2012 Summer Olympics in London - USA defeats Spain for Gold

[mkwest]

Jerry Colangelo expects there will be comparisons next summer between the Dream Team and the 2012 Olympic basketball team.

He says to bring them on.

Colangelo said USA Basketball in the final two weeks of January will select between 18 and 20 players as finalists for Olympic spots. Players on that list will nearly all be veterans of the 2008 Olympics or from the 2010 World Championships team, which won gold in Turkey. But Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who was on neither squad, also is a good bet to be among the players announced late next month.

"For the great immediate impact he has had in the NBA, he certainly deserves great consideration," Colangelo said of Griffin.

The 18-to-20 player list is also likely to include the Miami Heat's Big Three of Wade, James and Chris Bosh, Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, all 2008 Olympic holdovers, and Durant, Rose, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler and Lamar Odom off the 2010 World Championships team. That would then leave two to four spots still to be decided.

Chris Tomasson, Fox Sports Florida

Important Dates for USA Basketball

June 20th: 12 man roster must be submitted with 6 alternates
July 5th: Training Camp in Las Vegas
July 27th to August 12th: Summer Olympics

[mkwest]

This is going to be tough to narrow down.

2008
PG: Kidd, Paul, Williams
SG: Bryant, Redd, Wade
SF: Anthony, James, Prince
PF: Boozer, Bosh
C: Howard

2010
PG: Billups, Curry, Rose, Westbrook
SG: Gordon, Iguodala
SF: Durant, Gay, Granger
PF: Love, Odom
C: Chandler

2010 Invitational Pool
PG: Rondo
SG: Evans, Mayo
SF: J. Green (injured), Wallace
PF: Aldridge, Griffin, Lee, Stoudemire (uninsured)
C: B. Lopez, R. Lopez

[donemilio21]

Colengelo is hoping for Rose, Kobe, Lebron, Durant, Howard starting 5. The ideal 7 to follow would be Paul, Wade, Love, Griffin, Melo, Bosh, Gordon.

I went to the games in the 2010 World championship, the US team was very well balanced and enjoyable to watch. Even without the superstars, that same team would be #1 favorite to win.

[RiversideClips]

Any chance of 3 Clips on the 2012 Team? Blake/CP3 & Chauncey.

[DaVoiceMaster]

PG Rose/Paul/Williams
SG Bryant/Wade/(Gordon?)
SF Durant/Lebron/Melo
PF Griffin/Aldridge/Love/(Boozer?)
_C Howard/Chandler

This is a very versatile lineup. Aldridge can slide up to C if necessary and any of the SF's could probably cover the PF position, as well. It's too bad Roy's knee's went bad cuz I had him pegged for that 3rd SG position. IF Oden can get healthy, he could fill the 3rd C position, as well ... although, he'll be a free agent this summer so he'd be a fool to play on the Olympic team unless he has a new contract. I suppose Amare could also fill that 3rd spot, but I'm just not feeling it.

[mkwest]

Clippers' Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups could be Olympic candidates

Is it possible that the Clippers could have three players on the U.S. Olympic basketball team?

Well, yes, it's possible that Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Chauncey Billups all could represent the United States in the Olympics in London this summer.

Paul said he has been in contact with Jerry Colangelo, director of USA Basketball, and that he hopes to be on the Olympic basketball team for the second time.

Griffin said he was told by his agent that Colangelo wanted to speak with him about being a candidate to try out for the team. Griffin said he planned to call Colangelo this week to express his interest.

Billups said his agent talked with Colangelo.

Colangelo must announce the 18 candidates for the team by Jan. 18.

"If I'm healthy and well, then I want to play," Paul said. "I'd like to do that one more time. I'll be 30 in 2016. I'll be old."

"It would be an honor for me to represent my country," Griffin said. "I'll call and see what the next step is. I'm excited about the opportunity."

"Oh, yeah, I want to play, absolutely," Billups said. "I've never played in the Olympics. That's been a dream of mine. I would have been on the other team, the team in 2008, but I had to pull out at the last second because I had a little family situation. I never thought I'd get another opportunity. The world championships was great. We'll see."

Brad Turner, LA Times

[mkwest]

Exclusive: Team USA’s preliminary roster

Now we’re reporting something even better: The entire 19-man roster.

Here it is, alphabetically, from my impeccable international basketball sources:

LaMarcus Aldridge
Carmelo Anthony
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Kobe Bryant
Tyson Chandler
Kevin Durant
Eric Gordon
Blake Griffin
Dwight Howard
Andre Iguodala
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Lamar Odom
Chris Paul
Derrick Rose
Dwyane Wade
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams

Chris Sheridan, Sheridan Hoops

[ivanturpin]

Hey I am a big fan of basket players of the USA. I am collecting full information of the Basketball Dream Team Roster. Please do share some information for me.

=============================
Basketball Dream Team Roster

[DelaneyRudd]

This wont be an Olympics players will miss. It's a market they want to break and USA basketball will be a draw with no good local team.

[Sofia]

at Redd being in the pic in the OP. Talk about odd man out...

[mkwest]

Sources: Team USA to tap 20 finalists

When USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski reveal the roster finalists Monday for the 2012 Olympic team, there will be two more names than originally expected.

