Tag Archives: Team USA

by | July 30, 2012 · 11:32 AM

Kevin Love humanizes Team USA through Instagram

Candid

Kevin Love found himself on the outside looking in on Team USA’s rotation as the Olympics approached. His minutes were few and he was relegated to the bench. For a player with his skill set, Love was supposed to be a valuable contributor to Team USA with their lack of size and his ability to rebound and stretch the floor on offense. Yet, in the exhibition games leading up to London, Love was an after thought.

However, in the first game of group play against France, Love got and seized his opportunity. In just over 14 minutes, he totaled 14 points, seven of them in the third quarter, on five of eight shots, including a three pointer, grabbed three rebounds, and  had a steal. Where Love is invaluable to Team USA is with his outlet passes. These allow this wing laden team, replete with speed, to get out on the fastbreak where they are virtually unstoppable.

This was the break that Love needed. His role on the team should be increased as Team USA gels through group play. Yet, Love’s real contribution to the Olympic experience may not be on the court at all.

With the continuing explosion of social media, Love has nominated himself as the unofficial photographer of Team USA and began uploading photographs to Instagram. Love isn’t the only member of the national team on Instagram, he has just been the most prolific ‘grammer during the Olympics.

Much of his photography, when not focused on sleeping teammates, has given fans a behind the scenes look into the day-to-day lives of the team and coaches. Coach Mike Krzyzewski crouched in a yoga pose in the practice gym, pre-opening ceremony attire, and Chris Paul playing horse have been some of the more memorable photos.

In a way this allows fans to have a more intimate relationship with the team and players. Love has brought anyone who follows him into their personal lives, humanizing some of the best basketball players in the world.

This trend is sure to only grow as social media connects more and more people. Instagram was already a major facet in the lives of some NBA players last season, but it could see a rapid explosion after Love’s visual culture immersion. The Olympics are about the human effort and the bonds we all share, Love is simply expounding on that contact.

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by | July 27, 2012 · 1:33 PM

Team USA should win Gold Again

To get you ready for the Olympics, here is a small post about Team USA. A Beef Slider if you will.

With the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympic Games being held tonight, it is just mere hours until Team USA tips off to start their defense of the gold medal.

Much has been written about the perceived weakness, namely frontcourt size, that could be trouble when facing some of the taller teams in the Olympics. Those teams are Spain and Brazil. However, this incarnation of Team USA was built this way on purpose. Yes, several key big men, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, opted out of the summer games because of injuries that needed to be tended to, but there are quite a number of big men that Jerry Colangelo and Coach K could have brought with them to London. The fact is they didn’t. They have opted for a different style of play.

Much like the Excelsior, this manifestation of Team USA is a great experiment. Yet, the two brains behind the current upsurge in U.S. basketball have experimented before. In 2010, the United States fielded a remarkably similar lineup, small that is, at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey. As is the case with the current Olympic roster, Tyson Chandler was the only true center in Turkey. All of this is by design.

Big equates to slow and lumbering in basketball terminology. Therefore, this team is versatile, lengthy, and quick. Very quick. In their five friendlies leading up to the start of the Olympics, Team USA used those qualities to harass the opposing ball handler the length of the court subsequently creating turnovers. In the open floor, offensively, is where this team shines.

In the half court the offense has stagnated at times against larger frontcourts as the paint has been walled off. If jumpshots aren’t falling then Team USA could be seen as struggling but they will recover. This is an incredibly deep team with superstars subbing in all over the place, Anthony Davis aside. 

Buy into the the worries about size that some have put out there if you wish. It’s your right to doubt this team even if it is unfounded. The 2012 version of Team USA should win the gold medal. Will they blow out every team like the Dream Team did on their way to the gold? Probably not, international competition is vastly superior today than it was in 1992. That said, the U.S. should have convincing wins across the board as they step onto the highest podium. They are the best team in the world.

Here is a full schedule of all the basketball games in the Olympics.

