Pistons starters should go for the gold

[Pistons < Spurs]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5325542

When the reserves for the Eastern and Western Conference All Star teams were announced in February, there was a bit of public outcry. The guys from Dime made their case for Chris Paul's spot on the Western squad. Reggie Miller defended Jason Terry's right to play for the West on TNT's Inside the NBA on Thursday. Several experts spent last week crying foul over the omissions of Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, and Dwight Howard as well.

There was only one guy that I thought got "jobbed". Sure, he averages two less points per game than Caron Butler, and yes, the legend that is Viktor Khryapa grabs more rebounds per game. He's also undoubtedly the fifth best player on his team.

All that said — Tayshaun Prince is an NBA All Star.

The 2005-06 Pistons are a symphony. Watching them on the NBA League Pass each night, it's hard to differentiate one starter's worth over another's. It's like being in the presence of John, Paul, Ringo, George, and, well, Tayshaun. On any given night, either of the Wallaces, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, or Mr. Prince can lead the team in scoring. They rotate defensively, move without the ball, and unlike the �04 or �05 Larry Brown-led teams, can score with any team in the league. Like a breath of much needed fresh air for the NBA fan, the Pistons are a throwback to the great NBA teams of old. They pass, play defense, and lift each other up. Watching John Thompson interview the Detroit starting five last month, one can tell that they genuinely get along too. They're friends.

Scratch that. They're family.

And after snoozing through an all-encompassing home-and-home sweep of Cleveland earlier this week, it became pretty obvious:

This five — this family — should be representing the United States in international compe ion.

Come this summer in Japan, there's no reason that the Detroit Pistons' starting unit shouldn't be suiting up in the U.S. red, white, and blue at the World Basketball Championships. The 2004 Olympic team in Athens was like the cast of the NBC show "LAX" — plenty of big names, great on paper, and an absolutely awful final product. The various experts' criticisms of that squad read like a laundry list:

# "Too Slow"
# "No Chemistry"
# "Too Young"
# "Not Enough Shooting"
# "Five Individuals"

The 2003 World Championship squad was no better. Bronze medals and sixth place finishes are not the ideal for USA Basketball. Gold medals are.

The Pistons are everything that the 2004 Olympic team and 2003 World Championship teams were not. They're young, but experienced. They're stars, but not superstars. More importantly, they're a team. Having played together for the past two-and-a-half seasons, this starting unit has grown and gelled together. Offensively, yes, they're terrific. But the hallmark of this team is their effort on the other end. They play with what seems to be a shared brain on the defense. Detroit has become the gold standard for hard-nosed, team-oriented basketball on the defensive end of the floor. They're blue-collar, tough, and smart. They're everything this country stands for.

Each starter went to college. Each starter was born in the United States. Each starter battled to get where they are today. Is this not what we want representing our country? This year's Pistons plug every hole that's made the previous national teams poor and porous.

While other country's national teams work together on a year-round basis, the United States national team is restricted to on and off summer compe ion. In recent years, Team USA's been forced to deal with roster changes up until the start of the actual tournaments, causing the squad to be on the short end of the stick come the opening tip. Both the 2003 disaster in Indianapolis and the 2004 debacle in Athens proved just how difficult it is to trot five superstars on the court and expect positive results. Whereas in the 90's this was commonplace and accepted, times have changed with the grand expansion of the game. International compe ion is no longer the USA on one level, and the rest of the world on another. These days, basketball is truly a global game, and as crazy as it sounds — America's just another country that plays it.


Players, no matter what the cir stances, need time to get to know each other, both on the court and off. By building the next Team USA squad around an actual NBA starting five, that lack of preparation will be accounted for. Instead of coming into compe ion as five individual talents who have never played together in anything outside of an All Star Game, the U.S. team would feature a core of players that share the bruises, memories, and experiences of over 200 NBA battles. There will be respect, trust, and mutual admiration for each other's talents embedded in the thread of the team from the start.

It's not that absurd of an idea. (After all, it worked in D2: The Mighty Ducks.)

Sure, there are better individual talents out there than Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace. But, as a five — a collective whole — there may be no better combination of players in the World than this year's Pistons. And if there's any doubt as to whether or not they can compete with the world's best, I point to this year's ALL Star Game as proof of what they can do. Down ten the entire game, the Piston five ignited a third-quarter run that catapulted the East to a win.

And if they AREN'T up to snuff, there are still seven other slots on the roster to be filled. Having the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on your bench isn't the worst situation for a coach.

As has been do ented one hundred times over by sports journalists since the embarrassment in Athens, an international roster can't be filled with just scorers. There needs to be "glue guys", "long" body types and "incredible wingspans" for a zone defense. Outside shooters from all angles is a must as well.

The team's at ude and culture must start with the coaching. Coach K brings that to the table. Next comes the at ude in the locker room. The Pistons provide that. Bring them aboard, and you have five game-ready, no-nonsense guys.

Soon, the next version of Team USA will be announced. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have already been announced as team members. Tim Duncan's out. Sources tell me that Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, and Shaquille O'Neal won't be participating either. Amare Stoudemire will probably want to take it easy this summer as well.

Outside of Kobe and LeBron, the roster's other ten slots are wide open. Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, and Stephon Marbury are nice options. So are Elton Brand, Carmelo Anthony, and Jermaine O'Neal. Shawn Marion, Paul Pierce, and Michael Redd are having the best years of their careers. It's pretty tough leaving any of them off a national squad. But I did.

