My picks for the USA Squad.

[Brutalis]

I'm not sure if the Olympics require a 12, or what. But everybody pick your USA Squad you wish you could see in the Olympics. (im pretty sure its 12)

C: Shaq (NBA might have a fix for him but the World teams are clueless)
PF: Garnett - Amare
SF: LeBron - VC
SG: Wade - Rudy Gay - Dee Brown - J.J. Redick
PG: Kidd - Chris Paul - Iverson


There's your frontcourt dominance. There's your shooters, your ball handlers, and your highlight reel players in Bronny, Wade and VC. Amare played good defense in 2004 which was a shocker too.

I wish we would include some college stars. Mix it up a little.

[Brutalis]

Bruce would foul out before halftime in the Olympic rules.

[spursupporter]

bruce vs manu would be a great match-up

[xcoriate]

Shaq in the USA squad would be a mistake, its all going wrong for him right now, let alone in 2008.

[Brutalis]

Nah.

The minutes he does play he cant be stopped. Never in the Olympics has anyone ever been able to contain Shaq.

[10-tka]

1: Francis, Kidd
2: Allen, Kobe, LeBron, Carmelo
3. D. Mason, Carter
4.Garnett, Artest
5. Shaq, Nazr (in case of USA:SLO Rasho kicks his ass!)

[Slo spurs fan]

I'm not sure if the Olympics require a 12, or what. But everybody pick your USA Squad you wish you could see in the Olympics. (im pretty sure its 12)

C: Shaq (NBA might have a fix for him but the World teams are clueless)
PF: Garnett - Amare
SF: LeBron - VC
SG: Wade - Rudy Gay - Dee Brown - J.J. Redick
PG: Kidd - Chris Paul - Iverson


There's your frontcourt dominance. There's your shooters, your ball handlers, and your highlight reel players in Bronny, Wade and VC. Amare played good defense in 2004 which was a shocker too.

I wish we would include some college stars. Mix it up a little.
Too many ego´s.
I would send college stars and only few (older) NBA players who can stand the presure of important games.

[Rummpd]

2 Centers Ben Wallace and Shaq (if he goes if he doesn't add Rasheed and make J O'Neal a center and play James more at guard)
5 Forwards Amare, Bosh, J. O'Neal, Garnett, Prince (love his defense would gladly also accept Marion or Bowen here), James playing SF
5 guards Kobe, AI, Billups, Wade, Chris Paul (Kidd for Paul if want more experience)

[ducks]

I pick the pistons team
I would pick the spurs team but I want them rested for the nba season and not get hurt

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I'm surprised that so many folks are picking Shaq. If a guy like Duncan is picking up fouls left and right I can only imagine what a lumbering giant like Shaq is going to do.

I'm in agreement with Ducks, in that my team might have the Pistons entire starting five on it. They are all worthy picks individiually and then you throw in the added bonus that they'd be familiar with each other. Toss in Duncan, Garnett, Lebron, Shawn Marion, DWade, Michael Redd, and Chris Paul (if he can keep developing by 2008 he should be fantastic).

[JamStone]

Shaquille O'Neal will be 38 in the 2008 Olympics. Jason Kidd will be 37. Both have already experienced quite a few injuries in the last few years. Kevin Garnett has stated he does not want to be on the next Olympics squad.

I'd take 12 of the following 15:

PG: Allen Iverson, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Paul
SG: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Adam Morrison
SF: LeBron James, Tayshaun Prince, Shane Battier
PF: Elton Brand, Chris Bosh, Emeka Okafor
CE: Amare Stoudemire, Brad Miller, Joel Przybilla

[Stephen A. Smith]

So what if Shaq's going to be 38? George Foreman did his best work after forty, including his Lean, Mean, Fat Reducing Grilling Machine! Then you have guys like Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, who aren't nearly as tall as the Big Fella! The Diesel is like a fine wine, he just keeps getting better with age. That, and like a fine wine, I wouldn't mind curling up with him by a roaring fire. Not in a gay way, mind you, just so we can talk about basketball and why Kobe Bryant is what's wrong with America.

Anyways, the bottom line is that at the end of the day a 38 year old Shaq is twice the man than any other clown mentioned in this thread. Quite frankly if you want gold in 2008 the Big Fella had better be on that team.

[JamStone]

38 years old in baseball is like 31 years old in basketball. Not to mention Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens are pitchers who only play 20% of a baseball season. Boxers only fight two or three times a year, and George Foreman shouldn't have been fighting in his 40s.

Note that I did not only say that Shaq would be 38, but I also stated how he has been injury proned the last few years. Old and injury proned, plus overweight and apathetic (my opinion), plus the three year committment is something that will likely prevent Shaq from participating in the next Olympics. Shaq just likes the attention and the feeling of being needed. That's why he hasn't outright said "no." He wants Team USA to dote on him and suck up to him before he refuses them.

[Vashner]

I think Bowen would be good for Team USA.

[velik_m]

38 years old in baseball is like 31 years old in basketball. Not to mention Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens are pitchers who only play 20% of a baseball season. Boxers only fight two or three times a year, and George Foreman shouldn't have been fighting in his 40s.

Note that I did not only say that Shaq would be 38, but I also stated how he has been injury proned the last few years. Old and injury proned, plus overweight and apathetic (my opinion), plus the three year committment is something that will likely prevent Shaq from participating in the next Olympics. Shaq just likes the attention and the feeling of being needed. That's why he hasn't outright said "no." He wants Team USA to dote on him and suck up to him before he refuses them.

dude... Stephen A. Smith ;)

[sickdsm]

Michael Redd is a shoe-in IMO.

