Team USA

The 2008 version of Team USA is, in my opinion, the best team that the US has fielded in the Olympics since the original Dream Team. The current roster is loaded with NBA mega-stars, young talent, and a trio of tri-captains who have experienced defeat in the previous Olympics. In Beijing, Team USA will make a commitment to defense, preventing easy baskets while forcing turnovers that will lead to quick buckets on the other end. Since USA has the best collection of athletes in the world, they will look to exploit this advantage by running the fast break as much as possible. This Olympic team also represents the culmination of a three-year program designed to re-establish the United States as an international powerhouse, and they will be looking not just to beat the other teams, but to run them off the court like they did in the 90s.

The international game is very different from the NBA game, which is a big reason that Team USA has struggled for the past few years. International basketball stresses team play and can neutralize selfish, individual talents with zone defenses and much more physical play than is allowed in the NBA. While this Team USA has a collection of superstars, they have been taught to put their egos aside in order to thrive in this style of basketball. Following is the 12-man Olympic roster, and my take on the role that each player will fill.

Jason Kidd- Easily the oldest player on Team USA, some would argue (myself included) that Kidd is probably the worst of the 3 point guards on the 12-man roster. So why is he starting? Because not only is Kidd the only player on the team who has already won Olympic gold, but he also boasts an undefeated record in international play. He is the master of running the break, something that Team USA plans to do as much as possible, and he has the best understanding of how to play the international game. Kidd is a great defensive rebounder, a skill which should allow the wing athletes of USA to release on the break quicker as Kidd corrals the rebounds and ignites the break.

Kobe Bryant- The next oldest player, Kobe prides himself on being the defensive specialist for Team USA, making it his task to completely shut down the best perimeter player on the other team (he proved his ability to do this against Brazil's Leandro Barbosa last summer). Of course, it's not like Kobe won't be contributing on offense as well. He is more than capable of bringing the ball up against pressure, and his outside shooting will be critical when opponents go to a zone defense (which will be often). Against man-to-man defense, Kobe can penetrate and make plays as well as anyone in the world. Playing for his country clearly means a lot to Kobe, and he took the team to the next level with his commitment to defense and all-around work ethic after his addition last summer.

LeBron James- LeBron is one of the physical marvels on Team USA has that no other country can match. His combination of size, speed and power is unmatched by the rest of the world (LeBron will be bigger than the starting center for some teams), and he will exploit this by getting out and running as much as possible, knowing that Kidd, Kobe and the rest of the guards will be able to find him. LeBron is probably the best finisher on the break in the world, which he doesn't get to showcase very much in Cleveland, so he really makes the most of his time with point guards like Kidd and Paul. Like Kobe, he will be taking his defense very seriously, and will have to be committed on the boards as well. Offensively, LeBron has to be careful not to fall in love with his jumper- even with the shorter three point line, LeBron is a very streaky shooter. While he has the size and jumping ability to get a clean look off at any time, he is more effective going hard to the basket and making things happen. LeBron is one of Team USA's tri-captains who only won the bronze in the 2004 Olympics.

Carmelo Anthony- He might not be the biggest name on the team, but Carmelo is the best player on Team USA in the international game (he has even admitted that he prefers playing the international style to NBA rules). Starting at power forward, Carmelo will more than likely be the leading scorer for Team USA. His game translates so well into international competition because the deep jumper that he loves to shoot, which is usually a long 2 in the NBA game, is a 3-pointer in the international game. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams- against bigger power forwards, Carmelo will use his quickness to blow by them and get to the rim, and against smaller defenders, he will either shoot his patented corner jumper over them, or use his size and take them in the post. He will also be leaking out on the break at every opportunity, where he is a terrific finisher. Anthony is another tri-captain of the team.

Dwight Howard- Like LeBron, Dwight Howard is simply on a different level physically than the rest of the world. In the brutal international game, Howard will have to control his emotions and swallow his pride, as his role will be limited to rebounding, shot-blocking and picking up garbage baskets (alley-oops, put-backs). USA big men have always had a hard time in the international game (ask Tim Duncan), where the refs won't protect them from the overly physical play down low, and the zone defenses that most teams will employ clog up the middle and limit their touches offensively. Also, Howard's free throw shooting problems make him a target for hard and frequent fouls. How Howard, who is still only 22, handles all of this will be a big factor in how well Team USA does. Despite all of the things going against him, Howard is one of the most dominant big men in the NBA and a vital cog for Team USA. His combination of strength and athleticism inside is enough for most teams to immediately go into a zone defense, which opens up the perimeter for USA's shooters, and his presence on defense will prevent teams from even attempting to finish at the rim.

