Build USA "A, B, and C" teams

[Grinder]

Every tournament, we have a lot of talk about our "A", "B", and "C" teams so let's actually put them together and compare what our teams would look like. If you feel so compelled to do so, go ahead and list D and E teams.

Some guidelines I had when putting my teams together:
- No players over the age of 35
- Consider how a player's game would translate to the FIBA style of play
- Build the best possible team, not a collection of the 12 best players


A-Team
Chris Paul / Kyrie Irving / Stephen Curry
Russell Westbrook / James Harden
Kevin Durant / Carmelo Anthony
Lebron James / Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard / Kevin Love / Anthony Davis

B-Team
Damian Lillard / Mike Conley / Kyle Lowry
Klay Thompson / Bradley Beal
Kawhi Leonard / Chandler Parsons
Blake Griffin / Kenneth Faried
Lamarcus Aldridge / DeMarcus Cousins / Tyson Chandler

C-Team
Derrick Rose / Deron Williams / John Wall
Arron Afflalo / Danny Green
Andre Iguodala / Rudy Gay
Paul Millsap / Ryan Anderson
Brook Lopez / Al Jefferson / Robin Lopez

I left off Paul George because who knows what he'll be like when he comes back. I'm still undecided on that "C" team. It looks like a mess right now. Snubs:
- Jeff Teague - it was between him, Jrue Holiday, and John Wall but I couldn't bring myself to leave off Wall.
- Demar Derozan - I know he played decently in this tournament but I'm still not convinced by him under international rules, especially if a larger role was required of him.
- Eric Gordon - love his game, especially with FIBA rules but he can't seem to get healthy and looked like a shell of himself this past season.
- I considered including Monta Ellis as a spark off the bench but couldn't find a person to leave off.
- Drummond and DeAndre Jordan - neither can shoot free throws
- Lance Stephenson - I don't think he'd be as successful bullying his way to the rim in FIBA play
- David Lee - plays at a loaded position
- Dwyane Wade - I doubt he'd show up with all the injury problems he's had in recent years.

[JtotheIzzo]

At a glance:

-Blake is better than 3 of the 4 bigs on A (all except Davis)
-Kevin Love at center
-Derrick Rose is A not C (agenda?)
-John Wall is better than Lowry and Conley
-Anthony Davis is better than Howard and Love
-James Harden is A caliber but doesn't fit on that A roster, I'd put Klay there.
-Al Jefferson should be much higher

[Grinder]

At a glance:

-Blake is better than 3 of the 4 bigs on A (all except Davis)
-Kevin Love at center
-Derrick Rose is A not C (agenda?)
-John Wall is better than Lowry and Conley
-Anthony Davis is better than Howard and Love
-James Harden is A caliber but doesn't fit on that A roster, I'd put Klay there.
-Al Jefferson should be much higher

Blake isn't a rim protector (Davis and Howard) and doesn't space the floor (Bosh and Love). Love played plenty of center for the last two team USAs and was relatively successful there.

A healthy, NBA dominant Rose wasn't terribly effective at the last World Cup. What reason would you have to believe one coming off two major knee injuries and almost two full seasons out would beat out three of the best point guards in the league who are also better shooters than him? Sounds like you're looking for an agenda.

John Wall can't shoot from the perimeter, both Lowry and Conley can. Floor spacing is at a premium under FIBA rules. Look at how teams sagged off Rubio to Spain's detriment.

Who are you leaving off the other teams for Al Jefferson? He's dominant in the post but is an average rim protector and very suspect defensively.

[JtotheIzzo]

Blake isn't a rim protector (Davis and Howard) and doesn't space the floor (Bosh and Love). Love played plenty of center for the last two team USAs and was relatively successful there.

A healthy, NBA dominant Rose wasn't terribly effective at the last World Cup. What reason would you have to believe one coming off two major knee injuries and almost two full seasons out would beat out three of the best point guards in the league who are also better shooters than him? Sounds like you're looking for an agenda.

John Wall can't shoot from the perimeter, both Lowry and Conley can. Floor spacing is at a premium under FIBA rules. Look at how teams sagged off Rubio to Spain's detriment.

Who are you leaving off the other teams for Al Jefferson? He's dominant in the post but is an average rim protector and very suspect defensively.

Blake is markedly better than he was a couple of years ago and despite the endless CP3 fellating the most important Clipper.

He is not a second tier talent, he is elite.