[leemajors]

Michael Redd is a shoe-in IMO.

i agree, you need redd or ray allen. i also think having rip hamilton and tayshaun would be great. tay for his d and vastly improved o, and hamilton for that nasty mid range j.

[Rummpd]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_15623.shtml


Ducks endorsed an idea I already wrote about - to be fair it might hurt the Pistons to send all five but if even 3 or 4/5 went would be good for US team IMO


Last Updated: Jan 8th, 2006 - 10:51:34

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Colangelo - Do It - Select the Whole Pistons Starting Five for Team USA!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Peter Rumm, MD
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jan 7, 2006, 21:21


About a week ago, I wrote an article (see: http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_15592.shtml) for which, I have taken a lot of heat from loyal Detroit Pistions fans about their 25-4 team's start. In this article, I suggested that it is at least plausible for the San Antonio Spurs (currently at 26-7 but with a history of strong second halfs of the season) to still catch them for the number one seed going into the playoffs, that they won’t most likely win 70 games, and that I still favored the Spurs for the title.

Much of this reasoning was based on the current point differential of about 7.75 PPG that is not in line with former 70 win teams, especially the 96-97 Bulls that won 72 with a 12.2 PPG differential. (John Hollinger of ESPN wrote about this in his part of his prediction that followed mine.)

I stand by those predictions which are pretty much in line with a column on ESPN right now in which the majority of their experts predicted the Spurs for the title 8-4, and none predicted the Pistons winning 70 games – although like myself, the majority of the 12 experts thought it was certainly plausible. (See: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2282744)

That being said, I stand very strongly by some other comments I made that the Pistons are still a great, great team and certainly a very legit threat (to me by far the top current) to the Spurs repeat hopes. They are a motivated and dedicated group of professionals among the best the NBA has to offer.

I also stand strongly by my sentiments that the Pistons have the best starting five in basketball – or at least the most well rounded. All five players are fabulous NBA players, Ben Wallace is a three time defensive player of the year, and Chauncey Billups is my current favorite for the MVP award. Plus unlike, the starting five of the Spurs, which includes Tony Parker of France, Rasho Nesterovic of Slovenia, and when healthy Manu Ginobili of Argentina, all five are from the USA.

Therefore, I have a suggestion for Mr. Jerry Colangelo, the leading executive for the Phoenix Suns and Managing Director for Team USA. He is the sole person responsible for picking the team that will represent the United States in international play and the next Olympics.

Select this entire strong starting five right now for the team!

That is right, select Chauncey Billups PG, Richard Hamilton SG, Tayshaun Prince SF, Rasheed Wallace PF, and Ben Wallace C.

What more could any coach, especially Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (who stresses “playing the right way”) want than an intact group of players that could help the team in so many ways?

I would not necessarily start any of the group on team, although both Wallace and Billups certainly deserve very strong consideration. But during the game I would have 2-3 in at all time to go with some pairing of young to mid career NBA talent like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire (if healthy), Jermaine O’Neal, Elton Brand, and Kobe Bryant, Carmello Anthony, Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and veterans Jason Kidd and Allen Iverson. (Garnett and Duncan and probably S. O’Neal are not expected to accept invitations this year but have for their credit represented the U.S. before, and Iverson and Bryant have locked down invitations.).

Plus at some point this whole squad would be on the floor for a 5-10 minute stretch, locking down defensively on the other team to a degree that no other starting five on any other club in the NBA except the Spurs can match.

Moreover, they know each other well and their games, and offer a nice mix of inside and outside threats and Rasheed Wallace is about as clutch a three shooter as I ever seen, and both Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups are developing deserved reputations as very clutch shooters.

R. Wallace, Hamilton, and Prince are all long arm defenders that can cause havoc in the wider international lane.

Also, you want physical in international play - bring it on - this Pistons starting five will not back down!

I guarantee that these five plus a good combination of seven NBA superstars and role players can play with anyone in the world and would have a great shot at returning the gold.

Mr. Colangelo - Do it!

(Addendum: I realize that after I wrote this, that the Pistons lost a surprise home game to the Jazz, but such losses happen in the long 82 game marathon that is the NBA regular season; and the Jazz are a better team than many realize - but that is a story for another day.)



Dr. Rumm is the "SportsDoc to the Fans", and as a former editor writes on players, teams and especially on medical issues. He lives near Philadelphia and is lifelong Spurs fan.

[Medvedenko]

Man this site is "retarded"
Shaq...please, and Ray Allen, VC, Wade over Kobe....more "retardation"

Anyway:

Kobe
Redd
Lebron
Bosh
Amare

[exstatic]

KG opted out. Didn't like the three year commitment, and said it didn't sound "fun" (?). I think it was in one of the article where Tim declined, maybe on mysa?

[sickdsm]

KG opted out after he won his ring years ago. Dude was done then.

[exstatic]

Well Tim opted out in the middle of the Olympics, with his "FIBA sucks" comments. I mean that they've both been asked by Colangelo and declined.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA010806.8C.BKNstarting.five.2e47de6.html

They give "rings" for the Olympics now? :lol

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Is Monroe serious? Why don't we send Artest and Stephen Jackson too?

Is international ball really that physical? Maybe it's just me but it seemed like anytime Duncan tried to do anything that could be considered "physical" the refs whistled him.

[sickdsm]

Pardon my mix up, Gold Medal