Chris Bosh- Bosh is more of an international-style big man, who can step out and hit a jumper and also take his man to the basket off the dribble. Physically he's not even close to being on Howard's level, and he will have trouble banging down low, but Bosh is a great offensive weapon who will make Team USA much harder to defend. He's also a great runner who should be able to beat his man down the floor for easy scores. When Bosh is in at center without Howard or Boozer in to protect him, USA might have to turn down their running game and make a more concerted effort on defensive rebounding, as Bosh probably can't control the boards by himself like Howard can.

Dwyane Wade- The third tri-captain of the team, Wade has been committed to this process since the bronze-medal showing 4 years ago, and redeeming that effort clearly means a lot to him. He will usually be the first man off the bench and can step in at either backcourt position. He's another superior athlete who will look to get out and run on the break, and his penetration skills offensively will force the other teams into the zone defense. However, Wade isn't a true point guard (meaning that he will be competing with Kobe for playing time), and I'm really not sure how well he fits into the overall scheme of the team, given that he isn't a great outside shooter, a big part of the problem on the 2004 team. Defensively he can lock down both guard spots, and this might be his greatest value for the team. That said, despite his captain status, I wouldn't be surprised if Wade isn't happy with his minutes.

Michael Redd- Redd is on the team for only one reason- shooting. A premier 3 point shooter in the NBA, the shorter international 3-point line is like a free throw for him, and he will be put in as the designated "zone breaker." With most teams going zone against the bigger and stronger Team USA, Redd will simply float around the perimeter and knock down the open shots that the zone defense allows. He's also a good defender when he wants to be (usually not the case in Milwaukee), and will help out on the defensive boards before trailing the break and looking for open 3's.

Carlos Boozer- Boozer is the most surprising addition to the team, as he hasn't participated in the summer programs for the past 2 years (even though both were for injury and personal reasons). That said, Boozer has the powerful, stocky build that most international big men have, and he will be counted on to do all the dirty work at center. He probably won't ever be paired with Howard, but he will see some time in the same lineup as Bosh, as they compliment each other very well. Boozer is basically playing in place of Amare Stoudamire, and while he isn't as explosive of an athlete, has a very similar game to Stoudamire. He is equally comfortable in the post as he is shooting a mid-range jumper, and he can knock bodies around down low with the best of them. The biggest downside to Boozer filling the back-up center spot is that he doesn't provide the shot-blocking defensive presence that Howard, Stoudamire or Tyson Chandler would to anchor the defense.

Deron Williams- The next in line as the starting point guard for Team USA, Williams has the size to handle the stronger, more aggressive point guards that most international teams use. He will split time with Wade and Paul as a backup point guard, although I think he will end up getting more minutes than originally expected. He is a better ball-handler and smarter passer than Wade, and a better shooter than Paul. Williams uses his quickness and devastating cross-over to get into the lane almost at will, and he is fearless at the rim. Defensively, his end to end speed and man-to-man defense are his biggest issues, so he won't be able to pressure the ball full-court like Paul or Wade can, although he will be able to body the opposing point guards in the half-court.

Chris Paul- Paul is another point guard that will split time with Wade and Williams. After Kidd, he is the best at running the break, which is a crucial part of Team USA's game, and he can apply full-court pressure on opposing point guards. The problem is that Paul isn't a great outside shooter and is relatively small for international competition. Smaller guards have notoriously struggled in international competition (Allen Iverson), and even as strong as Paul is, he might have more trouble than anyone is anticipating. It's hard for me to doubt Chris Paul, but it's definitely a cause for concern. Offensively, Paul can easily penetrate against man-to-man defenses, but the zone defenses that opposing teams will employ could really give Paul trouble.

Tayshaun Prince- The USA decision-makers like Prince as a versatile defender who can guard four positions. He's also the selfless, team-oriented type of player that Team USA is looking for. That said, I don't like the decision to have Prince on the team. He is the true 12th man, so in the end it might not make a difference (look at the 12th men on the past Gold medal teams), but I think they should have taken Tyson Chandler instead.

Each team can carry 6 reserves who can be added to the team due to injury until August 6.

Tyson Chandler- Chandler, like Howard, is the type of athlete that almost every other country simply won't be able to match up with. He is a selfless player who never looks for his own points, and would have understood his rebounding/shot-blocking role as well as anyone. Team USA currently only has 3 true "bigs" (although Carmelo and LeBron will both see a lot of time at power forward), and they could have used Chandler as insurance in case Howard gets hurt or in foul trouble (which is very likely). As it stands, Chandler is the first reserve for Team USA, and would be the first added to the team in the event of injury. I feel bad for Chandler, who is one of my favorite players in the league anyway, because he is a better fit for this current team than Prince.

The other 5 reserves are Mike Miller (who was competing with Redd for the "designated shooter" spot), Shawn Marion, Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson and Chauncey Billups. After Chandler, Miller and Johnson would be the most likely additions to the team in the event of injury.

