2008 USA Olympics Basketball Team

[Ern III]

Can anyone else foresee Jerry Colangelo using this hamstring malady as the perfect excuse to leave Chauncey Billups out of the upcoming Team USA squad?

I'd put my life savings on a Kidd-Williams-Paul trio of Team USA point-guards in Beijing if the Pistons play through an extended NBA Finals, cutting down Billups' recovery time prior to USA Basketball's final Olympics roster submission. Although he'd likely be fit come the tourney, any hint of an injury has become the perfect excuse for being left off the team in the past.

In fact, I don't think a single player of the original 33-man squad has been officially 'cut' from either the '06 WC in Japan or the '07 FIBA Americas rosters. Every omitted player has either conveniently 'withdrawn for personal reasons' or been declared 'unavailable due to injury'.

I wouldn't select a fully fit Chauncey Billups anyway. At best, he's ranked equal third in the quartet of PGs mentioned, and we know Kidd will be going on the strength of his international record and superb on-court chemistry with Bryant and James, among others.

[jt142]

I'd rather have Paul and Williams over Billups and Kidd.

Although Kidd will provide some stability, he can't shoot and he's getting old. I think Billups might be a better choice over Kidd.

[Joseph17]

I'd rather have Paul and Williams over Billups and Kidd.

Although Kidd will provide some stability, he can't shoot and he's getting old. I think Billups might be a better choice over Kidd.

[Ern III]

OK, so I was a little off-base...

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=3449236


Bravo, Colangelo and his staff for getting straight to the point by naming the team outright next Monday. I'm extremely pleased Deron Williams will get the call. He ought to play big minutes in international ball given his size, strength and shot-accuracy. More than Chris Paul I'd suggest, whose major application will be as a specialist ball-hawk if the USA need a full-court press or trap.

Bring on USA vs. Australia!!

[Soul Patch]

Do you think Paul and Williams will get any playing time together? Williams has the size to play the two and we'd have two of the best passers in the NBA sharing the ball.

[Ern III]

As good as he is, particularly defensively, I think the USA have better options at the two. The concept can't be dismissed altogether - I think Williams played a bit of SG at the Americas tourney - but I would expect the off-guard to be the domain of the Bryant-Redd-Wade trio almost entirely. At least, in their truly competitive matches.

[scarman]

Am I the only one that finds the team USA selections a bit odd.

PG: Paul, Deron, Kidd
SG: Kobe, Wade, Redd
SF: Lebron, Melo, Tayshaun
PF: Bosh, Boozer
C: Howard

I don't understand the selections of Kidd, Redd, and Tayshaun. Granted, they are good talent, but team USA already has a ton of talent at those positions. We need more depth at the PF and Center positions. I haven't been following all of the selection process but I am wondering what has happened to KG, Duncan, Amare. Even Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, or Elton Brand (assuming he has healed) would help out a bunch more then Kidd, Redd, or Tayshaun.

I might consider keeping Redd because he is the only real pure spot up 3pt. shooter on the team.

It looks to me like it might be another year of superior talent but bad results. We have too many players that play the same type of game. Lebron, Wade, Kobe, Melo are all slashers. All of our players are used to having the ball first and creating offense for others. They aren't used to being the recipients of the pass.

[dufflebagjesus]

most of the guys you mentioned above (kg, duncan, kaman, jefferson, amare) were not being considered for the spots because they did not commit to the program, so uh yea...

we definantly need redd, we're severely lacking outside shooting...

i agree we need another big man however...apparently it came down to tayshaun and tyson chandler, i would have taken chandler over tayshaun but i would have rather taken them both and left behind paul or d. williams

[S0yb3anB0y]

Kidd, Redd, and Prince has no business on the team. Redd and Prince are both being shopped. Kidd would be too if teams actually want him.

[Dtown84]

Kidd, Redd, and Prince has no business on the team. Redd and Prince are both being shopped. Kidd would be too if teams actually want him.

What does being on the market have anything to do with playing in the Olympics?

On the team, I think we could have left one of the PG's and taken Tyson Chandler so we'd have more depth at big man. From what I've heard, and what the US did in the qualifying tournament the US will probably run Kobe at sg, Lebron at sf, and Carmelo at pf at least until they play the bigger teams.

[brianmc]

D Howard might be the most important player on the team. If he gets into foul trouble, you have to use Boozer or Bosh at Center which is definitely not their traditonal position.

