2008 Olympic Basketball Team Selections
by Bodog Sportsbook | Jun 25 2008
Kobe Bryant. Dwyane Wade. Chris Paul. Jason Kidd. Michael Redd. Deron Williams. LeBron James. Tayshaun Prince. Carlos Boozer. Carmelo Anthony. Chris Bosh. Dwight Howard. These are the NBA stars USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski have assembled to capture the gold at this year’s summer Olympics in Beijing. It’s long on talent, to be sure, but they may not have the best “team” they could. There are some people who won’t be happy about the Olympic basketball team selections. Here’s a look at who was screwed this year.
GOLD FINGERED
Every player over 7 feet tallDwight Howard is listed as a PF/C. Sure, he can play the 5 if he needs to, like they’ve done in Orlando, but on the “best team in the world” he should be able to play his natural position at PF. Why Tyson Chandler was left off this team will remain a mystery. It was probably a close call, but do Utah Jazz fans really need both Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer on the team? Not to mention Carmelo Anthony was just suspended due to a DUI. That should automatically exclude him from having the privilege of representing his country this time around.
True role playersThe Shane Battiers, the Mike Millers, the James Poseys. Where are the players that will come off the bench and fill specific roles to complete a team, whether it’s knocking down the 3 to stretch a zone or providing lockdown man defense or just being willing to make a hustle play when the team needs it the most? People say that all of these players will be willing to play those roles for the Olympic team. The question is, then, why don’t they do it for their professional jobs? Will Jason Kidd all of a sudden start knocking down 3s consistently or will Carlos Boozer start diving for loose balls just because now it’s time to play? Chemistry is not about talent. It’s about teamwork.
“Hell, even the Dream Team had Christian Laettner carrying Barkley’s gym bag.”The NBA ownersThe owners should immediately ban their players under contract from playing in outside competitions. Sure, the players union would get all riled up, and the players would probably strike… but so what? In the end, the owners would win, because players want to get paid more than they want to play in the Olympics. Why should the owners pay these players millions of dollars only to have them put that investment at risk for another boss? The insurance rates must be through the roof as it is, without the highest paid stars holding off on surgery, wearing out their worn-out knees or just plain getting run down in the offseason. This will only make being successful at their day jobs more difficult.
College and high school playersThere are some incredible and talented young players in this country. By gaining valuable experience playing for great coaches and against a high level of competition, these developing players would be better prepared to excel in the NBA earlier. This would only improve the NBA’s overall product. They’d have marketable players, with some of them even being household names, coming into a season where the marquee stars are well rested and healthy from a proper offseason. Hell, even the Dream Team had Christian Laettner carrying Barkley’s gym bag. But the NBA is acting extremely short sighted when it comes to their ability to make money by having their stars play in the Olympics.
This team may prove to have the golden touch this summer in China, but just because you win doesn’t mean you’re playing the game the way it should be. Of course, until there are some changes, people are going to be cheering for their favorite NBA stars to bring home the Olympic gold. If we are nothing else, at our core, we are a patriotic nation. Bodog
Sportsbook will have all of your men’s Olympic basketball action this summer. Until the games tip off, make sure to check out the current
NBA futures odds and decide how the Olympics will impact your favorite NBA teams.
