if UConn Alumni represented in the US in London...

[Silk City]

how would they do? I love fun hypotheticals like this, and this one is interesting because UConn is one of few schools currently with the NBA talent and depth to merit this argument.

Keep in mind this would be the US team so we wouldn't play against US superstars. For gold we'd presumably have to beat Spain (which is arguable but I personally don't see it) but to medal we'd just need to be Australia/Argentina quality.

PG: Kemba, AJ, and I'd actually put Lamb here when Kemba's out, just for minutes
SG: Gordon, Rip, Ray
SF: Rudy, Caron
PF: Villanueva, Okafor
C: Drummond, might as well toss Thabeet on here

 

[JaYnYcE]

I find it hard to believe that team wins more than 2 games.


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[huskiesNhoos]

Okafor gets the start over villanueva in my opinion.

And to answer your question: that's probably a playoff team in the NBA, but they would not likely find the podium in these olympics

 

[Kitaman]

Some success if Calhoun is coaching, if not we wouldn't do that well. In addition our bigs would be over-matched and out-rebounded. Shut down our SFs and we're done.

 

[msgordon]

Okafor gets the start over villanueva in my opinion.

they would obviously both start

 

[hungry husky]

They would beat Nigeria, that's for sure.

 

[caw]

Better than Nigeria, Tunisia, Great Britain, China. They would probably have a good shot at being in the knockout rounds. I don't think they would make it past the first round, though if they had a favorable matchup they could beat Lithuania or Australia. I am assuming they are all healthy for these games.

 

[Silk City]

Okafor gets the start over villanueva in my opinion.

And to answer your question: that's probably a playoff team in the NBA, but they would not likely find the podium in these olympics

I think they get to the knockout rounds. Then if you can sneak in a 2-1 stretch you get the bronze, and to me that depends on matchups. It's a SG and SF heavy team, so a lot of their success would depend on if guys like Rudy could play big with rebounds and guarding stronger guys (which allows Rip/Caron to stay in the game at SF), as well Lamb running the offense while Kemba's out to keep Gordon/Ray on the floor.

Ultimately, if this team avoids Spain in their first knockout game I think they would have a shot at a medal. I don't think anyone else has a brutal enough front line that would kill us down low. UConn would not win in the paint with most of these teams, but our mid-range game would make up for it.

 

[Dann]

PG: Kemba, AJ, Lamb
SG: Gordon, Rip, Ray
SF: Rudy, Caron
PF: Villanueva, Adrien, Boone
C: Okafor, Drummond, Armstrong

 

[champs99and04]

I think you guys are under-estimating the talent level on this team, and severely over-estimating the depth in talent internationally.

I think it's safe to say this U.S. team would have one top 30 player (Rudy), a top 60 player (Ray), and probably three other top 100 players (Caron, Gordon, and Emeka). Rip, Kemba, and possibly Lamb are NBA rotation guys, and Chuck could be if he pulled his head out of his ass and lost some weight.

Now, let's review the best five players on each of the semi-finalists, minus the U.S. of course.
(In order)

Russia: Andrei Kirilinko (NBA rotation guy), Timothy Mosgov (NBA rotation guy), and three other guys who probably wouldn't even be able to crack an NBA roster. And yet, this is a team that beat Spain, and came within a quarter of advancing to the Finals.

Argentina: Manu Ginobili (top 40 NBA player), Luis Scola (top 75 NBA player), Carlos Delfino (NBA bench player), Andrei Nocioni (NBA bench player), and a few other guys I've never heard of.

Spain: Pau Gasol (top 20 NBA player), Marc Gasol (top 35 NBA player), Jose Calderon (NBA starting PG), Serge Ibaka (top 100 NBA player), and Rudy Fernandez (NBA rotation guy).

I'll also do Brazil and France, who came within a couple plays of qualifying for the semis.

Brazil: Nene (top 60 NBA player), Anderson Varejao (Ditto), Leandro Barbosa (NBA bench player), Tiago Splitter (NBA bench guy)

France: Tony Parker (top 15 NBA player), Nicholas Batum (NBA fringe starter), Boris Diaw (NBA bench player), Kevin Seraphin (NBA bench player), and Ronnie Turiaf (NBA scrub).

Other than Spain (and even they could easily be beat), I have a hard time seeing a team that can match this hypotehtical U.S. teams depth. This UConn team would have ten NBA players. None of the other teams I listed have more than six. Could size be a problem? Against Spain, yes, but no other team has more than one true post player, and for all Drummond's flaws, he's proven to be an above average post defender.

 

[Hoophound]

I think you guys are under-estimating the talent level on this team, and severely over-estimating the depth in talent internationally.

I think it's safe to say this U.S. team would have one top 30 player (Rudy), a top 60 player (Ray), and probably three other top 100 players (Caron, Gordon, and Emeka). Rip, Kemba, and possibly Lamb are NBA rotation guys, and Chuck could be if he pulled his head out of his ass and lost some weight.

Now, let's review the best five players on each of the semi-finalists, minus the U.S. of course.
(In order)

Russia: Andrei Kirilinko (NBA rotation guy), Timothy Mosgov (NBA rotation guy), and three other guys who probably wouldn't even be able to crack an NBA roster. And yet, this is a team that beat Spain, and came within a quarter of advancing to the Finals.

