Team USA Mini-Camp Roster

[bangdak]

beaz dont bring anything to the table?

im sorry, he doesnt fit any "need?"
they clearly stated that they wanted versatility, mike doesnt bring that?
as long as someone teaches him the footwork, and he puts some effort, he'll be a great forward, quote that.

 

[i am nas]

AAAYYYOOOOOOO!!!! this pic was on the NBA front page one espn... i was like %##?

 

[ldea]

^^ Thats a PS right? Looks like Josh Smith was trying to block his own teammate.

 

[thekingofva]

Future All-Star McGee, Most athletic 7 footer in the NBA

 

[starbury03]

Brook

 

[bhzmafia14]

"We're not saying that Gay went out and made the 2010 version of Team USA, but his performance Saturday night in the Americans' public intrasquad scrimmage should put him high atop the list of players who will be in the mix for the final three or four spots that will be available for the FIBA World Championship in Turkey next summer.

Gay's line was fantastic: 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, with four rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes. He led all scorers among the 20 players who suited up in high-numbered Team USA jerseys. (Just a guess, but we'd imagine Anthony Randolph never had worn No. 62 before, nor had Russell Westbrook donned a No. 56.)

Did Gay secure a spot on the 2010 team as Kevin Durant seemingly already has done?

No.

Did he put himself squarely into the mix, perhaps leapfrogging Andre Iguodala, O.J. Mayo, Jeff Green and any of the other legitimate hopefuls among players who share his position?

Yes.

"First of all, he played like a star today, especially with his team down and him trying to get them back in it. I didn't know he was that explosive offensively, and he played really well. Really well," Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "

""He's a great offensive player, no question about that, and the reputation he has is that of a great finisher late in games, and you want a guy like that with the ball," Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "I was hoping it would get a little closer to see if that would happen, but he had a great start. He's a really offensively talented guy." "

"And if all eight players (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and Chris Paul) who told Colangelo "I'm in" this past February stick to their word, it means only three spots will remain up for grabs.

One will go to a point guard, because the coaching staff is more comfortable carrying three playmakers instead of two. (See Jason Kidd, 2008.)

Another spot will go to a spare big man, because you can't fly halfway around the world without some kind of low-post insurance in case Howard or Bosh gets hurt. (See Carlos Boozer, 2008.)

And with Durant filling the shooter's niche that Michael Redd inhabited in the summer of '08, the last spot likely will go to someone who has the versatility to play multiple positions, defend and score.

And as much as the Team USA hierarchy refuses to discount the possible return of a national team veteran such as Lamar Odom or Tayshaun Prince, it also is trying to build a bridge between the current crop of Team USA stalwarts and their eventual successors who will fill out the rosters for the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 world championship and the 2016 Olympics (which Chicago natives Colangelo and Krzyzewski hope will be hosted in their hometown).

And that's where someone such as Gay could fit in. He already learned the FIBA ropes when he represented the U.S. on a junior team that competed in Argentina in 2005.


"It's in the back of everybody's minds. This is bigger than the Atlanta Hawks, the Memphis Grizzlies or the Chicago Bulls. This is about your country," Gay said. "Now it's not about us, it's about who they want on the team.

"But if I'm chosen, I'm definitely going to read up about [Turkey], because I don't like not knowing what people are talking about."

On Saturday night, they were talking about him. "
Right now, its looking like Durant, Gay, Rose and a big man.

 

[uclamike]

Two USA Basketball officials said Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant(notes) has played "head and shoulders" above everyone else at the minicamp and is the only lock among the players here to make the senior national team next year. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said a 25-man national team roster will be named in November and paired down to about 18 next July.

 

[biggieeb0y]

I think they're going for a rebound.

EG is listed at 6'3 and DJ at 6'0...ahh I don't think so. DJ has gotta be about 5'10 if that.

 

[bhzmafia14]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Ten players who helped their stock at Team USA mini-camp[/h1]
By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Posted Jul 26 2009 2:29AM

LAS VEGAS -- The last four days have been about helping a new group of players indoctrinated into the USA Basketball program. Getting the young guys familiar with how Jerry Colangelo, Mike Krzyzewski and their staff run things is critical to the future success of Team USA. Thanks to the last few days, as well as the continuity of the program since 2006, there shouldn't be any need to spend time on introductions or establishing program standards, because that's already been done.

But make no mistake about it, this week was also a tryout. Practices on Thursday and Friday, as well as the USA Basketball Showcase on Saturday, were used to evaluate the 20 players here and determine how worthy they are of being considered for the Team USA roster for the next three summers and beyond. It wasn't just about points, rebounds and assists, of course. The staff wanted to see how badly these guys wanted to be a part of Team USA and how well they worked with their teammates.