I am from the school of letting the best figure it out, the medal games (in theory) are dog fights and it comes down to who is better.

Putting player X in because his jumper is better is risky when the guy you leave behind is at another level talentwise.

I get your points, but let the best do your bidding, that is my M.O.

[Cone]

I would put Ellis in the B team over Beal or Conley. Or C team over Deron

Other than that, pretty spot on.

[Legends66NBA7]

- Demar Derozan - I know he played decently in this tournament but I'm still not convinced by him under international rules, especially if a larger role was required of him.

Then Derrick Rose should be left off too.

[SamuraiSWISH]

A-Team USA

G - CP3 / Irving / Curry
G - Westbrook / Harden
F - LeBron / Melo
F - Durant / Griffin
C - Howard / A. Davis / Aldridge

[JtotheIzzo]

A-Team USA

G - CP3 / Irving / Curry
G - Westbrook / Harden
F - LeBron / Melo
F - Durant / Griffin
C - Howard / A. Davis / Aldridge

Love this team. I'd take LA out and add Klay Thompson.

Why?

Bron or Melo can play the 4 so we really have a glut of bigs and you can never have too much shooting in FIBA.

Melo is probably the best 4 in the history of FIBA, Durant is the best FIBA player alive (ahead of Melo), Curry and Thompson are the two best shooters we've seen in a while, and the entire team sans Howard can handle the ball.

You could have this team run flex and they would steamroll everyone.

[Milbuck]

A:

Chris Paul / Kyrie Irving / Steph Curry
Russell Westbrook / James Harden
Kevin Durant / Klay Thompson
Lebron James / Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard / Anthony Davis / Kevin Love

[SamuraiSWISH]

A:

Chris Paul / Kyrie Irving / Steph Curry
Russell Westbrook / James Harden
Kevin Durant / Klay Thompson
Lebron James / Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard / Anthony Davis / Kevin Love

This one is very sexy too, much like JtotheIzzo's lineup using Melo as a 4. If Paul George was healthy, how do you fit him into the system? I would be tempted to throw him in there for defensive purposes in place of Harden. And I still feel deep down LMA might be better than K. Love.

[Milbuck]

This one is very sexy too, much like JtotheIzzo's lineup using Melo as a 4. If Paul George was healthy, how do you fit him into the system? I would be tempted to throw him in there for defensive purposes in place of Harden. And I still feel deep down LMA might be better than K. Love.

I forgot about PG, damn.

I also screwed up the depth chart, I'd have Curry ahead of Irving.

So I guess I'd take out Irving and put PG in to play some backup 2 and 3, and have Westbrook play some minutes at 3rd string PG. There's 3 PGs in my lineup even without Irving, I'd rather have another wing.

Either that or I might just keep Irving and swap PG in for Harden.

And yeah I'd take current LMA as an overall player over Love inside the 3...but Love's range is more suited for international ball. Similar to how I think Wall is a better overall player than Irving, though I'd take Irving on the NT for his skill set.

[tgan3]

USA can send out a D team and they still bring home the gold medal...

edit:

D- Team

C Andre Drummond / David Lee
F David West/ Paul Millsap / Zach Randolph
F Kawhi Leonard / Lance Stephenson
G Dwyane Wade/ Demar Derozan
G Eric Bledsoe/ Tyreke Evans / Rondo

[wally_world]

My ideal teams

TEAM A
CP3 / Westbrook / DRose
George / Harden
Durant / Iguodala
LeBron / Melo
Griffin / Love / Chandler

TEAM B
Kyrie / Rondo
Curry / Thompson / Korver
Leonard / Derozan
Aldridge / JSmoove / Gay
Davis / Drummond

TEAM C
Lillard / Lawson
Wall / Beal / Wiggins
Parsons / Hayward / Jabari
Faried / Millsap
Cousins / DeAndre

[Jlamb47]

TEAM A

Cp3/ Curry
George/ Westbrook/ Harden
Durant/Leonard
Lebron/Melo
Howard/Davis.Alridge

[KG215]

At a glance:

-Blake is better than 3 of the 4 bigs on A (all except Davis)
-Kevin Love at center
-Derrick Rose is A not C (agenda?)
-John Wall is better than Lowry and Conley
-Anthony Davis is better than Howard and Love
-James Harden is A caliber but doesn't fit on that A roster, I'd put Klay there.
-Al Jefferson should be much higher

Rose, in no way, shape, or form, is A team quality right now. Especially since he's not particularly well suited or FIBA play.