Coach K And USA Basketball

[BD80]

What is interesting is that this group is now loaded with big guards especially at the point to counter that issue with defending the pick and roll. But now the criticism becomes that the team lacks another big to go with Howard.

... My other concern is our ability to defend in the post. Past Howard do we really have much defensive presence down there?

Few international teams have a back-to-the-basket, NBA low-post offensive set. The trapezoidal lane doesn't give an offensive player time to set up and get such position in the lane. A back-to-the-basket position outside the lane is vulnerable to help defense, and we would wind up with a bunch of steals. Low post play in the international game is more face-up just outside the lane. Not sure how Los and Bosh will be on defense, but Coach K seems to think it will work. Prince will be the guy we bring in to shut down a big that gets that aspect of the game going.

I will be interested to see if Howard, Melo, Wade and Lebron can learn to instinctively grab rebounds off of the rim. We are so much more athletic, the more liberal goaltending rules should work to our great advantage.

[SilkyJ]

I will be interested to see if Howard, Melo, Wade and Lebron can learn to instinctively grab rebounds off of the rim. We are so much more athletic, the more liberal goaltending rules should work to our great advantage.

IIRC, Bosh was actually good at doing that in the 2006 games. I seem to even remember an article singling him out as the first person to do it in their first practice or something like that...

[RainingThrees]

Tonight at eight on ESPN USA vs Canada exhibition. Expecting a blowout but it will be interesting to watch the new team.

[jipops]

Dwayne Wade looks pretty healthy, had 20 - definitely a good sign. Also loved the play of Deron Williams. Noticed that K had Deron and CP3 in at the same time throughout. The entire team really got after it on D, even Boozer had a couple blocks late. The intl 3 is a layup for Michael Redd.

So just out of curiosity I looked up the Spain team on wikipedia to check out their roster. WOW! This is a truly formidable group. If you follow the nba you'll recognize most of this team. Easily right there with the US right now in terms of world basketball powers. Or maybe I should say, we're now right there with them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_n...asketball_team

[roywhite]

So just out of curiosity I looked up the Spain team on wikipedia to check out their roster. WOW! This is a truly formidable group. If you follow the nba you'll recognize most of this team. Easily right there with the US right now in terms of world basketball powers. Or maybe I should say, we're now right there with them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_n...asketball_team

Well, Spain looks pretty good, but I don't think they get within 12 points of the USA team. The USA has no apparent weakness and no one else has talents like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwayne Wade.

[darthur]

So just out of curiosity I looked up the Spain team on wikipedia to check out their roster. WOW! This is a truly formidable group. If you follow the nba you'll recognize most of this team. Easily right there with the US right now in terms of world basketball powers. Or maybe I should say, we're now right there with them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_n...asketball_team

Gasol and Calderon have both shown NBA all-star level ability. I'm not so sure about the rest of the team though. They're obviously very good of course, but I bet they get killed by the US team over say 10 matches.

I haven't followed too closely, but who are the favorites outside the USA? Argentina is probably #1. Is Spain #2?

[BobbyFan]

While Kobe, Melo, and Wade were certainly on last night, the Paul-Williams backcourt combo was most encouraging and could be the more effective offensive squad.

[jipops]

Gasol and Calderon have both shown NBA all-star level ability. I'm not so sure about the rest of the team though. They're obviously very good of course, but I bet they get killed by the US team over say 10 matches.

I haven't followed too closely, but who are the favorites outside the USA? Argentina is probably #1. Is Spain #2?

Spain is by far the favorite outside of the US. I wouldn't be surprised if right now they are the best team in the Olympics, and that includes us. Argentina is up there as a contender but word is Gnobli is not 100% these days so that's a huge downer for them.

As we should have all learned by now, it's not all about talent in international play. But if you have the kind of talent that Spain has and a group that has played together for quite awhile,... such as Spain, then that team becomes so very tough to beat.

I'm still very much concerned about our lack of significant height and bulk underneath. Expect us to get decimated on the boards often in Olympics, we simply must force turnovers and bad outside shots that lead to long rebounds. (wow kind of sounds like Duke huh?). I love what K is doing with Deron and CP3, it think it's a great move. It totally opened the game up vs. Canada.

[SupaDave]

I also think that, given a moment's thought by the players, the Ellis Island gambit would fall flat. Since most of their ancestors came over on slave ships, It's not likely that Ellis Island would move them to affection for the "opportunity society."

WOW! That's pretty closed minded and judgemental and seems to be indicative of a near disdain for the players. Doesn't really matter how MOST of them got over here. Once you're an American - you're an American. I think Coach K would tell you that. Blacks weren't the only ones that came over here as slaves and there were many non-blacks dropped off at Ellis Island with 'obligations'.

The statue of liberty is just as important to the black cause as it is to the american 'immigrant's' cause. Remember, that black Americans helped to build this country and have fought to become a part of it. To be recognized as a representative for your country is not something that is normally taken lightly.

