OFFICIAL FIBA World Cup Spain 2014 Thread

Cousins doesn't make much sense on the roster honestly. The team is filled with elite, elite scorers. We don't need a guy that demands low post touches (or high post touches - DMC has a weird game for a center) (in an international game where the post isn't emphasized or needed as much), isn't a great defender and is prone to mental lapses.

I am surprised that we're not bringing on at least one of Drummond or Cousins. Those guys are strong enough to bang with the bigger centers we may face. Not going to pretend I'm familiar with who's playing this year but if we face a bulkier center who's looking to score (say Marc Gasol), he could easily get AD/Plumlee in foul trouble.

But Plumlee is an ELITE finisher, doesn't expect the ball, is better on defense and is fast enough to trap pick and rolls. Cousins can't say any of that.
 
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Just imagine how much angrier Boogie will be if Plumlee is selected over him. Dude already plays with 3 chips on his shoulder 
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USA Basketball Showcase big for roster hopefuls[/size

Thursday was a light, no-contact day at USA Basketball training camp. On the fourth day of preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Select Team was gone and the Senior Team just went through drills and shooting.

This was to make sure everybody was fresh for Friday’s USA Basketball Showcase, an intra-squad scrimmage that could go a long way in determining who will still be with this team when it reconvenes in Chicago on Aug. 14 and who won’t.

“Tomorrow night,” USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said Thursday, “if somebody just knocks somebody out, in terms of performance, that’s big. That is a big factor. So, not to put pressure on anyone, but it’s one thing to practice, it’s another thing to play in games.”

Here are the rosters for the game, with the players’ potential positions for the National Team …

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We won’t know the details of the roster reduction until Saturday at the earliest. Neither will the players, who’ve been left in the dark about their status all week. Colangelo, head coach Mike Krzyzewski and their staff will meet after the game, discuss and evaluate what they saw.

“This isn’t evaluating one individual and his game,” Krzyzewski said Thursday. “It’s about evaluating a group and how a group will go together. All these guys are outstanding players. It’s just a matter of how we feel they can mesh as a unit.”

The U.S. won’t necessarily cut the roster down to 12 when it departs for the Canary Islands (for four more days of training and an exhibition against Slovenia) on Aug. 23. They took extra bodies abroad in 2010 and could do so again.

“I’m not saying we are going to do that,” Krzyzewski said, “but we don’t have to have the 12 until the day before [the World Cup begins]. We’d rather have it done before, but we’ll see.”

Here’s how I believe the roster stands at this point …

The locks

There are six guys who, barring injury, will absolutely on the team as it opens pool play at the World Cup on Aug. 30. They are (in alphabetical order) …

Stephen Curry – Curry didn’t play big minutes on the 2010 team that won gold in Istanbul, but he’s blown up on the NBA level since. It looks like he’ll be the sixth man, though he could be a starter at either guard position.

Anthony Davis – The starting center and likely one of two guys who will play big minutes (around 30 per game, maybe more in the final). Though he barely played in 2012, his last-minute addition to that roster (due to a Blake Griffin injury) is turning out to be a blessing. That experience will go a long way.

“It’s one of those things,” Krzyzewski said Thursday, “where a really good thing happened even though something bad happened.”

Kevin Durant – Well, duh.

Paul George – The starting small forward alongside Durant. He’ll get the toughest perimeter defensive assignment.

James Harden – Likely the starting shooting guard, who will share playmaking responsibilities with Rose and Curry.

Derrick Rose – Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have been downright giddy about what they’ve seen from Rose this week. He’s looked strong and in control, and his jumper is better than ever. It would be a real surprise if he isn’t the starting point guard against Finland on Aug. 30.

The other point guard

Colangelo told USA Today on Wednesday that it would be hard to keep more than one “pure point” on the roster, and labeled Rose, Kyrie Irving and John Wall as the true points in camp.

So it seems clear that one roster spot will come down to Irving vs. Wall. Irving is the more dynamic one-on-one player, but Wall is the better passer and defender.

Also, while Irving (35.8 percent) was a slightly better 3-point shooter than Wall (35.1 percent) overall last season, Wall was much better on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Wall had a 3-point percentage of 43.1 percent and an effective field-goal percentage of 60.8 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers, while Irving’s numbers were just 32.1 percent and 46.0 percent. Opponents will pack the paint and hope the U.S. Team is having an off night from the perimeter, so catch-and-shoot skills should be more important than pull-up skills with this team.

The specialists

Colangelo has said that, beyond a core of seven or eight guys, you need specialists. Those specialists could be energy guys, defenders, shooters or big man insurance.

There are two guys that fit the bill better than anyone. And beyond the six locks above, I’d label them as the most likely to make the roster (though that doesn’t mean they’ll have big roles).

