Doesn't anyone fucking knock anymore?
I was going to post this yesterday, but my boss rudely interrupted me. I can only work so much.
Even though Bill Simmons has already stolen my thunder and written a post about the Team USA NBA list, I’m going to put down my thoughts as well. I was impressed by some of the names on the list (Battier, Bowen, J. Howard) meaning that it looks like Colangelo and his boys are finally getting the message that you need to build a team.
This list is a precursor to the 2008 Olympics and basically this year’s World Championships are the tryouts. With that in mind I didn’t include some guys on this list because I felt their skills may be too diminished by the time Beijing rolls around.
Point Guard: Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul
Billups has shown that he is an all-round great point guard. He can knock down any shot, get into the lane, distribute as well as anyone this side of Steve Nash, and most importantly play defense. Billups’s size will give him a great advantage over Euro points on both sides of the ball. Hell, it gives NBA points a lot of problems now.
Paul is showing signs of being ready to take the torch from Kidd and Nash when the time comes. He’s a classic point guard in every sense of the word. In two years I can only imagine how much he will have progressed. He is a better open court guard than Billups which will make him a great compliment/change of pace point for the team.
Two-Guards: Dwyane Wade, Michael Redd
Wade is the ultimate slasher, but his shot is getting better. He can handle and even run the point if needed. He’s an underrated defender who does so many things well.
Redd is a remade player. When he came out of college he couldn’t hit a 15 footer. Now he might be the best shooter in the league. He still has the slasher in him, which allows him to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. While I think that he is a good team defender, he’s not a lock down guy.
Small Forwards: LeBron James, Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis
There’s not a whole lot to say about LeBron that hasn’t been said. He gives the lineup a lot of flexibility because he can play three, maybe even four, positions. Playing with a team like this should also get his passing game back on track after playing with this rusty hanger, back alley abortion for a team this season.
I was very impressed when I saw Josh Howard’s name on the list. Howard is a good to great defender that brings a solid scoring option at the offensive end. He rebounds well and can get to the hoop.
Believe it or not Lewis was my last addition to this list. His game is very smooth and he has developed a very dependable outside shot. At 6’10” he will be a match up nightmare on the international level. I know that there are a lot of big Euros that are perimeter oriented, but none of them play defense.
Power Forwards: Elton Brand, Shawn Marion, Dwight Howard
Brand has been a consistent double-double machine since his first NBA game. He does everything on the offensive end, including a solid 15 foot jumper. His low post defense leaves a little to be desired at times, but he makes up for it with shot blocking and grabbing every rebound.
Marion is just a beast. His wing span makes him almost unstoppable on offense (whether in the post or on the perimeter) and makes him a stopper on defense. As long as Coach K lets him play the “4” (unlike Brown who had him at the “3” most of the Athens games) he’ll be great. Did I mention that he has played the last two seasons with Steve Nash? Yeah, that will only make him better.
Dwight Howard is arguably the best young big man in the NBA. He’s just a beast, and he’s 20. By the time the 2008 Games roll around he should be averaging about 25 and 15 a night. His low post game is developing and once his mid range jumper gets consistent there won’t be any stopping him. And his defense is great. He plays good post defense, blocks shots, and is going to be the best rebounder on the team.
Centers: Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh
I’m not worried about Stoudemire’s knee because unlike C-Webb and K-Mart he’s taken his time coming back and listened to his doctors. He’s just a freak on both sides of the ball. When he’s on the floor the offense should run through him, no matter what team he is on.
Bosh, Stoudemire, and Howard could be the second coming of Hakeem, Ewing, and Robinson. Bosh has packed on the pounds since he was drafted and is a machine now. He scores at will in the post and has added a mid range jumper to his repertoire. His length makes him dangerous on defense and a beast on the boards. Oh, and he can handle a little bit too.
So those are my picks. A few thoughts on those I left off.
Kobe: I agree with Simmons here in that him being the show with the Lakers has hurt his all around game. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective.
Areans: We saw how well shoot-first point guards worked in Athens. Arenas is a great scorer, but he just doesn’t fit on this team.
