The 19 man roster of Team USA was announced earlier today, and it includes many of the noted luminaries of the league. The Big Three of the Miami Heat, the Chris Paul and Blake Griffin combination for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combination from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls all made the list, and all will probably be contributing when the final roster is announced.
There are a few candidates for the Sacramento Kings if a number of those players drop out, particularly the precocious youngsters Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. But perhaps a name a lot of us were hoping for didn't make it.
Jimmer Fredette has had his ups and down in his first year with the Sacramento Kings, but he's showing promise as being one of the league's young bankable stars. It wouldn't be at all surprising to see him on a Team USA roster in the future.
At first you may think, why Jimmer? He struggles with turnovers and isn't exactly a defensive stopper. However, Jimmer does have qualities that could make him valuable to an international basketball contest, particularly his long-range shooting and ability to create. Although Team USA will probably never need that many point guards, could you imagine the impact a combo guard like Fredette could have in causing matchup problems on offense? He's a very tough cover as he's very good at getting the first step on offense and putting players in the right position to succeed.
It'd be an interesting union.
For more on Jimmer and the Kings, go to Sactown Royalty.