The Official USA Basketball Thread

[dabomb2045]

The FIBA Americas Tournament starts tommorrow night....which is the tournament to decide who qualifies for the Olympics next year. Anyone else going to be watching? We only won bronze at the Worlds last year....so we are in this. We have to finish in the Top 2 to qualify for the Olympics. However we should win this tournament with ease.

I like our roster construction this time around with the addition of some good outside shooters in Miller, Redd and Billups. That will hopefully force teams out of playing zone which is what has caused our demise in the last few international tournaments. If we can shore up our outside shooting there is nobody that can beat us. Our first game is tommorrow night against Venezuela. You can find the rest of the schedule at http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=07_msnt_tvschedule

Here's our roster for this tournament:

<TABLE borderColor=#cc0000 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="99%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD>15</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Carmelo Anthony (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=anthony_carmelo)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">F
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-8
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">230
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">5/29/84
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Denver Nuggets / Syracuse</TD></TR><TR><TD>4</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Chauncey Billups (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=billups_chauncey)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">G
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-3
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">202
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">9/25/76
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Detroit Pistons / Colorado</TD></TR><TR><TD>10</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Kobe Bryant (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=bryant_kobe)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">G
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-6
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">220
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">8/23/78
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Los Angeles Lakers / Lower Merion High School (PA)</TD></TR><TR><TD>14</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Tyson Chandler (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=chandler_tyson)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">C
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">7-1
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">225
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">10/02/82
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">New Orleans Hornets / Dominguez H.S. (CA)</TD></TR><TR><TD>11</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Dwight Howard (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=howard_dwight)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">F/C
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-11
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">265
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">12/08/85
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Orlando Magic / Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy</TD></TR><TR><TD>6</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">LeBron James (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=james_lebron)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">F
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-8
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">240
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">12/30/84
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Cleveland Cavaliers / St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (OH)</TD></TR><TR><TD>5</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Jason Kidd (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=kidd_jason)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">G
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-4
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">212
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">3/23/73
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">New Jersey Nets / Califonria</TD></TR><TR><TD>13</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Mike Miller (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=miller_mike)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">G
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-8
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">218
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">2/19/80
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Memphis Grizzlies / Florida</TD></TR><TR><TD>9</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Tayshaun Prince (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=prince_tayshaun)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">F
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-9
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">205
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">2/28/80
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Detroit Pistons / University of Kentucky</TD></TR><TR><TD>8</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Michael Redd (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=redd_michael)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">G
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-6
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">215
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">8/24/79
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Milwaukee Bucks / Ohio State</TD></TR><TR><TD>12</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Amare Stoudemire (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=stoudemire_amare)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">C
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">6-10
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="8%">240
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="11%">11/16/82
</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="46%">Phoenix Suns / Cypress Creek High School (FL)</TD></TR><TR><TD>7</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="22%">Deron Williams (http://www.usabasketball.com/men_team.php?bios=williams_deron)</TD><TD class=roster-text vAlign=top width="5%">G
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[NYYFAN5388]

If we don't finish in the top 2 and dont make the olympics then we mite as well quit USA basketball 4 good