USA Basketball will release its preliminary 18-man roster pool for the 2012 Olympic men's basketball tournament on January 18th, ESPN is reporting.
The latest edition of the Dream Team will be built, primarily, of players that participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey. Blake Griffin is the only player that didn't play in either tournament that is expected to make the initial cut, while Jason Kidd, Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer and Tayshaun Prince have all reportedly been ruled out.
As much as I love Griffin's game - and who doesn't - I don't think he's a player I'd bring to London. Team USA already has an embarrassment of riches at the forward position, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh already in the mix. And the international game often favors big men who can shoot from the outside, which isn't Griffin's strength.
Assuming Dwight Howard is on the team - and I believe he will be - Team USA might be better off with a floor-stretching forward who can also fill in at center. I think Kevin Love - who did play in Turkey in 2010 - is ideal for the job.
The list of options at guard - point guard in particular - is also outrageously deep. So deep that, in the first-draft 2012 Olympic roster I proposed just after the 2010 World Championships, I couldn't find a spot for either Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook.
I'll revise that prediction once USA Basketball announces their top 18, but for now I'll replace Deron Williams with Rose. Westbrook gets added if Kobe Bryant opts not to play or if Stephen Curry's ankle doesn't cooperate. (Westbrook is a better all-around player than Curry, but I'd rather have Steph as a zone-breaker.)
With those changes in mind, here's my updated 2012 Olympic Men's Basketball roster:
Guards: Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry
Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Andre Iguodala
Centers: Dwight Howard, Kevin Love
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