If I directed USA Basketball, I would select a team with different pieces, not an All-Star team. Here is a look at a quickly throw together team:
Starters
PG: Deron Williams
Kidd has experience, but Williams and Paul are at the top of their game. I want Paul off the bench as a change of pace guard, so I start Williams.
SG: Kobe Bryant
Still believe he's the best in the game
SF: Stephen Jackson
I know, it would never happen, but he can guard several positions and make open shots.
PF: David Lee
I want an active role player who moves without the ball and does not need the ball in his hands. Plus, he is athletic and can move well, which should help the pick and roll defense.
C: Dwight Howard
He's a monster inside.
Bench
PG: Chris Paul
My change of pace guard and star of the second unit.
SG: Brandon Roy
He can play both guard positions and gives versatility. A good shooter, defender and play maker.
SF: Caron Butler
I love his toughness and everything he brings.
PF: Antonio McDyess
Every team needs a steadying veteran influence and he can make shots.
C: Tyson Chandler
Another athletic shot blocker to protect the basket and finish Paul's alley-oop passes.
Energy Guy: Paul Milsap
I love the way Milsap plays. He'll run, rebound and defend. He moves well for a power forward, which helps against perimeter-oriented attacks.
Designated Zone Buster: Tragan Langdon
It's an International game. Why not take one of the top Americans playing overseas? I had Jason Kaponon here, but Langdon knows the players and knows the game. That can only help, right?
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9 comments:
A few questions about this team:
David Lee - Is he the best we could do (and I mean best as far as chemistry is concerned)? With Howard's shaky shooting from 10 feet and out, wouldn't you need a PF who could kill it from 15-18 ft? How about David West? He could free up room for Deron's drives and Howard's inside moves.
Stephen Jackson - I love Capt. Jack. Great choice. I've got to believe he would love playing with Howard. Brings defensive intensity and the longball. Could either be fantastic or catastrophic paired with Kobe. Either way, he would NEVER put up with Kobe chewing out people on the court or bench.
I'm very concerned about how that second unit would play together. It doesn't look like there's anyone to spread the floor. CP3 and Roy both drive and, unless I'm mistaken, are not terribly reliable from deep. Is Butler? Also, neither of your big guys are particularly good scorers. I would hate to have to rely on McDyess to make shots. It seems like it could turn into a mess of pick and rolls without an option from the three point line.
You've provided a fun exercise.
Did you check everyone's shoe deal? They need to work for Nike to be on Team USA.
I actually like the "selection" of David Lee. He really does bring intangibles and strong rebounding. My only problem with your choices is the lack of a money three point shooter with a little bit of patience (sorry, Jack takes about 3 too many a game). Ray Allen? Or maybe Bogans? Will someone get Peja a US passport!? With the FIBA line a foot and a half closer, a great spot shooter could work wonders as the guards kick it out.
The problem with the US Olympic rosters of yore wasn't just the fact that they employed star players. The problem was that the rosters were picked ad hoc - selecting the best players available, yes, but also with no regard for position or skillset - and asked to play together with virtually no experience.
If you fill out a roster by position and get them to learn how to play together, however, why wouldn't you want the best players? Why wouldn't you want an unguardable monster like Lebron instead of Stephen Jackson? Why wouldn't you take Redd over Tragan Langdon? And Antonio McDyess? I'd rather have Kidd as my stabilizing presence.
I'm sorry, but this is just a bit weak.
After reading your last post, I almost put together a post like this one. You obviously beat me to it, so I came up with another potential solution to U.S. Basketball's international woes -- send the NBA's best team (at least this year) to the Olympics. Although this would never happen, read my newest blog for my (left field) rationale.
I agree with all of the roles you have laid out, but I disagree about your choices. I'd rather have Michael Redd than Trajan Langdon as my designated "zone buster." I'd rather have David Lee be my energy guy off the bench than Paul Millsap, though I do like Millsap's game. Prince can make open 3-pointers and defend three different positions; I'd rather have him than Stephen Jackson. Shawn Marion moves well without the ball, is beautiful in the open court and an absolute terror to guard in the running game - and I think this edition of Team USA is going to really get out and run - so he would be my starting power forward.
I like your suggestion of starting Deron Williams; his game is better-suited to the international game than is Chris Paul's. Having said that, I can't see anybody from Europe sticking with Chris Paul over the course of seventy feet; a team with Chris Paul running the point and jumping into the passing lanes is never more than five seconds away from an alley-oop.
The players who I don't think necessarily fit on Team USA are the guys like Dwayne Wade or, going back a few years, Gilbert Arenas, Stephon Marbury or Allen Iverson. Dribble-heavy guards and big men who can't shoot stick out like a sore thumb in international play, which is one reason why I don't think Chandler would be a good fit. Remember 2002, when Ben Wallace was their starting center? I'd prefer somebody like Bosh to a Chandler type in international competition.
What's crazy is that the starting lineup is the same I use when I play NBA 2k7 on my Xbox 360. Except I had Carlos Boozer playing the 5 instead of Howard (the game let me trade Lamar Odom from LA to Utah for Williams and Boozer without overriding it). And I have Gerald Wallace at the 3 with Stephen Jackson as the 6th man. But my starters since I bought the game about a year ago have included Deron, Kobe and David Lee.
Personally I would rather see the college kids run for the team instead of the pro's. Think about this years draft alone:
Starters-
Rose
Mayo
Alexander
Beasley
Love
Bench-
Bayless
Curry (plays w/ or w/o ball)
Rush
Randolph
Lopez
High energy players
Westbrook/Augustin/Gordon
Ryan Anderson
This would be more entertaining to me and you would have less standing around in many cases. The big guys can still spread the floor and run, but are able to defend as well.
ok. I admit one mistake. I want Kevin Martin. Somehow, when I wrote this in six mintes, he slipped my mind. So, I am starting KMart at the 2 and Kobe at the 3. I am moving Stephen Jackson to the bench and losing Butler.
I picked Lee becase I like gys who move away from the ball to support the stars. I want a team offense, not 4 guys standing around watching 1.
I don't like Redd. Maybe I don't watch the Bucks enough, bt the guy is considered one of the worst defenders in the league. Pls, KMart improves or overall shooting and Brabdon Roy is more than capable from 20 feet.
I don't want LeBron and Wade becase these gys can't play withot the ball. They stand and watch each other, like an And1 game. I want a team, not a collection of all-stars.
So, I am banking on Kobe as my star. I like Kevin Martin as a sidekick. I like Howard as a #2 player in the post. I like Williams setting everyone up and I like Lee moving and playing D.
Off the bench, I like Paul to change the tempo, Roy and Jackson to score and defend, Mcdyess to add experience and Chandler to protect the rim.
The game is only 40 minutes, so depth is not as great of a concern. Bt, if the opponent has bigs, than Chandler gets more mintes. Against a smaller team, maybe Millsap and Lee play more and get some time as the 5.
I like the versatility of the team and the options. Maybe we cold se another shooter. If so, I'd take Mike Miller over Redd. I thoght of david west, too. I honestly had problems with the bigs and really want a gy like Brian Cardinal off the bench if he had been playing consistent mintes. I tried to think ofsch a gy lplaying in europe, bt cold not think of one quickly.
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