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by | July 12, 2012 · 9:55 PM

Blake Griffin to miss Olympics

As Team USA was blowing out the Dominican Republic on Thursday evening, Brad Turner of the LA Times reported that Blake Griffin had suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. Griffin will be forced to undergo surgery, likely within the next week, which will keep him out of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and off of Team USA.

The injury occurred Wednesday while Griffin was scrimmaging with Team USA in Las Vegas when he twisted his knee. After the incident, he was taken to Los Angeles to be looked at by doctors and have an MRI. Griffin injured the same knee in the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The time-table for his return is roughly eight weeks, yet at this point that is up in the air. Andrew Bynum had similar surgery a few years ago and it took more time for him to heal after the surgery, keeping out of the beginning of the NBA season.

Anthony Davis will replace Griffin on Team USA’s roster.

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by | July 8, 2012 · 10:22 AM

Conceptualizing Team USA

Hybrid

At this time we have no idea what kind of rotations that coach Mike Krzyzewski will use for Team USA. He has a roster loaded with talent especially in the fields of athleticism and speed. Therefore, fans of basketball should be in for a treat once Olympic basketball tips off in London.

The roster has been set. Lineups, however, are a whole other animal. With a team so repeat with talent, finding the right combination of efficient chemistry could take time, yet, with the summer games set to begin in a few short weeks, time is of the essence.

One thing we do know is that Coach K plans to have LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant on the court at the same time for heavy minutes. These players can be cycled through any position that a given lineup has to offer from one through five. They will likely be paired with Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant giving Team USA a college feel with a two guards and three forwards set, forgoing the traditional center.

Team USA does have one center on its roster in Tyson Chandler. Honestly, if Chandler does start a game it will be for appearances only or to compete with the bigs of Spain. Other than that, his role should be limited in London. This is a hybrid team with players who can play multiple positions. Why bow to archaic positional traps? That is not what Team USA is about anymore. 2010 solidified that when the team that won gold at the World Championships started Lamar Odom at center.

Traditionalists may warn that smaller lineups will pose defensive shortcomings in the half court but that is if we assume that opposing teams have fluid, unchallenged ball movement and can work the ball into the post or lane. Reports coming out of Las Vegas, where Team USA was holding practice and scrimmages with the Team USA Select team, noted that the Select backcourt of John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Jrue Holiday were harried from the moment the ball was inbounded and they were tasked with bringing it up court.

This stifling full court defense will be a staple of Team USA. It allows the team to play smaller, more versatile lineups and prevent opponents from easily setting up their offense potentially forcing plenty of turnovers in the process. Smothering the ball as they will could draw comparisons to when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen traded off guarding Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics. Take the ball out of the hands of the playmaker or the opponent’s best player and that team stands little chance.

The key defenders that will be tasked with harassing the ball will be Bryant, though the oldest player on the team he can still muster good defensive possessions, Paul, Deron Williams, James Harden, and most importantly James and Andre Iguodala, whose admission to the final roster was likely based on his defense. Aside from Paul, each of these players can defend multiple positions with James and Iguodala being able to guard anything from a point guard to a power forward. James could also be asked to defend centers. He has that ability.

In fact, that defensive versatility is what makes this team so astounding. Referring back to the lineup of Paul, Bryant, Durant, Anthony, and James, these players can guard almost anyone, towering centers aside. Both James and Anthony proved they could defend power forwards during the NBA regular season and playoffs while Bryant and Durant are suited to guard wings. If their pressure defense works as well as it can, opposing centers could be taken out of the equation all together with ball denial.

However, where versatility is the biggest asset is on offense. Team USA should blaze up and down the court. Key to this will be rebounding. Since the team is relatively undersized it would make sense that Kevin Love should see more playing time on this squad than he did in Turkey, where he was an unbelievably efficient player. His knack for rebounding in volume and his ability to pass into the break plays into the speed that this team possesses. A scenario where Love gets a rebound, hits Westbrook/Paul/Williams with the outlet pass, and the play finishes with a layup, lob, or dunk is very real.

Imagine the above scenario and picture Blake Griffin as the one scoring at the end of the break. Enough said. That is what makes this team so dangerous and why the anticipation for the games to begin that much greater.