There are three players who I have problems with being on the team- Boozer, Paul and Prince. From the beginning of this new era for USA basketball, all of the players that were going to be on the 2008 Olympic team were expected to make a 3 year commitment, being a part of the team every summer. Carlos Boozer has not been a part of any of these summer programs. As I said earlier, there were reasons for Boozer missing these sessions, including injury and personal matters, which I have no right to question. But last summer, when Wade couldn't play because of an injured shoulder, he was still in Las Vegas attending all of the team's practices, traveling with the team, and sitting on the bench during the games. He couldn't play, but he was still very much a part of the team. A big factor in Boozer being on the team is the injury to Amare Stoudamire- Boozer fills an obvious need on the team (in a different way than Chandler would), so at the end of the day I don't really have that big of an issue with the decision, but it was interesting to me as he was such an unexpected addition.

Criticizing Chris Paul is almost blasphemous, but it is worth noting to me that Team USA seems to be carrying too many point guards. Jason Kidd had to be on the team- he's the leader, the coach on the floor, and a veteran of the international game. For the young and inexperienced Team USA, Kidd is invaluable. Dwyane Wade, one of the captains, will most likely be playing a good amount of point guard off the bench (put it this way- he's not taking minutes from Kobe, LeBron or Carmelo), and as a captain, he is almost guaranteed a certain amount of minutes. That's already 2 point guards. From there, the issue for Team USA was making the decision between Deron Williams and Chris Paul, which is already looking to be an all-time argument as to who is better (remember, Williams was taken one pick before Paul in the 2005 Draft). It would have been extremely difficult, simply from a PR perspective, for USA to take one and not the other, but it would have been even harder to take Williams over Paul, who was the MVP runner-up this past season, as well as one of the most media-friendly players in the league. As dominant as Williams is, he doesn't get nearly as much national attention as Paul does. All that said, Williams is a better fit for the international game, for reasons I listed above. On talent, Paul and Williams are better players, regardless of position, than anyone else that would have made the team, so their selections are both justified, but at the same time USA probably needs more size and they might be sacrificing a bigger player to include both point guards.

Boozer and Paul, even though I might not like their choices, both fill specific roles on the team (Boozer replacing the offensive game of Stoudamire, Paul as a defensive/change of pace point guard). The selection of Prince, however, is what I really have a problem with. As the last player selected, Tayshaun Prince was brought in specifically to be a versatile defensive specialist. But Prince simply doesn't fit in well with the international game- he is a streaky shooter from outside, and his light frame will result in him getting knocked around too much (especially if he is playing the 4). Also, the role of defensive specialist really isn't that important for this team- they already have Kobe and LeBron to guard virtually any scoring threat that other teams might have. When those two are focused primarily on defense, they are two of the most dominant defenders in the league. I guarantee that there isn't anyone that Team USA will face who would have more success being guarded by Kobe or LeBron than they would being guarded by Prince.

This all brings me back to the snubbing of Tyson Chandler. Even in the NBA game, Chandler is a role player. He guards the best post player on the other team, controls the boards on both ends (his specialty is slapping an offensive rebound back to his team), and is a dominant shot-blocker. He doesn't care about getting his own points, but still tries to beat his man down the floor for easy dunks, and is one of the best alley-oop finishers in the league. Most importantly for this team, he is 7'1 with long arms, and is an explosive athlete. Going back to the points I made earlier about LeBron and Howard, Team USA should be flexing its muscles with the best athletes in the world- physical specimens like Chandler that simply can't be matched by other countries. If you're going to carry a 12th man who will only be used in specific situations, why not carry someone like Chandler, who is a true defensive specialist that doesn't duplicate the talents of anyone else on the team? He brings a specific skill-set and attitude, and would really only see time if Howard was in foul trouble. All that said, Chandler is not yet a house-hold name (while Prince has slowly become one) and is not an NBA champion (a distinction Prince has held since his rookie season). He is still extremely young and has been a part of this process from Day 1, so he'll definitely be on several future teams, but I really disagree with the selection of Prince over Chandler.

Even with this collection of talent, Team USA doesn't intimidate teams like they used to. They will always have a huge bulls-eye on their back, because simply beating Team USA is such an accomplishment for the other countries. Also, the talent level of the rest of the world has slowly started to catch up to the United States, and the teams from the rest of the world have been playing together for much longer than the US team has. That said, this Team USA is much more committed to winning than the past few Olympic teams have been, and (as usual) it would be a huge shock if they don't win the gold, or even lose a single game. My prediction is that the easily win most of their games, with one close call in the earlier round and a hard-fought medal round. 

On a side note, ESPN and Nike are running a 5-part documentary series on Team USA called "Road to Redemption," which premiered last Wednesday. It gave lots of behind the scenes footage of the team and lots of player interviews, and I thought it was extremely well done. The first installment focused mainly on the 3 years since the last Olympics and the rebuilding of the program, and ended with the announcement of the official 12-man roster. I really recommend it to anyone interested on the team and the upcoming Olympic games.