Iguodala, Griffin, Harden take last three Olympic spots

[Faptastrophe]

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine

AP source: Iguodala, Griffin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nxfv7BmDxnA), Harden take last three Olympic spots. Gay, Gordon, Davis miss out (CO-SIGN 100 PERCENT)

Final roster:

Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
LeBron James
Tyson Chandler
Carmelo Anthony
Deron Williams
Russell Westbrook
Kevin Love
Blake Griffin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nxfv7BmDxnA)
Andre Iguodala
James Harden

[Tenchi Ryu]

Ain't feelin it. Cousins should have been in there. And Harden over Gordon is just wrong.

[qrich]

Harden over Gordon :hammerhead:

[hawkfan]

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine

Team USA should have gone Gay over Iggy due to scoring.

[colorz]

should have been gordon, but i can see why they gave it to harden because of the chemistry with durant/westbrook

[nevetslc88]

Ain't feelin it. Cousins should have been in there. And Harden over Gordon is just wrong.

I thought i read that Gordon got hurt during practice?

[Doranku]

This choking n!gga Harden is going to be representing our country? :facepalm :facepalm :facepalm :facepalm :facepalm Embarrassed.

[dannywpt]

should have been gordon, but i can see why they gave it to harden because of the chemistry with durant/westbrook

And also because he is the better basketball player. :banana:

[d.bball.guy]

Team USA should have gone Gay over Iggy due to scoring.
I think they took him for defensive purposes.

[qrich]

And also because he is the better basketball player. :banana:


:biggums:


:oldlol:


:oldlol:

[Tenchi Ryu]

And also because he is the better basketball player. :banana:
Not at all. No way is Harden leading a team like Gordon can.

[dannywpt]

:biggums:


:oldlol:


:oldlol:

http://i.imgur.com/5QEj6.gif

[Z Saber]

Can't root for our team with Harden making it.

[lbj23clutch]

Gordon>Harden. Harden is becoming the most overrated player in the league. And wtf ever happened to Cousins? He would have been perfect backing up Chandler. I would've taken Cousins over Blake. Cousins meets more of the team's needs. Better rebounder, better size, unstoppable low post game and he can hit that 16-17 foot jumper more consistently, which is important in international ball.

[blacknapalm]

lol @ the harden haters. the only thing gordon does better is pure scoring and that's not a major need for this team. oh and gordon is the better positional defender but harden is more versatile. harden is also better off the ball, which is another reason he'd make the team. versatility is very important in the international game.

cousins also takes stupid shots and griffin leads the league in points in the paint.

i'm more surprised davis didn't make the team as insurance for chandler

[Tenchi Ryu]

Not even hate, just truth. Gordon can, and possibly is the 3rd best SG in the league after Kobe and Wade. Can't say the same for Harden.

[lbj23clutch]

Team USA should have gone Gay over Iggy due to scoring.
The roster is loaded with scorers, adding Gay would be overkill. Iggy brings versatility, more play making, and of course great defense. He also doesn't need to hold the ball to be effective unlike Gay.

[Al Thornton]

Not even hate, just truth. Gordan can, and possibly is the 3rd best SG in the league after Kobe and Wade. Can't say the same for Harden.

when has the name gordon ever been spelled gordan? is there even one example of this?

[konex]

I'd have preferred Gordon over Harden. Olympic refs won't reward those bullshit drives

[kurt_rambis]

that is one small ass team. they legitimately need griffin, and cousins should have been picked over harden or iggy

[JM720]

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/alcapwn27/Forums/1340164165336.jpg

[LA_Showtime]

They should have kept Gay on the squad, since he played a big role in the team winning Gold last time around. Oh well.

[BlackVVaves]

After that chokejob he gets rewarded with a spot on the Olympic team?

Sad.

[clayton]

This choking n!gga Harden is going to be representing our country? :facepalm :facepalm :facepalm :facepalm :facepalm Embarrassed.
Well, we got LeBron and Kobe on our team. Adding another choker isn't a problem.

[blacknapalm]

i love it. according to ish, three great series' where he hit clutch shots followed by an awful finals series makes you a perennial choker. 22 yo harden will never get over his choking ways :lol

[StateOfMind12]

Harden on the team? USA won't be winning gold then. Silver medal at best.

[Doranku]

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/alcapwn27/Forums/1340164165336.jpg
:roll: :roll: :roll: Repped.

[swi7ch]

Gay had no chance with Love on the team.

