Team USA Mini-Camp Roster

[mustbetheshoe58]

Originally Posted by TheKingOfVa

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

 

[you big dummy]

 

[im not you]

@ Mayo dribbling the ball for like 20 seconds at the end of that clip

 

[you big dummy]

 

[offbad]

cameraman sure loves

den

 

[buc em]

man oden sucks im sorry..he looks like he just hates life out there on the court his body language is terrible

brook lopez is gonna be nice though

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by Buc Em

man oden sucks im sorry..he looks like he just hates life out there on the court his body language is terrible

brook lopez is gonna be nice though

Westbrook was taking jumpers like crazy for a minute there. Oden did look like he hated his life. Lopez is

Could barely see any action with the cameraman all up Oden's compression shorts and #!$@.

 

[buc em]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Originally Posted by Buc Em

man oden sucks im sorry..he looks like he just hates life out there on the court his body language is terrible

brook lopez is gonna be nice though

Westbrook was taking jumpers like crazy for a minute there. Oden did look like he hated his life. Lopez is

Could barely see any action with the cameraman all up Oden's compression shorts and #!$@.

for real tell me he doesn't look like the big %+# dude at school that plays no sports that you try to get to come out for the team just cuz he's big...

 

[eeibaby]

Did I just see Korver fingeroll right in front of Oden?

Props to Thad, Iggy & Korver. Hope 2/3 makes it

 

[uclamike]

LAS VEGAS -- Kevin Durant became a lock, and Rudy Gay improved his stock.

Beyond that, one enduring image lingered as Team USA closed its minicamp late Saturday night with 20 young hopefuls leaving the Thomas & Mack Center an hour before midnight: There is a supply and demand issue here, with so much talent now in the USA Basketball pipeline that it's not only going to be super tough to crack the 2010 roster, it might become even more difficult to earn a red, white and blue uniform for the 2012 Olympics in London.

"Nobody really wants to talk about it," Gay said. "It's a sensitive subject around here because there's only about four spots, and there's 20 of us. So we're just going to let them do what they have to do."

"Them" would be Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo and the coaching staff of Mike Krzyzewski, Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan and Jim Boeheim, who now will take several months to absorb and digest what they witnessed over the past several days. The plan is to announce a 25-man national roster sometime in November.

That list will be subject to change over the course of the NBA season, and invitations to training camp will go out sometime in the early spring.

Come mid-July of next year, competition will be open again to make the team that will travel to Turkey for the World Championship -- although the number of spots that will be open will depend on how many of the eight core members of the Redeem Team follow through on their pledges to play.

"I'm a simple guy, and if you tell me 'I'm in,' I'm going to take you at your word and not keep checking back," said Colangelo, who said he heard those two words from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh and Deron Williams back in February.

Assuming all eight are present and healthy, they will remain the key components of what may come to be known as Redeem Team II -- the version of Team USA that will try to win the World Championship for the United States for the first time since 1994.

Team USA has tentative plans to play two exhibitions on American soil -- one in Las Vegas, the second in either Chicago or New York -- before heading across the pond for a pre-tournament tour that could include stops in England, Spain, Italy and/or Greece before the Americans settle down somewhere in Turkey and work their way toward the medal round in Istanbul.

"I don't know too much about [Turkey]," Durant said. "One of my good friends that plays for Texas, Dogus Balbay, he's from Turkey. But that's all I know is him. Hopefully I get to see what it's all about."

Based upon conversations with several members of the Team USA hierarchy, Durant should expect to receive from Mr. Balbay a personal tour of the city where Europe meets Asia.

Durant stood head and shoulders above the rest of his comrades over the course of the three-day camp, and the three years of equity he has built up will result in a payoff next summer. Equity is a big thing with the USA Basketball honchos. Those who put in the time and show their faces from summer to summer (Jeff Green, Andre Iguodala, Greg Oden) have built positive equity. Those who chose to attend a teammate's wedding rather than attend camp (raise your hand, Rajon Rondo), and those who were no-shows for two straight summers for whatever reason (that would be you, Brandon Roy), have accumulated what is known as negative equity.

