Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

USA Basketball won its second exhibition game in preparation for the Olympics against Brazil Monday night 80-69.

An 11-point win is fine but it wasn’t a pretty performance by the United States as Brazil revealed some of Team USA’s weaknesses, especially early on as they led 27-17 after the first quarter.

Brazil is a much bigger team than Team USA, sporting three bigs with NBA experience in Anderson Varejao, Nene and Tiago Splitter who helped outrebound the U.S. 38-30 in the game

The United States still won because they turned up the defensive intensity and forced 23 turnovers in the game. After trailing by 10 after one quarter, they allowed just five points in the second and led 37-32 at halftime.

“Our defense was great in the last three quarters, we just weren’t making all of our shots,” Kevin Durant said after the game. “We know we’re going to have some games where we start off slow, but we just have to keep up our defense and be more responsive. We had open shots off of the pick and rolls, we just have to work on making them.”

Offense was a struggle for the U.S. too as they shot just 40.8 percent in the game and went 6-for-24 from beyond the arc. Team USA made up for those numbers with some good hustle work with 12 offensive rebounds and shot 11 more free throws than Brazil.

Brazil didn’t even show their entire hand in this game as so many international teams do leading up to the Olympics. They didn’t play zone at all in the game when that is clearly the most effective way to play defense against the U.S.

LeBron James scored 30 points and far too often found himself single-covered by a Brazil big and took him off the dribble. This wouldn’t have happened in the Olympics.

The lack of size will be a big issue for the U.S. They’re not just going to easily stroll past teams with LeBron and Durant at the four and five no matter how cool those lineups seem. International basketball is too different and not being physical in the paint is something you can rarely afford to be.

It’s still early but head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his affinity for playing a ton of different types of lineups could cost the U.S. as well. Maybe he’s just trying things out now but he has a history of playing questionable lineups with Team USA.

“It’s great,” Russell Westbrook, who scored four points vs. Brazil, said of Team USA’s versatility. “That’s why they put this group of guys together. There are talented guys on this team that are capable of doing a lot of different things. On any given night one guy could score 30 or a lot of guys could score 10 or 12.”

The United States needs to lock down a rotation before the Olympics start though. It’s great that they are deep and have 12 players that can contribute but in a 40-minute game that can be too much and a more concise rotation would be better.

We saw Coach K kind of do this against Brazil playing nine players most of the minutes with Kevin Love and James Harden barely playing and Anthony Davis not at all.

“We have just been sticking with it,” Harden said. “Obviously, our shots didn’t fall in this particular game but fortunately we still able to win. We held them to five points in the second quarter which was good. Our chemistry continues to build with every game we play together.”

Fortunately for the United States they drew the easier group in London. Spain and Brazil, the two teams with the most size, will not play the U.S. until a potential Gold Medal game.

“Right now we’re just trying to focus on us and getting better,” Durant said. “When we start in London, then we will start focusing on how to beat those teams. We know it’s going to be tough but right now we just have to focus on us.”

Until then, the U.S. will continue with its preparation for the Olympics playing their third exhibition against Great Britain July 19 at 7:10 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James led the United States with 30 points in an 80-69 victory over Brazil in the team’s second exhibition game in preparation for the London Olympics. The game was played in Washington, D.C. with President Obama and his family in attendance.

Team USA was tested much more against Brazil than they were in their first exhibition against the Dominican Republic. The Brazilians were big inside led by Nene, Anderson Varejao and Tiabo Splitter while the United States still played our small lineups.

LeBron took over after the United States got out to a slow start and trailed after the first quarter. He was too much to handle off the dribble most often guarded but the Brazilian bigs.

Kevin Durant who scored 24 points and made five 3-pointers against the Dominican Republic scored just 11 points against Brazil and once again came off the bench.