Even if a team slows down Team USA, they have a savvy floor general in Paul who can dissect a defense with his passing, and Westbrook to run a pick and roll or find and open shooter. There is no shortage of premier shooters on this roster.

The hardest part, right now, is building a cohesive unit, with interchangeable parts, capable of adapting and excelling in every situation. With a roster as loaded as this one and with the general camaraderie amongst players in the league, not to mention many of these players having played together before, everything should fall into place nicely.

Before Olympic play begins, Team USA will play in several “friendlies” just to wet out appetite.

July 12 vs. the Dominican Republic

July 16 vs. Brazil

July 22 vs. Argentina

July 24 vs. Spain

Enjoy.

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by | July 7, 2012 · 7:09 PM

Team USA Olympic Roster Finalized

London calling

The final roster that will represent the United States in Olympic men’s basketball has been set and is comprised of players who have almost all played for Team USA before.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden are headed to London later this month to compete for the gold medal. They are the favorites to win.

Griffin and Harden are the only players on the roster to have not played on Team USA in international competition before. They, along with Iguodala, were the final three players to be added to the roster. They beat out the likes of Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay, who played on the FIBA World Championship team in 2010, and Anthony Davis, the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Team USA was plagued with former members withdrawing from eligibility throughout the month of June. Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Derrick Rose, all who were locks to play in London, opted out of play, mostly due to injuries.

The omission of such All Stars led some to be concerned about the United States’ chances at defending the gold. However, with the roster they have assembled for London, those doubts should vanish.

The final three players selected are essentially no brainers. Harden, who had a rather rough time in the NBA Finals, is a good scorer with size who should do well in international competition coming off the bench. He an Gordon are almost interchangeable in terms of scoring ability but Harden is lengthier and has a knack for long range shots.

Iguodala played a crucial role on the “B-Team” during the Worlds in Turkey in 2010. He was the premier perimeter defender on the squad with his defense leading to plenty of transition opportunities for a team that was lightning fast.

As for Griffin making the roster over Davis, well, yeah, of course. If Davis and his propensity to groom himself as an homage to Frida Kahlo had made the roster he would be relegated to the role of Christian Laettner. Griffin is there because he can do this and this and this. Frederick Weis should be glad he doesn’t play anymore.

Though Chandler is the only legitimate center on the team, Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has shown a willingness, especially with the 2010 team, to employ an unconventional or hybrid lineup. This incarnation of Team USA presents matchup options across the board with James’ ability to post up, Durant’s length and shooting ability, and Love’s ability to stretch the floor, opening up lanes for the likes of Westbrook, Williams, and virtually every player on the roster. And as Marc Stein points out, this team has some pretty good jump shooters as well.

Starting lineups have yet to be set but it would not be surprising if Chandler came off the bench depending on the matchups. This is the best team heading into the Olympics. Spain is a close second but they do not have the shear determination to win that Bryant brings to the table. That and the bonuses from all the endorsements.

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by | June 6, 2012 · 2:03 PM

Let Them Play

Mark Cuban is a brilliant owner who has done everything in his power to see his franchise win a championship. No one can question or doubt his dedication to the Dallas Mavericks and his continuing drive to make the team successful at all costs. In 2011 his team, and the city of Dallas, realized that goal. However, when it comes to international play, Cuban, a staunch opponent, and this is where he is wrong.

Cuban, like every owner or general manager has the right to be worried about the players, who represent their teams in the NBA, getting injured or forced into heavy minutes in off season play. They have every right to be concerned. That is because they treat their players like a commodity.

Dirk Nowitzki is the end-all and be-all of basketball in Germany. He always will be. Is it so wrong for him to want to represent his team in international or Olympic play? No. Cuban thinks it is. Cuban pays him the money, Cuban is invested in him.

Unlike the Facebook IPO, NBA players actually pay dividends, unless their name is Eddy Curry or Jerome James. If I were a rich man I could completely sympathize with Cuban’s, and other owner’s, sentiment. However, I am not rich. I am a regular citizen.

What owners seem to neglect is that NBA players represent a whole swath of nations, not just a team somewhere in the United States or Toronto. This is an international game and David Stern will readily point that out.