[RRR3]

Wanted my boys Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins to make it:(

[qrich]

lol @ the harden haters. the only thing gordon does better is pure scoring and that's not a major need for this team. oh and gordon is the better positional defender but harden is more versatile. harden is also better off the ball, which is another reason he'd make the team. versatility is very important in the international game.

cousins also takes stupid shots and griffin leads the league in points in the paint.

i'm more surprised davis didn't make the team as insurance for chandler

Gordon is a much, much better defender and a superior scorer. only advantage harden has is playmaking and the gap there is smaller than gordons advantage on defense. not to include gordon is also a knock down shooter andalready has fiba experience. harden is also far from being better off the ball, at best, its arguable.

just a retarded decision.

[konex]

I'm guessing the starting lineup is

Deron
Kobe
Bron
KD
Chandler

[blacknapalm]

Gordon is a much, much better defender and a superior scorer. only advantage harden has is playmaking and the gap there is smaller than gordons advantage on defense. not to include gordon is also a knock down shooter andalready has fiba experience. harden is also far from being better off the ball, at best, its arguable.

just a retarded decision.

harden was a better spot up shooter this season. he was top 3 off screen, hand offs and cutting to the basket in points per possession. let's not act like gordon is some shutdown defender.

like i said, harden's game is much more acclimated to the international game. this team will be versatile and athletic and durant, cp3, harden, d-will and kobe will all handle outside shooting duties. coangelo picked harden over gordon. he put together the redeem team so he might know what he's doing.

[RRR3]

I'm guessing the starting lineup is

Deron
Kobe
Bron
KD
Chandler
Deron over CP3 :yaohappy:

[konex]

harden's game is much more acclimated to the international game

A guy who lives on the line by barreling into defenders is better than a pure-shooter in international play? :hammerhead:

[Gabuyaux]

yay no unibrow

[konex]

Deron over CP3 :yaohappy:

Kidd started over CP3 last time and he was coming off his best season ever. With the lack of size and Deron's superior outside shooting, I think it makes sense

[Celtic_Pride]

Not enough paint protection and shot blocking

Should have taken 1 more big in place of Harden

[blacknapalm]

A guy who lives on the line by barreling into defenders is better than a pure-shooter in international play? :hammerhead:

are you denying that harden is more versatile?

- better playmaker
- better handles
- turns the ball over less
- gets to the line more
- better off ball

as far as pure shooting, harden shot it from downtown better than gordon has in the last two seasons....

so yes, versatility is better in international play. gordon is not reggie miller or he would have made the team

[Smoke117]

Not enough paint protection and shot blocking

Should have taken 1 more big in place of Harden

That's what I was thinking. Too bad Bogut is injured along with Howard. They could have really used him. Tyson Chandler is the only legitimate big that plays defense and it's some of the most overrated defense ever.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Deron over CP3 :yaohappy:
Absolutely, Deron is a beast with international style ball.

[RRR3]

That's what I was thinking. Too bad Bogut is injured a long with Howard. They could have really used him. Tyson Chandler is the only legitimate big that plays defense and it's some of the most overrated defense ever.
maybe they should have got Anthony Davis. I don't know how good Cousins is considered on defense, but he at least is bigger and a better shotblocker than Blake Griffin.

[RRR3]

Absolutely, Deron is a beast with international style ball.
inb4 euroleague

[Gabuyaux]

That's what I was thinking. Too bad Bogut is injured along with Howard. They could have really used him. Tyson Chandler is the only legitimate big that plays defense and it's some of the most overrated defense ever.
Bogut is Australian.

[EricGordon23]

WOW no E.J what a shame. Put more fuel on the fire now he is going to take over the league next year.

[chazzy]

I wanted to get an early preview of Davis against pros, oh well.

[Smoke117]

Bogut is Australian.

I thought he might be international but I was thinking european and couldn't think of anything. No wonder it slipped my mind. Oh well. Well either way the other two bigs USA has defensively:

1. Is just atrocious (Love)
2. Just plain bad (Griffin)

[IGotACoolStory]

No DMC? :wtf:

One center and a bunch of undersized PFs :lol Who, btw, can't play D.

[blacknapalm]

I thought he might be international but I was thinking european and couldn't think of anything. No wonder it slipped my mind. Oh well. Well either way the other two bigs USA has defensively:

1. Is just atrocious (Love)
2. Just plain bad (Griffin)

love's D is actually better than griffin's. tyson chandler and lebron are going to have to fill the gaps defensively

[Smoke117]

love's D is actually better than griffin's. tyson chandler and lebron are going to have to fill the gaps defensively

I'll agree to disagree on that one, but either way both are bad defenders so it's a moot point.