Considering the commitment these young men have made - I don't think any of them are taking this lightly. Remember that they are representing THEIR country - they don't get much out of this deal.

"America probably could not have won its freedom from the British during the American Revolution without the help of the French. France provided arms, ships, money and men to the American colonies. Some Frenchmen - most notably the Marquis de Lafayette, a close friend of George Washington - even became high-ranking officers in the American army. It was an alliance of respect and friendship that the French would not forget.

Almost 100 years later, in 1865, after the end of the American Civil War, several French intellectuals, who were opposed to the oppressive regime of Napoleon III, were at a small dinner party. They discussed their admiration for America's success in establishing a democratic government and abolishing slavery at the end of the civil war. The dinner was hosted by Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye. Laboulaye was a scholar, jurist, abolitionist and a leader of the "liberals," the political group dedicated to establishing a French republican government.

During the evening, talk turned to the close historic ties and love of liberty the two nations shared. Laboulaye noted that there was "a genuine flow of sympathy" between the two nations and he called France and America, "the two sisters."

As he continued speaking, reflecting on the centennial of American independence only 11 years in the future, Laboulaye commented, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if people in France gave the United States a great monument as a lasting memorial to independence and thereby showed that the French government was also dedicated to the idea of human liberty?"

http://www.ohranger.com/statue-liber...statue-liberty

[roywhite]

Spain is by far the favorite outside of the US. I wouldn't be surprised if right now they are the best team in the Olympics, and that includes us. Argentina is up there as a contender but word is Gnobli is not 100% these days so that's a huge downer for them.

As we should have all learned by now, it's not all about talent in international play. But if you have the kind of talent that Spain has and a group that has played together for quite awhile,... such as Spain, then that team becomes so very tough to beat.

I'm still very much concerned about our lack of significant height and bulk underneath. Expect us to get decimated on the boards often in Olympics, we simply must force turnovers and bad outside shots that lead to long rebounds. (wow kind of sounds like Duke huh?). I love what K is doing with Deron and CP3, it think it's a great move. It totally opened the game up vs. Canada.

IMO, you overrate Spain and underrate the USA team. Is Pau Gasol their best talent? He's good, but didn't exactly rise to the occasion in the NBA finals.

Lack of significant height and bulk for the USA? Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James; what team has three stronger inside players?

Well, just a matter of opinion at this point; we'll see how the tournament plays out.

[Devilsfan]

Heard Coach Wojo address Duke fans after the exhibition game last night and he is quite an impressive speaker. Even when somone asked him a rambling almost incoherent question he handled it well. Now I know why Coach K chose him to be one of his assistants. Duke puts out alum that are a notch above the rest, IMHO.

[RainingThrees]

USA will be the clear favorite after these exhibition games. There was a lot of sloppy play which needs to be tuned up and will. I was very excited at how fast team USA played. We will completely wear down teams that aren't extremely deep.

[jipops]

IMO, you overrate Spain and underrate the USA team. Is Pau Gasol their best talent? He's good, but didn't exactly rise to the occasion in the NBA finals.

Lack of significant height and bulk for the USA? Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James; what team has three stronger inside players?

Well, just a matter of opinion at this point; we'll see how the tournament plays out.

Well, here is what I feel is a common misunderstanding about the USA and international basketball. The most talented team does not mean it's the best team. If this were always true then Iverson may have won it for the US by himself in '04. This logic could even be applied to college ball, was Kansas actually the most talented team this year? Maybe, maybe not. Florida certainly was in '07, but that entire group had also played together through one championship season already. So there is this ridiculously common mistake in assuming that we SHOULD win. We have Kobe and LeBron and Dwight Howard. It's in the bag right? Wrong. Basketball is the best sport in the world. A talented team that knows each other inside and out can beat a physically superior team. We've all seen it at every level. So now we actually go into the Olympics with our own possible physical shortcomings. Do our guys actually know each other well enough on the floor to overcome that? Will Boozer and Bosh have spent enough time playing with Carmelo, Kobe, LeBron, and Kidd?

The best team will win Olympic gold, that is certain. If the US falls short then everyone will be asking once again what went wrong and point fingers at whoever, most likely K. But, if this happens, will anyone realize that the best team actually won? Period.

The issue of continuity has been somewhat resolved by the current culture of USA basketball. But it still doesn't compare to the better part of a decade's worth of time that many of these top teams have spent playing together.

Oh yeah, and in response to your question about Gasol, is he Spain's best talent. I don't know, he's darn good though. His performance in the NBA finals is/will be in no way indicative of his play in international ball. Calderon is an all-star as well. Rudy Fernandez and Pau's brother Marc blistered the nba summer league and have been playing international ball for years. Doesn't matter who their best player is, could be that Rubio kid. Point is, they're all very good players and know each other very, very well. They are very strong in the backcourt and loaded up front as well. They'll be tough, I'm definitely not over-rating them.

