Team Europe vs. Team USA

Could Team Europe be ready to challenge Team USA?

Here’s a game I’d like to see – Team Europe vs. Team USA.  With the success of the Eurobasket tournament and the evidence that Europe has a wealth of talent to challenge the USA, I see no reason why such a game couldn’t go ahead.  Sure the Americans may argue it’s unfair – Europe’s population is estimated to be 203,000,000 more than the US – but we know how much our Yank counterparts believe their country is the best at everything; so why not give it a chance?

With that said a team of 12 needs to be chosen.  Here’s mine…

Starting Five

C – Paul Gasol (Spain) – You’d have to come up with a very good reason as to why the Los Angeles Lakers big-man wouldn’t make the starting five to face the USA.  He demonstrated his ability again in Eurobasket and any fears of him regressing should now be banished.  Pau starts at the center position in my opinion, which may cause problems against Dwight Howard, but I feel he’s the best man to lead from the middle.

PF – Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) – So maybe Dirk didn’t have the best Eurobasket tournament and yes he was upstaged by the Clippers’ Kaman, but you can’t forget what he did throughout the NBA season and playoffs quite so easily.  He’s demonstrated time and time again that he is an elite level scorer and that is something Team Europe would need to hang with the Americans.  He’s also likely to face off against Chris Bosh at some point and that can only be a positive thing for his continent’s side.

SF – Luol Deng (Great Britain) - A case could have been made here for a number of players, but Deng is the solid guy at the 3 spot you need.  His performances for GB in Eurobasket, where he carried the load in all aspects on a number of occasions, shows his worth to a team such as this.  Here he can fill in where needed and provide the all-round game that helps keep the flow between the guards and big-men.  His defensive skills would come in handy against LeBron James and Kevin Durant who he would likely matchup against.

SG – Juan Carlos Navarro (Spain) – Navarro makes it in as the shooting guard not simply because of his scoring ability, although that will be needed, but because of everything else he brings to the team in terms of composure and the ability to be a secondary ball-handler.  Yes he’s undersized, he’s likely to face off against Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, and that brings problems; but for me there is no better two-guard than Navarro from Europe at the moment.

PG – Tony Parker (France) – Look no further than his performances in Eurobasket to see just what Parker is still capable of.  He can score in abundance, find teammates at will and contribute in all other areas of the game at a high level.  He’s quick enough to cause the opposition defence problems and smart enough to work within the confines of the team, as seen in his play for France.  Here he can excel in the company of likeminded individuals. 

The Bench

C – Chris Kaman (Germany) – Kaman came back with a bang at Eurobasket, coming up with several performances that threw him ahead of Nowitzki in the race for Germany’s top player of the tournament.  Against the US he would likely fair differently, but his experience would be invaluable.

PF – Marc Gasol (Spain) – The Gasol brothers were the perfect inside duo for Spain and at times Marc was the brother who shone the brightest.  He would provide a big body for Team Europe and a bit more defensive hustle than Pau.  There may not be a huge amount of difference in the brothers’ abilities and that’s something the team would benefit from, much in the same fashion as Spain have.

SF – Serge Ibaka (Spain) – Ibaka would be the fourth Spaniard I include in my Team Europe squad because of the versatility he could provide off the bench.  The athletic Oklahoma City Thunder player can cover the 3, 4 and 5 spots and his defensive play, especially in the terms of providing blocks, would be invaluable for the team. 

SG – Bo McCalebb (Macedonia) – The Macedonian shooting-guard was arguably the player who most improved his reputation during Eurobasket.  Few really knew of the scoring potential he has, but now it is clear for all to see.  Off the bench he would provide the spark for the Europeans and would be able to replace Navarro almost seemlessly.

PG – Milos Teodosic (Serbia) – This is a team in which Teodosic could thrive.  He’d be the perfect complement to Parker at the point-guard position and would rack up assists in bunches.  His passing ability would also give him good opportunities to score given the defence’s preoccupation with cutting off passing lanes.  Whatever happens, this would be a fun environment to watch the talented guard perform in.

C – Joakim Noah (France) – The Chicago Bulls and France center just scrapes his way into the team for his defensive hustle and his ability to annoy.  He didn’t have the greatest Eurobasket campaign, but he does provide experience of playing at the top level – something that will be crucial against his NBA counterparts. 

SF – Nicolas Batum (France) – Batum is another versatile Frenchman who would just make the cut.  The Portland Trail Blazers swingman showed glimpses of his true potential at Eurobasket and hopefully this will translate to whatever NBA season we are presented with this year.  He’s a spark off the bench and that’s exactly what Europe would need from their reserves.

So there’s my squad to take on the Americans.  I feel it provides both the talent in the starting lineup and on the bench to make the game a contest.  Am I saying the group is strong enough to beat Team USA?  No, not necessarily, but my hope is that it would be a decent game at least.

Who would you choose for Team Europe?