[blacknapalm]

love just said he, griffin and chandler will all play mostly center :eek:

[RazorBaLade]

watching cp3 and kobe sit together like that is so annoying...... they were supposed to be teammates...

[qrich]

harden was a better spot up shooter this season. he was top 3 off screen, hand offs and cutting to the basket in points per possession. let's not act like gordon is some shutdown defender.

like i said, harden's game is much more acclimated to the international game. this team will be versatile and athletic and durant, cp3, harden, d-will and kobe will all handle outside shooting duties. coangelo picked harden over gordon. he put together the redeem team so he might know what he's doing.

Gordon is a much better shooter, be it coming off a curl, catching and shooting, quick jab stebbing to get space, using a pick. on top of it, he also has much MORE range, has shown the ability to take a game over single handedly (hornets were 6-3 with EJ, plus the clinic he put on vs Uath).. and yes, compared to harden, gordon is a shut down defender. at times, harden makes jose calderon look like mike taylor out there.

and no, gordons game is tailor made for international play, just look at what he did last time in the world championships. only advantage harden has is height (which ej makes up with in strength and wingspan) and playmaking (which is a smaller gap than the defensive advantage by ej and even shooting).

harden is easily becoming the leagues most over rated player, eerily similar to joe johnsons phoenix days.

[Jax]

Politics.

[bagelred]

One center. :facepalm They spend millions of dollars preparing Team USA....and they go with one center. :facepalm

They always say TeamUSA is not an All Star Team, but apparently it is. TAKE A SECOND 7 FOOTER! :hammerhead: What about Perkins? Or Noah?

[Timmy D for MVP]

They have to be planning on playing Lebron primarily at the 4 otherwise I don't understand the selections. I guess they're trending more towards the NBA style, smaller, but faster and more athletic.

It could work. But if someone like Spain slows it down they'll be in trouble.

[blacknapalm]

They have to be planning on playing Lebron primarily at the 4 otherwise I don't understand the selections. I guess they're trending more towards the NBA style, smaller, but faster and more athletic.

It could work. But if someone like Spain slows it down they'll be in trouble.

lebron and durant are expected to both play a lot of PF. spain will definitely be a big test but it helps that the team should be well scouted on them from their nba games.

[Cangri]

One center. :facepalm They spend millions of dollars preparing Team USA....and they go with one center. :facepalm

They always say TeamUSA is not an All Star Team, but apparently it is. TAKE A SECOND 7 FOOTER! :hammerhead: What about Perkins? Or Noah?
Noah plays for France but he's injured anyways. They should've taken Bynum, Perkins or any other defensive center out there.

[inclinerator]

wat about anthony davis

[liquidrage]

Gordon played 9 games last year. And people are freaking about him being beat out by a guy that it's 50/50 who's better.

Up until the finals I'd say at least 40% would have went Harden. Well, Gordon didn't choke in the finals cause he's never been there, and didn't have to guard Lebron 30% of the time he was on the floor.

It amazes me how the team that loses in the finals is full of crap players worse, somehow, than 30 other teams that didn't make it as far.

[blacknapalm]

Gordon is a much better shooter, be it coming off a curl, catching and shooting, quick jab stebbing to get space, using a pick. on top of it, he also has much MORE range, has shown the ability to take a game over single handedly (hornets were 6-3 with EJ, plus the clinic he put on vs Uath).. and yes, compared to harden, gordon is a shut down defender. at times, harden makes jose calderon look like mike taylor out there.

and no, gordons game is tailor made for international play, just look at what he did last time in the world championships. only advantage harden has is height (which ej makes up with in strength and wingspan) and playmaking (which is a smaller gap than the defensive advantage by ej and even shooting).

harden is easily becoming the leagues most over rated player, eerily similar to joe johnsons phoenix days.

well, we'll just agree to disagree. tbh, i think they're both slightly overrated. i think gordon is probably the better #1 option and harden would always be the better #2 option because of what he brings to the team. i totally understand why they chose harden over gordon for the reasons i stated...and chemistry with westbrook/durant probably played a small role in it as well

[IGOTGAME]

Bad picks. Griffin shouldn't be there.

If Rubio was there for Spain they would have a flat out better team. I wouldn't be surprised if team USA loses a couple of games. They will prob win the entire thing because of the greatness and competitive spirit of Kobe though.

[TheAnchorman]

Lol why are we calling out Harden for being a chokejob in the Finals, and would much rather have a player who's only played 9 games this season?

