just 12 minutes against Argentina, followed it up with nine against Spain and 11 against France.

While Iguodala continued to play more than Harden against Argentina and Spain, it's at least a little curious that Harden's first minute victory came in the first "real" game.

Could the 22-year-old Harden be gaining the trust of the Team USA coaching staff at the perfect time?

For the sake of the United States' gold medal hopes, he shouldn't be.

When breaking down the needs of Team USA's roster, it's obvious that Iguodala is the better choice on the wing than Harden.

Harden is a nice player but one that isn't vital for Team USA's success. His best attribute (three-point shooting) is less effective on the international stage because almost everyone on the American roster can knock down the Olympic three.

On the other hand, Iguodala is one of the team's most important bench players.

Throughout exhibition play and against France, center Tyson Chandler has struggled to stay on the court. His foul per four minute rate puts him in constant foul trouble and forces Team USA to employ their "small ball" lineup more often than they would like.

That means putting LeBron James at center, Carmelo Anthony at power forward and Kevin Durant at small forward.

Putting those three on the court leaves Iguodala and 19-year-old Anthony Davis Team USA's only strong bench defenders.

If Chandler gets into foul trouble against true challengers like Argentina and Spain, Krzyzewski has three rotation choices.

1) Rely on Davis to take Chandler's minutes.

2) Play Iguodala at a role that vacillates between small and power forward, depending on the lineup.

3) Throw Harden at small forward or Kevin Love at center and keep Iguodala on the bench.

If Krzyzewski chooses option No. 1, he's relying on Davis to come through on the international stage before even setting foot on an NBA floor. If he chooses option No. 3, Coach K is leaving Team USA open for exploitation defensively.

But if the staff chooses option No. 2, they need to get Iguodala minutes at power forward early on so he's used to the position come medal round.

None of these choices are ideal, but Iguodala is the best choice. He's strong enough to defend international fours, plays smart team defense and won't jack up bad shots on the offensive end.

But with Harden seemingly usurping minutes, it's likely that this decision will unfold as Team USA's run in London continues.

We'll just have to see if Krzyzewski chooses the correct player.