Since the inception of the original Dream Team in 1992, a gold medal has always been a given for the men’s U.S. Olympic basketball team. Allen Iverson shows up late for practice and Team USA brings home the gold in basketball, some things in life are always certain. Well times are sure changing my friends. The 2004 version of the Dream Team has made winning a gold medal look like a pipe dream. There is still time, but only if they can overcome a few glaring shortcomings. “We’re guaranteeing a gold medal. We’re bringing it back.” – U.S. Olympic basketball team member Carmelo Anthony.
I wonder if `Melo still has that type of confidence after Team USA crumbled like a piece of focaccia bread against Team Italy? That is correct. The USA basketball team lost an exhibition game to the Italians by a dreadful score of 95-78 in Cologne, Germany. It also happens to be the worst loss by a U.S. team in international play since we started sending NBA stars in 1992. These are the guys who are supposed to avenge the embarrassing sixth place finish the U.S. had in the 2002 World Championships? I can only hope this is a much needed wake up call for the young Olympians.
When the team was finalized earlier this year, I had confidence the squad would make a serious run towards winning Olympic gold in Athens. Serious run…who am I kidding? This is basketball we are talking about here, created by an American, a quick shout out to Dr. James Naismith, for Americans to play and dominate the rest of the world. How could a team filled with the talent of LeBron, Duncan, AI and `Melo not take home the gold? It is America’s birthright, isn’t it?
It looks as if the rest of the world isn’t buying that anymore. The Dream Team of 2004 has a serious task ahead of them if they want to add more gold to their already abundant bling-bling collection. Team USA has some definite obstacles to overcome if they want to be humming a little tune by Francis Scott Key at the medal ceremony this summer.
First they have to overcome their youth. I thought some youthful exuberance and cockiness (see Anthony’s quote above) might benefit the USA and so in fact did David Stern.
“The U.S. teams will be younger (from now on), and I think that’s a good thing”
This was right from the commissioner’s clean shaven lips; I’m all for the porn `stache Stern sported in the early eighties, but this was before the Italian job in Germany this week. I’m sure the commish won’t hold the same view if the U.S. gets bounced from the Olympics in the early rounds.
Having a cocky confidence is great, but it doesn’t help if the team’s lack of experience is costing them games. Only two players on this team, Duncan and Iverson, have ever participated in international competition. The same two players are the only members with on the team with extensive NBA playoff experience. Big game experience matters and no the Ohio state high school playoffs don’t count LeBron.
The three point shot in the international game is even more crucial than in the NBA. The Italians buried fifteen treys Tuesday while Team USA netted three for a thirty-six point differential. Mamma Mia, that’s a lot of meatballs! The USA simply cannot let this continue. They have to make defending the three-point shot a priority. It’s one of the only advantages these international teams have, don’t let them exploit it.
As for the U.S. team’s deficiency regarding the three pointer, that might be a bit harder to fix. It hurt the team in a big way when Ray Allen had to cancel his Athens plans because of a bum knee and Rip Hamilton declined the invitation. There is no pure shooter on this team. Maybe they should have asked Dirk Nowitski, wait he’s German. How about Peja Stojakovic, no that’s not going to work…is there a pure American jump shooter out there? No wonder NBA teams struggle to crack the hundred point barrier.
The biggest obstacle Team USA might have to overcome is in their name itself. Are these guys going to be transformed into a true “team” or continue to be a group of individual all-stars thrown together? Most of the competition will have played years together, while the U.S. only has a couple of months to form this crucial bond. Working as a team goes a long way, just ask Coach Larry Brown.
Coach Brown led the Detroit Pistons to the NBA Championship over the Los Angeles Lakers in a series the exemplified the power of teamwork.
Sorry I had to pause after that last sentence as the horror of the NBA Finals came back to me. Did the Lakers really let Phil go? Did they really trade Shaq? Is this still the same nightmare?
Back to the Olympics, Coach Brown knows the power of teamwork and how to get his players to buy into it. The question is; can he instill it in this Olympic squad in only a short time? If he can somehow get these stars to work as one before the real games start in a few weeks, any amount of exhibition losses will be worth it. If any coach can get the team to “play the right way” it is the man known as Pound-for-Pound by his players.
I still have faith in my fellow Americans to bring home the gold this August. My hope is the talent and coaching on this team can overcome the weaknesses. Olympic victory would not be as monumental as the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team claiming the gold in that Miracle on ice, but it would be a sweet triumph. I just hope we aren’t witness to My Big Fat Greek Thumping.