The guy won 6th man of the year, and unless the rest of the redeem team are gonna become ******* Harden sure has hell won't be taking the shots at crunch time (one reason why everyone is up in arms about this), much less even be on the floor. Thatll come down to Kobe/Lebron.

[DuMa]

Harden will be the 12th man off the bench. the Tayshaun Prince and Danny Granger roles.

[50inchvertical]

Gordon is a much, much better defender and a superior scorer. only advantage harden has is playmaking and the gap there is smaller than gordons advantage on defense. not to include gordon is also a knock down shooter andalready has fiba experience. harden is also far from being better off the ball, at best, its arguable.

just a retarded decision.
Harden shoots better %s, from everywhere.

And I can't call a guy the 3rd best SG in the league, who has missed over 1/3rd of his career with injury.

Plus his bitch ass caught an elbow and got hurt in practice.

And :oldlol: at him leading a team, to where? He played 9 games this season, missed 86.5% of the season.

Colangelo and them also like Harden's ability to slide over to the point and that he has shown he can fit in with other stars.

[Eric Cartman]

Harden will be the 12th man off the bench. the Tayshaun Prince and Danny Granger roles.

What if Kobe blows a testicle?

[konex]

Press conference if anyone wants to watch

http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/128385/1/watch-nba-tv.html

[50inchvertical]

Gordon is a much better shooter, be it coming off a curl, catching and shooting, quick jab stebbing to get space, using a pick. on top of it, he also has much MORE range, has shown the ability to take a game over single handedly (hornets were 6-3 with EJ, plus the clinic he put on vs Uath).. and yes, compared to harden, gordon is a shut down defender. at times, harden makes jose calderon look like mike taylor out there.

and no, gordons game is tailor made for international play, just look at what he did last time in the world championships. only advantage harden has is height (which ej makes up with in strength and wingspan) and playmaking (which is a smaller gap than the defensive advantage by ej and even shooting).

harden is easily becoming the leagues most over rated player, eerily similar to joe johnsons phoenix days.
:lol
6 and 3!!

They beat
Rockets, Grizzlies, Jazz, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Suns

2 wins against a playoff team, neither of which even made the 2nd rd

[blacknapalm]

tyson chandler teams are 23-0 (since 2007) in international play. it's over, world :oldlol:

melo next to d'antoni. awkward....

[swag2011]

Lol why are we calling out Harden for being a chokejob in the Finals, and would much rather have a player who's only played 9 games this season?

The guy won 6th man of the year, and unless the rest of the redeem team are gonna become ******* Harden sure has hell won't be taking the shots at crunch time (one reason why everyone is up in arms about this), much less even be on the floor. Thatll come down to Kobe/Lebron.

You mean Kobe/Durant lol? Bron will give them a good pass though, i'll give you that.

[Thunderstruck]

If Rubio was there for Spain they would have a flat out better team.

No...Spain isn't anywhere close to team U.S.A. talent-wise. Spain doesn't have anything close to Kobe, Lebron or Durant in their starting five. They don't have the depth either and CP3 and Deron Williams are both too much for Rubio on both sides of the ball.

Starting 5:
Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
Lebron James
Tyson Chandler

Next Five:
Carmelo Anthony
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams
Blake Griffin
Kevin Love

[DurantFor40]

LOL at Harden haters :lol

bunch of mad Mavs, Lakers, and Spurs fans :lol


Harden > UNPROVEN Eric Gordon. All hype. Beat out because Harden is battle tested and better, plain and simple.

Three Players from OKC on the team :bowdown:

Gold here we come. Take us home DurGOD :bowdown:

:cheers:

[Al Thornton]

LOL at Harden haters :lol

bunch of mad Mavs, Lakers, and Spurs fans :lol


Harden > UNPROVEN Eric Gordon. All hype. Beat out because Harden is battle tested and better, plain and simple.

Three Players from OKC on the team :bowdown:

Gold here we come. Take us home DurGOD :bowdown:

:cheers:

if you're a real person, you're definitely top 10 worst.

[blacknapalm]

No...Spain isn't anywhere close to team U.S.A. talent-wise. Spain doesn't have anything close to Kobe, Lebron or Durant in their starting five. They don't have the depth either and CP3 and Deron Williams are both too much for Rubio on both sides of the ball.

