The approach which Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo brought to the Olympic team was highly successful the first time and may be tested now: it's not at all clear how many of the guys who participated last time will be around for this summer's World Championships.
| NAME |
POS
|
HGT
|
WGT
|
DOB
|
CURRENT TEAM / COLLEGE or
HIGH SCHOOL |
| LaMarcus Aldridge |
F/C |
6-11 |
240 |
7/19/85 |
Portland Trail Blazers / Texas |
| Carmelo Anthony |
F
|
6-8
|
230
|
5/29/84
|
Denver Nuggets / Syracuse |
| Chauncey Billups |
G
|
6-3
|
202
|
9/25/76
|
Denver Nuggets / Colorado |
| Carlos Boozer |
F
|
6-9
|
266
|
11/20/81
|
Utah Jazz / Duke |
| Chris Bosh |
F
|
6-10
|
230
|
3/24/84
|
Toronto Raptors / Georgia Tech |
| Kobe Bryant |
G
|
6-6
|
205
|
8/23/78
|
Los Angeles Lakers / Lower Merion H.S. (PA) |
| Stephen Curry |
G
|
6-3
|
185
|
3/14/88
|
Golden State Warriors / Davidson |
| Kevin Durant |
G
|
6-9
|
230
|
9/29/88
|
Oklahoma City Thunder / Texas |
| Tyreke Evans |
G
|
6-6
|
220
|
9/19/89
|
Sacramento Kings / Memphis |
| Rudy Gay |
F
|
6-8
|
230
|
8/17/86
|
Memphis Grizzlies / Connecticut |
| Eric Gordon |
G |
6-3 |
222 |
12/25/88 |
Los Angeles Clippers / Indiana |
| Danny Granger |
F |
6-8 |
228 |
4/20/83 |
Indiana Pacers / New Mexico |
| Jeff Green |
F
|
6-9
|
235
|
10/26/80
|
Oklahoma City Thunder / Georgetown |
| Dwight Howard |
F/C
|
6-11
|
265
|
12/08/85
|
Orlando Magic / Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA) |
| Andre Iguodala |
F |
6-6 |
207 |
1/28/84 |
Philadelphia 76ers / Arizona |
| LeBron James |
F
|
6-8
|
250
|
12/30/84
|
Cleveland Cavaliers / St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. (OH) |
| Al Jefferson |
C
|
6-10
|
265
|
1/04/85
|
Minnesota Timberwolves / Prentiss H.S. (MS) |
| David Lee |
F/C
|
6-9
|
250
|
4/29/83
|
New York Knicks / Florida |
| Brook Lopez |
C
|
7-0
|
265
|
4/01/88
|
New Jersey Nets / Stanford |
| Kevin Love |
F
|
6-10
|
260
|
9/07/88
|
Minnesota Timberwolves / UCLA |
| O.J. Mayo |
G
|
6-4
|
210
|
11/05/87
|
Memphis Grizzlies / USC |
| Lamar Odom |
F
|
6-10
|
230
|
11/06/79
|
Los Angeles Lakers / Rhode Island |
| Chris Paul |
G
|
6-0
|
175
|
5/06/85
|
New Orleans Hornets / Wake Forest |
| Kendrick Perkins |
C
|
6-10
|
280
|
11/10/84
|
Boston Celtics / Clifton J. Ozen H.S. (TX) |
| Tayshaun Prince |
F
|
6-9
|
205
|
2/28/80
|
Detroit Pistons / Kentucky |
| Derrick Rose |
G
|
6-3
|
190
|
10/04/88
|
Chicago Bulls / Memphis |
| Amar'e Stoudemire |
C
|
6-10
|
249
|
11/16/82
|
Phoenix Suns / Cypress Creek High School (FL) |
| Dwyane Wade |
G
|
6-4
|
220
|
1/17/82
|
Miami Heat / Marquette |
| Gerald Wallace |
F |
6-7 |
220 |
7/23/82 |
Charlotte Bobcats / Alabama |
| Russell Westbrook |
G |
6-3 |
187 |
11/12/88 |
Oklahoma City Thunder / UCLA |
| Deron Williams |
G
|
6-3
|
207
|
7/26/84
|
Utah Jazz / Illinois |
Years of paying attention to Duke basketball means that we know that this will be pitched as a positive: it's a way to include younger players, a way for them to expand their own roles, and a way to take the structure further into the future.
Listed to the right is the current roster of candidates for this summer's team. The highlighted players participated in the last Olympics. Even if they all stayed home, there are some wonderful players to look at.
Start with Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, and one or two of the big men -- perhaps LaMarcus Aldridge, Brook Lopez, Kendrick Perkins or Amar'e Stoudamire.
Really, you could look at Durant, Rose, and Curry as an exceptionally smart core group of players and you could build around them, adding in athleticism, versatility, and defensive intensity. With that in mind, you could pick up Andre Iguodalla and Gerald Wallace as primary defenders, and play with things from there.
Jeff Green is a pretty versatile player and might fit well. Over the last few years, they learned the importance of having big, physical guards, which is a nice argument for Evans.
They also learned the importance of taking serious three-point shooters. That alone should guarantee Curry a spot.
Having said all that, we obviously have no idea what they will do. Presumably, at least some of the guys from Olympic team will participate. But even if they don't, the basic approach of incorporating as many people as possible should pay off.
By the way, it's a shame not to see Blake Griffin or Greg Oden on this list. Hopefully they'll both be healthy enough at some point to participate, and after his emergence in the playoffs, Rayjon Rondo seems like a guy who could belong, too.
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