Brazil was an expected tough test for Team USA but they won’t see them in their group play in the Olympics. Brazil is in Pool B along with Spain, Russia, China, Australia and Great Britain. The toughest teams in the United States’ pool are Argentina and France.

Team USA will play their third exhibition game July 19 vs. Great Britain. The game will be played in England and will be at 7:10 p.m. EST airing on ESPN2.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

The USA Men’s Olympic Basketball team will play its second exhibition game tonight vs. Brazil. The game will be played in Washington, D.C. at the Verizon Center at 8 p.m. EST and will be on ESPN2.

Team USA won its first exhibition game last Thursday when they beat the Dominican Republic 113-59.

Kevin Durant led the U.S. with 24 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in that game and made his first five 3-pointers. Andre Iguodala was also hot from deep making four treys of his own and scoring 18 points.

Russell Westbrook had six points and five rebounds and James Harden scored eight points.

The Dominican Republic was very close to qualifying for the Olympics but lost to Nigeria in the final Olympic Qualifying game in Venezuela last week. NBA players Al Horford and Francisco Garcia played for the Dominican Republic but were no match at all for the U.S.

Brazil will be a tougher matchup for Team USA and is ranked 13th in the world by FIBA. Brazil has a few NBA players on its roster including Nene, Tiago Splitter, Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa.

The United States is without question more talented than Brazil but Brazil could pose a few tough matchups especially with their big men.

Team USA does not have a big roster and will be relying on its versatile wings and backcourt pressure to beat teams. Team USA played a lot of lineups with LeBron James and Durant playing the four and five which will put them at a disadvantage against a team like Brazil where Nene and Splitter can score efficiently out of the low post.

The United States’ ability to pressure ball handlers may also be lessened going up against an NBA-experienced point in Barbosa.

The game changes under FIBA rules and the United States looks less like a collection of NBA players in the process. In their first exhibition match, they fired 33 3-pointers and made 13 of them, thanks to Durant and Iguodala. Team USA doesn’t have a lot of great 3-point shooters however especially considering some of the lineups head coach Mike Krzyzewski plays involving average outside shooters like LeBron and Chris Paul.

The name of the game for Team USA will always be their defense in the backcourt, scoring on the break and moving the ball well on offense. They looked expectedly rusty against the Dominican Republic often over-passing in a game they knew they’d easily win. They also didn’t do the best job of team rebounding, something Coach K has emphasized with this team and something that will be very important against bigger teams like Brazil.

Team USA needs to find a more defined role for all of their players if they are going to hit their potential and win a Gold Medal in London.

Brazil is a perfect test before the Olympics to get the United States into shape. The game should be much closer than the game against the Dominican Republic which should force Team USA to play their appropriate best lineups.

Brazil has always played the United States tough in international basketball and is coming off an impressive 91-75 win over Argentina who is ranked 3rd in the world right now.

Team USA should still win tonight but we can expect ugly basketball in the process.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

The USA Olympic Basketball team played in front of a crowd of thousands U.S. soldiers and their families Saturday in Washington, D.C.

The team put on a show scrimmaging each other in the Hoops for Troops event as they continue to prepare for the London Olympic Games which begin July 27.

“It was very touching to see so many people who sacrificed their lives for us to walk freely and do what we like to do,” Durant said. “It’s hard to really comment on it because you can’t repay them in any way but it’s truly a blessing to walk through and see that because they’ve done so much for us.”

After the game yesterday the team gathered to pay their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. It’s a cool scene seeing the players lined up with their heads down during the moment of silence.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant had the honor of placing a wreath at the tomb.

“Words can’t describe how excited I was to get that opportunity (presenting the wreath),” Durant said. “Not too many people get that. Also, being from here, that was my first time experiencing that. It really puts everything in perspective for you, how much people sacrificed – that you don’t even know – for your lives and that’s big.”

These are the kinds of things that really will bring this team together for the right reasons. This is why it is such an invaluable experience to represent your country in the Olympics.