Starting 5:
Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
Lebron James
Tyson Chandler

Next Five:
Carmelo Anthony
Russell Westbrook
Deron Williams
Blake Griffin
Kevin Love

crazy how the next five would probably be an nba championship team. don't underestimate chemistry though - spain will be a tough out and there's always a chance they get hot from outside

[DurantFor40]

if you're a real person, you're definitely top 10 worst.
Because I present FACTS? :facepalm



Harden > Gordon

Stats show it, he proved it all season and in the playoffs, while Eric Gordon was at home nursing injuries :lol



He played bad in the finals, so what? Wasn't he a big part of their run to the finals ? lol at you fukking mad haters judging him on 5 games... guess we just forget all those CLUTCH shots that got them there in the first place:facepalm



Gordon and Harden battled for a spot on the US roster... guess who made it... oh yah... HARDEN. What can you say bitch?

Stay mad. Harden > Gordon. :applause:

[Thunderstruck]

Congratulations to the Thunder for being the first NBA team to have 3 players competing for Team USA as well as the first to have 4 players competing overall in the Olympics.

Colagelo on Durant
“This young man was born to play the game,” Colangelo said of Durant. “He’s a coach’s dream. He has great character, he has great passion for the game. And then his skills are off the charts. He plays with such enthusiasm that it’s difficult to keep him off the floor, and in the World Championships he just rose to another level. He was in a class by himself. Of course, he was MVP, he led us in scoring, went on to have an incredible year in the NBA as the scoring champ, etc. So when you start with a new addition to your roster, and that first name is Kevin Durant, that’s a pretty good one to begin with.”

Krzyzewski on Westbrook
“I love Russell,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s an honor to coach him. He is such a versatile player and I think as good an athlete as there is on this planet playing basketball. He plays with an abundance of energy and courage. We’ll use him at every place on the perimeter. We’re lucky to have him. I’m a big Russell Westbrook fan.”

Colangelo on Harden:
“I think he surprised people,” said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo. “Two months ago, he was on the radar screen but not shining brightly, necessarily. Given the opportunity, he finished oh-so-strongly this season. He gave us something to really sit back and think about. He has size, he has length at his position. Defensively, he’s more than adequate. He comes up with a lot of loose balls, a lot of steals and he is a scorer. And, by the way, he can also shoot it. And there’s a little bit of a difference between the two. Tough choice we had to make. Eric Gordon, James Harden. Harden deserved it for the reasons I mentioned, and we expect him, coming off the bench as he did and he’s accustomed to, to be able to play whenever he’s called upon.”

[DurantFor40]

Congratulations to the Thunder for having the first NBA team to have 3 players competing for Team USA as well as the first to have 4 players competing overall in the Olympics.
:party: :cheers:


:applause:

[Noob Saibot]

This team is definitely too small for my liking. but with LeBron James leading the squad and having players who can run the floor, I probably being too skeptical.

Please don't gas out Kobe, please don't flop Paul and Griffin, and don't choke James Harden!

[50inchvertical]

But CP3 choked in the 2nd round, let his team get swept and had 2 straight tos to seal the L against the Spurs in game 4. He couldn't score on Danny Green :oldlol:

Kobe choked the ends of 3 games in the series against OKC, kept turning the ball over late and chucking up terrible shots that missed.

Melo, well he hasn't been out of the 1st rd since forever.

This whole Harden choking in the finals thing has become ridiculously overstated.

[Batz]

Team USA should have gone Gay over Iggy due to scoring.
Iggy offers alot more on the defensive end and is 10x the passer. Great addition, their best wing defender.

[steve]

This team is definitely too small for my liking. but with LeBron James leading the squad and having players who can run the floor, I probably being too skeptical.

Everyone should keep in mind that they initially were going into camp with four guys who play the international 5 (Howard, Chandler, Aldridge, and Bosh), it's hard to predict that 3 out of the 4 are going to miss the Olympics due to injury. Anthony Davis, even without the injury, is nowhere near ready and neither is Cousins or Favors (the two centers invited to the select team). In fact, crying for Cousins the make the team is relatively ridiculous has he doesn't really provide any of the interior defensive presence the team needs from their 5 (i.e. Cousins would put himself on the bench with foul trouble in about a minute).

[no pun intended]

Guys seriously need to relax. We obviously need Harden to outflop the Euros.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Guys seriously need to relax. We obviously need Harden to outflop the Euros.
You're right....how could I have forgotten that vital move. Euros will bring their A game too. Heard they can drop to the floor in 2 seconds flat.

[qrich]

Guys seriously need to relax. We obviously need Harden to outflop the Euros.

Get rid of Blake, bring in Evans :bowdown:

[Fiasco]

But CP3 choked in the 2nd round, let his team get swept and had 2 straight tos to seal the L against the Spurs in game 4. He couldn't score on Danny Green :oldlol:

He had a groin tear, you ****ing retard.


