by Jonathan Ragus
The Olympics are long over and gone with. But the memory is still intact at how awful American basketball fans felt watching this years Olympic games. There were many things to talk about from doping scandals to a wrestler refusing to fight an Israeli wrestler, only to come into the match overweight. And you’d think with headliners like this that American people would forget all about basketball. But that’s not the case. Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, etc. The list goes on and on of superstars who chew up minutes in the NBA and are usually in the top plays of the week on Sportscenter. A team that everyone thinks is invincible and unbeatable. Only to falter to countries like Argentina and Lithuania. If you ask anyone to name a player in the NBA from these countries the answer most heard would be former Portland Trailblazers center Arvydas Sabonis. But the year is 2004. No longer does the run and gun work in international basketball.
Argentina has, most likely, the best all around player in Manu Ginobolli. A player than can run, dunk, shoot, and defends. He was the most successful player in this years Olympics, besides Tim Duncan who played out of position and still tried to carry the USA to glory. Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony are the same players as Shawn Marion, Emeka Okafor and the rest of the guard and forward corps. They are flashy players; they try to make the highlight reel every time they touch the ball. The players of the NBA don’t know the value of a good jump shot anymore.
Dan Majerle, Mark Price, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, etc. They were great all around players that could do it all. But they knew the value of a jumpshot. Yes, Jordan could dominate the paint as well as he could flip a 3 pointer with his eyes closed and make it in. But he still always took that shot. The players of this years team did not go anywhere near that. When the ball was in there possession they drove, and failed. Failed so much where Iverson thought he was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and started to shoot 3 pointers like a mad man. Iverson couldn’t hit a shot in the Olympics if his life depended on it.
The answers are very simple. Better players, and more practice time. Larry Brown is a decent coach, but he’s not an Olympic coach. Bob Knight, Larry Bird, or Pat Riley, proven champions who are the face of American sports should be considered Olympic coaches. The USA Olympic Committee stopped using college players in the Olympics for a reason but yet one always ends up on the team. Nick Collison and Emeka Okafor are the most recent ones. They haven’t played a lick in the NBA but were still put on the team. How come you don’t see Wally Szcerbiak running up and spotting 3 pointers, or a true center in Tyson Chandler grabbing rebounds in the paint? The problem falls in the lap of Stu Jackson, the VP of USA Basketball. The only player deserving of representing this country was Duncan. He’s a true champion and has showed it time in and time out again. Dwayne Wade and Carlos Boozer are the few that haven’t showed any potential to play international basketball.
They don’t need too dominate, they just need to play. Shaquille O’Neal, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, there going for the gold with names, there not trying to play. There’s no need for domination in sports if you play with the correct sense of the game. A starting five of Tyson Chandler at Center, Tim Duncan at Power Forward, the explosiveness of Vince Carter at Small Forward, a great shooter in Wally Szcerebiak at Shooting Guard and a great ball handler and decent shooting of a Raefer Alston at Point Guard. Add that to a core of Ron Artest and Raef Lafrentz coming off the bench and you have a big improvement over this years so called “Dream Team 2004”.
The fact is, the game of basketball has changed over the past few years. More so in the NBA than anything. American Basketball and International Basketball are two different things. Different Rules and Different style of play. This means one thing. The USA needs to take steps in order to win, or, as everyone knows, European basketball will prevail.
Mr. Jackson, it’s about time you open your eyes and hand the reins to someone who knows what there doing. This isn’t your coaching career in New York we’re talking about here. This is you representing your country. Give up so we can have our prides back and win more gold.