If it were my team to choose, here's who'd be representing the United States over the next few years in international compe ion. Please excuse me if it has a bit of a Motown flavor:

Starting Five

# Guard: Chauncey Billups, Detroit
# Guard: Richard Hamilton, Detroit
# Forward: Rasheed Wallace, Detroit
# Forward: Tayshaun Prince, Detroit
# Center: Ben Wallace, Detroit

Bench

Guard: Kobe Bryant*, Los Angeles Lakers

Guard: Dwyane Wade, Miami — Arguably the best American point guard alive. Will break down the zones and set up shooters on the wings.

Guard: Ray Allen, Seattle — Not a player I'd fear more if I were in a 2-3 zone.

Guard: J.J. Re , Duke — See above. Just imagine if a team comes out in a zone, and you've got Bryant, Re , and Allen ready to gun from the wings in that 1-3-1 offense.

Forward: LeBron James*, Cleveland

Forward: Tracy Mcgrady — If his back holds up, it will be impossible to keep T-Mac off this squad. Whereas Jermaine O'Neal and/or Dwight Howard might be more tempting options at the forward spot for their size and strength, Mcgrady's got the offensive weapons, wingspan, and quickness to take over an international game.

Forward/Center: Chris Bosh, Toronto — Arguably the most impressive young big man in the game; Can play both the four and the five, and will serve as one of the team's few offensive low post options.

*Already On Team

Tayshaun Prince may not have made the All Star game this year. But, I'd toss him on a far more special squad — our country's national team.

Along with four of his best friends.

[Darrin]

I worry about the NBA over-exurting these guys. They contend for Championships all season, and then expect international compe ion from the same five guys. Also, by he time the Olympics roll around, Rasheed and Big Ben be days away from their 34th birthdays. Imagine if Scottie Pippen, straight off the Conference Finals with the Blazers, had been on that 2000 Gold medal team (turned 35 in the summer of 2000)?

Rasheed's an old 34, too. Let's see what I mean:

Rasheed Wallace
DOB: 9/17/74
Drafted: 20-years-old (1995).
First Game: 21-years-old.
First 25 MPG season: 21-years-old.
First 30 MPG season: 22-years-old.
First time a Full-Time starter: 21-years-old.
First playoff game: 22-years-old.
First Conference Finals: 25-years-old.
First All-Star Game: 26-years-old.
First NBA Finals: 29-years-old.

Ben Wallace:
DOB: 9/10/74
Drafted: Signed as UFA at 22-years-old.
First Game: 22-years-old.
First 25 MPG season: 24-years-old.
First 30 MPG season: 26-years-old.
First time a Full-Time starter: 25-years-old.
First playoff game: 27-years-old.
First Conference Finals: 28-years-old.
First All-Star Game: 28-years-old.
First NBA Finals: 29-years-old.

I don't like this idea. The Olympic team needs to be the embodiment of their qualities as a unit, not the actual bodies.

[himat]

I worry about the NBA over-exurting these guys. They contend for Championships all season, and then expect international compe ion from the same five guys. Also, by he time the Olympics roll around, Rasheed and Big Ben be days away from their 34th birthdays. Imagine if Scottie Pippen, straight off the Conference Finals with the Blazers, had been on that 2000 Gold medal team (turned 35 in the summer of 2000)?

Rasheed's an old 34, too. Let's see what I mean:

Rasheed Wallace
DOB: 9/17/74
Drafted: 20-years-old (1995).
First Game: 21-years-old.
First 25 MPG season: 21-years-old.
First 30 MPG season: 22-years-old.
First time a Full-Time starter: 21-years-old.
First playoff game: 22-years-old.
First Conference Finals: 25-years-old.
First All-Star Game: 26-years-old.
First NBA Finals: 29-years-old.

Ben Wallace:
DOB: 9/10/74
Drafted: Signed as UFA at 22-years-old.
First Game: 22-years-old.
First 25 MPG season: 24-years-old.
First 30 MPG season: 26-years-old.
First time a Full-Time starter: 25-years-old.
First playoff game: 27-years-old.
First Conference Finals: 28-years-old.
First All-Star Game: 28-years-old.
First NBA Finals: 29-years-old.

I don't like this idea. The Olympic team needs to be the embodiment of their qualities as a unit, not the actual bodies.

he's an old 32 year old.

[JamStone]

Those players would have to "WANT" to play for Team USA in order for them to "BE" on Team USA. That's where the logic went misplaced. Both Rasheed and Ben expressed months ago that they were not interested in playing for Team USA in the Olympics. Subsequently, both Rip and Tayshaun declined invitations to join the team. It has become evident that those players value the time off to spend with their families over the course of the next three summers than to represent their country. Moreover, they plan to be playing well into June each of the next few summers, which would make it very difficult to also be involved in summer compe ion, as they will need those summers to rehabilitate their bodies from long seasons and hopefully long playoff runs.

The idea is kind of neat. And, the notion of the Pistons starting five representing Team USA is definitely an honorfor someone to think of that. But, it is neither likely or feasible, especially considering four of those five starters don't want to do it.

[Darrin]

he's an old 32 year old.

I was referring to the summer of 2008, and state so in the previous post.