And with the Team USA house now more crowded than it has ever been in the post-Dream Team era, it's going to take plenty of positive equity -- along with some keen competition in camp next July -- to make the final cut for the 12-man roster in Turkey.

One spot will go to a point guard, because the coaching staff is more comfortable carrying three playmakers instead of two. 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. And with Durant filling the shooter's niche that Michael Redd inhabited last summer, the last spot will likely go to someone with the versatility to play multiple positions, defend and score.

With those factors in mind, here is a report card on how the 20 Team USA hopefuls, listed alphabetically, fared over the past several days (there were 21 players in attendance, but David Lee did not play because of his unresolved contract status).

.J. Augustin: Did not especially distinguish himself (four points, one assist, two turnovers in Saturday night's public scrimmage), and his lack of size will work against him in a crowded field for that third point guard spot.

Ronnie Brewer: His six steals Saturday night stood out more than any single stat (except Gay's 11-for-12 shooting) in the box score, but he'll still be lucky to be a bubble guy when the roster is pared to 25 in November.

Kevin Durant: Displayed a maturity that belied his age (20), and the USAB guys want to make him a mainstay of the program for the long-term. He actually came within a whisker of being the 12th man (over Tayshaun Prince) on the 2008 Olympic Team.

Rudy Gay: Already has FIBA experience (played for the under-21 and the Global Games teams in 2005) and vastly improved his stock by going for 27 points in 27 minutes, but will have to keep excelling a year from now when the competition for spot No. 12 becomes fiercer.

Eric Gordon: One of the guys brought into the pipeline with an eye toward 2012, 2014 and 2016, he didn't help his cause by being the only player to miss all his shots (0-for-4) Saturday night.

Danny Granger: Was expected to attend camp and watch from the sidelines due to an injury, but a personal situation forced him to cancel at the last minute. His absence was excused, but his equity certainly did not rise.

Jeff Green: The USAB honchos like him a lot, especially for his versatility in being able to play the 3 or 4 position, and he was described as one of the most consistent players over the course of the three days of practices. He'll be on the final 25 list in November.

Devin Harris: A swollen left ankle kept him out of Saturday night's scrimmage, and it'll be an uphill battle for him to win the third point guard spot. How he performs over the 2009-10 NBA season will impact his chances of being invited to camp next April.

Andre Iguodala: Another guy who has built up a wealth of positive equity by playing with the Select Team for the past three summers. Let's see if he can lock down Rudy Gay in scrimmages next July to improve his odds for roster spot No. 12.

Kyle Korver: One team insider described him as a huge long shot prior to Saturday night's scrimmage, but he left a positive lasting impression with his 5-for-11 shooting and by being especially active defensively (game-high three blocks).

David Lee: Definitely in the mix among the big men, and his presence at camp despite being unable to play earned him huge brownie points. A lock for the List o' 25 in November, but needs to show defensive improvement in '09-10 to have a crack at Turkey.

Brook Lopez: His laid-back nature sometimes leaves folks thinking he lacks intensity, and that was the impression some had in Vegas before he broke out with a 7-for-8 shooting performance Saturday night. He's in the big man mix for Turkey.

Kevin Love: Like Lee and Lopez, he's more of a long-term national team project. (A phrase that was added to the Team USA lexicon last week was "12-14 guys" -- a reference to players being eyed for the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Worlds.)

O.J. Mayo: His stock may have dropped more than anyone's among those who have been with the Select Team for more than one summer. He went 3-for-10 on 3s Saturday night, and one team insider said he seemed "distracted" all week.

JaVale McGee: His length and shot-blocking prowess stood out, especially because that latter component has been conspicuously absent from the Americans' arsenal. Still, he's a long-term project at the bottom of the big man pecking order for now.

Paul Millsap: A bubble guy for the cutdown to 25 that'll be announced in November. He may be too undersized and slow, and not a good enough shooter, to be a strong FIBA player.

Greg Oden: Perhaps more than anyone else, how he plays over the course of the upcoming NBA season will determine whether he is that bona fide big man who will backup Bosh and Howard in the middle. Still, he's a lock to get an invite next April.

