Bryant, James, Wade among those on U.S. roster
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2349009
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.
ESPN.com has learned the iden ies 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, Gilbert 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, 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. Re 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 Re , 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.
So . . .
INVITED
Carmelo Anthony
Gilbert Arenas
Shane Battier
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Bruce Bowen
Elton Brand
Kobe Bryant
Dwight Howard
Josh Howard
Lebron James
Antawn Jamison
Joe Johnson
Rashard Lewis
Shawn Marion
Brad Miller
Chris Paul
Paul Pierce
Michael Redd
Luke Ridnour
Amare Stoudemire
Dwayne Wade
STANDING INVITE
Shaquille O'Neal
POSSIBLE ADDITIONS
J.J. Re
Adam Morrison
Greg Oden
I can see why he would have excluded an irrelevant guy like Tim Duncan from that group.
If they are going to put Gilbert ing Arenas on the team and leave AI off, I'm going to puke.
I get to watch Arenas nightly. He's talented, but has no idea how to do anything except ac ulate stats for himself. He plays no defense, and if he feels he isn't getting enough touches (which is impossible since Hughes left), he pouts.
USA Basketball is completely full of .
(On a completely different topic, funny how they somehow forgot to put Duncan when the listed who declined to play.)
Wait a minute, Shaq gets a standing invite, Arena's gets picked.........yet they blow off ALLEN IVERSON?
I feel sorry for AI. He cries for stuff like this.
It's ridiculous that AI didn't get an invite, while Colangelo is probably trying to figure out a way to invite Quentin Richardson, too, to bring back the American Suns from 2004-05. Joe Johnson is a nice player who can do some good things, but he's not Allen Iverson.
This is bull . If anyone's organizing a fan protest, let me know.
And I'm not even an AI fan.
I found it interesting that Paul Pierce was on the list. I know hes a very talented player, but i didnt even think he was on the radar at all!
But yes, leaving AI off is a joke - him and TD kept Team America in medal contention, not Lebron Carmello etc!! At least they have included some good PG's and Shooters this time, such as Chris Paul, Michael Redd, Chauncey, Rashard and some 'higher level' players such as Kobe, Wade and Amare. Shame about the center position (which admittedly changes if Shaq changes his mind).
And the guy is thriving to represent his country, while other players choose to stay at home because they don't give it that much relevance.
And if someone pulls the "team" or "ballhog" card...
Gilbert Arenas
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Paul Pierce
Dwayne Wade
Amare Stoudamire
and maybe Shaquille O'Neal?
Gimme a break...
Only 12 players and three alternates actually make the team, right?
It will be interesting to see how that happens.
that is one sick team.The entire roster includes Carmelo Anthony, Gilbert 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, Paul Pierce, Redd, Ridnour, Amare Stoudemire and Wade.
my 15 would be: Arenas, Billups, Bosh, Bowen, Brand, Bryant, Dwight Howard, James, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Brad Miller, Redd, Stoudemire, Wade, TBD.
TD did not want to participate
I can't wait to see what these guys can do together. I'm dissapointed that Billups will miss out on the world championships, but I guess I can't fault the guy for wanting to be with his wife as she gives birth.
I feel bad for AI. He was the MVP of the olympic team, seemingly one of the only players who really wanted to do a good job representing our country .... and he gets kicked off for Gilbert Arenas? GIVE ME A F'ING BREAK!
What happened to Hinrich?
Maybe they are trying to make up for his all-star 'snub' /end sarcasm.
He almost has a triple double against the Pups tonight. He should be in training camp.
Chauncey Billups > Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant > Dwyane Wade
LeBron James > Joe Johnson > Shawn Marion
Amare Stoudemire > Elton Brand > Chris Bosh
Brad Miller > Dwight Howard
Allen Iverson is my favorite NBA player. But, I agree with the decision not to invite him on the team. His game just isn't quite right for the Olympic team. But, that being said, neither is Gilbert Arenas', Paul Pierce's, or Carmelo's.
Did Ben Wallace decline? Notice he wasn't mentioned.
From the article:
"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.)"
Looks good to me, though I would play Marion before Johnson. I really don't see them being stopped this time.
I would love to have Bowen on the 12 man active roster, but I simply don't think there are enough spots.
Also, it will be interesting to see how much the young players will have improved by the time the Olympics roll aroun.d
What a disrespect to AI. He's one of my top 3 choices for the team.
with the fiba rules the usa sucks
The one I really don't understand is Ridnour over Hinrich.
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