Team USA/World Basketball Classic

[Cross]

http://www.nba.com/usabasketball/

Who do you think will make the 12 man roster?

Mine is

Paul/Hinrich
Wade/Michal Redd/Joe Johnson
LeBron/ battier
Brand/Marion
Dwight Howard/Bosh/Brad Miller

[Kstat]

Odom and Pierce are also out.

[Kstat]

Here's our remaining pool:

Carmelo Anthony
Gilbert Arenas
Shane Battier
Chris Bosh
Bruce Bowen
Elton Brand
Kirk Hinrich
Dwight Howard
LeBron James
Antawn Jamison
Joe Johnson
Shawn Marion
Brad Miller
Adam Morrison
Chris Paul
Michael Redd
Luke Ridnour
Dwayne Wade

That's 18 players going for 12 spots.

I say:

PG: Hinrich
SG: Wade
SF: Bowen
PF: James
C: Bosh

Bench:
Paul
Arenas
Howard
Jamison
Redd
Marion
Miller

Remember, we're not trying to put together a fantasy league roster, we're trying to put pieces together that fit. Can't have too many guns on the floor at once.

[Cross]

Odom and Pierce are also out.

You sure it's odom? I thought it was ODEN. Pierce had elbow surgery or something

[Kstat]

Odom and Pierce are also out.

You sure it's odom? I thought it was ODEN. Pierce had elbow surgery or something

Odom's out. Personal reasons, whatever those are.

Oden was added to the roster, but he's also out.

[Hermy]

You don't take Brand?

[Kstat]

You don't take Brand?

Had Kobe been eligible, I would have left arenas out too.

Again, because we're trying to put together the best TEAM, some players are going to get left off, because other players are better fits.

Brad Miller is a better international center than Brand because of his passing ability and longer range, and we have Howard to play Brand's style of defense.

It's not that Brand wouldn't help, it's that his spot would be better served elsewhere.

There are going to be studs left off the team in favor of role players. It's just tough luck.

[Cross]

I have both Brand and Howard. I dont think team usa needs Bowen. If team usa was to have Bowen start, might as well just use Battier or hell even grab Tay out of nowhere.

You got LeBron at the 4 over Bosh/Brand/marion?!

[Kstat]

I have both Brand and Howard. I dont think team usa needs Bowen. If team usa was to have Bowen start, might as well just use Battier or hell even grab Tay out of nowhere.

You got LeBron at the 4 over Bosh/Brand/marion?!

1. Bowen's 35 already. If we werent planning on using him this summer, we never would have PICKED him.

2. We most likely picked up Battier to fill Bowen's shoes in 2008.

3. A perimeter defender (waaaay more improtant than interior defense in FIBA play), and 3-point specialist?

We would need Bowen MORE in international play, not less.

Let Lebron create and let Bowen stand in the corner and score 18-24 points off wide open 19-footers.

On the other end, Bowen guards the best perimeter player, and James plays passing lanes.

I think it's an awesome fit.

You got LeBron at the 4 over Bosh/Brand/marion?!

You have to stop thinking in terms of NBA basketball. This is FIBA rules. Post play means shit, (they allow you to rape people under the basket) quickness and 3-point shooting means everything. It's the euro counter to the american post players. They changed the rules to favor their strengths.

LeBron is more than big enough to play power forward at the international level. This is all about quickness and shooting, not size.

If anything, I wouldn't rule out Marion playing some backup center.

As for Bosh, if you checked I have him as my starting center. He has no buisness playing PF overseas, there's no reason.

I'd use a 4-guard rotation of Wade, Hinrich, Paul and Redd, use Bowen, Jamison and Lebron as my forwards, and center I'd rotate Bosh and Howard.

Miller, Marion and Arenas would be the end of my bench. Simply not enough minutes for everyone.

[Higherwarrior]

odom's 'personal issues' are the fact that his infant child just died very recently. can't blame him....