The team will play their second exhibition game Monday night at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN2 against Brazil. Durant led the team with 24 points and 10 rebounds in their first exhibition win over the Dominican Republic last Thursday night.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

USA Basketball won its first exhibition game in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, beating the Dominican Republic 113-59 in a game played in Las Vegas, Nev.

Kevin Durant led the United States with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Durant came off the bench as Carmelo Anthony started instead of him and immediately made his presence felt scoring 11 points in the first quarter and going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Durant ended up hitting his first five 3-pointers as he proved why he’s the perfect international basketball flavor.

“It felt good to me,” Durant said. “It was cool to come off the bench for the first time. Wherever they need that spark, I’m going to try to come out and give them that spark. So I was looking forward to having different roles playing with USA, so it was kind of fun for me, actually.”

The United States was not challenged in this game as their game plan of high-pressure defense on their opponent’s guards worked perfectly as they forced 25 turnovers in the game.

“Our ball pressure is ridiculous,” Paul said.”The amount of ball pressure we can put on guys, especially at the guard position with me , D.Will and Russ, and then Kobe and then all of those other guys, we should give everybody hell just about every night.”

The offense actually looked a little more shaky for the U.S. as everyone was playing a little too unselfishly. The United States went 13-for-33 on 3-pointers in the game with Andre Iguodala also catching fire from deep making four in the game.

The United States played a lot of really small lineups after Tyson Chandler got in some foul trouble. LeBron James and Durant were in together playing the four and five quite a bit, a lineup you have to think will get into trouble if they play Spain.

The other Thunder players Russell Westbrook and James Harden each played as well. Westbrook was a terror on defense and finished with six points and five rebounds. Harden struggled with his shot but still scored eight points.

The Dominican Republic had two NBA players on their roster, Al Horford and Francisco Garcia. Horford had seven points in the game and was 1-for-12 from the field. Garcia didn’t score and went 0-for-3 in nine minutes of action.

Team USA will play their next exhibition game Monday in Washington, D.C. against Brazil. The game will be on ESPN at 8 p.m. EST.

Griffin injured the same knee during Game 5 of the Clippers’ first round series with the Grizzlies earlier this year. Griffin of course missed an entire season in the NBA after he was drafted due to a knee injury.

Team USA players have been dropping like flies over the past few months. Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all will not be playing in the Olympics due to an injury.

Anthony Davis has been asked to return to training camp now to fill Griffin’s void. The United States really only have two other bigs on the roster in Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love.

There were highlight videos of Griffin flying all over the court in practices with the team finishing emphatically with acrobatic slam dunks.

Following a condensed 66-game season and then playoffs, playing more basketball with little down time doesn’t make avoiding injuries any easier for these guys.

The toughest competition for the United States in the Olympics will be Spain, who they can only see in the Gold Medal game. Spain will have an advantage inside against the U.S. and losing Griffin doesn’t help the team.

The team will play their first exhibition game tonight at 9 p.m. when they take on the Dominican Republic.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant is not over the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat. Durant is now a teammate with his biggest rival, LeBron James, for Team USA Basketball at the 2012 London Olympics and it doesn’t sit well with him.

“It does. It does, but what can I do?” Durant told YardBarker.com when asked if it bothered him seeing LeBron every day. “He’s my teammate now. I’m a team player. I can’t let that affect this. This is bigger than that. It’s tough to lose in the Finals and play the guy you’ve been going up against for five games who beat you. So me, I’m just going to get over it, still be a great teammate, come out and play hard.”

Durant is the ultimate teammate so whatever he feels toward LeBron after losing in the NBA Finals to him will not affect his play in the Olympics for sure.

Durant and LeBron have developed a friendship too dating back to last summer when they played in a few charity basketball games together and even worked out together.

