USA v Russia

[Billy Dat]

One thing I took away from the Russia game is that our guys are getting really comfortable playing with each other. There were points in the second half, even when the game was only 8-10 points, that Team USA was trying All-Star game style alley-oops and fast breaks. Some might view that as a negative, that we were showboating, but I see it as a huge positive. They are getting so confident and comfortable with each other that they are letting their offensive games out that much more. As soon as they wanted, they amped up the D and went back up by 20. K is also using these games to experiment with different line-ups. If the game was tight, I can guarantee that Lebron and Kobe will be on the floor for longer minutes. At this point, I am really looking forward to the pool-play match-ups with Spain and Greece...those should be fantastic. As for the rest of the team, Melo's role isn't as prominent as he was the past 2 years...I think that an improving Lebron and healthy DWade are outshining him a little, especially because those guys make more happen on the defensive end then Melo. As we've seen, no one is being "set up" in our half court so Melo is living largely off offensive rebound put-backs and spot up jumpers (which are few and far between). Whatever - the theme of the team has been that each game, a couple of different guys carry the load...he'll step back up at some point.

If you are much of a Team USA geek as me, check out K's latest "Basketball and Beyond" podcast, available for free via iTunes or the XM Radio web site. An episode posted last week that focuses on Team USA. The player interviews are throw-aways, but there is an extended coaches roundtable with K, D'Antoni, Boeheim and McMillian that is really good, and also a K/Colangelo/moderator segment that's really interesting. Check it out.

[roywhite]

I have really been impressed with Deron Williams. He is able to penetrate the zone defenses and find open shooters, or go to the basket himself. Chris Paul has also been very good, but Williams's strength and size makes him very well suited to the international game. He dribbles through the defense almost like a hockey player navigating through body checks.

Will be interesting to see how the PG and backcourt minutes in general shake out during the medal round; bottom line, the US team is well stocked at PG, even beyond the veteran Kidd.

[mgtr]

If this was the only USA game I had seen, I would be worried. I am really looking forward to the Australia game tomorrow morning. Hope we figure out how to play better against the zone.

[Billy Dat]

If this was the only USA game I had seen, I would be worried. I am really looking forward to the Australia game tomorrow morning. Hope we figure out how to play better against the zone.

I don't know...we played below our recent expectations and still beat the reigning European Champs by 20. The outcome of that game was never in doubt, and the Russians were congratulating themselves for losing by only 20.

In the run-up to the 2006 Worlds, we had a couple of dodgy exhibition performances, including a nail-biter against Brazil (Joe Johnson made a big steal on one of the game's final possessions to ice the game). We have seen nothing like that this time around - we are playing better teams and handling them with ease.

Bottom line, we won't really know where we stand until the group play games against Spain and Greece - I can't wait until next week! Anything can happen in a one and done, but I have a feeling that we are going to thump both of them in Group play as they do the supposed FIBA tradition of only showing us 3/4 of their repertoire and effort and then they'll be loaded for bear come medal round time when, as Chris Sheridan loves to point out, our teams usually run out of steam.

Whatever - I have been following this whole process very, very closely for years. The way we look this summer, if we don't bring home the gold, despite past recent disappointments and the world catching up and all of the rest, it will be a MONUMENTAL upset and dissapointment.

[cato]

Anything can happen in a one and done, but I have a feeling that we are going to thump both of them in Group play as they do the supposed FIBA tradition of only showing us 3/4 of their repertoire and effort and then they'll be loaded for bear come medal round time when, as Chris Sheridan loves to point out, our teams usually run out of steam.

I sincerely hope that we were doing the same thing (only showing part of our schemes). If we put up less than 90 points in any of the single elimination games, we'll be vulnerable to a team that gets hot.

[CameronCrazy'11]

I agree that it looked like we were purposely running halfcourt offense even when we could have gotten easier transition points. That's good practice for the medal games.

[Cali-Duke]

One thing that I loved from watching this game was Kobe's understanding of his role on the team. The commentators made a big deal about how he has taken a backseat offensively and he has become a defensive stopper. But when the Russians disrupted the flow of the game in the 3rd quarter and the lead went down, Kobe stopped defering to others and took over the game. He managed to subdue any ego yet retain a killer's mentality.