2008 US National Team

[Phantim3dx]

taken from espn

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/...ory?id=3436102

on another note, i beat matt in getting this info

U.S. to cut short basketball tryouts, name team before camp

Associated Press




Updated: June 10, 2008, 9:08 PM ET

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So much for the training camp competition for the final spots on the Olympic team. The United States will pick its squad without a tryout.
The Americans have changed their plans and will select the 12 players headed to Beijing before they report to Las Vegas later this month. Originally, the team was to have potentially 16 players in camp and cut down to 12 on June 30.
"The staff really is more interested in getting down so that they can get to work in terms of preparation. We have switched our thinking," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
"Our plan is to go ahead and announce our team sometime before we get to Las Vegas."
Colangelo said the announcement likely would come after the NBA Finals end. The Americans are to begin workouts on the UNLV campus June 28.
There are more than 30 players in the national team program, but Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski are down to about their top 14. They will decide on the final two spots, probably at point guard and power forward, in the coming days.
With the team's minicamp expected to last only two days, Krzyzewski told Colangelo there wasn't enough time to make cuts, and asked to bring in just the Beijing-bound players so they could focus on the summer ahead.
"That's basically a plan rather than a tryout of 16 or 15 or whatever the number might have been. We've got a pretty good handle on the 13, 14 names, and it's more about preparation," Colangelo said. "They want to get on with it."
Colangelo will get to work on one decision shortly, flying to Chicago to check on Dwyane Wade, who has been working out after missing the final 21 games this season because of chronic soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Wade likely will get a spot if he's healthy, but Colangelo wants to get a "real read" on the Heat guard's rehab.
While there, Colangelo also will get a look at Chris Paul, one of the players on the bubble, whom Wade has invited to work out with him. The New Orleans point guard, runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the MVP voting, might have to beat out Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, and perhaps Wade for a spot.
There could be an opening in the frontcourt, where Amare Stoudemire might have talked himself off the team. The Phoenix Suns star said after his season ended that he needed to see how his body felt before deciding to play, and his indecision seems to have created some doubt in Colangelo's mind.
"Amare still may or may not be under consideration," Colangelo said. "We have decisions to make relative to Amare, and that works both ways."
Toronto's Chris Bosh, who played in the 2006 world championships but was injured last summer, and Utah's Carlos Boozer are the leading candidates to claim a forward spot.
Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard were the starters last year when the Americans went undefeated in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Stoudemire, Billups, Williams, Michael Redd, Tayshaun Prince, Tyson Chandler and Mike Miller also were on the team.
The deadline to submit the Olympic roster is July 1. The Americans will return to Las Vegas in mid-July to train and play an exhibition game against Canada before departing forChina. They face the host Chinese in their Beijing opener on Aug. 10.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[mvblair]

on another note, i beat matt in getting this info

Heh, heh! I didn't see it until you posted it!

Yeah, I guess not having try outs is a good thing, but if Colangelo starts to cut preperation time, I'll call for his head on a silver platter.

[JGX]

If they were only going to have tryouts over a two-day minicamp, then I guess it makes some sense to just pick the team, but wouldn't it have made more sense to bring 14-15 players to Asia, test things out in exhibition games, and then select the 12?

I guess we can't risk the possible bruised egos that could result from players getting cut.

[cardenales]

I dont think is not a good idea for USA to cut preparation because to win the gold medal they are going to need preparation time. Also, Is not enough having big names in the squad for the olympics but the one that are practicing best and living their heart in the court.

Practicing are their best and living their heart in the court should make the team.

[mvblair]

Looks like Carmelo Anthony is back on the team. I'm not sure how I feel. He played all right on the NT, but is he the type of player we need? Same old debate.

[tewkyhoops]

MVPblair

Did you watch the 2006 games in Japan, Melo was head and shoulders the best player on the USA team. To leave him out is a big mistake IMO

tewkyhoops

[Federoy]

Looks like Carmelo Anthony is back on the team. I'm not sure how I feel. He played all right on the NT, but is he the type of player we need? Same old debate.

Regardless of his personality, Carmelo has consistently shown that he is one of the best players to represent red, white and blue. He clearly belongs on the team. I agree with some of the other threads about the US selecting a team rather than having players tryout. This method of selection defeats the purpose of why USA Basketball changed directions following the 2004 Olympics and 2002 World Championships, and if anything, it creates the same disorder and poor chemistry which led to the aforementioned. Having said that, I believe last year's Tournament of the Americas team was a perfect blend of players condusive to winning the gold medal. The only additions I would make to this year's team would be to include Chris Paul (replacing either Billups or Williams) and possibly Chris Bosh (at the expense of Mike Redd or Tayshaun Prince). My line-up would look something like this...