“It bothers him,” LeBron said. “I bet it bothers him and Russell (Westbrook), you know, they probably don’t want to hear about it. It would bother me, it would bother anyone that you lose to someone in the Finals, where everyone’s competing at the highest level and you want to win and then you have to team up with them not too long, not too far removed from the games.”

LeBron has really turned into a guy that says the right thing almost all of the time. If we didn’t think about The Decision and judge him by that so much, this would be how we feel about him.

It’s hard for Thunder fans to hate LeBron after they hear him say things like this and know that Durant and he are kind of close friends.

Kobe Bryant doesn’t really understand this though. Kobe is one of the last superstars remaining from the era in which you hated your rivals rather than joining them.

“Being the friends thing, I mean that’s fine,” Bryant said. “Once you start playing, I’d really, I’d have to go after him. There’s just no way.”

Durant, LeBron and Kobe will be teammates of course during the London Olympics beginning July 27. The trio is maybe as talented as we will ever see playing together on a basketball court. They are brought together for one common goal now and that’s bringing back the Gold for the United States.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

The roster for Team USA Basketball was revealed last Saturday night. The Oklahoma City Thunder became the first ever NBA team to send three players to represent the United States in Olympic basketball.

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden all made the final cut for Team USA. Westbrook and Harden got in thankful in part to the absences of players like Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade.

Kobe Bryant is excited for these Olympics and thinks very highly about his teammates that will be playing with him.

“I think (Russell) Westbrook gets D-Wade’s role for us,” Kobe told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He pushes the ball and gets to the rim and can defend all over the floor. One thing D-Wade did for us was extend possessions for us and create steals that resulted in a lot of easy run-out baskets for us. Russell’s just as good at doing that.”

In 2008 in Beijing, Wade was the sixth man for Team USA and led the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game as the team won Gold.

Westbrook made another big improvement this season in the NBA. He was fifth in the NBA in scoring helping lead the Thunder to the NBA Finals where he had a 43-point game in Game 4.

Westbrook receives a lot of criticism for playing the point guard position the way he does for the Thunder. Defenders of Westbrook often make the point that if Wade played point guard for the Heat, we’d be saying the same thing about him.

Westbrook is a lot like Wade in terms of where he fits in the NBA landscape at this age. Playing for Team USA, Westbrook will probably not be playing any point guard and will be more comfortable even as an off guard, playing the passing lanes and slashing on offense.

Wade would have definitely helped Team USA if he were playing in the Olympics but they probably won’t miss too much with a guy like Westbrook ready to step up.

James Harden, Blake Griffin and Andre Iguodala were the last three players to make the final cut for Team USA. Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis were the final three cut and will serve as alternates for the team.

Jerry Colangelo revealed that there were nine players who were locks to make the team a week ago: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler.

The Oklahoma City Thunder become the first NBA team ever to send three players from their roster to play for Team USA in the Olympics.

Harden made the final cut, beating out Gordon in what was a close decision.

“I think he surprised people,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “Two months ago he was on the radar screen, but not shining brightly necessarily. Given the opportunity, he finished so strongly this season, he gave us something to really sit back and think about. He has size, he has length at his position.

“Defensively, he’s more than adequate,” he continued. “He comes up with a lot of loose balls, a lot of steals and he is a scorer. And by the way, he can also shoot it. I think there’s a little bit of a difference between the two. Tough choice we had to make, Eric Gordon, James Harden. Harden deserved it for the reasons I mentioned and we expect him coming off the bench as he did and he’s accustomed to and to play whenever he’s called upon.”

Durant was an obvious choice for Team USA. Durant did not make the team four years ago and was one of the last cuts back then when he was only 19 years old.

“Well first of all, this young man was born to play the game. He’s a coach’s dream,” Colangelo of Durant. “He has great character, he has great passion for the game. And then his skills are off the charts. He plays with such enthusiasm that it’s difficult to keep him off the floor and in the World Championships he just rose to another level.”

Westbrook became a no-brainer when players like Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade pulled out of the Olympics because of injury. Westbrook was a part of the 2010 World Championships team with Durant.

