Foreign Exchange
When thinking about professional basketball, most people’s minds immediately jump straight to the NBA. And why not? It is the strongest league in the world, and America is clearly the world power when it comes to basketball. Right?
The Redeem Team in the 2008 Beijing Games made it easy for American basketball fans to forget the debacle in the 2004 Sydney Games. It was an embarrassment to the nation, and gave the basketball brain trust of America a new perspective on international play.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo — the chairman of USA Basketball — knew that they would have to change their focus and strategy when constructing a roster. USA Basketball now operates as a program, rather than just one team.
The USA runs camps and practices throughout the summer with specifically selected players who could potentially make the final squad. Coach K used his experience with the 2008 Olympic team as a learning tool to educate himself about the major differences in international basketball versus the NBA.
The 2010 World Championships will take place later this summer in Turkey, and the program recently cut the team down to 15 players. The final 12-man roster does not have to be submitted until August 26th, just two days before the international tournament.
All of the invitees have one of two major things in common: They either have one or two very specific skills that help in the international game, or are very versatile and can play multiple positions and help the team in ways they wouldn’t be able to help their NBA team.
First there is the very talented crop of point guards. Chauncey Billups is thought of as a shoe-in to make the roster. He is really the only player that is there simply for his leadership, veteran experience, and decision making skills. He will play the role of Jason Kidd from the 2008 team. After that, there’s Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Russel Westbrook. All three of these players have superb athleticism and get up and down the court with the ball in their hands quicker than most NBA guards. But the main similarity is their ability to play pressure, on the ball defense, while still defending the passing lanes. It is unlikely that all four point guards will be kept (especially because I think they’ll definitely keep sharpshooter Steph Curry, who I kept out of this category because he was brought in as a specialist, rather than a PG). Rose is probably the best scorer of the three, while Westbrook has the ability to play off the ball like he did at UCLA. Even though Coach K is extremely high on Rondo, I could see him being the odd man out. This is probably for the best after playing over 100 games last season.
The aforementioned Curry is probably the team’s best shooter. With a shorter three-point line and zone defenses being more common, this is an extremely important asset to have. Michael Redd played the role of dead-eye shooter on the 2008 team, and I see Curry being that guy this summer, and maybe even in 2012. Clippers SG Eric Gordon just squeezed into the final 15, and looks to be one of the next guys to be cut. He has become much more comfortable throughout the summer, and his ability to drive and finish in traffic is also very appealing. But with so much depth at guard, look for Curry to be the team’s shooter off the bench over Gordon.
The next set of guys is the 3s and 4s. In the NBA, the 3s are normally the most versatile players who can stretch the floor and still bang inside on occasion. But in the international game, both positions must be occupied by versatile players. The three-pointer is essentially a long mid-range jumper, so some of these guys become “stretch” players without changing their game. Kevin Love is the best example of this, since his range is just shy of an NBA three. And mark my words; he will be in the top five in the league for rebounding sometime in the next three years, and for years to come. His ability to rebound as well as anyone on the floor, throw outlet passes like Wes Unseld, and then step out and hit threes, makes him the perfect international 4-man. Jeff Green may be the better athlete, but he basically does everything Love does to a lesser extent. I could see there being no love for Mr. Green when final cuts come around.
Rudy Gay and Andre Iguodala have both impressed throughout the summer. The two are incredibly athletic swingmen who hit the international three with ease, and can guard anywhere from a 2 to a 4 in international play. Danny Granger was a bit of a question mark due to injuries last season. But he has proven to be an elite scorer who does not require the ball in his hands at all times. Like Gay and Iguodala, he has the size and athleticism to play multiple positions.
And of course there’s Kevin Durant. KD is the team’s centerpiece, and the most stereotypical/perfect stretch 4 on the roster, and probably in the world (sorry LeBron, Durant is lights out).
Lastly are the centers. Lamar Odom is a 4 in the NBA, but he started at the 5 for one of the teams in the televised intersquad scrimmage last weekend. At a long 6-10, his ability to shoot, handle the ball and make decisions combined with his interior defense and rebounding makes him a very strong candidate to start at center. The other two players — Brook Lopez and Tyson Chandler — are strictly there for their rebounding and shot blocking. Lopez is much better offensively, but he will not be asked to score the way he has to for the Nets.
There you have it; my version of your 2010 USA Basketball roster. You can go big with Lopez, Odom, Durant, Gay, and Westbrook. Or you can go for athleticism with Odom, Durant, Gay, Iggy, and Rose. Or imagine the defensive intensity of a lineup featuring Chandler, Odom, Iggy, Westbrook, and Rose. The possibilities are endless in what should make for a very competitive team this September in Turkey.
My Final Roster: Billups, Curry, Rose, Westbrook, Iguodala, Gay, Granger, Durant, Love, Odom, Lopez and Chandler.