I think the plan is to play small with Carmelo getting most of the time at the 4. Paul at 1, Kobe 2, Lebron 3 and D howard playing the 5.

I can't argue much with the selections.

Kidd is a little bit puzzling because you already have a deep backcourt. 2 excellent PG's in Paul and Deron Williams plus Kobe at the 2 and D Wade off the bench who can also handle the point guard position for stretches.

You could make the argument Kidd shouldn't have been selected and another big man.. Maybe Tyson Chandler should have been selected to spell Howard since Boozer and Bosh aren't true Centers. You never know in International play with the referees and fouls being called.. however, it should be noted Dwight only fouled out of 3 games this past season with the Magic.

whatever you say, it's hard to bet against a team that has a starting 5 of CP3, Kobe, LBJ, Melo, and D Howard. Not to mention a former NBA FInals mvp as the 6th man.

[Soul Patch]

Kidd made the team because of his record 38-0 in international games, his leadership skills, and the fact that he distributes the ball incredibly well and won't look for his own shot. It would have been really stupid to leave him off the team, we could have left off Paul though. He's small and doesn't have an effective outside shot not good attributes for international play.

[brianmc]

how much leadership can kidd offer while watching Paul and Williams play PG? Both guys are superior players to Kidd at this point. How many minutes at the point will there be for Kidd? Next to none.

[Ern III]

Jason Kidd is a must. Regardless of how inconsistent his shooting is or has been over the years, his feel for the game - something that doesn't dwindle with age - is unsurpassed, and his floor-vision and passing remain comfortably better than that of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. He's also the most respected player by those selected, purely for his basketball intelligence. Add his extra rebounding (handy while playing only one true big man at a time), and what's one less shooter amongst this bunch of brilliant shooters and scorers? He knows his limits and will perfectly fulfill his role as chief distributor. Plus, he's not absolutely useless from outside, particularly left wide open. Teams playing defense will completely ignore him at their peril.

The argument against three point-guards doesn't hold water. If any one of them gets hurt, you still have an authentic back-up. It's the most important position, particularly on this team. Problem is they're short one true big man. Tyson Chandler (or someone else) should've been included at the expense of either Tayshaun Prince or another wing.

[Plavigrad]

I would like to have seen Chauncey instead of Jason in that position. I understand the need for a veteran player willing to bench it over long stretches of the game, but Kidd's leadership abilities could be questioned.
I think Melo should have been sacriced for another big, long body like Chandler(or someone else). Prince can already play the role of 3-4 with great lateral quickness for D. I know Melo was the best player for US in '06, but that was a team without any structure or plan. I expect them to play with a lot more urgency speed and pic n rolls. Melo would not fit in as he cannot play the necessary high pressure D. I would even want to see King James taking on the 4 spot a bit and playing with D-Wade on the two with a lot of penetration
I cannot see Redd play as a utility shooter, i would like to see Joe Johnson coming off the bench again, he's got the experience witht the team so thay may as well make the most of it.

Again all this assuming that a few players were unavailable like Amare

[ballerblogger]

Deron Williams and Chris Paul are unquestionably better than Jason Kidd at this point in Kidd's career.

But I think Kidd's experience and size will be a huge asset in the international game. So my pick is Kidd.

Will Deron Williams or Chris Paul assume the majority of the minutes as Kidd's backup?

Chris Paul was tremendous this season.

But I think D-Will's size and shooting ability will give him the edge when it comes to the international game. Paul struggled in 2006. The international game is much more physical and Chris doesn't have a lot of size. Opposing guards were able to body him up.

Your thoughts?

[competitor]

I think that Chris Paul will get the most minutes.

Coach K does not seem reluctant to embrace the youth and athleticism of the program, and Paul is the best point guard in my opinion. However, you are definitely correct in saying that Kidd probably has deserved the right to one last tournament as the starter, and his tight relationship with LeBron James could seal his position as a starter. In the end, they are faced with a situation like France's Raymond Domenech - either embrace the young talent, or burn with the old veterans... Kidd is like the Viera of the USA basketball team - a great player still, but not the best option.

[Ern III]

1. Kidd

2. Williams

3. Paul

[Point forward]

I think Kidd will get the most minutes, he is the glue that holds Team USA together in FIBA play. Also, who needs PG shooting if you have KOBE and LEBRON at your side?

[Ern III]

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=815136&p=16933228#p16933228