With that in mind, here are the 10 guys who did the most to help their stock over this week.

1. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City
Showcase stats: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-12 fg, 1-4 3pt, 9-9 ft

In order to ensure a spot on next year's roster, Durant needed to show that he's more than just a scorer, and he did that. He was a factor defensively and also made plays for his teammates. It took some time for him to get going offensively on Saturday, but he got to the line often and got out in transition for some easy buckets. Barring injury, he's a lock to be making the trip to Turkey next summer.

2. Rudy Gay, SF, Memphis
Showcase stats: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 11-12 fg, 3-4 3pt, 2-2 ft

The numbers say it all. Nobody was sharper offensively than Gay. We know he's an athletic freak, but he had his jumper going all week, making him impossible to guard. But because he plays the same position as Durant, he may not find a spot on the roster.

3. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago
Showcase stats: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3-7 fg, 0-1 3pt

Rose made a couple of nice plays on Saturday, but didn't stand out and had twice as many turnovers (four) as assists. He was one of the best players in practice though, and is the favorite to take the third point guard spot on the roster next year.

4. Andre Iguodala, SF, Philadelphia
Showcase stats: 7 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 3-6 fg, 1-2 3pt

The USA Basketball staff loves versatility, and Iguodala provides it. He was the only player in camp that can be a lock-down defender, rebound well, handle the ball with confidence, and finish strong on the other end. He should definitely receive consideration for the roster in the next few years, but may be caught in a numbers game with so many good small forwards.

5. Devin Harris, PG, New Jersey
Showcase stats: DNP

Harris turned his left ankle on Friday and was held out of the Showcase for precautionary reasons, but it's relatively minor. Before the injury, he was right there with Rose in the first two days of practice and it wouldn't be a total shock if he beat out the Rookie of the Year for the third point guard spot next year. One of the real veterans among the group, he showed leadership all week.

6. Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City
Showcase stats: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3-5 fg, 1-2 3pt

Over the course of the three days, nobody made more plays for himself or his teammates than Westbrook. He's got great hands defensively and picked up a couple of steals in the backcourt on Saturday. He's also lightning fast and can jump out of the gym. But his decision-making was hit or miss, as he would often over-penetrate and lose the ball when he got into a crowd.

7. Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota
Showcase stats: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2-5 fg, 0-1 3pt

Though he didn't do much on Saturday, Love opened some eyes with his performance in the two days of practice. He rebounded well on both ends, passed well, and shot well from mid-range. He's young, but there will be a need for another big man next year, and he was the best big in camp.

8. Jeff Green, PF, Oklahoma City
Showcase stats: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2-8 fg, 1-4 3pt, 3-4 ft

Green doesn't stand out with anything he does, but after watching him for a while, you realize that he does everything pretty well and doesn't hurt you. After sitting out some time with an arm injury, he hit a big shot in one of the scrimmages on Friday, and he came out strong on Saturday, before slowing down in the second half.

9. Brook Lopez, C, New Jersey
Showcase stats: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, 7-8 fg, 1-1 3pt, 3-4 ft

Until Saturday, none of the four centers in camp had really distinguished themselves. Greg Oden defended the rim well, but two steps behind offensively. JaVale McGee and Anthony Randolph showed flashes, but got pushed around by the bigger guys. And Lopez just never got a rhythm going. But he did in the Showcase, benefitting from the penetration of his teammates, rolling to the basket well and finishing strong (he had two and-ones). When he didn't play well earlier, it was often because he was hesitant with the ball.

10. Kyle Korver, SF, Utah
Showcase stats: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 5-11 fg, 2-5 3pt

Korver never really got hot over the three days, but still shot the ball pretty well. And he showed that he can be more than just a shooter. When he caught a pass off a screen, he was quick to recognize help from the defense, finding his teammate open on the baseline on several occasions. In general, he played hard and somehow, came up with three blocked shots on Saturday.


Here's the boxscore:
http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2009/09_mnt_showcase_box.pdf

Mayo was 5-16

. I heard most of his shots came from long range in the 4thquarter trying to bring the team back. Him and Rose had mediocre games. Thad and Randolph had a pretty nice stat line as well along with Lopez.

Korver had 3 blocks

 

[offbad]

anthony randolph a center?

 

[bhzmafia14]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Rudy Gay and Kevin Durant Impress in USA Showcase[/h1]
By Joshua Motenko

Sun, 07/26/2009 - 4:24am

The USA basketball showcase, where Jerry Colangelo showed off what was deemed as 'the future of U.S.A. basketball," was an all-star type experience. The intra-squad game was a simulation of international rules, with international referees and the players came ready to show their worth to Coach K, Jay Triano, Nate McMillan, Dave Cowens, Jerry Sichtin, Kenny Gattison, Tyrone Corbin and main decision-maker Colangelo.