Kobe choked the ends of 3 games in the series against OKC, kept turning the ball over late and chucking up terrible shots that missed.

Who else was doing well for the Lakers?


Melo, well he hasn't been out of the 1st rd since forever.

And what does this have to do with Melo absolutely beasting the international game?


This whole Harden choking in the finals thing has become ridiculously overstated.

This is not the issue. The issue is What does Harden do better than Gordon? I'll wait.

[qrich]

This is not the issue. The issue is What does Harden do better than Gordon? I'll wait.

He comes off the bench, doesn't face as much defensive pressure, is a vastly inferior defender, has less of an offensive repertoire, is slightly taller though Gordon's stronger and has a big wingspan, and is just a better playmaker, though that game is noticeably smaller than the defensive difference.

Imagine Gordon having the chance to come off the bench and face less defensive pressure....oh man.

[Fiasco]

He comes off the bench, doesn't face as much defensive pressure, is a vastly inferior defender, has less of an offensive repertoire, is slightly taller though Gordon's stronger and has a big wingspan, and is just a better playmaker, though that game is noticeably smaller than the defensive difference.

Imagine Gordon having the chance to come off the bench and face less defensive pressure....oh man.

My point exactly. Gordon is 6'3, Harden is 6'5 but EJ is 10x the defender Harden is and plays off the ball very well.

Gordon off the bench w/ Blake would be catastrophic for other teams, especially because we already know how well the run the P&R.

[DTreats]

Why the hell does Carmelo Anthony keep making Team USA rosters? Dude is hated in the locker room, nobody on this team respects him, poor work ethic, his skill set is very similar to Durants just NO WHERE NEAR as good. What's the point? Anthony Davis should take his spot.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Why the hell does Carmelo Anthony keep making Team USA rosters? Dude is hated in the locker room, nobody on this team respects him, poor work ethic, his skill set is very similar to Durants just NO WHERE NEAR as good. What's the point? Anthony Davis should take his spot.
Davis just severely sprained his ankle.

[Fudge]

Not at all. No way is Harden leading a team like Gordon can.
When has he ever lead a team? He's shown glimpses. He hasn't been healthy enough for the past 3 seasons to consistently lead a team. Next season we'll see. Right now, i'm cool with Harden taking it over EG.

Anyways, so Chandler is the only C? They sure as hell have a talented roster, but i think they'll have trouble going against teams like Spain with a loaded front court.

[DuMa]

Why the hell does Carmelo Anthony keep making Team USA rosters? Dude is hated in the locker room, nobody on this team respects him, poor work ethic, his skill set is very similar to Durants just NO WHERE NEAR as good. What's the point? Anthony Davis should take his spot.

because his style of play is perfect for international ball

[DTreats]

Davis just severely sprained his ankle.
Davis with a sprained ankle > Carmelo.

Seriously give his spot to anyone else, I hate to see him represent the US of A.

[50inchvertical]

He comes off the bench, doesn't face as much defensive pressure, is a vastly inferior defender, has less of an offensive repertoire, is slightly taller though Gordon's stronger and has a big wingspan, and is just a better playmaker, though that game is noticeably smaller than the defensive difference.

Imagine Gordon having the chance to come off the bench and face less defensive pressure....oh man.
Imagine if Harden only played 9 games.

Gordon shot 25% from 3 this season, 45% overall fg, 74% ft, for 20.6pgg and missed 57 games out of 66 with injury (played in ~14% of games)

James shot 39% from 3, 49% overall fg, 85%ft, for 16.8ppg and missed 4 games out of a possible 86 (played in 95% of games)

And yes, his ability to mesh with other superstars and moonlight as PG was a big part of why he was selected. His role wouldn't be changed any from what he already does.

Gordon also caught an elbow from Cousins and whined like a bitch about it.

Don't cry for him, he'll go home and bathe in his undeserved max millions

http://www.hornets247.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gordon-knee.jpg

[50inchvertical]

When has he ever lead a team? He's shown glimpses. He hasn't been healthy enough for the past 3 seasons to consistently lead a team. Next season we'll see. Right now, i'm cool with Harden taking it over EG.

Anyways, so Chandler is the only C? They sure as hell have a talented roster, but i think they'll have trouble going against teams like Spain with a loaded front court.
He cheers really hard from the bench in suits, and complains he doesn't want to be where he is, and frowns in press conferences when officially introduced. What a leader!

