Predicting Team USA's 2014 FIBA World Cup 12-Man Roster
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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
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2014 Team USA Roster Candidates
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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
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Center
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
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Power Forward
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
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Small Forward
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
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Shooting Guard
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
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Point Guard
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.