STARTERS:

PG-LeBron James
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-Carmelo Anthony
PF-Amare Stoudemire
C- Dwight Howard

BENCH:

PG-Chris Paul
SF-Tayshaun Prince
C-Tyson Chandler
PF-Chris Bosh
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Mike Miller
PF-Antawn Jamison or Elton Brand (if healthy)

[mvblair]

Regardless of his personality, Carmelo has consistently shown that he is one of the best players to represent red, white and blue.

You're right.

He clearly belongs on the team.

Given his past games, yeah, I guess he does. I still hate his attitude, trying to run off the court in Greece, being held back by Iverson...I dunno'. I've got this kind of elitist attitude when it comes to our own sportsmanship.

Having said that, I believe last year's Tournament of the Americas team was a perfect blend of players condusive to winning the gold medal.

I agree with you partly. I mean, they played great in the Americas, but we weren't exactly playing against the best teams there (even the Latin Americans brought their "B" teams). I think I'd still like to see a more balanced team with less stars.

The only additions I would make to this year's team would be to include Chris Paul (replacing either Billups or Williams) and possibly Chris Bosh (at the expense of Mike Redd or Tayshaun Prince).

At this point, I agree with you. It's too late to change anything now, but I'd still like my own personal preferences for more team-orientation. I would definitely add Paul and Bosh.

PG-LeBron James
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-Carmelo Anthony
PF-Amare Stoudemire
C- Dwight Howard

Ultimately, I think that will be the team with James on the bench and Paul/Williams starting. And unfortunately, I don't think we've got much defense there. Kobe Bryant is OK (overrated, but OK). Anthony is good. Stoudemire and Howard have pretty questionable defense, in my opinion, although Howard can give people the business in the post.

So, yeah, Anthony should probably be on the team. Like I said, at this point, with practices set to get underway in three weeks, we've got to take these men to Beijing. We'll see if our new plan works!

[Federoy]

Given his past games, yeah, I guess he does. I still hate his attitude, trying to run off the court in Greece, being held back by Iverson...I dunno'. I've got this kind of elitist attitude when it comes to our own sportsmanship.

There are a lot of athletes with questionable attitudes, but ultimately, what an athlete brings to the table as far as skill/talent far exceeds whether we should give him a congeniality award. To each his own. If his attitude rubs you the wrong way then you have a right feel that way. For me, it's a non-factor in how I view his importance to the team, unless his conduct becomes detrimental to team chemistry/cohesiveness, to which so far it hasn't been an issue. I'm not sure why you would hold American athletes to a different standard of sportsmanship than other foreign nationals. It's been my experience that classless, selfish, whiney assholes can be found anywhere in the world. Its just the nature of people with certain personalities and backgrounds.

I agree with you partly. I mean, they played great in the Americas, but we weren't exactly playing against the best teams there (even the Latin Americans brought their "B" teams). I think I'd still like to see a more balanced team with less stars

True. The competition last summer doesn't reflect what can be expected at the Olympics, but I was speaking more in terms of the right mix of players that will propel the US towards Olympic gold. Skip the margin of victory. I'm looking at how well the players performed together, and despite some of the lingering defensive lapses and poor execution on both sides of the ball, I'm a lot more encouraged by what I saw at the TOAM than at the 06 WC or the 04Olympics. On paper and viewed live, it looks like a better prepared, more cohesive team. Only time will tell.

Ultimately, I think that will be the team with James on the bench and Paul/Williams starting. And unfortunately, I don't think we've got much defense there. Kobe Bryant is OK (overrated, but OK). Anthony is good. Stoudemire and Howard have pretty questionable defense, in my opinion, although Howard can give people the business in the post

Hmmm...LeBron coming off the bench works for me. Chris Paul is a great on- the-ball defender (led the NBA in steals) and quick as a cat. Both Paul and James will give opposing teams match-up problems, so they're basically interchangable. I have to disagree with your assessment of Howard and Stoudemire's defense. I think they're both great individual defenders (both players are ranked 5th and 6th in blocks in the NBA respectively), and more importantly, they're great rebounders, and in the shorten 40 min. game of FIBA basketball, ball possession decides the outcome of a game. Having said that, individual defense is useless in the team oriented system of the international game. How many times have you seen US guards beaten off the dribble with no weakside help? How many backdoor cuts have you seen the US allow? How many uncontested, open 3 point shots have you seen the US give up? Anyone who has watched the US perform over the last 8 years has probably lost count. Tactical, team oriented defense must be developed by the coaching staff and executed by the players in order to limit teams from chopping them to pieces with halfcourt sets. That's the one area that concerns me about the US's chances of winning gold.