Kevin Durant We documented Wednesday's practice and discussed the chances of these players making the cut for Team U.S.A. here. And now, here is how the game went down.

The starting Line-ups for the teams were:
Team Blue: Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Jeff Green, and Greg Oden.
Team White: Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, Josh Smith, and Brook Lopez.

Greg Oden involved himself early with 2 blocked shots to protect the basket and a nice baseline jumper. He looked very good, and has as good a shot as anyone to make team USA based on his performance over the past three days. He is still quiet on offense, but he fills a role as an undeniable presence in the paint, which the USA squads from the 90s always had. At the very least he will make the Portland Trailblazers a better team than their 54 win season last year, especially with Andre Miller getting him the ball in the right spots.

Ronnie Brewer gave the crowd a reason to cheer with a two hand alley-oop reverse dunk after catching the ball at waist level, showing off his athleticism. He played excellent defense as well throughout the contest racking up 6 steals by the end. O.J. Mayo made a statement by hitting several shots in rhythm in the first quarter. He came out with a serious demeanor and facial expression.

Anthony Randolph showed off his guard skills from the power forward position taking the ball up the court on a couple possessions. He came out active and played well. JaVale McGee grabbed at least two rebounds over Kevin Love, even though Love was boxing McGee out both times. Love just doesn't have the athleticism to hang with some of these players.

It was at this time that Michael Beasley walked in the gym and sat courtside. He looked very trim, as if he'd lost 10 lbs this offseason. He was sporting cornrows, a long Darius Miles goatee and a stylish pair of glasses he found in my 7th grade science classroom. He immediately started heckling Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon during the first dead ball, getting smiles out of both of them.

Rudy Gay Meanwhile, Rudy Gay was playing excellent defense on Kevin Durant, denying him the ball and had a sweet flush coming down the lane, dunking over his head as he flew past the hoop. He hit a couple jump starts and seemed to be off to a fast start to the game. With 15 points on six of seven shooting, Gay was certainly the best player in the first half - mostly because it took Kevin Durant a little while to put together consecutive baskets. Durant ended the first half with a quiet 11 points, six of which were free throws.

Jeff Green hit a three and played his all around athletic game, cleaning up offensive boards and taking the ball to the basket off the dribble to get at the rim. He is very difficult to guard for even these power forwards when he's playing aggressively. Brook Lopez played sound defense on Oden and had a nice slam midway through the 2nd quarter. Right now he's at the same level as Oden, if not better, simply because his fundamentals are so good and he knows how to bang in the paint.

The first half ended with the Blue team down only one point despite shooting only 38% from the floor. The second half began with Kevin Durant asserting himself by scoring from several spots on the floor. Anthony Randolph again took the ball up the court himself, and then continued going coast to coast down the middle of the floor with one of the day's best dunks. This play was followed up by several blocked shots of note. JaVale McGee used his monstrous length to swat Kevin Love, then Andre Iguodala blocked a Paul Millsap shot on a slow break and Josh Smith sent an O.J. Mayo attempt out into the crowd emphatically. The pace was much like an all-star game at this point.

Iguodala followed up his block a few plays later with a creative high-flying dunk off of a Kevin Durant feed that brought the crowd and Michael Beasley to their feet. Kyle Korver hit a three and another jumper after missing his first couple attempts in the first half. And then, Russell Westbrook stole the inbounds pass for the second time in the game and threw down a quick two hand dunk to give the Blue team a 30 to 17 advantage in the third period, behind Kevin Durant's leadership.

The fourth quarter began with Devin Harris yet to play a single minute. He would go on to not play at all, for reasons not yet known. O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay tried their best to bring the White team back into the game. Mayo continued his no-nonsense shooting by hitting three deep buckets in a row, two of which were three pointers. He appeared to be hot, and began to shoot out of the rhythm of the team. He did however do a valiant job manning the point in Devin Harris' absence for a stretch of time, showing up Derrick Rose and D.J. Augustine on separate plays. Gay made a nice step back jumper towards the right baseline and got an offensive rebound put-back over Oden. He then hit a three to keep the White team alive.

Russell Westbrook then gave the White team a window of opportunity by making two poor decisions with post entry passes to Brook Lopez, who wasn't ready the first time and another which was simply ill-advised and resulted in an immediate turnover. Yet his OKC teammate Kevin Durant kept the blue team ahead by 9 with a couple timely baskets.

