Full Roster Predictions for 2014 Team USA Basketball

Slowly but surely, Team USA's roster for the 2014 Basketball World Cup in Spain is coming together.

We now know that Paul George definitely wants to play for the squad, and he's basically guaranteed a spot. That's what happens when you develop into one of the 10 best players in the world even before hitting 25. 

But that's not all the information we have. 

LeBron James, even though he's still on the right side of 30, isn't going to be playing. Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears reported last summer that the King's international career is likely over, writing that he "will not play for USA Basketball during the 2014 world championships in Spain and is doubtful to participate in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil." 

The Miami Heat superstar isn't the only veteran who will sit out. 

As the Olympics aren't in 2014, older players and ones with injury concerns don't really need to suit up. That means we're ruling out Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Andre Iguodala, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose. 

Fortunately, the talent pool for Team USA is still pretty deep. 

Starting Point Guard: Stephen Curry

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Other than Chris Paul, no point guard in the world is better at his job than Stephen Curry. 

So with CP3 sitting this one out (see the previous slide for more information), the Golden State Warriors sniper gets to take over the starting gig for Team USA even though he doesn't have much international experience. He wasn't there during the Olympics in 2012, but he'll be in Spain this year. 

Can you imagine the damage Curry would do with the FIBA three-point line? 

It's a little bit shorter than the range he typically shoots from, and he'd be able to feast on opposing defenses. No one would leave him open, and it's impossible to imagine coaches asking their players to sag in around the Team USA bigs while this sharpshooter is on the court. 

Curry is having a down year from beyond the arc, but he's still shooting 38.5 percent while taking over eight three-point attempts per game. His reputation precedes him for good reason, and it's not like the United States is the only place where that will be true. 

Additionally, Curry's defense is improving, he's a solid rebounder for a point guard and has developed into one of the game's premier distributors, averaging 9.2 assists per contest during the 2013-14 campaign. 

Whether he's shooting or passing, Curry is the man for the job.

Starting Shooting Guard: Paul George

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When asked by FIBA.com if playing for Team USA was a goal for him, Paul George responded with a strong positive: 

"

Yes, definitely. Playing for Team USA is one of the goals in my career. I would like to be part of the team for sure. It is always special to represent your country and it would be an honour for me to help Team USA win titles. I would like to win NBA titles, but I would also like to win gold medals.

"

Well, if he wants to play, he's in. 

George began his breakout last season, earned respect from LeBron James with a midcourt high five during the Eastern Conference Finals and then got even better for 2013-14. He's shooting the ball with more confidence, dribbling the rock in more controlled fashion and continuing to look excellent on defense. 

Now Team USA just has to find him a spot. 

Given his length, George doesn't feel like a shooting guard. However, the forward spots are held down by two established superstars, and he belongs in the starting lineup even if it comes at the expense of a certain bearded 2-guard. 

Plus, it's not like the lanky 23-year-old hasn't played at the 2. 

Basketball-Reference showed that he spent 89 percent of his time there in 2011-12, then only 2 percent in 2012-13 as he broke out at small forward. He's had a similar split this year due to the emergence of Lance Stephenson, but he does have experience lining up in the backcourt. 

Team USA is going to give up size elsewhere, so let's make up for it here. 

Starting Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony

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Carmelo Anthony lives to play international basketball. 

There's just something about his playing style that meshes perfectly with the FIBA rules, whether it's the shorter three-point arc, the different goaltending limitations or something else entirely. Or maybe he just likes feasting on weaker competition than he's used to with the New York Knicks. 

'Melo may be getting older, and I've already explained how a number of older players will be sitting out, but he loves playing for Team USA way too much. 

Remember when he scored 37 points in 14 minutes against Nigeria during the 2012 Olympics?

SportingNews.com's Sean Deveney was impressed at the time, writing "Team USA forward Carmelo Anthony doesn’t really expect normal humans to understand. How could we? How could anyone comprehend what Anthony did on Thursday night in his team's outing against Nigeria?"

It's highly doubtful that the New York superstar would choose to throw away more chances to break international records. He's the perfect starting 3 for Team USA and he knows it, even if he's spent a lot of time at power forward as well. 

The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro may end up being his last go-round representing his country, but he should squeeze in one more appearance while he's waiting to earn gold again. 

Starting Power Forward: Kevin Durant

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With LeBron James sitting out, Kevin Durant becomes the centerpiece of Team USA. 

After all, the lanky small forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder is the second-best player in the NBA and the prevailing favorite for MVP at this point in the 2013-14 campaign. The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry even reports that Durant isn't satisfied with his performance since Russell Westbrook went down right after Christmas: 

"

Over the past four days, the Thunder star and frontrunner for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award has gone on and on about how he needs to be better.

