Who makes your 2008 USA Olympic Basketball team?

[ponder276]

Take into account injuries, team chemistry, etc., and give a starter and a bench player at each position. Don't limit yourself to players who played on the 2007 FIBA Americas team. Explain your choices.



The general blueprint for my team is:
- Dominant rebounding from my Cs, PFs and SFs. Crush the soft Euros on the boards
- Back to the basket centers
- PFs who can hit mid-range shots
- Outside shooting and slashing ability from my PGs, SGs and SFs (a lack of shooters has really hurt the US in recent tourneys)
- Youth (brings energy, and the team can stay together for a long time)

C - Dwight/Chandler
PF - Amare/Boozer
SF - LeBron/Melo
SG - Kobe/Kevin Martin
PG - Paul/Deron

Notes: I figure Wade and Oden will still be recovering, and LAL/Raps will probably want Bosh and Bynum to rest their knees. Bosh and Oden would maybe not make it anyways, and I likely also wouldn't include Wade, since this team has more than enough slashers, but lacks guys who can really knock down the 3. I'd go with Boozer/West instead of Amare/Boozer if Phoenix wants Amare to rest his knees. I went with Kevin Martin because this team needs shooters, and I didn't want to put someone like Redd or Gordon in there. I went with Chandler for the rebounding and size, though I'd take Bynum instead if he was healthy enough.

[Super Bad]

I would want Duncan to play and would rather have Mike Miller then K Mart, they are very similar but Miller has already played with those guys before.

[Cammo101]

Not enough shooters Ponder...

Paul/Kidd/Deron
Kobe/Wade/Redd
Melo/Miller/Artest (strictly as a stopper)
LeBron/Bosh/Rashard
Howard/Amare/Chandler

This would be who I would send.

[KF10]

I would want Duncan to play and would rather have Mike Miller then K Mart, they are very similar but Miller has already played with those guys before.

Not really. Martin and Miller quite in fact different. They are great shooters and that's pretty much it for similarity. Martin is the better slasher, faster/quicker, more athletic, moves w/o the ball better, more efficient, and it goes on and on...

[ponder276]

Not enough shooters Ponder...

Paul/Kidd/Deron
Kobe/Wade/Redd
Melo/Miller/Artest (strictly as a stopper)
LeBron/Bosh/Rashard
Howard/Amare/Chandler

This would be who I would send.

Fair enough, but you listed 15 players, and I was just really looking for a top 10 - if I did a top 15, I'd definitely add more shooters. And in terms of shooting, Paul/Deron>>>Paul/Kidd and Kobe/Martin>>>Kobe/Wade, though your front court shoots better. Still, it's questionable that your top 10 has better shooters/spacing than mine.

[Duiz]

lol.. It has to be Paul/Deron all the way..

I do agree to subtract Miller for Kmart, and would go to the extent of subtracting Redd for Ray Allen. Jumpshooters the older are the better.

PG-Deron/Paul
SG-Kobe/Martin
PF-Carmelo/LeBron
PF-Boozer/Amare
C-Howard/Bosh

Pretty much your list, but rather than Chandler I prefer Bosh. I prefer Deron over Amare because Deron is the sharpest shooter on the team last year, and because he has done the best job distributing the ball with James compared to the rest of the PGs in the last couple of years.

Now, I would like to add my 3rd stringers.

PG-Kidd
SG-Allen
SF-Prince
PF-West
C-Kaman

[OhMyBosh]

If players don't care about fatigue from the regular season/playoffs:

Paul/Deron
- Easy choice.

Kobe/Allen
- Kobe is a leader and great defender; Allen is a great shooter.

LeBron/Melo
- Both dominant small forwards who can also lead the team.

KG/Amare
- KG is a vocal leader; Amare is one of the best bigs in the world.

Dwight/Duncan
- Dwight is the most athletically dominant center in the universe right now; Duncan is a defensive anchor, and strong leader.


This team would never lose, but obviously some of the older players would not participate (KG, Duncan).

[LiquidFire]

remember when alot of people didnt want lebron on the team last summer because he couldnt shoot?

Kidd/paul/deron
Kobe/Wade/mike redd
Lebron/mike miller/ tayshaun
Carmello/Bosh/Boozer
Howard/Amare/ Chandler