Kenneth Faried – He doesn’t seem to fit in international basketball, because he’s 6-8 and can’t shoot. But he has ridiculous energy and bounce, he can finish on the break and he will outwork guys on the glass. Krzyzewski can put Faried into the game for a few minutes at a time, tell him to wreak some havoc and be confident that he will make a positive impact.

Kyle Korver – You know why he’s here. But the league-leader in 3-point percentage won’t hurt you defensively. He’s improved quite a bit on that end of the floor over the years.

These guys have unique skills, and both can be trusted to happily accept a limited role.

The rest of the core

So, if there are six locks and a seven- or eight-man core, who makes up the rest of the core? Colangelo wouldn’t bite at that question, but said they’re pretty set on who it is.

“That’s been pretty consistent,” he said. “It just depends. Is the core group seven or is it eight?”

The best bet to be that seventh or eighth guy is Klay Thompson, a guy who can shoot and play a little D on the wing.

The other big

Oh boy. This tweet from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst really stirred up some stuff Thursday evening …

2 things from Team USA: post practice games between Durant/Harden/George are epic; Mason Plumlee likely to make team over DeMarcus Cousins—
Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 31, 2014

The DeMarcus Cousins/Mason Plumlee debate is fascinating, and it’s too early to say that any decision has been made regarding the two. In fact, it’s extremely likely that both Cousins and Plumlee (and all the other bigs) will continue with the team to Chicago and New York, so that the staff can see them against other teams.

“This is a camp that is a month long,” Colangelo said, “not five days.”

The stop in Chicago will include an exhibition against Brazil, which has the front line – Nene, Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varejao – that most closely resembles Spain, the team, if any, that the U.S. would plan for when building its roster.

But the U.S. doesn’t necessarily have to match up against the World Cup hosts. In fact, in the gold medal game of the 2012 Olympics, the three U.S. bigs – Kevin Love (19), Tyson Chandler (9) and Davis – combined to play just 29 minutes against Spain.

Davis could play that many himself this year. And if the U.S. does face Spain in another gold medal game, the hosts would worry about matching up with the Americans (namely Durant) as much as the opposite. The only difference between 2012 and this year is that the U.S. had bulkier forwards (LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony), who didn’t give up as much size to opposing bigs, while forcing them to try to guard them on the perimeter.

Back to Cousins/Plumlee, and back to Krzyzewski’s quote above about how the team will “mesh as a unit.”

Cousins’ advantages over other bigs are reduced when he’s not a focal point of the offense. And when he’s playing with the likes of Rose, Curry, Harden and Durant, he’s certainly not going to be that. He’s not getting 10 (or even three) post-ups as a back-up center on this team. And he doesn’t have the end-to-end speed to play the style that has been successful for the U.S. over the last several years.

“The style we play lends itself to what Anthony does,” Krzyzewski said, “or even what a Plumlee is doing. A little bit of [Andre] Drummond.

“DeMarcus’ game is different, so he has an adjustment to make and he’s trying to make it. But also, as he grows, we have to look and see ‘Is there something we can do to help in bringing something more out of his game?'”

For Colangelo, the Cousins/Plumlee decision is about continuity from the starters to the bench.

“If you want to play a certain style,” he said, “you need the personnel to play that way. Now, some guys don’t really fit that way, but if there’s enough reason to carry someone … we play differently when he’s in the game. You have to make an adjustment.”

Plumlee does what they like. He runs the floor, he’s active and vocal on defense, and he stays in his lane. He’s certainly not perfect – it could be bad news if he has to make decisions with the ball or shoot free throws – but his type is a better fit on this team, especially when you’re talking about a roster spot that will see limited playing time. And yes, Cousins’ temperament is always a factor.

Drummond is definitely still in the picture, so this could be a three-man race for that back-up center spot. And it’s a race that will likely go from Vegas to Chicago to New York.

“We’re going to take a long look at our bigs,” Krzyzewski said.

Paul Millsap is likely in competition with Faried for the smaller big man spot. Millsap offers better offensive skills and floor spacing, but in short bursts, it seems clear that Faried can make a more immediate impact. It should also be noted that Faried was on the original roster, while Millsap volunteered to come when Kevin Love dropped out.

The redundancies

In answering a question about Gordon Hayward on Thursday, Colangelo said, “We have a lot of redundancy at certain positions and body types and sizes,” and put Hayward in the same category with Chandler Parsons and DeMar DeRozan.

“This will be very competitive for a number of guys because of the redundancy,” Colangelo said. “You could go one way or another.”

If you go back to those catch-and-shoot numbers, Parsons (41.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes) was much better than DeRozan (34.0 percent) or Hayward (31.8 percent). He’s also a good playmaker, so give him the edge going into Friday night.

The other guards

Damian Lillard is thought of here as a one/two in the mold of Curry. And it’s hard to see them taking two of those. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he definitely won’t be in Chicago or that the staff doesn’t like him, but he seems the most likely to be done after Friday.

