Our ideal roster for Team USA in '07
This summer is an important one for USA Basketball ... and some of its biggest guns will be locked in the drawer.
D-Wade, Arenas, Chris Paul and Paul Pierce are just some of the superstars who won't be available for Team USA in the '07 FIBA Americas tournament, which is a qualifier for the '08 Olympics. Not to mention names like KG, Shaq and T-Mac who just aren't part of the USA Basketball program for one reason or another.
Team USA doesn't have to win the tournament this summer to stay alive for an Olympic bid, but they do at least need a top-3 finish to qualify for a last-ditch qualifier in '08 right before the Games. So that said, who gives the U.S. the best chance to win? We went through the players who have been invited to this year's USA Basketball training camp and picked the ideal 12-man roster.
Amare Stoudemire: One of the top bigs in the game. Great hands, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and the guy will dunk on your grandmother — he's ruthless like that. Amare has improved his perimeter game tremendously so he won't be a liability in the zone-heavy international game. He also runs like a deer and Team USA figures to do a lot of running. On top of that, STAT is a decent shot blocker and rebounder, but overall, he isn't as beastly defensively as he is offensively. But that won't matter with this guy around.
Elton Brand: Call him methodical and unorthodox if you want, but this man gets the job done. He scores in the post and is another big man who can hit the 15-footer. Team USA's greyhounds can't run if they don't have the ball, and Elton Brand will give them plenty of opportunities since he is an animal on the boards. He defends the post well but is also freakishly nimble, so he can step out and show on the pick-and-roll. The walking double-double is the best on-the-ball shot-blocker in the game.
LeBron James: Absolutely unstoppable going to the basket and in the open court, LeBron is the main reason Team USA has a huge advantage over any team in the world in an up-tempo game. He is an excellent passer and he's selfless (he just doesn't get to show it as much playing for the Cavs), so he is a perfect fit on a team that is loaded with unstoppable scorers.
Kobe Bryant: There's no way this man gets left off of any basketball team. He must be one of the aliens from "Space Jam," because the stuff he does on the court isn't human. Mister 81 can carry his team offensively and is a terror defensively when he wants to be. His shooting range is limitless, so the zone defenses won't bother him. If the U.S. needs a bucket late he is the guy.
Chauncey Billups: Didn't play last year due to family obligations, but he will be a welcome addition to the team. The best shooting point guard in Team USA's camp is also the best PG available until further notice by Jason Kidd.
Carmelo Anthony: How good would it be to have this guy coming off the bench as your sixth man? He is effective anywhere on the floor and is deadly from 20 feet in, so the shorter international three-point line is a plus. 'Melo also has international experience, but is another player who didn't play much in the last Olympics, so he'll have a chip on his shoulder this summer.
Carlos Boozer: Another big man who is effective in the post but can also step in to the soft spots of a zone defense and knock down shots from 15-18 feet. Booze is also a great rebounder who will give the U.S. plenty of second-shot chances and opportunities to run.
Deron Williams: Remember Mike Bibby's breakout '02 postseason, when he played like missing a shot would have gotten him arrested? That's what Deron's '07 playoff run was reminiscent of ... and one of the reasons he belongs on this squad. Williams is a deadly mid-range shooter (how many Jazz runs are ignited by one of his pull-ups from the free throw line?) and a solid three-point shooter. And when Team USA wants to run, he can switch the tempo.
Michael Redd: The '04 U.S. team has about 38 swingmen and no shooters, so Redd will be a much-needed addition. One of the deadliest shooters in the game will laugh in the face of zone defenses.
Mike Miller: I'm still waking up in cold sweats trying to shake images of Team USA firing bricks in in the '04 Olympics. Miller is one of the few pure shooters invited to the '07 training camp, and he needs to be on the roster. He's not in the same class as Redd, but defenses must respect his outside game.
Brad Miller: I know some of you are scratching your head about this selection, but Brad "no relation to Mike" Miller has all the skills that are essential in international basketball. He's an excellent passer, a good shooter and a solid rebounder. Brad is pretty limited aside from that, but it's not like he'd be logging major minutes for Team USA anyway.
Shane Battier: This is a no-brainer. Battier is a selfless player who can guard anyone from the opposing team's top scorer to the ball boy and not complain either way. He rarely makes mistakes, can guard up to four positions and is a decent shooter.
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