[dkbaseball]

WOW! That's pretty closed minded and judgemental and seems to be indicative of a near disdain for the players. Doesn't really matter how MOST of them got over here. Once you're an American - you're an American. I think Coach K would tell you that. Blacks weren't the only ones that came over here as slaves and there were many non-blacks dropped off at Ellis Island with 'obligations'.

The statue of liberty is just as important to the black cause as it is to the american 'immigrant's' cause. Remember, that black Americans helped to build this country and have fought to become a part of it. To be recognized as a representative for your country is not something that is normally taken lightly.

Considering the commitment these young men have made - I don't think any of them are taking this lightly. Remember that they are representing THEIR country - they don't get much out of this deal.

"America probably could not have won its freedom from the British during the American Revolution without the help of the French. France provided arms, ships, money and men to the American colonies. Some Frenchmen - most notably the Marquis de Lafayette, a close friend of George Washington - even became high-ranking officers in the American army. It was an alliance of respect and friendship that the French would not forget.

Almost 100 years later, in 1865, after the end of the American Civil War, several French intellectuals, who were opposed to the oppressive regime of Napoleon III, were at a small dinner party. They discussed their admiration for America's success in establishing a democratic government and abolishing slavery at the end of the civil war. The dinner was hosted by Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye. Laboulaye was a scholar, jurist, abolitionist and a leader of the "liberals," the political group dedicated to establishing a French republican government.

During the evening, talk turned to the close historic ties and love of liberty the two nations shared. Laboulaye noted that there was "a genuine flow of sympathy" between the two nations and he called France and America, "the two sisters."

As he continued speaking, reflecting on the centennial of American independence only 11 years in the future, Laboulaye commented, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if people in France gave the United States a great monument as a lasting memorial to independence and thereby showed that the French government was also dedicated to the idea of human liberty?"

http://www.ohranger.com/statue-liber...statue-liberty

Disdain for the players? I'm asking that their intelligence not be insulted by shoddy motivational techniques that attempt to substitute mythology for history. I also don't think it's a good idea, especially in the current political climate when many people here and around the world think the American military is not being well employed, to use the military to invoke national pride. The Olympic games were conceived as an attempt to rise above nationalistic fervor, and focus on the bonding of nations that can come about through appreciation for the purity of athletic competition. There's plenty of motivation to be mined in that idea. JMO.

[roywhite]

Well, here is what I feel is a common misunderstanding about the USA and international basketball. The most talented team does not mean it's the best team. If this were always true then Iverson may have won it for the US by himself in '04.

I don't see much comparison between the USA 2004 and 2008 teams. The 2004 group was an oddly matched collection of talent thrown together for 20 days work before the Olympics. The 2008 team has been building for 3 summers now, and the players have been selected to fit together. I see no apparent weakness in this USA team---they can score, rebound, handle, pass, shoot, and defend. They are motivated and well coached.

One game elimination tournaments (as the medal rounds will be) are always a risk, but the USA is well prepared to win this tournament decisively.

[sue71, esq]

I posted this on the OTB... here are some pics from the game on my page if anyone's interested. Unfortunately they were taken with the camera on my phone, so they're pretty darn bad, but it was SO great to be there. A write up will follow soon.

[jipops]

I see no apparent weakness in this USA team---they can score, rebound, handle, pass, shoot, and defend. They are motivated and well coached.

And this is somehow different from other teams in Beijing?

One game elimination tournaments (as the medal rounds will be) are always a risk, but the USA is well prepared to win this tournament decisively.

I'll be utterly shocked if we win this thing "decisively". I think we have an excellent chance to win. But it's a pretty level playing field these days.

[RainingThrees]

One huge advantage this yar is that vwe can utilize our athleticism. In the last few years we have had superior athletes but they didn't play as a team so our athelticism didn't help us. This year if we play defense as a team other teams wil have a very tough time trying to score on faster stronger athletes who play as a team. Look what happened to Gasol when the Lakers played the Celtics. Teams that used to outsmart us by exposing our team defense cannot anymore.

[bhd28]

The best team will win Olympic gold, that is certain. If the US falls short then everyone will be asking once again what went wrong and point fingers at whoever, most likely K. But, if this happens, will anyone realize that the best team actually won? Period.

Good to know the best team will win. I was afraid there might be an upset somewhere in these Olympics. Might happen in swimming, Track and Field, tennis, or soccer... but it won't happen in basketball, right? (BTW is this just true for the gold medal game, or throughout all basketball played at the Olympics... I am considering betting on a few games with some friends, and I want to make absolutely sure before I go dropping money on them.)

[moonpie23]

guaranteeing a gold in china is akin to all the Tar Heels guaranteeing a ncaa title....for the last two years...

there are a whole lot of factors that just can't be controlled...i hope we are successful, i hope we come to play hard, respect that the gold medal does not
belong to us and we are merely going to china to pick it up..


i see a difference in this team....there's a bit more "team" in this team...and the defense is starting to really gel...