“No, there isn’t [a more explosive player],” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I love Russell. It’s an honor to coach him. He is such a versatile player and as good an athlete as there is on this planet playing basketball. He plays with an abundance of energy and courage. I’m a big Russell Westbrook fan.”

The Miami Heat were the only other team that could have also had three players make the roster. Four years ago, LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh were all on the team and that was when it was rumored they decided to all try and play together when the time came.

The Olympic Games begin July 27. The first game for Team USA will be July 29 against France. Team USA will play five exhibition games before the Olympics start with the first one being July 12 vs. the Dominican Republic.

Here is the final roster:

Over the past few months, potential hopefuls for the final roster have been dropping like flies. Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will all not be playing this year.

Team USA will still have a pretty good roster and will be the favorites to win the Gold Medal. Jerry Colangelo announced last week that nine of the 12 roster spots were already secured.

Those nine players are: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Blake Griffin is also a lock now to make the final roster leaving two spots to be fought over between four players: Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, Eric Gordon and James Harden.

It is likely that the final two spots will be determined by two position battles: Gay vs. Iguodala and Gordon vs. Harden.

Gay vs. Iguodala

Both played on the 2010 World Championships team. Gay played some center for that team while Iguodala was the perimeter defensive specialist.

Looking at the 10 locks for the roster now, 3-point shooting seems like something the team would want to add. Gay is a better 3-point shooter than Iguodala by far but the versatility that Iguodala brings might give him an edge too.

Gay has more size but it is not significant enough. I believe Iguodala will make the team instead of Gay because Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski will want more versatility.

Gordon vs. Harden

This is a great battle between two of the best young shooting guards in the NBA. Gordon has had slightly better numbers throughout his career so far but Harden really came on last season.

Gordon didn’t play much last season and is dealing with some issues this offseason about wanting to leave New Orleans. Harden is working on an extension with the Thunder and would join Durant and Westbrook as the third representative from the Thunder, which could work against him since they like to spread out these kinds of honors.

I think Harden gets the nod at the end of the day. His game is really tailored to the international style and I think Colangelo is really partial to him.

If Harden makes it then the Thunder would be the only team in the NBA sending three players to represent Team USA. Serge Ibaka will also be representing Spain.

Here is my final prediction of the roster:

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to match the offer to Gordon. Gordon is hoping they won’t.

“After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible,” Gordon said in a statement. “Mr. (Robert) Sarver, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, the Front Office Staff and Coach (Alvin) Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now.”

Gordon is in the same position right now that Thunder guard James Harden would be in next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Thunder this summer.

If Gordon can get a max offer this year, Harden most certainly can next year. Harden and the Thunder know this and it is no secret now that Harden will have to take less money to stay in Oklahoma City.

Gordon is considered by most one of the best young shooting guards in the NBA. Harden is right there with him.

Gordon and Harden will also be competing for one of the final spots for Team USA Basketball in the Summer Olympics in London.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will be representing their country in the 2012 Olympics this summer for Team USA Basketball. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced that nine of the 12 roster spots are secured.

Durant and Westbrook are among the nine along with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler.

That will leave three spots left for five players to compete for. The five players left are Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon and James Harden.

Many potentials have dropped out from the team, most recently No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis and Lamar Odom.

“We will not be adding anybody,” Colangelo told Fox Sports. “We feel good with what we have.”

When you look at the nine secured spots, only two of those players play the four or five in the NBA in Love and Chandler. LeBron, Durant and Anthony could each play the four in international play but one would still believe Team USA needs some more size.

Griffin should make the team because of this and possibly Gay as well, who has more size than Iguodala and is also a better perimeter shooter.

That will leave one last spot for Gordon, Iguodala and Harden to battle for. The roster needs a shooter which would make Gordon or Harden most appealing but since they will be so small, a player like Iguodala could also be a good choice.