Lead us right into the lottery

[Snoop_Cat]

Davis with a sprained ankle > Carmelo.

Seriously give his spot to anyone else, I hate to see him represent the US of A.

What? Anthony's style of play is perfectly tailored to the international game? Did you even see the last Olympics? He thrived in that setting and played exemplarily at the 4 spot as he was strong enough to bang with most international 4s while being mobile enough to keep up with stretch 4s.

Taking a raw rookie with a sprained ankle over Carmelo Anthony is a stupid suggestion.

[Fudge]

He cheers really hard from the bench in suits, and complains he doesn't want to be where he is, and frowns in press conferences when officially introduced. What a leader!

Lead us right into the lottery
http://www.phosphorwatches.jp/images/celebs/eric-gordon-black-matte-reveal.jpg

[50inchvertical]

http://www.phosphorwatches.jp/images/celebs/eric-gordon-black-matte-reveal.jpg
http://clipperdarrell.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/eric-gordon-injury1.jpg

[roffie]

http://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p603/alcapwn27/Forums/1340164165336.jpg
:roll: :roll: oh i see what you did there

[BigTicket]

So

PG: Paul, Williams, Westbrook
SG: Bryant, Harden
SF: James, Durant, Anthony, Igoudala
PF: Love, Griffin
C: Chandler

Very weak at center, but looks good at the other positions.

Picking Igoudala with one of the last spots seems somewhat pointless though.

[qrich]

Imagine if Harden only played 9 games.

Gordon shot 25% from 3 this season, 45% overall fg, 74% ft, for 20.6pgg and missed 57 games out of 66 with injury (played in ~14% of games)

James shot 39% from 3, 49% overall fg, 85%ft, for 16.8ppg and missed 4 games out of a possible 86 (played in 95% of games)

And yes, his ability to mesh with other superstars and moonlight as PG was a big part of why he was selected. His role wouldn't be changed any from what he already does.

Gordon also caught an elbow from Cousins and whined like a bitch about it.

Don't cry for him, he'll go home and bathe in his undeserved max millions

You obviously don't know much of the NBA outside of your team. If you were, you would obviously know that the Hornets held Gordon out longer than needed just to ensure the health of their franchise player and to ensure they get a higher pick than they would with him playing, which, you know, got them Anthony Davis. I already had the stats typed out, but you can look at it yourself, each of their opponents pers per48 and other stats for the past few years. Total shooting stats, etc...

I just find it really funny that with how much "greater" of a playmaker Harden is, when on the court, he only accounts for 2% more assists on teammates made field goals.

And for the record, I have watched Harden and been a fan of his much longer than you.

[50inchvertical]

Dude has been injured his whole career except his rookie season. He has missed over 1/3 of his career game, in his 20s. That isn't good no matter how you slice it. FWIW, I wouldn't have cared either way. In fact, Harden not making the team would be better for OKC since if anything it drives up his asking price next summer. I just don't think it's an outrage like some people do, and find it hypocritical people are pushing this criticism of Harden "choking" in the finals (all the while ignoring the 3 previous series) and not mentioning that Gordon can never stay healthy, if we are going to talk about player flaws.

I liked Gordon on the 2010 team. Him and Westbrook were beasts off the bench defensively, literally had other teams looking at them scared like they have never seen that kind of athleticism.

Give me a 6moty borderline all star reserve season, 3 good playoff series, and disappointing one over 9 games anyday.

[Timmy D for MVP]

So

PG: Paul, Williams, Westbrook
SG: Bryant, Harden
SF: James, Durant, Anthony, Igoudala
PF: Love, Griffin
C: Chandler

Very weak at center, but looks good at the other positions.

Picking Igoudala with one of the last spots seems somewhat pointless though.

More likely I see:

PG: Paul/Williams/Westbrook
SG: Bryant/Harden/Westbrook
SF: Anthony/Iguo/Durant
PF: James/Griffin/Durant
C: Chandler/Lover/Griffin

Something along those lines. I expect to see James and Durant get an awful lot of minutes at the 4, thus making the SF redundancy issue not an issue at all. It'll be interesting to see the line-ups.

[b0bab0i]

agreed with many, EJ > harden

[KG215]

More likely I see:

PG: Paul/Williams/Westbrook
SG: Bryant/Harden/Westbrook
SF: Anthony/Iguo/Durant
PF: James/Griffin/Durant
C: Chandler/Lover/Griffin

Something along those lines. I expect to see James and Durant get an awful lot of minutes at the 4, thus making the SF redundancy issue not an issue at all. It'll be interesting to see the line-ups.

