cp3/deron williams/baron davis
kobe/r allen
lebron/tmac
garnett/duncan/boozer
d howard/stoudamire

picked ray allen for his outside shooting, and has proved he can sacrifice for the good of the team. picked baron davis as he has had 2 great seasons, can play both point and shooting. didnt pick d wade because he is similar to kobe, been imjured and kobes a better shooter. picked tmac because he is better than melo, and i believe the 5 big guys there are the best big guys in the league, bar dirk. almost picked shaq, but howard and stoudamire have proven to now be better.

Kidd/Cp3
Allen/Kobe
Pierce/LBJ
Garnett/Duncan/Stoudamire
Shaq/Howard

That would be the best team by far. Put the big 3 from Celtics as starters with Shaq and Kidd. Players are familiar with one another and know what the other wants. Kidd can gel with anyone, and Shaq is too big so he will get alot of attention on defence. Kobe and LBJ are potentially the players who will make or break the team, being that they are players who can be selfish and shoot themselves out of a hole.

Why exactly does everyone here care so much about Team USA? I know you can discuss whoever you like, and support whoever you like, but why not focus a bit more on Australia? They probably won't finish higher than sixth (at best) in the Olympics, but they still deserve our support! I know there is endless discussion about Australia, but still.

IMO, it doesn't matter if Team USA have 3-point specialists like (for example) Michael Redd or Ray Allen or not. They have enough guys who can score points in many different ways that if they fire (as they should) and play as a team (as they can when at their best), they can beat anyone. The team with the most points wins, it doesn't really matter how you get them. The US guys are good enough to find ways to score without needing guys standing on the perimeter to draw defenders. Guys like Kobe, Paul and Williams are decent enough 3-point shooters to draw attention, and cause other people to get open. It's the defensive end where Team USA really fell down in the 2004 Olympics. They let the other team score too many shots. Whether that was from the outside or not, it doesn't matter, they just didn't defend well enough. Straight up scoring will never be the issue for Team USA. Playing as a team and playing good defense (especially on jump shooters) is what will be the make-or-break factor for them.

would not suprise if the Greeks or a team of Ginobili, Oberto, Nociani and Scola or Gasol, Navarro, Calderon combo beats them up again !! or how about Arroyo and his Puerto Ricans running showtime on their butts. Sorry no "superstar" treatment and travels in FIBA basketball !!!!

3, there's more than enough space to discuss all teams. IMO there's already loads of discussion and interest in the Boomers squad - far more than about Team USA.

DUNCAN ISN'T AMERICAN! US VIRGIN ISLANDS IS WHERE HE IS FROM....AND ITS CONSIDERED ANOTHER COUNTRY...


PLUS HE IS CRAP

I think your post is crap. Duncan represented the USA at the 2004 Olympic which would suggest that he is an American.

I'm intrigued as to how Kobe Bryant will go in this Olympics and mix with his teammates given that he has not played at a World Championship or Olympics before. I have no doubt that this team is better than the one that played in Japan but have the Europeans and the South Americans improved also?

Word is that it's up in the air if Ginobili will play in the Olympics, because if the Spurs want him to rest his ankle, he will. That'd be a big blow to Argentina's hopes. Still, none of the European/South American teams have really gotten any worse, so both the US and Australia will be up for some stiff competition. I still see the US winning though, and Australia coming about 6th-8th.

"DUNCAN ISN'T AMERICAN! US VIRGIN ISLANDS IS WHERE HE IS FROM....AND ITS CONSIDERED ANOTHER COUNTRY...


PLUS HE IS CRAP"
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OK umm..... Darnell Mee is from the US he doesn't play for Australia.... well he dosn't now he got cut but anyway.

Hakeem didn't play in the 1996 Olympics either, hes from some poor country in Africa..

C'mon FDG, really.

we should have a betting pool to see which team commits the most travels... i got money on USA

Williams/Paul/Kidd
Bryant/Allen
James/Pierce
Boozer/Garnett/Duncan
Howard/Stoudemire

PG: Deron Williams
SG: Kobe
SF: Lebron
PF: Garnett
C: Howard

This is who I'd start, then I'd pickup a few other all-star types, like Chris Paul, Stoudemire, Marion, and maybe Carmelo (because he usually shows up for international games).

Then I'd fill the rest of the roster with ex-college players that play in EuroLeague and can shoot and are as good fundamentally as the best of the international players....Personally, I believe that U.S. basketball hasn't gotten worse, its just that our best fundamental players just don't make it to the NBA...they're overlooked by the mystique of an international player, and the athleticism and hype of other, less fundamental U.S. Players.

A guy like Kevin Pittsnogle (7 footer with unlimited range, but never made the NBA), or Nick Fazekas (another 7 footer that has great range, and has a very fundamental game...can put the ball on the floor, face up, post up, etc..).

BTW...Duncan is American as the U.S. (UNITED STATES) Virgin Islands are a U.S. Territory....Duncan can choose to play for the U.S. or for the Virgin Islands....just like any player from Puerto Rico can play for the U.S., or players from American Samoa, or any other territory of the U.S....most players stick with their territory because of local pressures, but they certainly can play for the U.S.

what's the yanks going to do when they get a tight zone defence, they get called for travels and carries .. and they don't get bail calls (phantom callls) when going to the basket ?? .. they were perplexed when they were getting beat by the Greeks last time out ... guess they can always yell .. yeah but we didn't have our best players there (you know Garnett, Pierce, Allen etc..).....

I think they have a good chance to win but then again they said the same thing the last 3 times out