Argentina: Manu Ginobili (top 40 NBA player), Luis Scola (top 75 NBA player), Carlos Delfino (NBA bench player), Andrei Nocioni (NBA bench player), and a few other guys I've never heard of.

Spain: Pau Gasol (top 20 NBA player), Marc Gasol (top 35 NBA player), Jose Calderon (NBA starting PG), Serge Ibaka (top 100 NBA player), and Rudy Fernandez (NBA rotation guy).

I'll also do Brazil and France, who came within a couple plays of qualifying for the semis.

Brazil: Nene (top 60 NBA player), Anderson Varejao (Ditto), Leandro Barbosa (NBA bench player), Tiago Splitter (NBA bench guy)

France: Tony Parker (top 15 NBA player), Nicholas Batum (NBA fringe starter), Boris Diaw (NBA bench player), Kevin Seraphin (NBA bench player), and Ronnie Turiaf (NBA scrub).

Other than Spain (and even they could easily be beat), I have a hard time seeing a team that can match this hypotehtical U.S. teams depth. This UConn team would have ten NBA players. None of the other teams I listed have more than six. Could size be a problem? Against Spain, yes, but no other team has more than one true post player, and for all Drummond's flaws, he's proven to be an above average post defender.

Good job.

 

[JaYnYcE]

I think you guys are under-estimating the talent level on this team, and severely over-estimating the depth in talent internationally.

I think it's safe to say this U.S. team would have one top 30 player (Rudy), a top 60 player (Ray), and probably three other top 100 players (Caron, Gordon, and Emeka). Rip, Kemba, and possibly Lamb are NBA rotation guys, and Chuck could be if he pulled his head out of his ass and lost some weight.

Now, let's review the best five players on each of the semi-finalists, minus the U.S. of course.
(In order)

Russia: Andrei Kirilinko (NBA rotation guy), Timothy Mosgov (NBA rotation guy), and three other guys who probably wouldn't even be able to crack an NBA roster. And yet, this is a team that beat Spain, and came within a quarter of advancing to the Finals.

Argentina: Manu Ginobili (top 40 NBA player), Luis Scola (top 75 NBA player), Carlos Delfino (NBA bench player), Andrei Nocioni (NBA bench player), and a few other guys I've never heard of.

Spain: Pau Gasol (top 20 NBA player), Marc Gasol (top 35 NBA player), Jose Calderon (NBA starting PG), Serge Ibaka (top 100 NBA player), and Rudy Fernandez (NBA rotation guy).

I'll also do Brazil and France, who came within a couple plays of qualifying for the semis.

Brazil: Nene (top 60 NBA player), Anderson Varejao (Ditto), Leandro Barbosa (NBA bench player), Tiago Splitter (NBA bench guy)

France: Tony Parker (top 15 NBA player), Nicholas Batum (NBA fringe starter), Boris Diaw (NBA bench player), Kevin Seraphin (NBA bench player), and Ronnie Turiaf (NBA scrub).

Other than Spain (and even they could easily be beat), I have a hard time seeing a team that can match this hypotehtical U.S. teams depth. This UConn team would have ten NBA players. None of the other teams I listed have more than six. Could size be a problem? Against Spain, yes, but no other team has more than one true post player, and for all Drummond's flaws, he's proven to be an above average post defender.

Not bad, I think you're overestimating UConn's talent though. Team USA's bench alone would destroy our first team.

Oh and aSerge Ibaka was a first team all defensive player and second in defensive player of the year. I would put him in the top 40 of NBA players.


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[huskysupporter]

The 4 and 5 position are very weak. I think they would finish around 6th in the Olympics. Also no idea why people think Gordon would start over Ray Allen.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Gordon is a better perimeter defender than Allen is at this point in time. If Ray is regulated to being just a catch and shoot player who can't defend at a high level, then he's a liability.


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[Hugo]

how would they do? I love fun hypotheticals like this, and this one is interesting because UConn is one of few schools currently with the NBA talent and depth to merit this argument.

Keep in mind this would be the US team so we wouldn't play against US superstars. For gold we'd presumably have to beat Spain (which is arguable but I personally don't see it) but to medal we'd just need to be Australia/Argentina quality.

PG: Kemba, AJ, and I'd actually put Lamb here when Kemba's out, just for minutes
SG: Gordon, Rip, Ray
SF: Rudy, Caron
PF: Villanueva, Okafor
C: Drummond, might as well toss Thabeet on here

A real lack of experience on this proposed team especially at PG and center. First thing I'd consider is adding KEA to provide some international experience at PG. Ray and Rip are well pass their primes and wouldn't add much. Overall they might win 3 games, but other than Rudy, CB and OK4 there is just not enough experience or talent to do better than that.

 

[huskysupporter]

Gordon is a better perimeter defender than Allen is at this point in time. If Ray is regulated to being just a catch and shoot player who can't defend at a high level, then he's a liability.


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Not in the Olympics, he's not. In the NBA, yes. The Olympics is a more wide open game.