Greg Stiemsma will be a member of Team USA this summer. Only as a member of the USA Select team, so please feel free to exhale. That is no slight to Stiemsma, who has played valuable, albeit small, minutes for the Celtics this post season. But is that who should represent the United States in the Olympics? No.

It is foolish to think that the U.S. will not and should not send its best and brightest basketball minds and players out into the international arena. The same holds true in virtually every other arena, athletic or academic. Why should we, as a nation, limit our possibilities? Why should we limit our gains? Our pride? There should be no limit to what we, and our players, can accomplish on the world’s stage.

London is an opportunity, a great one, as all the Olympic games are. It is where the best athletes in the the world compete. Yet, we should only send second or third tier quality. Yes, that makes sense. Hamper our players and our citizens. Why should we complete at the zenith of international sport. Sucks to your ass-mar!

Team USA might be depleted, and that is being generous at this point, but we, as a nation, must put forth the best players we have available. Of course much of this is predicated on whether they want to compete or not. However, many, especially the young stars of the NBA, want to. They are not commodities. They are men and as men they want to represent their country.

In the long list of gender double standards, the women who will represent the United States in the 2012 London Olympics are not placed on the same pedestal as the men. Why are no owners or, for that matter, college coaches up in arms that their players have the rare opportunity to compete on an international stage? Why are the men so cherished as a commodity?

The stage of international competition is what brings our divided country together. We, as citizens, voter, residents, tax payers deserve to see our best athletes compete. One person, or many, unites us all as they vie to be the best in the world.

I’m sorry, Mark, when it comes to grown men, they are not a commodity. Sure they are specialized and adept at their sport but the are still human, yet you do not own them. I understand wanting to get the most out of your investment but even when you have full control over a player it is risky (see: Odom, Lamar). I generally agree with your positions, Mark, especially your take on Bill Simmons, but when it comes to international completion, let your players compete if they want to. They have a higher calling than just playing for the Mavericks, or any team for that matter. Country comes first, as children we learned that long ago. Nationalism may be a dated concept but it is still a source of pride, no matter the outlet.

International competition works best when the elite athletes of a country are allowed to compete. What else is the point? Should we send high school track stars to race against Usain Bolt? No.

Let them compete. Let the top athletes compete. Bragging rights are childish but to hamper the dreams of someone wanting to represent their country is downright petty. Insure them if you must, unlike Amar’e Stoudemire, but protect your assets if that is what truly drives you. If they get hurt, fine. Write it off as a temporary loss but do not, for one second, limit a person’s potential to compete for their country on the most prestigious sporting stage the world has to offer. To do otherwise is only selfish.

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by | January 16, 2012 · 12:55 PM

Team USA Finalists Announced

Repeat?

Earlier today the 20 finalists for Team USA were announced. These players will compete for a chance to represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in London. Here is the list:

Guards:

Deron Williams

Chris Paul

Russell Westbrook

Chauncey Billups

Derrick Rose

Kobe Bryant

Eric Gordon

Dwyane Wade

Forwards:

LeBron James

Andre Iguodala

Rudy Gay

Kevin Durant

Carmelo Anthony

Kevin Love

Blake Griffin

Lamar Odom

LaMarcus Aldridge

Chris Bosh

Centers:

Tyson Chandler

Dwight Howard

The vast majority of these players have played for Team USA before. Only Griffin and Aldridge have not suited up in the red, white, and blue.  What will be interesting to see is how these players fare after a brutally compacted season. If anything, the final 12 players selected to play in the Olympics might come down to a matter of health above all else.

From this list of 20 there are clear shoe-ins, most of whom played on the Redeem Team in Beijing. Paul, Rose, Bryant, and Wade are the top guards in the group. Bryant expressed his interest in returning to play for Team USA long ago and Wade has stated that this will be his last run as member of the squad. However, Wade’s future with the national team is up in the air presently as he is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.