One source close to the process told ESPN.com on Sunday that Colangelo -- after saying earlier this month that he planned to announce 18 finalists no later than Jan. 18 -- has decided to nominate 20 finalists for the ultimate 12-man roster that will compete in London.

ESPN.com reported on Jan. 6 that four players from the 2008 Olympic team had already been ruled out of consideration for 2012 (Chicago's Carlos Boozer, Detroit's Tayshaun Prince, Phoenix's Michael Redd and Dallas' Jason Kidd) and that Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin was "likely" the only player to be considered who wasn't part of the 2008 Olympic squad or the 2010 World Championships roster. SheridanHoops.com subsequently reported that Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge will join Griffin on USA Basketball's list of finalists.

If nothing has changed and Griffin and Aldridge are indeed on the 20-man roster to be unveiled at lunchtime Monday, that means two more players from the 2008 and 2010 squads have to be dropped along with Boozer, Prince, Redd and Kidd.

Billups' spot would figure to be in jeopardy given not only his age (35) but Team USA's overwhelming depth at point guard. But Billups is the only obvious candidate to make way.

Marc Stein, ESPN

[LOJ]

Aldridge and Griffin should get the pick over Bosh. Aldridge should start, he compliments Dwight much more than Blake does. There will be plenty of guards that will demand most of the ball handling, we need bigs that can catch and finish, or catch and shoot. Blake off the bench will be great for team USA.

[mkwest]

The 20 finalists have been announced:

LaMarcus Aldridge
Carmelo Anthony
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Kobe Bryant
Tyson Chandler
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Eric Gordon
Blake Griffin
Dwight Howard
Andre Iguodala
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Lamar Odom
Chris Paul
Derrick Rose
Dwyane Wade
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams

The 2 players that were cut in order to make room for Blake and Aldridge were Steph Curry and Danny Granger.

[mkwest]

The 2012 Olympics in London are only five months away, which means that LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams and Kevin Durant will soon be on the court together defending their gold medals. Earlier today, Nike officially debuted the USA Basketball Hyper Elite Uniform, a fusion of the most technologically advanced textiles with the most up-to-date look. The Nike Hyper Elite shorts weigh in at 14 ounces lighter than the average shorts currently worn by professional players, while the Hyper Elite jerseys are currently the lightest ever created by Nike. Each jersey is composed of approximately 96% recycled polyester, and each one saving an average of 22 recycled plastic bottles. Check out additional studio photos of these jerseys below, as well as the Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong 2.0 Vis-Deflex shirt and shorts, which provide superior protection.

Nice Kicks

[mkwest]

2012 USA Basketball Men’s National Team Schedule

USA Basketball National Team Training -- Las Vegas, Nevada
July 6-11 USA team training in Las Vegas, Nevada
July 12 USA vs. Dominican Republic (6:00 p.m.) at Thomas & Mack Center


USA Basketball National Team Training – Washington, D.C.
July 13-15 USA team training in Washington, D.C.
July 16 USA women vs. Brazil (5:30 p.m.) at Verizon Center
July 16 USA vs. Brazil (8:00 p.m.) at Verizon Center


USA Basketball National Team Training -- Manchester, England
July 17-19 USA team training in Manchester, England
July 18 USA women vs. Great Britain (7:30 p.m.) at Manchester Arena
July 19 USA vs. Great Britain (7:30 p.m.) at Manchester Arena


USA Basketball National Team Training – Barcelona, Spain
July 20-25 USA team training in Barcelona, Spain
July 22 USA vs. Argentina (9:30 p.m.) at Palau Sant Jordi
July 24 USA vs. Spain at (9:30 p.m.) at Palau Sant Jordi

Clippers.com

[LOJ]

What do you think of the Team USA jersey's mk? I think they look horrid, the letters remind me of Suzuki car brand.

[mkwest]

What do you think of the Team USA jersey's mk? I think they look horrid, the letters remind me of Suzuki car brand.

It's kind of weird looking. I liked the WC jerseys better.

[mkwest]

LaMarcus Aldridge (hip surgery)
Carmelo Anthony
Chauncey Billups (Achilles injury)
Chris Bosh
Kobe Bryant
Tyson Chandler
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Eric Gordon
Blake Griffin
Dwight Howard (herniated disk)
Andre Iguodala
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Lamar Odom (depression)
Chris Paul
Derrick Rose
Dwyane Wade
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams

Bynum wasn't previously invited and says that he uninterested in playing. He'd rather go get orthokine therapy on his knees.

The injuries cuts down the field to 16. Chandler becomes the only true legit big man. As long he is healthy, he'll make the team by default. Bosh will likely be in the same boat and will be playing a lot of 5. If no other players are added/removed from the pool, I'd expect Griffin, Gordon, Williams, Westbrook, Gay and Iguodala to be the bubble players. Griffin may make it purely on a lack of bigs, but they're going to have to really work on him with his defense if he were to make the team. Staying out of foul trouble and being a primary scorer would not be his main objectives in the Olympics, so there's a possibility that he could really focus in on being a better defender.

[jflipclip]

I would think Love has a better shot than Griffin, considering he's much more suited to that type of Euro play.

[mkwest]

I would think Love has a better shot than Griffin, considering he's much more suited to that type of Euro play.

I think it's very safe to say that Love is a lock at this point.