Right now, Gordon is probably the better spot-up shooter than Harden and would most likely get the nod but people shouldn’t underestimate Harden. It’s easy to remember his play in the NBA Finals and forget what he did this season before that.

Harden really made a leap this year inserting himself into “Top 5 SG’s in the NBA” conversations. The fact that Durant and Westbrook are going too could make the choice of Harden more likely as well.

“I’m very confident with the roster we will have,” Colangelo said. “We have a few days now to decide if we want a shooter, you’ve got Harden. Do we want a defensive specialist? There’s Iguodala. And Rudy Gay is versatile. He played (center at times) for us in the World Championships. We have people who are versatile.”

The final roster will be revealed Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST on NBA TV.

Anthony Davis severely sprained his ankle in a workout with the Hornets and is now very unlikely to play for Team USA in the Olympics, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Davis was added to the list of finalists for the Team USA roster along with James Harden in reaction to injuries to Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose and a few others.

Since the end of the playoffs, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat have said they will not be going to London to play in the Olympics as they try and recover from being banged up this past season.

Meanwhile, the Thunder still have three players who could compete for the U.S.: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Harden.

The injury to Wade opened up a potential spot for Harden and almost totally ensured that Westbrook would be playing. Durant is of course a shoo-in.

Team USA may be more thin up front now without Davis and Bosh but there aren’t a lot of replacements in terms of big men.

Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love seem like locks now while Blake Griffin might be the only other big for the U.S.

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay and Eric Gordon are the other main hopefuls for the team.

Harden may be able to make the roster since the team will also be short of 3-point shooters. Gordon suffered an injury last season so he may not be fully committed to going which would definitely open up the spot for Harden.

The NBA gave us a taste of the future of basketball in the NBA Finals as both the Heat and Thunder played a lot of small ball. Team USA will have to do that in the Olympics a lot too but the competition may be tougher especially from Spain.

Spain will strut out the Gasol brothers as well as Serge Ibaka and combine that with international rules and the United States will be at a disadvantage against them.

Team USA will begin training in Las Vegas, Nev. July 5-12. On Saturday, July 7, the 12 members of the final roster will be announced at 7 p.m. EST on NBA TV.

Wade will have knee surgery this offseason. Wade had knee problems during the playoffs and had his knee drained at one point.

AP: Dwyane Wade called Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski today to withdraw from Olympic team. He will need knee surgery.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 28, 2012

Wade’s absence will open up another guard spot which Thunder players Russell Westbrook and James Harden will both compete for.

Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Eric Gordon and Deron Williams are the only other guards trying out for the team so there is a good chance that Westbrook and/or Harden will make the team alongside Kevin Durant who is a shoo-in.

The Thunder are now the only team in the NBA who could be sending three players to the Olympics to represent the United States. They will also be sending Serge Ibaka who will play for Spain.

Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

The Miami Heat won the NBA championship this season despite not having Dwyane Wade at full strength.

LeBron James took over as the clear “alpha dog” of the team and it all worked out in the end.

After a grueling lockout, 66-game season and four rounds of playoff basketball, Wade is considering not playing in the London Summer Olympics.

“I’ve got to make a decision on what my knee needs and what’s best, because my career and finishing my career strong is what’s important to me,” Wade said. “And I know, yeah, the Olympics are coming up. It’s something I really want to do. But at the same time, if I have to make a big decision, if something has to happen surgery-wise, that will have to be a step I have to take. My loyalty and my commitment to Miami Heat basketball is the No. 1 thing.”

There was some controversy surrounding Wade earlier in the season when he said that he thought NBA players should be compensated for playing in the Olympics.

It’s not a real surprise that Wade would opt out from the team this summer. He is 30 years old, isn’t in perfect health and being healthy for the Heat is his number one priority.

If Wade doesn’t play, that will mean three shoe-ins for the team will now not be playing because Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard will also miss the games with injuries.

