Don’t start jumping for joy quite yet, America. This “Redeem Team” still has a long way to go to bring back the gold.
The opening round game in pool play that pitted host China vs. Team USA was comparable to a Top-20 college team facing off against the Boston Celtics. Despite Yao Ming’s rise to stardom, the Chinese are still incredibly weak in basketball because they lack the physical stamina, creativity and toughness it takes to win on the international level. Their best finish was a meager 8th in the 2004 Athens Olympics – and just three of their players have NBA experience (which is almost a necessity these days to understand how to beat Team USA mentally).
With a 101-70 final score against China, watched by what many believe (including myself) was the most watched sporting event in the history of the planet, Team USA flexed it’s muscles and crushed one of the numerous bugs that stand in the way of redemption (there’s that word again…).
The team led by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade used relentless defense to trigger turnovers and force the weaker Chinese team into mistakes – leading to countless easy layups and highlight reel ally-oops. But as I mentioned before – don’t get too excited quite yet.
The international game is so much different than the NBA in terms of rules, and the world has closed the gap in basketball talent so much over the past decade that gone are the days of 40+ point blowouts by the ‘92 Dream Team, instead replaced by grind-it-out games that make even Ozzie Guillen drool. Gone are the days of post-up guys like Tim Duncan leading Team USA, and in are the slashers that can get to the bucket at a moments notice. Duncan has never been fantastic in international play because he has to set up offensively about 4-5 feet farther out of his comfort zone due to the trapezoidal lane shape. Here are a few rules that work against the USA.
The 3-Point Line: The NBA 3-point line is over 23 feet away from the basket except for in the corners. In international play, it’s just 20′6″ which is the distance that the men’s college game will turn to this year (as opposed to the 19′6″ we’ve seen ever since the arc was created). Some would consider that as a huge advantave for the players from the USA because it’s a closer distance, therefor being a higher percentage shot. On the contrary, it’s probably a lower percentage shot because all but two players on the US team (Michael Redd and Carlos Boozer) are completely foreign to shooting from that distance. Ever heard of the “Lost Art of the Mid-Range Jumper?” This is the definition. It’s a low percentage shot in the NBA in terms of potential points earned, so very few players take it. Every other country has players that shoot from that distance 500 times a day, seven days a week. I predict the USA will be out shot from downtown in every game of the Olympics.
Inconsistent refereeing: Not every official speaks English, and most of them don’t even speak the same language as other refs on the same crew! It provides for awful rotation, poor communication, and the crew being out of position at pivotal moments of the game. You watch an NBA refereeing crew, and if nothing else, they are always in sync with one another, making sure that one, if not two officials are in position to make every single call.
You’ll also see some random calls in the international game. A carrying call? TRAVELING? WHAT? Did these guys miss the eight steps to a travel call memo that David Stern sent out in ‘94? Not only do they call violations, but you better be bleeding, on the ground, with a bone sticking out of your leg to get a foul called. That’s one of the reasons why Mike Krzyzewski and his coaching staff was very comfortable taking only three true big men (Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Boozer) to Beijing. They figured another guard that could be
No continuation? TRAVELING? Why is Donaghy in jail when I need him the most?!
rotated in to keep up the defensive intensity would be much more useful than a fourth big who would see little playing time (due to Carmelo Anthony playing a lot of power forward). This is especially tough considering the majority of the American offensive force (James, Wade, Bryant, Anthony) thrive on taking the ball to the rack and getting fouled.
Also, there is NO CONTINUATION in international competition. Again I say – WHAT?!?! You mean you aren’t going to call it a shooting foul after Wade takes 12 steps and lays the ball in when he was fouled outside the 3-point arc? Weird…
Technicals = Personals: Again, it’s just like the younger versions of the American game. You pick up a technical foul, and it also counts as a personal foul against you. This becomes key considering the fact that you are DQ’d after just five personal fouls, as opposed to the six you need in the NBA to foul out. The fiery players like Kobe and LeBron will have to watch their body language and mouthes after foul calls to stay on the floor.
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A few random thoughts about the USA vs. China game.
1. For China to become a national power, I think they need to take their national team to Rucker Court in New York for a six week training session playing against New York’s best (who shall be coached by Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn). The Chinese team will get absolutely pounded, cursed, slapped, elbowed, kneed, kicked, pushed, shoved, and beaten into absolute submission. The Chinese team just has to get tougher. The only one on that team that can carry himself is Yao, and that’s because he’s now had six years in the NBA, and he’s played against the best in the world when emotions run high.
2. The weakness of the American team is all too apparent: Zero halfcourt offense. It’s really scary that a team composed of guys like LeBron and Kobe, and penetraters like Deron Williams and Chris Paul struggle in a half court setting, but these guys manage it somehow. If Team USA doesn’t force turnovers to create easy baskets, you’re going to see them struggle to put away opponents like Germany, Argentina, and Spain.
NBC's dress policy BLOWS! They crampin' my mad style
3. One thing fans can look forward to watching during the Olympics is fantastic announcing. Mike Breen and Doug Collins will be handling the duties for NBC, with the suitless Craig Sager covering sideline duty. Three great announcers (and Sager not wearing some silly suit) provide pinpoint analysis, pace, and energy to keep up with Team USA. You also cant underestimate how wonderful it is to hear the NBA on NBC song…
The only thing we’re missing is Charles Barkley joining Jim Lampley or Bob Costas in the studio to break down which Angolan players are in his five!
Craig Sager, Mike Breen, Doug Collins