[Phantim3dx]

ditto

"Having said that, individual defense is useless in the team oriented system of the international game. How many times have you seen US guards beaten off the dribble with no weakside help? How many backdoor cuts have you seen the US allow? How many uncontested, open 3 point shots have you seen the US give up? Anyone who has watched the US perform over the last 8 years has probably lost count. Tactical, team oriented defense must be developed by the coaching staff and executed by the players in order to limit teams from chopping them to pieces with halfcourt sets. That's the one area that concerns me about the US's chances of winning gold."

[tewkyhoops]

When did lebron become a PG????????

AM I missing something here???

PG - Paul
SG - Kobe
SF - Melo/James
PF - Amare
C - Howard/Chandler

Nothing wrong with that team except the the fact that egos will be bruised. Lebron is not the same player in Fiba as in NBA, until the US realises that it is a team game rather than one on one they are going to struggle. THIS IS NOT THE NBA!!!

Tewkyhoops

[damelo]

I think the team that worked all right in 2007 shall continue. Ok, they weren't perfect but, right now, where is continuity if you have a 30 players pool for 3 years, and each one plays only on of those years? Team USA started a move, they have to go until the end. And Chris Paul is definitely not the guy to play in such a team, he always keeps the ball, only to deliver to catch and shoot machine stojakovic, to West in the low post or send Chandler to the hoop.

Still, I wouldn't change the roster, only injuries could have it changed.

[tewkyhoops]

Take your point about Chris Paul, but they have a pass first guy in Jason Kidd, so replace Paul with him in my lineup, and nothing wrong with that.

tewkyhoops

[Phantim3dx]

from Chris Sheridan of ESPN

personally its crap or i highly dislike the idea of wade being in the line up... put for the love of god chris paul or tayshun prince in there!!!!!

look at what tayshun has to offer as well as paul...for the love of god if wade is in the line up my optimism and pride for my country's basketball team has just been shto down to another bronze medal..........


UPDATE:
On a side note I would like to thank all here and in general for "opening" my mind @ interbasket. when i see some posts on espn as was in this case of the espn i jsut posted here(@ the espn site), where people said why no KG, who no t mac or duncan. it just gnaws at me that these people jsut dont udnerstand or realize these people dont want to play, and having d wade, well having d wade on team usa is just....fuck i need beers to calm me down, im pissed



http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...t&lid=tab5pos1

Team USA update: Who will make the Beijing roster?

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
(Archive)



Updated: June 16, 2008

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The plan has changed for Team USA as the countdown to Beijing can now be tallied in weeks rather than months.
Tryouts in Las Vegas for the final two or three roster spots are out, suddenly deemed impractical and unfair.
Bringing an extra big man may be out, too, although that decision is still being debated at the highest levels of USA Basketball.
And going young seems to have an edge over going old as Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo whittle down the roster to choose the 12 players who will don red, white and blue this summer in an attempt to end the eight-year gold medal drought that has changed the landscape of international basketball.
"We're at 13 or 14 right now," Colangelo told ESPN.com. "The bottom line is: When we pick the 12, we're going to war with those 12."
Colangelo said the roster should be finalized and announced sometime between June 20 and 25, and the team will report to Las Vegas for a team meeting on June 27 and a practice on June 28 before the official 12-man roster is submitted to the United States Olympic Committee on July 1.
The Americans will also list six alternates, but USOC and IOC rules make it extremely difficult to alter the 12-man roster afterward unless one of the 12 sustains a verifiable injury.
The U.S. team's main training camp begins in Las Vegas on July 20. It plays an exhibition against Canada on July 25 and boards a commercial flight to Asia on July 26, not to set foot again on American soil until the gold medal winner has been determined.
So who's going?
And whose stock has risen and fallen since the Americans dominated the Tournament of the Americas last summer?
Here's a look at how ESPN.com is handicapping the roster race, from those who are locks to those on the bubble to those on the national team's full 33-man roster who are completely out of the picture, based upon conversations with USA Basketball officials and sources throughout the NBA:

LOCKS



Carmelo Anthony
Pencil him in -- no, go ahead and use indelible ink -- as the starting power forward.
He was Team USA's most consistent performer two years ago at the World Championship in Japan, and again last summer in Vegas, where he admitted he enjoys FIBA basketball more than NBA basketball.


