USA Basketball

2012 Roster

15 Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 230 5/29/84 New York Knicks / Syracuse

10 Kobe Bryant G 6-6 205 8/23/78 Los Angeles Lakers / Lower Merion H.S. (PA)

4 Tyson Chandler C 7-1 240 10/02/82 New York Knicks / Dominguez H.S. (CA)

14 Anthony Davis F 6-10 220 03/11/93 New Orleans Hornets / Kentucky

5 Kevin Durant G 6-9 235 9/29/88 Oklahoma City Thunder / Texas

12 James Harden G 6-5 220 8/26/89 Oklahoma City Thunder / Arizona State

9 Andre Iguodala G/F 6-6 207 1/28/84 Philadelphia 76ers / Arizona

6 LeBron James F 6-8 250 12/30/84 Miami Heat / St. Vincent-St. M
ary H.S. (OH)

11 Kevin Love F 6-10 260 9/07/88 Minnesota Timberwolves / UCLA

13 Chris Paul G 6-0 183 5/06/85 Los Angeles Clippers / Wake Forest

7 Russell Westbrook G 6-3 187 11/12/88 Oklahoma City Thunder / UCLA

8 Deron Williams G 6-3 209 7/26/84 Brooklyn Nets / Illinois

Managing Director: Jerry Colangelo
Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University
Assistant Coach: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University
Assistant Coach: Mike D'Antoni

Griffin out, Davis In?

LAS VEGAS—In scheduling their first exhibition opponent, Team USA organizers chose the path of a college superpower like, say, Kentucky and found a patsy.

Last season, Kentucky began its quest for a national championship by playing teams representing Transylvania, Morehouse and Marist in November. On Thursday night, Team USA began its quest for a gold medal by playing a softie from the Dominican Republic, coached, perhaps coincidentally, by John Calipari of Kentucky.

Although the visitors were competitive at times, ultimately the NBA’s best were bigger, faster, shot better and played tougher defense. The result was a 113-59 victory before a near-capacity, enthusiastic crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus.

The game was always going to be secondary because the opponent was the Dominican Republic and this was not baseball.

But the size of the victory became even more insignificant with the news that Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers left training camp with a torn meniscus in his left knee and would not be available for the Olympics.

Per Olympic rules, Griffin must officially withdraw, and that is likely to occur early next week. He will likely be replaced by Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft by the New Orleans Hornets and an alternate on the team. The U.S. team has already lost centers Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge with injuries, so they are thin on the front line.

The Americans will have four more exhibitions before their first Olympic game on July 29 against France. That will give Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski more time to experiment with different lineups because when 7-1 Tyson Chandler is on the bench, Team USA does not have a true center.

“We’re going to have to play some different lineups where you’re not going to see a 6-10 guy (on the floor),” Krzyzewski said. “We don’t have them.”

Besides Chandler, Davis and Kevin Love are the only players listed at 6-10 or taller, but there are times that all of those three will be on the bench.

Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kevin Durant all played center on Thursday, and they got a good test because Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford was on the Dominican Republic team.

Durant led the U.S. with 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and also had 10 rebounds.

Continue....

As for the poll question, I would love to see this 2012 team play the Dream Team...


The Dream Team would have a very difficult time defending LBJ but this '12 team would get dominated on the boards and inside the paint....


I think the Dream Team wins by double digits...136-122

Originally Posted by PHATBUCK13

As for the poll question, I would love to see this 2012 team play the Dream Team...


The Dream Team would have a very difficult time defending LBJ but this '12 team would get dominated on the boards and inside the paint....


I think the Dream Team wins by double digits...136-122

I'd take this team ANY day... When MJ was in the league, dunking from the FT line was impressive. Now, we see that from high school kids. I think the original DT was greater b/c I measure greatness within its timeframe. But if we're talking head to head, I think this team would dominate.

Who from that team can run w/ Westbrook, Kobe, Wade, Lebron, and Durant?

Jordan was the only player whose entire game would translate to elite status now... That's just not enough IMO.

Originally Posted by AZBuckeye

I'd take this team ANY day... When MJ was in the league, dunking from the FT line was impressive. Now, we see that from high school kids. I think the original DT was greater b/c I measure greatness within its timeframe. But if we're talking head to head, I think this team would dominate.

Who from that team can run w/ Westbrook, Kobe, Wade, Lebron, and Durant?

Jordan was the only player whose entire game would translate to elite status now... That's just not enough IMO.

I think you are really discounting the centers.

Put Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum on the team and we have a discussion, until then; Robinson and Ewing would have their way inside.

How about this: compiling the two teams together... who is on your 2-deep?

PG:Magic, Chris Paul
SG: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
SF: LeBron James, Scottie Pippen
PF: Sir Charles, Karl Malone
C: Patrick Ewing, David Robinson

The defensive strength of the SGs and SFs would be ridiculous.

That's only three of ten from the 2012 squad. If we can do some positional swapping (LeBron at the 4) I think it'd be easy to lose the Mailman from the list in favor of Durant or Carmello.

I'd like to get some older opinions here... Not Jncode old, more like guys who were past puberty in the early 90s.. BballJunkie around?


BTW, anyone watch the exhibition last night agains Dominican Republic? The closer 3-point line is like a layup-line for Kev Durant.

Awesome!

I can't wait for the Black Mamba vs Uncle Drew 1-on-1.

PG: Magic, Westbrook
SG: Jordan, Kobe
SF: Lebron, Durant
PF: Love, Barkley
C: Robinson, Chandler

Chandler/Ewing are a wash to me, but I like chandler's offense...

Also, are we playing under current international rules? If so, then this team would dominate.... This is definitely a finesse team.

I think if all of the best players were playing this year, it’d be this year’s team. Here is what I think it should look like:

Chris Paul
Rajon Rondo
Deron Williams
Russell Westbrook
Kobe Bryant
Dwayne Wade
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Carmello Anthony
Kevin Love
LaMarcus Aldridge
Dwight Howard

That team would be the best ever! No doubt about it...

The 1992 team would kill the 2012 team..........not even close..............

Cmon you young guys need to go do some research about that team............

11 hall of famers, including the best player of all time............23 NBA championships.........