As for the forwards, where Team USA is loaded, James, Anthony, Durant, and potentially Love or Bosh will be the main candidates to make the final roster. Bosh is playing exceptionally well this season but his ability to be multidimensional will come into question if he is to make the cut. If head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s philosophy remains the same, Howard will be the only center who makes the final cut. Under Coach K, the national team has become a model of hybridization. 2010′s gold metal team at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey was a pure experiment and subsequently a benchmark for teams composed of hybrid, multi-positional players. That team started Odom at center over Chandler and it worked.

With that in mind, and assuming that none of the “shoe-in” players listed above have health setbacks, there are still three positions left to make the full 12-man roster. Williams, Iguodala, and Aldridge would be, in my opinion, the best choices to round out the squad. Aldridge, because of his size and shooting ability, would serve the team nicely as a power forward/center. Iguodala, who shined in Turkey, should be included for his defense which will lead to transition offense for the team. Williams is easily the most replaceable player that I have mentioned who has a chance at making the roster. It might be wise to go with another rangy, multi-positional forward instead like Gay or even Odom, who can play three positions on the team not including point forward.

Whatever the final makeup of the roster, health allowing, Team USA will be heavy favorites this summer in London. Hopefully, they have another catchy nickname and congeal as a team. I wonder if Bryant will be spotted in the stands at the beach volleyball tournament this time. Let’s hope so.

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by | November 13, 2011 · 4:07 AM

Team USA continues Despite the Lockout

 

What the future may hold

LeBron James is in, Kobe Bryant is a go, and Kevin Durant will likely suit up. After that the state of USA Basketball for the 2012 Olympics in London is up in the air, especially with the possibility of losing the entire 2011-12 NBA season.

Monday looks like the day that could make or break any possibility of an NBA season. This has been stated many times over during the course of the lockout but with the players union preparing to rejected the latest offer from the league, this is quite possibly the last grasp at a 72 game season before talks completely break down with the owners reverting to their hardline 53/47 percentage split of basketball-related income and the decertification of the NBPA. With that possibility looming, where does Team USA stand?

USA Basketball are not conjoined at the hip, though they are virtually inseparable. The national team, since FIBA altered their rules in 1989, has been comprised entirely of NBA players. This will not change even with a lockout. It would be foolish to send a team of college players to the Olympics and expect to compete with the likes of Spain, Argentina, and Lithuania. Yet, there can be no denying that the lockout could strain the eventual formation of Team USA.

Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has no NBA affiliation as he coaches the men’s team at Duke University. There should be no complication with him returning to coach the program. However, aside from Jim Boeheim who coaches at Syracuse, the assistant coaches coach in the NBA. Mike D’Antoni is the current head coach of the New York Knicks and Nate McMillan coaches the Portland Trail Blazers. As per the rules of the lockout, neither D’Antoni nor McMillan is allowed to have any contact or communication with the lockout players.

Herein lies the first hurdle for Team USA. They will be without two of their assistant coaches if the lockout persists. With Krzyzewski, D’Antoni and McMillan have successfully orchestrated the present liquidity that embodies Team USA. The Redeem Team that won gold in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics was completely dismantled two years later, partly do to lack of interest and previous engagements by the players who were a part of that team, and transformed into a lengthy and quick, uptempo and undersized bunch who won gold at the World Championships in Turkey in 2010. D’Antoni is fluent in the rules and style of the international game having coached for years in Italy which has helped NBA players transition to FIBA rules and style. Losing both coaches will be a hit for Team USA but not one that will completely derail the coaching staff.

The coaches can be easily replaced. Though this means that the staff may not have the same continuity with the pool of players eligible to fill out the fifteen man roster. However, other college coaches such as John Calipari, who is always looking to increase his recruiting pool, Tom Izzo, and perhaps even Roy Williams could be considered to fill the roles of the assistant coaches. Other names may also be included if D’Antoni and McMillan cannot return to the bench. Larry Brown jumps out as a possible candidate having been head coach of Team USA before. Yet, this is all just speculation at this point and is predicated on the length of the lockout.

Team USA could also be without their trainers Casey Smith and Keith Jones, who work for the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets respectively. If the NBA season is lost, not only will Jerry Colangelo have to recruit players to join the 2012 incarnation of the national team but he may also have to rebuild his coaching and support staff.

