Post subject: USA Men's Basketball preliminary roster
Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:26 am
Supersonic
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:54 am Posts: 10731 Location: The back of a Volkswagen
Quote:
Bryant, James, Wade among those on U.S. roster By Chris Sheridan
Josh Howard, Luke Ridnour, Shane Battier, Rashard Lewis and Brad Miller are among those going to training camp with Team USA. Lamar Odom and Allen Iverson are not.
Through league sources, ESPN.com has learned the identities of the 22 NBA players on the preliminary roster for the U.S. national team, whose director, Jerry Colangelo, will make the news public Sunday.
The list includes All-Stars Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce, but it does not include two players -- Iverson and Odom -- who were members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team and had expressed strong interest in playing again for USA Basketball.
Among those who declined to play were Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Vince Carter, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.
Colangelo has not revealed all the players he has invited, but sources around the NBA helped ESPN.com compile the following list of players who have been asked to report to training camp in Las Vegas in mid-July, and who are expected to attend.
The entire roster includes Carmelo Anthony, Arenas, Battier, Billups, Bosh, Bruce Bowen, Elton Brand, Bryant, Dwight Howard, Josh Howard, James, Antawn Jamison, Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Shawn Marion, Brad Miller, Chris Paul, Pierce, Redd, Ridnour, Amare Stoudemire and Wade.
In addition, Shaquille O'Neal has a standing invitation to join.
Three young players will be added to bring the training camp roster up to 25, with Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, Duke's J.J. Redick and Indianapolis high school star Greg Oden currently the leading candidates to get those spots.
The list of invitees includes seven of the NBA's eight leading scorers (Iverson is the exception) and two of the top three rebounders (the exception is Ben Wallace, who was interviewed by Colangelo but did not want to play.)
Billups will attend training camp but is not expected to compete at the 2006 World Championship in Japan because his wife, Piper, is due to give birth to their third child in late July or early August. Also, Redd is not expected to play in Japan, either, because of his wedding plans.
The Americans plan to take 15 players to Japan (including three who would be inactive for the Worlds). By removing Redick, Morrison, Oden, Billups and Redd from the equation, there would be 20 players vying for 12 active roster spots.
Taking an educated guess, Bryant, James, Wade, Bosh and Marion would seem to be virtual locks for Japan, along with Miller (the only true center) and Arenas and Paul (the top two point guards). Brand and Dwight Howard would seem to have the edge for spots 9-10 because of the team's need for size (we're keeping Stoudemire out of that group because he is recovering from knee surgery), which would leave Pierce, Anthony, Battier, Bowen, Josh Howard, Jamison, Johnson, Lewis and Ridnour competing for the final two spots on the active roster. Colangelo has said he would like to include at least one defense-minded role player on the active roster, and it would appear Bowen, Josh Howard and Battier will vie for that role.
Those players who do not go to Japan will remain on the larger national team roster through the 2008 Olympics. If the U.S. team does not win the World Championship, the team will regroup in 2007 for an Olympic qualifying tournament in the Americas zone.
The U.S. team will be coached by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who will be assisted by Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni, the Portland Trail Blazers' Nate McMillan and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University.
The World Championship begins Aug. 19, with the Americans in a preliminary round group in Sapporo, Japan, that includes China, Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Italy and Senegal. The U.S. team is planning a pre-tournament trip to South Korea and China to play exhibition games.
Training camp is scheduled to take place July 18-25 before the team takes a five-day break. It will then reconvene for an exhibition game in Las Vegas, likely against Puerto Rico, before the team plane leaves for China on Aug. 4 with 15 players aboard.
NBA players on Team USA's training camp roster Carmelo Anthony, Denver Gilbert Arenas, Washington Shane Battier, Memphis Chauncey Billups, Detroit Chris Bosh, Toronto Bruce Bowen, San Antonio Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers Dwight Howard, Orlando Josh Howard, Dallas LeBron James, Cleveland Antawn Jamison, Washington Joe Johnson, Atlanta Rashard Lewis, Seattle Shawn Marion, Phoenix Brad Miller, Sacramento Chris Paul, NO/Okla. City Paul Pierce, Boston Michael Redd, Milwaukee Luke Ridnour, Seattle Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Dwyane Wade, Miami
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:53 pm Posts: 8066 Location: Las Vegas via Rockford (Roscoe), IL Gender: Female
Bammer wrote:
Luke Ridnour??