Carlos Boozer
He brings a physical, low-post offensive game that will be utilized against opponents who will be able to slow the pace and make it a battle of half-court sets.
The none-too-proud owner of a bronze medal from 2004, Boozer is one of four or five Athens Olympics veterans who will be taking another shot at the gold.


Chris Bosh
With the Americans short on big men -- especially if Tyson Chandler does not make the final 12, he could end up as the default backup center behind Dwight Howard. And given Howard's shaky free-throw shooting, Bosh could be the center Americans will have to use if they find themselves in a tight fourth quarter.


Kobe Bryant
That banged-up pinky will remain banged up until the end of August, because Bryant has said nothing is going to keep him from his quest to restore American dominance to the world of international basketball.
If last summer is a precursor, Bryant will ask for and receive the defensive assignment of guarding each opponent's best perimeter player.


Dwight Howard
A prediction: If the Americans go with only three traditional bigs, there will come a game against a physical opponent in which a referee with an agenda (go ask Tim Duncan if this ever happens in FIBA competitions) will whistle him for three quick fouls, forcing the U.S. team to play Bosh or Boozer in the middle.


LeBron James
Speaks more Mandarin than anyone else on the team, and wants more than anything to stop being referred to in FIBA circles as LeBronze (for his third-place finishes in Athens and Japan). He's also the morning-line favorite to lead the team in entourage size. Most important is whether he can shoot anywhere near 76 percent from the field as he did last summer.


Jason Kidd
The elder statesman, the distributor, the only guy on the team bus who can brag (as he did last summer) that he's gone 38-0 in international competitions with the senior national team.
He'll be the starter, but Coach K and Jerry Colangelo have already decided they're bringing three point guards to China, so Kidd could end up being no more than a 22-minute player.


Michael Redd
The designated zone buster -- something the Americans didn't have in Athens when they faced 40 minutes of zone defense in every game (with the exception of their semifinal loss to Argentina, when Manu Ginobili and Co. played them straight up).
It remains to be seen whether being the subject of trade rumors will be a distraction to Redd when he's half a world away from Milwaukee.


Dwyane Wade
Colangelo visited him last week in Chicago, where Wade has been working out with trainer Tim Grover. "I liked what I saw physically, though his timing is still a little off, but by July 20 he'll be fine. I also think his focus is back where it needs to be," Colangelo said. Wade will come off the bench as the sixth man.
ON THE BUBBLE




Chauncey Billups
Again, Colangelo and Krzyzewski have already decided to bring three point guards, and the guess here is that Mr. Big Shot will be the odd man out from the foursome that also includes Kidd, Chris Paul and Deron Williams.
His recent hamstring injury doesn't help his cause, nor does the slippage in his game that has been evident for the past two seasons.


Tyson Chandler
It appears it'll come down to him or Tayshaun Prince for the final roster spot. In his favor: He blocks shots and rebounds, and he's a banger down low (remember, FIBA basketball is much, much more physical than NBA basketball).
Working against him: He's a poor free-throw shooter, which opponents will exploit.


Chris Paul
His lack of size and lack of experience were exploited by opponents in Japan, where Coach K took the starter's job away from him and gave it to Kirk Hinrich. But he has grown substantially as a player in the two years since, and his speed and penetration skills are factors the Americans will need to exploit in their favor. Probably belongs on the lock list, not the bubble list, but we're being extra cautious here.


Tayshaun Prince
He can defend four positions with his length, he can play inside and outside, and he can make free throws and bust zones.
But he'd pretty much be the 12th man, and conventional basketball wisdom says you always protect yourself by bringing an extra big man in case injuries and/or fouls become a factor.


Amare Stoudemire
May have talked himself off the team when he told the Arizona Republic at the end of April that he was concerned about the long-term strength of his post-microfracture knees -- and how it will impact the value of his contract extension.
Colangelo has asked for total focus and commitment, and the 33-man roster is littered with guys who have wavered their way into watching the Olympics from their couches.


Deron Williams
The higher-ups in USA Basketball see him as a long-term asset who can fill Kidd's role as team leader at the 2010 World Championship in Turkey and the 2012 London Olympics. He's a better shooter than Kidd and he's stronger than Paul -- the latter factor being something to focus on when the Americans have to defend teams with tall point guards. Don't forget: Greece's big backcourt overwhelmed the Americans in Japan.
OUT OF THE MIX