Colangelo is still a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns. His position as managing director of USA Basketball, however, has allowed him to remain apprised of players’ interest in joining Team USA, though he cannot discuss the lockout in any terms. Colangelo believes that despite the lockout, a team can be assembled with players from both the 2008 and 2010 squads.

According to the official team roster at USABasketball.com, the pool of players available is much greater than just those who have played on the national team before. Other than Bryant, James, who have both committed, and Durant, how the roster will fill out is anyone’s guess. It is likely that Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony will return, and Chris Sheridan has speculated that Blake Griffin is a “shoo-in.” Chris Bosh will probably return, as will Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul. After that it becomes dicey (as if speculation was not already). There are still six spots open on the roster if these players to indeed return.

To fill the remaining vacancies will require coach Krzyzewski to determine the style of play that his team will execute in London. As stated above, the 2010 national team was swift and agile relying more on their athleticism than on physical size.

The candidates that are left are Lamar Odom, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, possibly Kendrick Perkins, and perhaps Eric Gordon. None of those players are slouches and if Team USA prefers to reincarnate the 2010 team then Andre Iguodala should also be considered.

At this point, nothing is certain. The Olympics are where players build their brand. It is not completely about national pride, do not delude yourself. This is a stage on the global market. In most countries outside of the U.S. everything stops so that they can watch their nation compete. NBA players fortunate enough to be selected to the national team know that and so do their agents and sponsors. The Olympics are a big deal and London has been a world city since the middle ages. That is not lost on the players.

With the season in flux and headed towards what might be complete and utter fail (pardon the meme), the Olympic games in the summer of 2012 are the last remaining legitimate basketball that NBA players could see for some time. As of now, Team USA is keeping their summer schedule conservative, understandably. Official rosters must be submitted in June. On the slate for Team USA is two exhibition gamed against Spain in July 2012 as well as a friendly against Great Britain. France will also likely get a friendly in too before the start of the summer games. However, a quick resolve to the lockout could change everything.

The lockout threatens only the NBA at this point. Team USA is still in good hands.  No matter what happens to the 2011-12 NBA season, there will be a formidable team fielded by the United States. They will be the favorites to win it all. Haters will pick Spain with their frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka. Honestly though, a team representing a country in as many financial hardships as Italy cannot be taken too seriously. There is a reason all their players moved to the U.S. (financial aside). The United States has reestablished itself as the dominant force in international basketball. Do not for one second, or one lockout, that players do not want to maintain that supremacy. A gold medal might not be the Larry O’Brien Trophy but it still speaks wonders unto itself.

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by | July 17, 2011 · 5:11 PM

USA! USA! USA!

Hey, are you bummed that you spent most of your Sunday exhibiting fake enthusiasm for a sport and game that you should have never really given a damn about? Well, join the thousands of others who feel like you (the three of us at the Beef do not feel like you). At least it was a good excuse to day drink, right? But wait, every Sunday is a good day-to-day drink. Let us take your new-found fake depression turned nonchalant indifference and turn it into a smile with some national teams who matter and who know how to win.

Do you like dominant second half performances featuring the Mamba?

Or maybe a lengthy group of young guns will make you smile.

Hey, don’t worry. Your friends will eventually forgive you for all the time you invested in something that never mattered. Just buy them a round or two next time you go out and keep all of that new-found soccer pseudo knowledge to yourself.

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by | July 14, 2011 · 10:57 AM

NBA Lockout Day 14: USA, Colangelo Gearing Up for London 2012

Colangelo would like to see the U.S. win a third consecutive gold

There are currently 34 players listed on the United States Men’s National Team roster. That is 22 more than will make the trip, reserves excluded, to London next summer to compete in the Olympics. With the NBA lockout now two weeks old, Jerry Colangelo must start considering who will make the final cut as training camp will begin early next July. Final roster selections have to be submitted by June 18, 2012.