Anthony Randolph: Probably one of the more pleasant surprises from this year's camp. The coaches loved his attitude and intensity, and his inside-outside game, his length and his speed are all huge plusses in measuring whether his game is suited to the FIBA style.

Derrick Rose: He is very much in the running for the third point guard spot in Turkey. "He seems to be a killer" was one telling comment from a USAB bigwig, who meant it in a positive way. A lock for camp in Vegas next summer.

Josh Smith: Appeared to be packing on a few extra pounds, and his game still seems too unrefined for him to be seriously considered in the big man mix for next summer. But if he shoots 80 percent at the line and 50 percent from the field in '09-10, he'll help his cause.

Russell Westbrook: Probably should be listed as a co-favorite with Rose for that third point guard spot. His size and ability to defend either guard position are plusses; and twice on Saturday night he stole inbounds passes following made baskets by his team.

Thaddeus Young: He did not distinguish himself over the first two days of drills and scrimmages, but played very well Saturday night (6-for-9, three steals) to get himself into the big man mix for next summer.

Others: An injury forced Blake Griffin to withdraw, but a standout rookie season would likely earn him a camp invite for next July. When the subject turned to guys from recent Team USAs who could re-enter the mix, you couldn't ignore how the names of Lamar Odom and Tayshaun Prince came up. Also, if Jason Kidd wants to put his personal undefeated Team USA record at risk, he might beat out every other point guard candidate simply for the leadership qualities he displayed in Beijing (every team needs one wise old man, the line of thinking goes).

LAS VEGAS -- We have some advice for Rudy Gay, whose knowledge of Turkey is basically this: He had a college professor at UConn who was Turkish (he couldn't remember which subject the professor taught), and he knows that Hedo Turkoglu hails from there, too.
Beyond that, nothing.

So we would suggest that the youngster from the Memphis Grizzlies familiarizes himself with the following: the value of the Turkish lira versus the dollar; the relative merits of playing in Izmir instead of Ankara; the history of Muslim secularism and the achievements of one Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; the beauty of the Bosphorus; and, lastly, where to find a decent meal if you can't really stomach three straight weeks of olives and yogurt as your dietary staples.

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.

Gay was one of eight players to score in double figures, joining Durant (20 points), Brook Lopez (18 points on 7-of-8 shooting), Mayo (13 points), Kyle Korver, Thaddeus Young, Randolph (12 apiece) and Ronnie Brewer (11 points and six steals) in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 6,427 who filled most of the lower bowl at the Thomas & Mack Center. (The upper deck was empty, shrouded behind big, black curtains.)

Gay's 27 points were one-third of the total scored by his white squad, which lost 100-81 to the blue squad led by Durant.

"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."

Nobody in the Team USA hierarchy is making any promises to the group of 21 players who attended this minicamp (David Lee attended but did not play because of his unsettled contract status, and Devin Harris had a swollen left ankle that kept him out of Saturday night's scrimmage), but it is all but certain that Durant will be on the roster next summer after having spent three years with the USA Basketball Select Team.

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.

 

[b smooth 202]

Iggs

 

[henz0]

Gay

.. I hope this has him motivated to go IN this season

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by henz0

Gay

.. I hope this has him motivated to go IN this season

If he wants big money and is tired of losing he will.

 

[lazyj10]

Glad to see good news about AR.

 

[pharelfor3]

Nelson would love to run Randolph at C

 

[eagle 0n]

Originally Posted by PharelFor3

Nelson would love to run Randolph at C

He already has

Not really by choice tho. Biedrins was hurt and Turiaf could barely stand.

 

[eeibaby]

So when is the tourney gona start? In late August or there isn't going to be one?

 

[im not you]

/\ Try next summer

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

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

Who said that?

Nolan Smith with Michael Beasley

.

Why is that funny?

 

[eeibaby]

Originally Posted by Im Not You

/\ Try next summer

But usually every summer they have at least one tournament where Team USA play some international teams.

 

[seymore cake]

Originally Posted by jmause3

glad to hear rose is doing good out there

Bring It Back To The Crib Pooh

 

[pharelfor3]

damn I miss bball so much. Off to watch the Nike League at my school now. holla