USA Basketball 2012 Olympic Finalists

NBA basketball is alive and well.  With the 2012 Olympics around the corner, the finalists for the roster were announced today

"This will be the most talented of the three teams that I've had the opportunity to coach," coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday during a conference call. 


Coach K was right on the money.  I took a look at the list to rank them and was excited about the talent to choose from however, it's going to be extremely difficult to select 12 out of these 20 players to send to London, England.

Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge have been added to the mix.  How do you rank the 20?  Submit here.

Here are my picks along with the line ups.

1.Kobe Bryant
2.Dwyane Wade
3.Derrick Rose
4.Kevin Durant
5.LeBron James
6.Chris Paul
7.Blake Griffin
8.Carmelo Anthony
9.Tyson Chandler
10.Dwight Howard
11.Kevin Love
12.Chris Bosh
13.LaMarcus Aldridge
14.Russell Westbrook
15.Andrew Iguodala
16.Deron Williams
17.Chauncey Billups
18.Eric Gordon
19.Lamar Odom
20.Rudy Gay

Depth Chart
PG:  DRose, CP3
SG:  Kobe, DWade
SF:  Durant, Melo, LeBron
PF:  LeBron, Griffin, Bosh
C:   Howard, Chandler, KLove

Oh no....There's a Man Down

The famous words of Pat Summerall on Madden '96


Early Offense
Speaking of man down, all eyes are on Kobe Bryant at the end of 2011 because of the following:

1.  No more Vanessa
2.  No Pre-Nup
3.  No Phil Jackson



Adding insult to injury (no pun intended), #24 is listed as day to day with a torn ligament on his right wrist.  Kobe has played on Christmas Day for the last 13 seasons so he'll be fine.  #toughness 


Bad Shot
Is Monta Ellis following the footsteps of Brett Favre?  We're not talking about retiring and coming back, then retiring again either.  Ellis and the Warriors caught a cold case, while the chick he was "sexting" was not even that hot.  #notagoodlook  #worththedataplan?


20 Second Time Out
Brook Lopez broke his foot in a preseason game.  Get well soon #Stanford  #noDwightHoward in #NewJersey 



Offensive Foul
Via ESPN
Don't Hate The Playa!

According to a survey conducted by Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research that appeared on Forbes.com, the 10 most-disliked NBA players:

1. Kris Humphries Nets
2. LeBron James Heat
3. Kobe Bryant Lakers
4. Tony Parker Spurs
5. Metta World Peace Lakers
6. Chris Bosh Heat
7. Carmelo Anthony Knicks
8. Paul Pierce Celtics
9. Dwyane Wade Heat
10. Lamar Odom Mavericks





Box Out
On a good "downer" note:  Charles Barkley is a spokesperson for Jenny Craig.  We'll see how that works out.  Remember when CB34 was in shape?
#Beast

Reality TV #OpenCourt

 
If you're a cable junkie like rest of America's 99%, one of the best shows to watch is Open Court on NBATV.  It's a 6 part series which features stories, commentary, and opinions from the "NBA on TNT" crew.  The show is hosted by Ernie Johnson and the panel consists of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Reggie Miller, Steve Kerr, Steve Smith, Chris Webber, and Shaquille O'Neal.


#OpenCourt is insightful, hilarious, and definitely a hit!  Check out the trailer for a little taste of All Access.



Players discussing their "Last Meal."




Transition Basket 

















CP3 aka "Carlton" from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air gives the LA Clippers a good look and a great chance to be contenders.  #playoffs

Chauncey Billups needs to stay healthy throughout the season.  Expect another year of big time dunks from "Earthquake" Blake Griffin aka "O'Doyle Rules" (from Billy Madison), as well as DeAndre Jordan who posterized the Lakers big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol #BubbaGump & #GeicoCaveman.

The new look Clips made Kobe Bryant and the Lakers look old and slow.  And is it just me or does Mike Brown look lost as their new head coach?  #notagoodfit


Rookie of the Year Watch
One word:  Kemba!
Watch for this young buck out of UConn to earn his way into a starting spot for Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats.  #nationalchamp

Love this game winner highlight.  #anklebreaker



Delay of Game
Shawn Marion feels like the Mavs are overlooked this season.  It's because your owner bought you bracelets instead of Championship Rings!  #nobodycares
Fan:  How many rings you got?  Mav:  None, I got a bracelet