FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Denis24 said 06/30, 04:33 PM
This one has to be Paul Pierce.

Out of all the people that are options for this spot on the roster, Paul Pierce needs to be the No. 1 option. He just won the NBA Finals MVP award, and who better to have on your roster than the player that just came off his best performances ever.

As for the theory that they will only have two true big men if Dwight Howard decides he can not participate, well, Tyson Chandler is their No. 1 alterate, so if anybody can't play, Chandler can step in and provides depth up front.

Chris Bosh CAN play the center position, backing up Dwight Howard when he is on the bench. Bosh has a 7'4" wingspan, and that really makes him a possible center because Bosh is known as a forward-center. Plus, if needed, when a big man is in foul trouble, Team USA can go smaller and put either Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James at the PF position.

Anyway, Tyson Chandler, even with his size, hasn't really put up the numbers expected from him. I don't think he can succeed with how physical the international game can be (that's not a joke). He has mostly benefited from Chris Paul's climb of stardom. Most of the time, Tyson Chandler gets him points from Paul's alley-oops.

Denis24 said 07/01, 01:51 PM
So, your saying they need to go with talent more than need? Well, that's just like saying the Bulls need to draft Michael Beasley just because they don't have a good big man. That's not the point. They need a better team and with Paul Pierce, that's what you get.

The problem is, if Dwight Howard doesn't participate because of injury, Tyson Chandler jumps in. Again, Carmelo, LeBron, or Pierce can all jump in and play the PF position for Team USA.

Bosh: 36 mpg
Boozer: 35 mpg
Howard: 38 mpg

They all have the ability to play over 3/4 of the game without a problem. They will be fine without another big body down low. Anyway, do you not know who your talking about leaving off of Team USA. It's the Finals MVP, a player who averaged 20-5-5 during their playoff run. He's the hottest player as of right now in the NBA. Nobody is playing better than him. Pierce IS a physical player. He can bang down low. There isn't a problem with him not being productive.

LeBron: 7.9 RPG
'Melo: 7.4 RPG
Pierce: 5.1 RPG

All of their small forwards are rebounding threats, so Coach K won't be afraid to insert them at PF at times. Pierce is also another shooter Coach K would like to have.

Denis24 said 07/01, 10:23 PM
Do you realize that the international game is much more different. They let you get away with a lot of more physical play. You get pushed and bumped around downlow under the basket. You can even put both hands on your defender and ride him all the way down the court while you guard him. That is why the bigs won't get into so much foul trouble, the game is different. They'll be able to get through the game without any worries.

The game is only about 1 1/2 hours in length. The bigmen won't get as fatigued as you think they will.

Howard: 14.2 RPG
Boozer: 10.4
Bosh: 8.7 RPG

That's enough rebounding you will need during the 48 minute game. And trust me, if Coach K tells LeBron or 'Melo to play the power forward position, they will play it, and well. These players are commited, and they aren't stupid enough to commit a 3rd foul with a couple of minutes left in the 1st half.

Remember the last time Team USA participated in the Olympics? Roster: Duncan, Marbury, Iverson, James, Jefferson, Stoudemire, Marion, Wade, Odom, Anthony, Boozer, and Okafor.

Guard: 3 (Starbury, AI, Wade)
Forward/Center: 9 (TD, James, RJ, STAT, Marion, Odom, Melo, Boozer, Okafor)

Result: Bronze