Sweet. Probably the only UO athlete I've ever liked.
He's my favorite player on the Sonics and in the NBA in general.
_________________ Frank Kevin
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don't care that you're not here with me Cause it's so much easier to handle all my problems if I'm too far out to sea
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:59 am Posts: 18643 Location: Raleigh, NC Gender: Male
You mean how this roster:
Quote:
Team USA Roster:
PG: Stephon Marbury, Dwyane Wade SG: Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony SF: Richard Jefferson, LeBron James PF: Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire C: Tim Duncan, Carlos Boozer, Emeka Okafor
The reason that guys like Iverson, Odom and Marbury aren't going to be invited back is because they are not guys that shoot a high percentage or excel at moving the basketball for the best shot. The international game is much different from the NBA, they actually run a set offense and hustle. They always force the USA to beat them from the outside and we never seem to have the shooters on our roster to do it. Iverson throwing up shots at a 41% field goal percentage and Marbury dribbling the air out of the ball plays right into their hands.
A well-coached group of specialized NBA players who play together and share the ball should win an international competition.
_________________ "Relaxed, but Edgy" - Ed, Raleigh, NC April, 2003
The reason that guys like Iverson, Odom and Marbury aren't going to be invited back is because they are not guys that shoot a high percentage or excel at moving the basketball for the best shot. The international game is much different from the NBA, they actually run a set offense and hustle. They always force the USA to beat them from the outside and we never seem to have the shooters on our roster to do it. Iverson throwing up shots at a 41% field goal percentage and Marbury dribbling the air out of the ball plays right into their hands.
A well-coached group of specialized NBA players who play together and share the ball should win an international competition.
That's the key. Larry Brown deserves some blame for the mess in '04 as well...
_________________ “You’re good kids, stay together. Trust each other and be good teammates to one another. I believe there is a championship in this room.”
-Ernie Accorsi in his final address to the NY Giants locker room before retiring as GM in January of 2007
I don't have anything against Iverson, I think he is a good NBA player, but he isn't a great outside shooter. Guards that are good distributors or are excellent shooters are the type of guards the USA needs to have on the team in order to do well in international competition.
_________________ "Relaxed, but Edgy" - Ed, Raleigh, NC April, 2003
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:44 am Posts: 14671 Location: Baton Rouge Gender: Male
Ilium wrote:
I don't have anything against Iverson, I think he is a good NBA player, but he isn't a great outside shooter. Guards that are good distributors or are excellent shooters are the type of guards the USA needs to have on the team in order to do well in international competition.
you're aware Iverson is 8th in the NBA in assists, right? Ahead of Ridnour, Wade, James, and Joe Johnson. All those guys were selected.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:52 pm Posts: 10620 Location: Chicago, IL Gender: Male
I'm not that upset by the omission of Iverson but, rather, the omission of several role players such as Ben Wallace that will make any team more competitive. 2004 was a disaster for the precise reason that the league felt compelled to pluck the "best," most noticeable players from the available pool to create what was essentially an All-Star team. You don't need an All-Star team for the Olympics. You need a team in general. Taking players that dominant on their respective teams doesn't necessarily translate to the formula for success in the Olympics. That's why it was funny watching the 4 Pistons and Paul Peirce against the West All-Stars in the All-Star game. When those players were on the floor, the East cut the margin from 15 points to 3.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:52 pm Posts: 10620 Location: Chicago, IL Gender: Male
Ilium wrote:
The reason that guys like Iverson, Odom and Marbury aren't going to be invited back is because they are not guys that shoot a high percentage or excel at moving the basketball for the best shot.
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