https://sportswire.usatoday.com/2014/08/22/nba-fiba-world-cup-usa-basketball-roster/
These 12 should make USA Basketball's FIBA World Cup roster
Adi Joseph
August 22, 2014 10:47 pm ET
Everyone wants to go to Spain. (Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
UPDATE: USA Basketball's roster for the FIBA World Cup was announced early Saturday morning. Find it here.
USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski expects to have 12 NBA stars with him on a plane headed to Spain on Saturday.
The 2014 FIBA World Cup starts Aug. 30, but the heavy favorites need a week to settle in and play a final exhibition against Slovenia.
The only problem? Krzyzewski hasn't picked those 12 players yet.
Here's what the coach had to say after Friday night's 112-86 exhibition victory against Puerto Rico:
"In the morning, we'll talk to the guys who aren't going forward. We feel it's better to go with 12 because that's really difficult on anybody if they're not going to be on the team to travel that far."
So a decision is near. But who should he pick?
Well, here's one potential roster solution, built from the 16 players who have been with Team USA for its recent exhibitions:
PG: Kyrie Irving / Derrick Rose / Damian Lillard
SG: Stephen Curry / Klay Thompson
SF: James Harden / DeMar DeRozan / Chandler Parsons
PF: Anthony Davis / Kenneth Faried
C: DeMarcus Cousins / Andre Drummond
Let's be clear: The four players who were cut all could make this team:
C Mason Plumlee has history with Krzyzewski from four years at Duke.
SF Kyle Korver is the oldest player in the pool and one of the best shooters.
SF Rudy Gay was on the 2010 world championship team.
SF Gordon Hayward is a gifted passer from the wing.
But here's the quick logic behind the 12-man roster assembled above.
Point guard is the team's strength. Irving's the best playmaker and should start at point. Curry has been starting at shooting guard, and Lillard can slide down there, too. Rose's knees may be good enough to play, and his experience is valuable. There are only seven former NBA All-Stars available, and they all should make it.
That logic also explains choosing DeRozan. His shooting is questioned, but there are enough high-quality shooters to avoid the need for a specialist. DeRozan, an All-Star along with the four point guards, Harden and Davis, also played really well Wednesday in a game against the Dominican Republic.
Cousins and/or Drummond may not make the team over Plumlee, but that doesn't reflect talent level. Other top international teams have big lineups, so Team USA needs its best centers available. Cousins and Drummond are physically imposing.
The toughest choice was Parsons. His athleticism makes him more flexible to play power forward than Hayward or Korver. And he's a better fit as a role player than Gay.
But the reality is this: Lillard, DeRozan, Drummond and Hayward didn't play against Puerto Rico in the team's final tuneup. They likely will be the ones staying home, for better or worse.
Contributing: Chris Strauss in New York
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