So Durant, the second or third best player in the world, is going to be third string?

[Yung D-Will]

Because clearly all the people complaning about Harden know more about how to put a team together than coach k

[KG215]

agreed with many, EJ > harden

Coming from a Clippers fan....I'm stunned.

[Timmy D for MVP]

So Durant, the second or third best player in the world, is going to be third string?

No. I guess my set up is confusing.

Lemme put it this way. I think you will see James and Durant handle most minutes at the 4. So I picture Durant being the second 4. And Griffin playing mostly 5. I'm trying to solve the redundancy issue with having so many athletic 3's.

Actually now that I think about it... no Durant has to start at the 3. So honestly, I have no ****ing clue as to what the plan is. Unless Coach K just straight up isn't going to play somebody.

But I still believe James to be the starting 4. So you'll have:

Paul
Bryant
Durant
James
Chandler.

Actually I just got a great idea for a sweet lineup:

James
Iguodala
Durant
Anthony
Griffin

I call it the "HOLY SHIT DID YOU SEE THAT!" lineup. To be played when up big and just need to create excitement.

[KG215]

No. I guess my set up is confusing.

Lemme put it this way. I think you will see James and Durant handle most minutes at the 4. So I picture Durant being the second 4. And Griffin playing mostly 5. I'm trying to solve the redundancy issue with having so many athletic 3's.

Actually now that I think about it... no Durant has to start at the 3. So honestly, I have no ****ing clue as to what the plan is. Unless Coach K just straight up isn't going to play somebody.

But I still believe James to be the starting 4. So you'll have:

Paul
Bryant
Durant
James
Chandler.

Actually I just got a great idea for a sweet lineup:

James
Iguodala
Durant
Anthony
Griffin

I call it the "HOLY SHIT DID YOU SEE THAT!" lineup. To be played when up big and just need to create excitement.

I agree with you on the PF duties but I was confused because I thought Durant was a lock to start.

[bluechox2]

anthony is a total beast at pf

[Pointguard]

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine


Final roster:

Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
LeBron James
Tyson Chandler
Carmelo Anthony
Deron Williams
Russell Westbrook
Kevin Love
Blake Griffin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nxfv7BmDxnA)
Andre Iguodala
James Harden
Love will have to get some serious burn or there will be a shortage of rebounds along with the height deficiency? Post game of Lebron and Mello with Kobe on the high post seems a bit odd to me for some reason. Mello is the only one that is going to stay down there (he will have to). Lebron and Kobe by nature roam. Lebron will be exclusively PF and Center?

The tandems seem very werid to me if you take Chandler and the PG's out:
Blake seems like he clashes with everybody and I can't pin point why either.
Westbrook and Kobe - even the names lack harmony.
Lebron and Mello - flashbacks of the first team with them?
I don't know why Harden and Love together appauls me as does Iggy and Harden.

They are all versatile players but they isn't a change of styles that you can call on. Its not an team that can go inside out to start its offense.

[Fiasco]

Coming from a Clippers fan....I'm stunned.

The only people who seem to disagree are you and Thunder fans, so :confusedshrug:

[IamSofaKing]

Is there any other video beside the 2 min one that shows team USA's scrimmage against the Select team?

[wang4three]

James Harden just won 6th man of the year. He's used to playing off a bench role. Why do people think Gordon would've been a better fit? Give me a break. Contextually and factually, Harden makes a ton of more sense.

[LA_Showtime]

Why do people on here act like Harden is the second coming of Michael Jordan? He's a good player and has a chance to be a perennial all-star, but he wasn't a top 20 player this season and while his Finals were disappointing, he can easily bounce back next year.

[Thunderstruck]

Why do people on here act like Harden is the second coming of Michael Jordan? He's a good player and has a chance to be a perennial all-star, but he wasn't a top 20 player this season and while his Finals were disappointing, he can easily bounce back next year.

Who is saying anything close to that? Most people are arguing Harden got in because he's been healthy. How does that equate to what you are saying? Coach K picked Harden and he obviously has good reasons for it.

[50inchvertical]

Why do people on here act like Harden is the second coming of Michael Jordan? He's a good player and has a chance to be a perennial all-star, but he wasn't a top 20 player this season and while his Finals were disappointing, he can easily bounce back next year.
Neither was Gordon in his 9 games and mofos are literally calling him the 3rd best sg in the league and a franchise player. People are victims of the "what you did last" syndrome so everyone is going to talk about his finals, like he wasn't hitting game winners in the WCF and previous series and having great overall play.