Gilbert Arenas: His bridges were burned in '06.
Shane Battier: Ankle surgery knocked out a Coach K favorite.
Bruce Bowen: Like Arenas, complained too much after '06 cut.
Elton Brand: Still recovering from major Achilles injury.
Nick Collison: In the mix for 2010 and 2012.
Kevin Durant: Will practice against Team USA in Vegas with select team.
Kirk Hinrich: A fifth wheel behind point guard foursome listed above.
Antawn Jamison: Was on Japan team in '06, but played little.
Joe Johnson: Coach K loves him, but superfluous for an already-small roster.
Shawn Marion: Came up lame the last two summers. Might be an alternate.
Brad Miller: Like Jamison, went to Japan but didn't play much.
Mike Miller: The weak link on the '07 team.
Adam Morrison: Recovering from torn knee ligament.
Greg Oden: Recovering from microfracture surgery.
Lamar Odom: Didn't play in '06 or '07.
Paul Pierce: Also squeezed out by not playing in '06 and '07.
J.J. Redick: Only on roster as option for 2010 and 2012.
Luke Ridnour: Battling Redick for 33rd man status.
PREDICTION

With Coach K planning to use Anthony and James extensively at the power forward spot, there is serious consideration being given to bringing only three true bigs to Beijing.
I think it would be a colossal mistake, but it wouldn't surprise me. Still, I have to believe sanity will win out and Chandler will get the nod over Prince for the final spot. So here's my 12:
Starters: Kidd, Bryant, James, Anthony, Howard
Reserves: Wade, Boozer, Bosh, Paul, Williams, Redd and Chandler
Chris Sheridan is an ESPN.com Insider. He has covered the U .S. senior national team since the 1996 Olympics.

[mvblair]

There are a lot of athletes with questionable attitudes, but ultimately, what an athlete brings to the table as far as skill/talent far exceeds whether we should give him a congeniality award.

Yep. Right in any sport.

I'm not sure why you would hold American athletes to a different standard of sportsmanship than other foreign nationals.

I don't know why either. I think maybe it's an ego thing. I really want us to show like we care about the opponents. It's almost like the school group that goes to the museum for a field trip; I want them to represent their school and be well-behaved. That's why I want Iverson on the team. He didn't play terrible in '04 (wasn't great), but he was one of the players who wanted to be out there competing, fighting, and shaking hands. For a guy who doesn't look like he represents America (read: cornrows and tattoos), he made me proud with his sportsmanship.

It's been my experience that classless, selfish, whiney assholes can be found anywhere in the world. Its just the nature of people with certain personalities and backgrounds.

Yep, again. Look at Darko Milicic when he went on his bizarre misogynist tirade against that referee in the Euros. It was so pathetic. Like you said, there are going to be people like that on every NT.

True. The competition last summer doesn't reflect what can be expected at the Olympics, but I was speaking more in terms of the right mix of players that will propel the US towards Olympic gold. Skip the margin of victory. I'm looking at how well the players performed together, and despite some of the lingering defensive lapses and poor execution on both sides of the ball, I'm a lot more encouraged by what I saw at the TOAM than at the 06 WC or the 04Olympics. On paper and viewed live, it looks like a better prepared, more cohesive team. Only time will tell.

I wish I'd paid more attention to our defense. As it was, we tore through the competition and you're right, our offense was great.

Chris Paul is a great on- the-ball defender (led the NBA in steals) and quick as a cat. Both Paul and James will give opposing teams match-up problems, so they're basically interchangable.

They are somewhat interchangeable. But we've already got a bunch of swingmen, so I'd rather see Paul starting.

I have to disagree with your assessment of Howard and Stoudemire's defense. I think they're both great individual defenders (both players are ranked 5th and 6th in blocks in the NBA respectively), and more importantly, they're great rebounders, and in the shorten 40 min. game of FIBA basketball, ball possession decides the outcome of a game.

Excellent point. Each possession is more important given that shortened game. As for Howard and Stoudemire, I just don't know. I know they're great shot-blockers and they are probably intimidating, but for all their muscle, they both get backed down a lot. They're mobile and quick and they can jump. But they just never seem to get in much help defense. I dunno'. I still disagree with you about those two. Unfortunately, they're the two best Americans for that position, considering Duncan won't play.

Tactical, team oriented defense must be developed by the coaching staff and executed by the players in order to limit teams from chopping them to pieces with halfcourt sets. That's the one area that concerns me about the US's chances of winning gold.

Yes, yes, yes. This is absolutely our most important area. And I have faith that our coaches can do it, as long as our players are willing to switch and communicate.

from Chris Sheridan of ESPN

Thanks for posting this article. I liked it.

personally its crap or i highly dislike the idea of wade being in the line up... put for the love of god chris paul or tayshun prince in there!!!!!

Agreed. My attitude with Wade is "what have you done for me lately?" He had a Jordanesque play-off run once but otherwise has been an injured star on a bad team.