Carmelo: It was a toss up for me between him and Lewis. I feel that Lewis is a better shooter, and let’s face it you can’t have too many shooters in International play.
Bowen: Great defender, but I was looking for more than a set three point shot from the corner in my stopper. That’s why I went with Howard.
Battier: Pretty much the same thought as Bowen. I was just looking for a little more versatility from the defensive stopper.
Jamison: Ahh, he just doesn’t do it for me. He has developed his game since coming into the league, but there are just too many more talented small forwards in the league.
Joe Johnson: After the way he has shown he can carry a team this year he may have a shot at the Olympics. He can play both guard positions and can bomb from the outside. He was a tough one to leave off.
Brad Miller: I love Miller’s high post game. He passes well and rebounds well. And maybe on a team with another solid big man he would put up great numbers again. He may wow coaches in the tryouts when on the floor with any of the guys on my list. That’s about his only shot.
Pierce: I put Pierce in the same category as Kobe, but to a lesser extent. He’s carrying a very young team right now by doing everything. I still have the door open for him with a solid showing in the tryouts. I could see him beating out Howard or Lewis for a small forward spot.
Luke Ridnour: He has no shot. He struggles with his outside shot (on a perimeter based team no less) and he couldn’t guard Mark Hughes.
A couple of thoughts:
I think the committee really shot themselves in the foot in 2004 when they waited until the last minute to invite Rip Hamilton. His game is made for international play. Now he’s holding that against them and shot them down this year. Its really too bad.
What about Rasheed Wallace? He’s one of the most talented big men in the league and he does everything on the court. He’s shown that he is an unselfish player and that he is more than willing to take the back seat role for the better of the team. I think that the committee still has some character issues with him. That’s a load of crap.
How about Ron-Ron? He’s probably the most complete player in the league. He can play any position on offense and can lock up any player on defense. Yes he is crazy. He may undermine the team and bring everything crashing down. He may set off an international incident. These are all major concerns. But I think with some Prozac and guys that he respects on the team he would behave.
Even though Bill Simmons has already stolen my thunder and written a post about the Team USA NBA list, I’m going to put down my thoughts as well. I was impressed by some of the names on the list (Battier, Bowen, J. Howard) meaning that it looks like Colangelo and his boys are finally getting the message that you need to build a team.
This list is a precursor to the 2008 Olympics and basically this year’s World Championships are the tryouts. With that in mind I didn’t include some guys on this list because I felt their skills may be too diminished by the time Beijing rolls around.
Point Guard: Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul
Billups has shown that he is an all-round great point guard. He can knock down any shot, get into the lane, distribute as well as anyone this side of Steve Nash, and most importantly play defense. Billups’s size will give him a great advantage over Euro points on both sides of the ball. Hell, it gives NBA points a lot of problems now.
Paul is showing signs of being ready to take the torch from Kidd and Nash when the time comes. He’s a classic point guard in every sense of the word. In two years I can only imagine how much he will have progressed. He is a better open court guard than Billups which will make him a great compliment/change of pace point for the team.
Two-Guards: Dwyane Wade, Michael Redd
Wade is the ultimate slasher, but his shot is getting better. He can handle and even run the point if needed. He’s an underrated defender who does so many things well.
Redd is a remade player. When he came out of college he couldn’t hit a 15 footer. Now he might be the best shooter in the league. He still has the slasher in him, which allows him to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. While I think that he is a good team defender, he’s not a lock down guy.
Small Forwards: LeBron James, Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis
There’s not a whole lot to say about LeBron that hasn’t been said. He gives the lineup a lot of flexibility because he can play three, maybe even four, positions. Playing with a team like this should also get his passing game back on track after playing with this rusty hanger, back alley abortion for a team this season.
I was very impressed when I saw Josh Howard’s name on the list. Howard is a good to great defender that brings a solid scoring option at the offensive end. He rebounds well and can get to the hoop.
