Even though the 2012 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo is hard at work trying to put together the next Dream Team that will take on the World in the London Olympics this Summer.
Even with last season’s NBA MVP Derrick Rose going down with a nasty ACL tear, Team USA’s backcourt should be as potent as ever with Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Russell Westbrook all taking turns running the point.
When adding in high volume scorers like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade to the perimeter, the World surely won’t see what’s coming. Wing players like Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay, and Eric Gordon as well as Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, as well as Chris Bosh are also in the running to make the final 12 man squad bound for London.
But with Dwight Howard officially out because of shoulder surgery and LA Lakers big man Andrew Bynum already declining, the US Coaching staff(Jim Boeheim, Mike Kryzewski, Mike D’Antoni, and Nate McMillan) has come up with a list of 3 young frontcourt players to potentially take 2 spots vacated by injuries to Rose, Howard, and Chauncey Billups.
The three big men reportedly on the short list to compete in the Team USA trials in Las Vegas in early July are Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, Detroit Pistons big man Greg Monroe, and reigning NCAA Player of the Year Anthony Davis.
Fresh off leading Kentucky to the National Championship, Davis is regarded as the odds-on favorite to be #1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and would be an intruiging option at center considering his elite level shot-blocking ability. Interestingly Davis would become the first player since Christian Laettner in 1992 to play on a USA Basketball squad made up purely of pro players without having a minute of NBA experience.
Team USA begins training in Las Vegas on July 6th and plays an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic National Team, coincidentally coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari, on July 12th before departing for London.
Check out Anthony Davis’ NCAA POY Mixtape:
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen has also provided content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, Cleveland.com, CSN Philly.com, Buckets Magazine, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