Bradley Beal has flown under the radar this week and is probably behind Thompson in the two/three consideration. But nobody should be eliminated from potentially being on the 15-man list before Friday’s Showcase.

The wild card

Colangelo told Chris Haynes of Comcast Sportsnet that it’s not impossible for Love to ultimately be on the World Cup roster. Love withdrew from camp because of trade uncertainty, but again, the roster doesn’t have to be set until Aug. 29.

Cavs No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins is eligible to be traded on Aug. 23. So, it’s possible that Love could be dealt to Cleveland and then decide to play at the World Cup.

That could obviously send a bad message – that you can skip training camp and still play – to other U.S. players. But if it comes down to a decision between Kevin Love and Mason Plumlee, it may be difficult not to compromise your principles.

Predictions

So here’s a guess of what the roster will look like after it’s reduced this weekend, in the order they were addressed above …

1.Stephen Curry
2.Anthony Davis
3.Kevin Durant
4.Paul George
5.James Harden
6.Derrick Rose
7.Kyrie Irving or John Wall
8.Kyle Korver
9.Kenneth Faried
10.Klay Thompson
11.DeMarcus Cousins
12.Andre Drummond
13.Mason Plumlee
14.Chandler Parsons
15.Bradley Beal or Gordon Hayward or Paul Millsap or Irving/Wall

No. 15 will depend on what the staff thinks it needs and who played well on Friday. And the number of players going to Chicago doesn’t necessarily have to be 15.
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http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/08/01/usa-basketball-showcase-big-for-roster-hopefuls/
 
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mgrand15 said:
Cousins doesn't make much sense on the roster honestly. The team is filled with elite, elite scorers. We don't need a guy that demands low post touches (or high post touches - DMC has a weird game for a center) (in an international game where the post isn't emphasized or needed as much), isn't a great defender and is prone to mental lapses.

But Plumlee is an ELITE finisher, doesn't expect the ball, is better on defense and is fast enough to trap pick and rolls. Cousins can't say any of that.
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Exactly how I feel. I understand people are looking at the overall talent, but maybe the skills Cousins possess are not the qualifications Team USA is looking for in a 3rd or 4th big. I honestly don't see why its such a big issue :lol:

At the end of the day, neither player will more than likely be on the floor when the game matters the most. If they just so happen be on the court during that point in time, I'm sure they are looking for the guy more likely to make the hustle plays, big rebounds or blocks (which describes Plumlee).
 
The part of the article where it says Love might still make the team after skipping training camp would backfire on Colangelo.

You'll have a lot more players not taking camp seriously in the future.

Just roll with Plumblee, AD and Drummond and call it a day.

Honestly, the scariest front court out there are the Gasol brothers and Ibaka. Drummond and Anthony Davis will be OK.
 
I don't care if he sits the whole time until the final game...but not having Boogie there to bang bodies with Marc Gasol is a huge mistake.
 
worldbeefreeg said:
I don't care if he sits the whole time until the final game...but not having Boogie there to bang bodies with Marc Gasol is a huge mistake.
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They will be fine. AD and Drummond is good enough when it comes to defending Pau and Marc in the paint. Marc's game is not about posting players up and being a bruiser in the paint. He's more of a playmaking big and Pau is not heavy enough to warrant having a huge body defending him. With the length of Davis and athleticism/size of Drummond, they will be fine. Either way, I wouldn't expect Cousins to change anything when it comes to playing against those two players. Maybe he'll be more capable in getting them foul trouble on the offensive end? But, I'm not even sure if he'll get the needed touches for that.

If you want to defend Pau and Marc, simply play AD on Pau and Drummond on Marc.
 
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keeL252 said:
Kyrie to Mason oops...reliving those great days in Durham
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that was only 12 games right??


--Always wondered when these players get cut, how do they take it personally? I mean if you think about it they have been the best at every stop on their path to the NBA. And to get cut, just wonder how they react to it. Takes me back to when Coach K and Rajon Rondo did not see eye to eye and rumor got out he was going to get cut. Next thing you know Rondo pulls out because of "personal reasons" the day before the final roster was announced.
 
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hope espn is carrying these games so I can watch the undesirable games on espn3

kinda glad it's in spain so most of the games should be in the late morning/afternoon 
 
rck3sactown said:
^ I'll probably be butt hurt for a while, but once the games start I would probably get over it
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Just sucks that it seems like USAB is going out of their way to send a token invite to DMC, only to really give him ZERO shot at cracking the roster. It's a damn shame if that's the case. Especially to do it to a player who has continually shown enthusiasm and dedication to the program
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I personally do not like Voisin at all..... But she's kind of the Sacramento version of Brian Windhorst
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so take it however you want
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so what happened last year?
 
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