Believe it or not Lewis was my last addition to this list. His game is very smooth and he has developed a very dependable outside shot. At 6’10” he will be a match up nightmare on the international level. I know that there are a lot of big Euros that are perimeter oriented, but none of them play defense.
Power Forwards: Elton Brand, Shawn Marion, Dwight Howard
Brand has been a consistent double-double machine since his first NBA game. He does everything on the offensive end, including a solid 15 foot jumper. His low post defense leaves a little to be desired at times, but he makes up for it with shot blocking and grabbing every rebound.
Marion is just a beast. His wing span makes him almost unstoppable on offense (whether in the post or on the perimeter) and makes him a stopper on defense. As long as Coach K lets him play the “4” (unlike Brown who had him at the “3” most of the Athens games) he’ll be great. Did I mention that he has played the last two seasons with Steve Nash? Yeah, that will only make him better.
Dwight Howard is arguably the best young big man in the NBA. He’s just a beast, and he’s 20. By the time the 2008 Games roll around he should be averaging about 25 and 15 a night. His low post game is developing and once his mid range jumper gets consistent there won’t be any stopping him. And his defense is great. He plays good post defense, blocks shots, and is going to be the best rebounder on the team.
Centers: Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh
I’m not worried about Stoudemire’s knee because unlike C-Webb and K-Mart he’s taken his time coming back and listened to his doctors. He’s just a freak on both sides of the ball. When he’s on the floor the offense should run through him, no matter what team he is on.
Bosh, Stoudemire, and Howard could be the second coming of Hakeem, Ewing, and Robinson. Bosh has packed on the pounds since he was drafted and is a machine now. He scores at will in the post and has added a mid range jumper to his repertoire. His length makes him dangerous on defense and a beast on the boards. Oh, and he can handle a little bit too.
So those are my picks. A few thoughts on those I left off.
Kobe: I agree with Simmons here in that him being the show with the Lakers has hurt his all around game. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective.
Areans: We saw how well shoot-first point guards worked in Athens. Arenas is a great scorer, but he just doesn’t fit on this team.
Carmelo: It was a toss up for me between him and Lewis. I feel that Lewis is a better shooter, and let’s face it you can’t have too many shooters in International play.
Bowen: Great defender, but I was looking for more than a set three point shot from the corner in my stopper. That’s why I went with Howard.
Battier: Pretty much the same thought as Bowen. I was just looking for a little more versatility from the defensive stopper.
Jamison: Ahh, he just doesn’t do it for me. He has developed his game since coming into the league, but there are just too many more talented small forwards in the league.
Joe Johnson: After the way he has shown he can carry a team this year he may have a shot at the Olympics. He can play both guard positions and can bomb from the outside. He was a tough one to leave off.
Brad Miller: I love Miller’s high post game. He passes well and rebounds well. And maybe on a team with another solid big man he would put up great numbers again. He may wow coaches in the tryouts when on the floor with any of the guys on my list. That’s about his only shot.
Pierce: I put Pierce in the same category as Kobe, but to a lesser extent. He’s carrying a very young team right now by doing everything. I still have the door open for him with a solid showing in the tryouts. I could see him beating out Howard or Lewis for a small forward spot.
Luke Ridnour: He has no shot. He struggles with his outside shot (on a perimeter based team no less) and he couldn’t guard Mark Hughes.
A couple of thoughts:
I think the committee really shot themselves in the foot in 2004 when they waited until the last minute to invite Rip Hamilton. His game is made for international play. Now he’s holding that against them and shot them down this year. Its really too bad.
What about Rasheed Wallace? He’s one of the most talented big men in the league and he does everything on the court. He’s shown that he is an unselfish player and that he is more than willing to take the back seat role for the better of the team. I think that the committee still has some character issues with him. That’s a load of crap.
How about Ron-Ron? He’s probably the most complete player in the league. He can play any position on offense and can lock up any player on defense. Yes he is crazy. He may undermine the team and bring everything crashing down. He may set off an international incident. These are all major concerns. But I think with some Prozac and guys that he respects on the team he would behave.
posted by CFunk28 at 11:02 AM
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