Team USA not looking so invincible now.
No LeBron, KD,Griffin,George,Howard etc..

Kawhi Leonard would be a good addition to that squad, with KD and PG out.

Leonard has already made himself unavailable.

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2014/7/14/5898415/leonard-out-of-us-squad-for-fiba

Guess we will get to see if Parsons and Hayward are worth their new NBA contracts :)

This is the last WC that won't be a qualifying tournament for the Olympics, so the appeal of the WC will change from 2019 onwards.

Should USA add Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood and go young? to replace PG and KD.

Both played for Coach K at Duke and look to be 2 of the better rookies coming through and could play similar roles to KD and PG on the team.

NZ taking their group now ;)

Soft

Maybe they can add Love back in after his trade is finalised in a couple of weeks.

On another note, the more I look at Australia and their pool, the more I fancy their chances of finishing top of the pool. They have a real chance (and hence an easier crossover - in theory of course)

USA doesn't look invincible at all now. While they would still be favourites I think a team which strength is their weakness (Inside, maybe Spain/Lithuania) could topple them.

As for Australia.. we play our first prep game tonight.

Lithuania are traditional a 4-out, high pick-and-roll team who make teams either cover their shooters or their solitary big man rolling to the basket.

That precision could trouble this US team as it did in 2012, but rather than just having a type of game that troubles them I think it's more about executing a style very well to exploit this version of the US team's lack of familiarity with each other and the international game.

This news adds to a lot of turnoil for team USA, but any other country would now be considered no chance of making the final, let alone winning this competition. They have great depth, but it will test them now, also how well their structures can work with such a last minute line up...

G - Rose / Irving / Lillard
G - Harden / Curry
F - Parsons / Hayward / Thompson
F - Davis / Faried
C - Cousins / Drummond


Hardly a scary/intimidating lineup.

Navarro will be licking his lips against Harden and Curry (Harden is awful, Curry is ok. Missing Iguodala (sp? who is a terrific defender with length).

I don't know I can just see things going tits up, especially on defence. I don't think Cousins will go well against international bigs. To me Faried and Drummond are still quite raw and I can see international bigs outsmarting them/using superior experience.

Also, you don't have a primary Ball Handler that can play the role J.Kidd did at the 08 Olympics i.e. find open teammates, don't turn the ball over and just rack assists and play a smart traditional PG role.

All 4 of the PGs( inc Curry) are score first types.

I don't believe this team has the same balance as in the past when Coach K selected specific players for specific roles (Chandler for rebounding and defence, Iggy for defence, J.Kidd PG role and experience).

Team looks more like team of early 2000s (with a few ego players in there like Irving, Cousins and Harden)

i see cousins getting in lots of early foul trouble and being really angry the whole time. this team is very beatable. But someone could really step up for them in a big way too. Makes the cup way more interesting.

I just want to go on record as saying if team USA shoot it at anywhere near 45%-55%, they will smash everyone...

3 pointers alone will lead them in every quarter, unless they don't take good shots or lose confidence in their outside and mid range game. I don't see them scoring so much in the post compared with the perimeter, agree with that.

Sorry I meant to have said >45-55%, rather than near it!

His tournament is wide open