What is the future of USA Basketball?
Chris Paul (photo. Mannion)Before Team USA had even secured the gold medal in Beijing, we were already wondering what plans lay ahead for the USA Basketball program moving forward to the 2012 Olympics (not to mention the 2010 World Championships and next summer’s FIBA Americas WC qualifier).
Right now no one player is a lock, despite what they may have said in the moment during the Games. Even guys like LeBron or Chris Paul, who will each be only 27 when the London Games rolls around, may sit down and conclude that they want to have their summers back, seeing as they’ve both been playing for Team USA almost every offseason since entering the League.
What we do know so far is that Jerry Colangelo is expected to remain on-board as the director of the USAB program.
“Continuity is important,” Colangelo told reporters in Beijing. “If you’re a betting guy, you’d say, (I’m) probably going to do it. But it’s not official.”
No word on whether this means USAB will wipe the slate clean and begin another three-year plan beginning next year (a new coach?) or if Colangelo will try to maintain the same program with minimal player/coach turnover to achieve that continuity. Whatever the case, this doesn’t bode well for Allen Iverson, if in fact he wanted to take a crack at wearing the red, white and blue again.
What would you do if you were in Colangelo’s shoes?
August 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
the_don_mega says:
well… stay with the core and add some players like oden… beasley… and the other young cats. and id prolly give an invite to A.I. in a sort of veteran role like JKidd’s…
August 25th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Tha Boddy says:
Gilbert Arenas and Iverson for Kidd and Redd. They Both can score lights out and Iverson has leadership power, Arenas said that he has to become a leader also because with the money they are paying him he has no choice.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Celts Fan says:
What I’d do if I was Colangelo:
There are 2 different ways of doing this.
1. If we have mainly guys returning from this year, with some new blood mixed in, you can run it similarly to this way, only with less of a commitment during the summers. Get them together for a wk. or 2 of practices in Vegas or somewhere really cool, make it like a vaca. and fly in guys families too so people would want to go and keep it fun and relaxed. The guys get soe work together and get some teamwork and cohesion without having to work too hard or give up too much time.
2. If it’s going to be an almost entirely new team, you do exactly the same thing you did the last 3 years.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:10 am
heartbreaker85 says:
id go hunting for a true center who can block shots. that’s the only weakness of team usa (other than the inconsistent 3 point shooting).
i bet that if usa had a mutombo/mourning type of guy, then navarro wouldn’t have been able to get those crazy teardrops up.
howard, amare and bosh aren’t accomplished post defenders. maybe oden.
and get a.i. in for pete’s sake. the guy actually WANTS to play for team USA back when the program wasn’t in place.
plus, who plays the game more american-style (flsahy, one on one, hip-hop) than iverson? at least have someone represent the streets ot something.
and no, carmelo aint no thug.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Franchise Baller says:
yo what about them Wade olympic basketballs? The giveaway?
August 25th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I am Legend says:
I think we invite a Joe Johnson (He’ll be 30 by then). Dude can play multiple positions,and he is an underrated shooter.
Depending on how Beasley develops we definitely take him. Greg Oden is a must also.
Boozer, even though he didn’t play alot…will also be 30 and he would have the expirience needed.
Maybe a Brandon Roy, and a David Lee…..?
August 25th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
speedcat says:
the big thing will be who’s the next coach. then i’d look at retaining as much core as possible (wade, lebron, bosh, howard, cp) and bring in some new blood – rose, durrant, oden, maybe jennings or mayo or beas. If you look at the other fiba teams, they have a core group and then fill out the roster thus giving players a chance to be the next group of core guys.
i do think people are overlooking kyle korver though. usab lacked two type of players – a lights out shooter ala steve kerr and a lockdown defender, artest would be perfect but he’s way too nuts to fit a team concept but how about posey?
August 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Young Lebron 23 says:
Id def stay if I was Colangelo. Keep core group (Lebron,Kobe,CP3,D-Will,Wade,Bosh,Superman,) and add Rose, AI, Beasley, Oden, and maybe another vet big KG or Amare?
August 25th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Tangman says:
Coach K has got to stay. IMO he is one of the best coaches for this kind of team.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Camp Lo says:
Here’s my squad:
-CP3
-Wade
-LBJ
-Melo
-Dwight
Deron
Roy (for Kidd)
Durant (for Kobe)
Tayshaun
Bosh
Amare (for Redd)
Oden (for Boozer)
Alternates (D-Rose, Joe Johnson, Tyson Chandler)
August 25th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Tim says:
if Kevin Garnett played in the olympics that would just be crazy…representing his country he would put up insane numbers with that intensity he plays with.