Close Article Return to stream X
NBA •

Predicting Team USA’s 2014 FIBA World Cup 12-Man Roster

+Read full article

Predicting Team USA's 2014 FIBA World Cup 12-Man Roster

Mike Krzyzewski Team USA
Getty Images

The 2014 version of Team USA Basketball will certainly be a very good one, with headliners such as Kevin Durant and Paul George. But with 19 players to choose from, Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo have their work cut out for them. So who will make the final 12-man roster?

In this slideshow, I go from center to point guard predicting who exactly will make up this roster.

2014 Team USA Roster Candidates

2014 Team USA Roster
Getty Images

2014 Team USA Roster Candidates

2014 Team USA Roster
Getty Images

Here are the 19 players fighting for a spot in alphabetical order after Kevin Love dropped out:

Bradley Beal, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, Kevin Durant, Kenneth Faried, Paul George, James Harden, Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Korver, Damian Lillard, Chandler Parsons, Paul Millsap, Derrick Rose, Klay Thompson and John Wall.

Center

Andre Drummond Detroit Pistons
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Center

Andre Drummond Detroit Pistons
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

1. DeMarcus Cousins
2. Andre Drummond

These are the only two true centers on the team, but both are extremely athletic and talented. They'll give the USA a huge size advantage in FIBA play.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Power Forward

Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

1. Anthony Davis

Only Davis, Kenneth Faried and Paul Millsap are actual power forwards on this roster, but as we've seen before, playing at the international level includes a lot of small ball. The need for big men isn't as great, and the talent at small forward will allow for the roster to only have three real big men, and Davis is the obvious choice here.

Small Forward

Kevin Durant Paul George
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Small Forward

Kevin Durant Paul George
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

1. Kevin Durant
2. Paul George
3. Chandler Parsons

Durant and George are clearly going to make it as probably the top two players on the entire roster, but Parsons offers a lot of versatility, especially with his size at 6-foot-9, as well as a great outside shooting touch. Kyle Korver and Gordon Hayward don't offer enough to be a part of this roster, mostly because of how talented the group of guards will be.

Shooting Guard

James Harden Klay Thompson
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting Guard

James Harden Klay Thompson
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

1. James Harden
2. Klay Thompson
3. DeMar DeRozan

Three of the four shooting guards trying out will make the roster with Bradley Beal being the lone cut. Harden's offensive game is right up there next to Durant's and the two should provide a dynamic scoring punch reunited. Thompson offers that tremendous outside shooting ability with solid defense. All while DeRozan provides a great slasher, and is one of their best perimeter defenders.

Point Guard

Stephen Curry Damian Lillard
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Point Guard

Stephen Curry Damian Lillard
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

1. Stephen Curry
2. Derrick Rose
3. Damian Lillard

Point guard was certainly the toughest group to pick. They're all young and some of the best athletes in all of basketball, so leaving off Kyrie Irving and John Wall wasn't easy. However, Curry is the best shooter in the world currently, so he seems to be a lock. Rose has Team USA experience and is hungry after not playing. And I just have a gut feeling about Lillard impressing enough.

Brian Neal is an NFL and NBA contributor for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @brianneal23, “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google+.

Brian Neal is a writer for RantSports.
Your Favorites
 
 
Close Article Return to stream X
NBA• Videos•

Ric Flair Says LeBron James Called Him 'Inventor Of Swag'

TMZ recently caught up with wrestling legend Ric Flair and was able to ask him a number of interesting questions. When asked which celebrity is the biggest wrestling fan Flair has ever met, he talked about LeBron James, and mentioned James once called him the "inventor of swag."

Comment 0 Comments