That opens up more potential spots for Thunder guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Westbrook has more of a chance than Harden of making the team even before his impressive performance in the playoffs. Harden is pretty much made for international play though. He is a great shooter and even an expert at the “euro-step.”

We know Kevin Durant is a lock for the team so the Thunder have the potential to send three players to represent their country, not to mention Serge Ibaka who will be playing for Spain.

With all of these big names for the Olympics dropping like flies, I think we can now put to rest any chance of 2012 Team USA Basketball beating the 1992 Dream Team.

Harden has had a breakout year and great start to the playoffs so it wasn’t a surprise to see his name added to the list. It still seemed like a long shot for Harden to make the team though.

Dwyane Wade has recently said that he isn’t 100 percent sure he will be playing.

“I told them, I said, listen, I’m just going to see how I feel,” Wade said last week. “This is about being healthy — I think, for all of us, going into the summer healthy — and taking it from there.”

Wade said earlier this year that he believed players should be paid for participating in the Olympics but then took back that statement the next day.

Wade and Kobe Bryant were initially the two shooting guards that seemed certain to make the team. If Wade and also Rose are out then those are two guard spots now open for Harden to possibly fill.

There’s a good chance though that three point guards would make the team. Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook all will likely make the final roster. Kobe would be the fourth guard.

If they go with a fifth guard it would likely come down to Harden or Eric Gordon. Gordon was hurt for most of the year so maybe that could play a role in Harden being selected instead.

Team USA could also just keep four guards and probably be all right and concentrate on adding more big men since that is more of a thin spot for the roster.

One thing is for sure though if Harden has a few more games like he did in Game 4 vs. Dallas then Team USA will have a hard time passing on him.

Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Team USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced today that Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden and future first overall pick Anthony Davis will be added to the USA Men’s Basketball National Team finalist roster.

It was announced earlier this week that Colangelo was going to add more players to the finalist rosters in lieu of recent injuries to four players on the initial list including Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard.

Davis was initially rumored to be among the players considered to be added to the list but it wasn’t until today that Harden’s name came up.

Harden and Davis won’t necessarily make the team but I think both could be very useful additions.

“Being named as a finalist for the USA Basketball National Team is an unbelievable feeling and an opportunity that is truly humbling. It is an honor to be included with such talented players and I look forward to the chance to represent my country this summer,” said Harden.

Harden brings great perimeter shooting, pick-and-roll offense and a high basketball IQ which are all things that are even more valuable in the international game than the NBA game sometimes.

Davis is thin but that won’t be as big of an issue in the Olympics than it will be in the NBA and his shot blocking skills are probably better than any other player on the finalist roster.

Oklahoma City Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are already on the finalist roster and both should make the team. Durant and Westbrook were also both a big part of the 2010 World Championships team.

With the need to add another three-point threat, Harden could easily become the third Thunder player to make the final roster. His greatest competition will likely be Eric Gordon.

With the recent injuries to stars like Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has decided to consider adding more players to the list of finalists that will eventually determine who makes the team.

Harden has come on as a top-5 shooting guard in the NBA this season with a PER behind only Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.

Harden’s game is one that would readily translate to success in the FIBA World. Harden is a great three-point shooter and a player that understands very well how to attack zones.

One area that Team USA may be lacking is perimeter shooting and a player like Eric Gordon always seemed like a good fit for the team. But since Gordon was injured this year it is possible that Harden could make the team in place of him in that role.

Harden would join Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who are likely going to make the team. Only the Miami Heat would possibly send three players to the Olympics this year.

The groups were announced yesterday and nine countries have already qualified. Two more teams will join Team USA’s group.

Group B consists so far of Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain and Spain.

Spain is being touted as Team USA’s greatest competition. They will have Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Jose Calderon on their roster. Ricky Rubio will miss the Olympics because of the torn ACL he suffered this season.