Seriously.

He's talked about his perceived need to do more. To shoot less. To play smarter.

"

Let's put that in perspective. 

Since Westbrook had a knee scope, Durant has averaged 34.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. And over those 10 contests, he's shot 48.9 percent from the field while turning the ball over just 2.1 times per game. 

He's that good, and it's not like that'll change for the 25-year-old between now and the summer. Durant has already confirmed that he'll be playing for Team USA, via an Associated Press report on ESPN.com, and he's a mortal lock for the starting five. 

The only question is where he plays, and power forward makes the most sense because it maximizes the talent the USA has on the court when games begin. 

Starting Center: Anthony Davis

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If Anthony Davis were playing this well for a team that actually won games at a high level, he'd be discussed as a leading MVP candidate. 

In the middle of January, the New Orleans Pelicans big man is averaging an insane 19.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 per game. The last number leads the league, but we can't really compare Davis' well-rounded line to what other current players are doing. 

Even though he won't be able to legally consume alcoholic beverages until March, "The Unibrow" has already earned the right to draw historical comparisons. 

According to Basketball-Reference, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson have ever matched or exceed all five averages in that line. But here's the catch: They were all much older when they did so for the first time. 

• Olajuwon: 23 years old
• Robinson: 24 years old
• Abdul-Jabbar: 28 years old

Davis is already playing like a potential all-time great, and he's only 20. His upside, just like his leaping ability, is through the roof, and there's no telling how good he'll be by the time Spain is looming in the not-so-distant horizon. 

The Pelicans' big man already has international experience, as he played with Team USA during the 2012 Olympics before he'd suited up in an NBA uniform. Now he'll add to that resume. 

Guard Reserves

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Team USA is always a squad overflowing with quality point guards, and that won't be any different this year. In fact, the roster will contain four players who line up as floor generals for their NBA squads, and that's made palatable by the fact that two of them can capably play the 2. 

The first is Stephen Curry, the team's starting point guard. And the second is Russell Westbrook, who will likely be the first off the bench if he fully recovers from the knee scope that has knocked him out since he last suited up on Christmas Day. 

Westbrook has played with Team USA's Olympic squad in the past, and he excelled when serving as an attacking 2-guard for Mike Krzyzewski. That'll be no different this time around, even if the dynamic athlete can distribute the ball nicely as well. 

John Wall and Kyrie Irving are the other young guns. 

The former has developed into the better player, averaging 19.7 points and 8.6 assists per game for the Washington Wizards even though his jumper still isn't that consistent. The latter is the more popular of the two, and he'll likely be the Eastern Conference's starting point guard in the All-Star Game. 

Irving's development has slowed, but he's still an offensive phenom with the ability to knock down triples and provide a nice scoring punch off the bench. 

Team USA should also carry one true shooting guard. Paul George starts at the position, but he's more of a 3 than a 2, and the squad can't always get by rotating Westbrook or Curry over to the other backcourt spot. 

That's where James Harden comes in. 

The bearded Houston Rocket is one of the more aggressive offensive players in the NBA, and it'll be even easier for him to get into the teeth of the defense and draw contact while surrounded by other stars. He'll spend a lot of time on the court. 

Frontcourt Reserves

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There's no need for Team USA to carry a small forward on the bench, so that knocks Kawhi Leonard and all the other young wing players out of contention. After all, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant are all natural small forwards, so this is already a flexible lineup. 

But the same can't be said for big men. 

If the Americans need to go big—and they will against teams like Spain—it's necessary to load up on big bodies who can dominate the glass and still stretch the court. 

The first, as you might have guessed from the picture up above, is Blake Griffin. 

Whether you think he's more than a dunker or not—and frankly, I'm about ready to give up on the people who refuse to see his immense improvements—Griffin is an incredible talent at power forward. He's become an efficient post player, a great passer with his back to the basket, a talented dribbler, a decent mid-range shooter and a so-so defender. 

It's not easy to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds, but Griffin is doing exactly that. He's even gotten better since Chris Paul dropped out of the lineup. 

Kevin Love doesn't need as much justification. It's pretty obvious that he's a dominant power forward, and he gets the nod over LaMarcus Aldridge because he's a better rebounder and can stretch the court with his three-point stroke. 

The team's final roster spot goes to DeMarcus Cousins, who has used the 2013-14 season to emerge as the NBA's premier center. There are still concerns about his mental state, but "Boogie" is such an offensive force, especially with the addition of a consistent jumper, that he can't be snubbed here. 

Team USA needs that physical presence, and it's tough to find a better one than Cousins.