One year is not a lot of time to assemble a national team especially with a lockout going on. Since Team USA won the gold at the FIBA World Championships last summer in Turkey they received an automatic bid for the Olympics. That means that they will not have to compete in the FIBA Americas Championship which begins August 30 and runs through September 11. However, it also means that Colangelo will not have an opportunity to see the players compete as a cohesive unit this summer and with a protracted lockout it may be some time before he can see them in game situations.

With the breadth of talent that Colangelo has to draw from it should not be a major concern when whittling down the roster. Most of the players already on the national team’s roster already have a well established pedigree of competing internationally and are household names in the NBA. Due to this, Colangelo has stated that there are really closer to 18 players who are under consideration to compete in London. He will begin contacting players in a month or so to gauge their interest in being a member of the national team.

Currently, each member of the Redeem Team that won gold in Beijing in 2008 is committed to returning to the program in 2012. This includes Kobe Bryant who stated his interest in returning to the Olympics last year. Other members of the Redeem Team including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, and Tayshaun Prince have yet to make a public statement of interest in returning to the team. Wad has said that he is on the fence about whether he should return but Chris Paul has stated that he will play.

Two players from the 2008 gold metal team, Jason Kidd and Michael Redd, are no longer with USA basketball which leaves at least two roster spots open but Colangelo has said that “three or four of those spots are vulnerable.” These spots will likely be filled by members of the 2010 FIBA World Championship team. That team was led by Kevin Durant and also featured Chauncey Billups, Tyson Chandler, Stephen Curry, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Danny Granger, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook. A name that has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, though he is currently not on Team USA’s standing roster, is Blake Griffin.

These two pools of players present Colangelo with a combination of skilled veterans, players in their prime, and explosive young talent. What will play into the final roster decision is how Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski want to shape the team. Both the Beijing and Turkey teams are very different. In Turkey, Krzyzewski chose to stray away from the traditional five-man lineups that have been a cornerstone in basketball since its inception which was more indicative of how the Redeem Team played. Instead he went with players who were versatile and could play multiple positions on the floor. These players also used their length and quickness to their advantage which played into the stifling defense that the team showed during the World Championships. The team also went small. Chandler was the only true center on the roster and Odom started at the position during the tournament.

Based on the success that the smaller, speedier lineup had it would not be surprising if Team USA maintained this model for the Olympics in 2012. The team has a bevy of speedy guards to choose from who can either create for themselves, like Rose and Westbrook, or distribute, like Paul. However, position versatility will likely remain the most important factor when selecting players to fill the roster.

This is beneficial for players like James, Durant, Love, and Amar’e Stoudemire who can alternate around the wing and in the frontcourt. Though any incarnation of the 2012 team will likely feature Howard as the anchor in the middle, depending on his entry into free agency next summer, he would likely be one of only a couple of players on the team that played a fixed position. Paul would be another such player.

As Colangelo begins to contact players he must also weigh the present state of the NBA and what may or may not happen between now and next July. How will the lockout, and potentially newly structured collective bargaining agreement, play into the player’s decisions? If players continue to sign overseas, how will those contracts be structured in terms of eligibility to play on a national team? If the NBA season is canceled should he hold a minicamp for tryouts? How will Bryant’s knee hold up for another year? How will free agency play into the minds of Howard, Paul, and Williams? How much will each player require in terms of insurance if they get injured while playing for Team USA? If the lockout is protracted, what shape will the players be in? Phew! And those are only some of the questions that Colangelo must consider. At least the lockout does not prevent Colangelo from speaking with the players.

No matter the make-up of the future roster, the United States will be heavy favorites to repeat as gold medalists. Tough all of the players from 2008 opted out of playing in 2010, the Olympics are too big of a stage to ignore. Colangelo knows this as it creates even more “value to them in terms of their own brands.” These days, for many players, it is all about marketing themselves and what better place to do it than in front of the eyes of the world? James, for one, could certainly use some good press and another Olympic gold would go a long way. It looks to be a long year with many uncertainties for the players and Colangelo but the outlook is optimistic. “The one thing I do know,” Colangelo said. “We have an outstanding pool of players. Whoever the 12 turn out to be, they will represent our country very well.”

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