We’ve seen Tony Parker of France take his game to another level this season in the NBA. He has also taken a larger role in Team France for these Olympics but for whatever reason, France never does too well in the Olympics despite a decent cast of NBA talent.

With the injuries to Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, a few roster spots have opened up for Team USA. Russell Westbrook who was on the bubble in terms of making the roster will now likely be chosen to the team.

Kevin Durant was the star of Team USA’s world championship run two years ago and will likely be a starter and key contributor in the Olympics a few months from now.

The best players weren’t excited to represent their countries back then and it resulted in a third-place finish in 2004. The culture has since changed and getting the best NBA players to play has been as important as anything.

The 2012 team is expected to be maybe the best basketball team ever assembled – even rivaling the 1992 Dream Team. On June 1, Colangelo will finalize the roster and while there are some obvious selections, there will also be some tough omissions.

Colangelo says that the team will be a blend of the 2008 Gold Medal team and 2010 World Championship squad. In 2008, we saw a team of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. Those players did not play in 2010 on the squad led by Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.

“Most people would say you need shooters because of the zone defenses,” Colangelo said to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “And to some degree that is true. But we’re not varying from our concept. Basketball is the ultimate team game. We need players willing to sacrifice their own games. [In 2010] Coach K went with a seven or eight-man rotation. With this roster, in my opinion, he can go with all 12 if he chooses. He and I have had this conversation over and over: Players may be used different this time around.

“Size is still an issue. Without being specific, we have to figure out if we carry three centers or two. With the type of wing players out there, defenders are really important, too. But there is so much talent. Guys have worked really hard to improve. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Kevin Love — they have moved to a whole other level.”

These are all problems that any country would love to have. Do I start Chris Paul or Derrick Rose?

Colangelo does bring up a good point of bringing on players who are willing to play less minutes and be productive while on the court for shorter periods of time.

Here is the starting lineup we could be looking at: Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Dwight Howard. With Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala and Tyson Chandler off the bench.

That snubs Deron Williams, Eric Gordon, Chauncey Billups, Blake Griffin, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh and Lamar Odom.

While Durant is a lock, Westbrook may not even make the team despite a possible First Team All-NBA selection this season. Rose and Paul are likely going to be the first two point guards selected. That leaves Colangelo to choose between Westbrook, Williams, Gordon and Billups. He will likely only take one of those four.

The selection will be made on June 1 and Team USA will hold training camps starting July 6.

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The new Team USA Basketball uniforms were unveiled yesterday. Nike will sponsor the team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The uniforms are utlizing Nike’s newest “light” technology and should feel like next to nothing for the players.

In the photo above Thunder forward Kevin Durant is pictured on the far right along with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Deron Williams.

Durant was the lone “superstar” on the Team USA squad that won the World Championships two years ago and will be joined by many other superstars from the 2008 Olympics this coming Summer for the 2012 Games.

The team has been heralded as possibly the greatest basketball team ever put together, even greater than the 1992 Dream Team. Durant will certainly be a big piece of that as he will most definitely be one of the starting forwards.

Durant’s game is perfect for international play with his ability to raise up and shoot over almost any defender as a lot of international teams will play zone and the three-point line is closer in.

The projected starting lineup for the team looks something like this: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard. Good luck world.

Although I am most excited for the potential lineup of: Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Imagine that team on defense in a halfcourt press just switching everything and running like crazy on offense.

I’m a little down on some of the older stars participating in the games. I used to always want this but now would rather Team USA used mostly the younger crowd instead of Wade, Bryant and James.

The kind of lineup I’m talking about would still feature Durant and surround him with the likes of: Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon, etc. Basically I want a 24-and-under team.

Either way, the competitions will still be stiff for Team USA especially from Spain. Spain will be able to match the United States closely with their lineup of: Juan Carlos Navarro, Ricky Rubio, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol and newly added Serge Ibaka who will look strangely out of place on the team.