Greg Oden kept gobbling up defensive rebounds and Rudy Gay rose up and nailed another three, to give him a game high 27 points on 11 of 12 field goals including three of four three pointers - but it was too little too late for the white team. The game got a little sloppy with two minutes to go after several turnovers resulted in an up and down pace, as if it were the McDonalds' All American game. Derrick Rose dribbled the ball off his foot - an uncharacteristic play for him - with 45 seconds to go and another basket wasn't made by either team the rest of the contest. The clock ticked away in unspectacular fashion. Derrick Rose had an underwhelming performance, similar to Wednesday's practice. He blew by Westbrook in the open floor on one occasion, but had 4 turnovers to his 2 assts and 6 pts overall.

This performance probably shouldn't impact his chances to make the USA team, however. As he and Durant (20 pts) are obviously the most talented kids out here. The players on these two teams were playing for a spot on the team, yet only 3-5 players will actually make it onto Team U.S.A. In this game these young stars were playing as individuals. They weren't always in synch because they weren't actually a team yet, which has been the general complaint of American basketball in international competitions recently. Thus this even served it's purpose, and it's purpose was clear: get these young kids exposure to this type of environment so they learn how to play together.

Look for Jerry Colangelo and company to select players who fit into the team concept. Obviously it depends on what the team needs, and which of the top players who have given verbal commitment will keep their word and actually show up to play, but look for them to stay away from inconsistent super-athlete types like Westbrook and Iguodala. I bet they will select Durant and Rose purely for talent reasons, and then specialists like Oden, Brewer, or Korver to round out the roster. Yet I wouldn't be surprised if someone steady like Brook Lopez or Jeff Green made it, but it's not likely.

After the game O.J. Mayo summed up the experience of playing for U.S.A. Basketball's select team as an honor. "You see these soldiers right here [honored at half time] and they're fighting for our country, and we are too in basketball." This statement not only displayed Mayo's strong character, but was exactly the type of perspective that the these players should gain from international competition in order to be better role models back home.

 

[enlightened thought]

Originally Posted by offbad

anthony randolph a center?

i hope this doesn't give nelson any ideas...

 

[jmause3]

glad to hear rose is doing good out there

 

[INTLplayers]

McGee

 

[im not you]

Lol...off topic...but remember people saying OJ Mayo was better than Kevin Durant?

 

[uclamike]

Originally Posted by Im Not You

Lol...off topic...but remember people saying OJ Mayo was better than Kevin Durant?

i cant remember what thread that was in, i would go find it if i could

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Originally Posted by Mateen Cleaves

Originally Posted by YoungTriz

i still think beasley should have been invited

Beasley is just not that good, sorry.

Shut up, dude is twenty years old, and in a limited role this season did work.

 

[dwadefan]

Wheres J Bay?

 

[put em up]

KD looks like he added some solid weight, he's gonna have a all-star year.


Yo a lot of people are sleeping on Russell, that dude is gonna be a problem in the League.

 

[smedroc]

Originally Posted by TheKingOfVa

Future All-Star McGee, Most athletic 7 footer in the NBA

he aint want it with iggy though

 

[bigfella21]

Whats up with the jersey numbers from the USA mini camp game?
They got some VERY random numbers, and its not the usual set used in the Olympics.

 

[im not you]

Originally Posted by BigFella21

Whats up with the jersey numbers from the USA mini camp game?
They got some VERY random numbers, and its not the usual set used in the Olympics.

Because the usual set in the olympics is only #'s 4-15

 

[im not you]

Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1

Originally Posted by Mateen Cleaves

Originally Posted by YoungTriz

i still think beasley should have been invited

Beasley is just not that good, sorry.

Shut up, dude is twenty years old, and in a limited role this season did work.

Mike is not there because of politics...plain and simple. I heard from a very legit source that an invitation was held for him but Riley pulled the plug on itand it never went out. They're trying to humble him in every way imaginable. This really got under Mike's skin too so I'd expect him to play with achip on his shoulder this upcoming year.

Not good enough?

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by UCLAMIKE

Originally Posted by Im Not You

Lol...off topic...but remember people saying OJ Mayo was better than Kevin Durant?

i cant remember what thread that was in, i would go find it if i could

I remember that thread though. I think it was a comparison of their rookie years and people are trying to see whether OJ will have a great sophmore year likeDurant did. At the time OJ was averaging like 20 a game and there were very few rookies in past seasons to average 20 a game for a season.

But, as far as overall talent and skillset, no easily. I don't know who has more of killer extinct though. It's still up in the air on how great hissophmore year will be. With the way Rudy is playing at the USA camp, he might be the one to look for next season, not OJ.

 

[baalnood]

K.D will be tearing it up.