As USA Basketball prepares for the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the team has announced the 27-man roster that will participate in July's mini-camp in Las Vegas. Per USA Basketball's official site, here's the full list of next month's participants:
- Ryan Anderson (Pelicans)
- Harrison Barnes (Warriors)
- Bradley Beal (Wizards)
- Mike Conley (Grizzlies)
- DeMarcus Cousins (Kings)
- Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
- DeMar DeRozan (Raptors)
- Andre Drummond (Pistons)
- Kenneth Faried (Nuggets)
- Derrick Favors (Jazz)
- Paul George (Pacers)
- Taj Gibson (Bulls)
- Gordon Hayward (Jazz)
- Jrue Holiday (76ers)
- Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Clippers)
- Ty Lawson (Nuggets)
- Kawhi Leonard (Spurs)
- Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
- Greg Monroe (Pistons)
- Chandler Parsons (Rockets)
- Larry Sanders (Bucks)
- Klay Thompson (Warriors)
- Dion Waiters (Cavaliers)
- Kemba Walker (Bobcats)
- John Wall (Wizards)
- Tyler Zeller (Cavaliers)
So does this mean that players like LeBron and Carmelo are definitively not playing in the next Olympics? Or does it mean that they just don’t have to go through mini-camp since they’re already proven? If just paring this group down to a final roster of 12, I would take:
PG Irving, Wall, Conley
SG Lillard, K. Thompson
SF George, Leonard
PF Faried, A. Davis
C Jordan, Sanders, Cousins
This is different from the Olympics, I’m pretty sure it just depends on if the player wants to play, and guys like Lebron, Melo, etc. already play the full season and Olympic games.
Still a ton of young budding superstars on the team.
to many bigs and not enough shooting.. a guy like jordan wont get selected for fiba play over a big who can shoot like ryan anderson
I’d start Conley, Irving in the backcourt, George, Faried, and Sanders.
Bench would include Holiday, Lillard, K thompson, Leonard, Monroe, Davis. If the roster goes up to 15, I’d get Parsons, Wall, Drummond, maybe even Cousins. You have your defensive guards in Holiday and conley. Irving and holiday can play the 2 because of their shooting and explosiveness. Shooting with Irving, Thompson, Lillard. Defense down low with Faried, Sanders, Monroe, Davis. Parsons can play multi positions, Wall can lock down defensively and can create easy fastbreaks, and cousins if his head is on right, can flat out dominate.