Before today, nine of the 12 roster spots on the United States' Olympic basketball team were already taken, with three spots up for grabs. Once Lamar Odom removed his name from consideration this past week and Anthony Davis sprained his right ankle days before training camp, the final roster spots became the subject of intense speculation around the blogosphere. That speculation ended tonight, as USA Basketball announced the final selection of 12 players to participate in the upcoming London Olympic games, with Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden sliding by as the coaches' last three picks.
Griffin's selection is particularly intriguing. Once Odom opted out and Davis showed up to camp injured, Griffin's spot on the final roster became almost a guarantee. He now becomes the team's third big man behind Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love and, as such, is a candidate to get significant minutes. However, it would seem that Griffin's inclusion was more of a last resort than an active choice.
While a strong rebounder and an even stronger open court alley-oop threat, Griffin's style of play seems unsuited for the international game, and even more unsuited for the needs of this team. The international game revolves much more around elite shooting — both mid- and long-range – than the NBA game, and Griffin's jump-shooting woes are well-known. (He shot just 35.5 percent from 10-23 feet this past season.)
And though Griffin did average 10.9 rebounds per game in 2012, rebounding isn't necessarily this team's weak point. Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, and LeBron James are all elite level rebounders, and most of the players on the team (including the point guards) are more than competent on the boards.
Where the team is lacking is size and shot blocking, and Griffin helps in neither area. For a power forward with world class athleticism, he is an abnormally lackluster shot-blocker, averaging just 0.6 blocks per game over his two-year career. And while Griffin may be listed at 6-foor-10, he's really closer to 6-foot-8.
Even with Griffin acting as Team USA's third big man after Chandler and Love, the team shouldn't suffer from its lack of bigs until the inevitable game against Spain. However, when faced with the Spaniards' massive frontcourt, his lack of size, below average shot-blocking, and lackluster post defense could become a real issue. Griffin has struggled guarding Pau Gasol in his career, with the elder Gasol brother having been extremely efficient in their head-to-head matchups.
If Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Anthony Davis or LaMarcus Aldridge were healthy, it's hard to imagine that Griffin would have made this team. He brings little to the table other than highlight potential for Team USA, while presenting a significant defensive liability. Luckily for coach Mike Krzyzewki, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony all spent significant time playing power forward over the past year.
If Blake Griffin can find a way to help fill Team USA's current needs — by playing defense at a higher level than he has during his entire career — he will play a significant role in London. If not, look for Coach K to play small ball, utilizing the versatile and skilled contingent of American oversized small forwards at the power forward and center positions.
Even with all the injuries, at least we still have LeBron.
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