Three Reasons Why I Think USA Basketball Is Not Ready

Team USA made it into the round of 16 today by beating Slovenia 114 to 95, but the score was much closer than this. This same team beat Puerto Rico by 11 points and blew out a weak Chinese team that has horrible guard play by a final score of 121-90.

So why am I suggesting that Team USA is not ready to win the World Championships? Because unlike every other person who thinks this team is built for success, I think this team is another glorified All-Star Team that is not ready to win.

Before I start the list, you have to understand the tendencies of international rules basketball. The elite teams have good guards who can penetrate and shoot the three pointer. Big guys in FIBA basketball are not as important as they are in the NBAÂ…Ask Tim Duncan about that. The team with the most experience is probably going to beat a team with less experience 90 percent of the timeÂ…Ask the USA when they faced Argentina in the Olympics. Here is the list.

1. Lebron, Wade and Melo: Coach K has made these three the centerpiece of Team USA for the next decade or so but right now, they are not ready. These three are the future for everything NBA, marketing, playing, sales, etc. What Coach K failed to recognize is that these three players are horrible defenders. If you have been watching the games, the Big 3 have not been able to guard any of the mediocre guards. Players like Beno Udrih and Carlos Arroyo were getting into the lane quicker than a new celebrity into Paris Hilton. In addition to that, the Big 3 have been good in the half-court but when they play a tougher defense like Spain or Argentina, they will have to trust their jump shot more than trying to over power a defender with their athleticism. Eventually these three will become good defenders but right now they are one of the reasons why Team USA is not ready.
2. Role Players: Coach K put a premium on role players going into the “training camp” but now I only see three legit role players, Shane Battier, Kirk Heinrich and Chris Paul. Antwan Jamison has not been playing enough in close situations to count as a role player. Joe Johnson at times has looked like the best player. Look at the other rosters for elite teams in the tournament, most of them have one superstar and four role players who can flourish at anytime. When you have up to four superstars on the floor at the same time, no coaching will stop their instincts of taking over. When four players want to take over at the same time in a close game, that team is not going to win. The perfect starting lineup would have included both Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen, LeBron, Wade and Dwight Howard. In my opinion, the reason why Coach K cut Bruce Bown for the World Games is because he did not score enough points.
   
3. Experience: By experience, I mean on the court with each other and with the FIBA rules. The FIBA game is much different from the NBA. Its on a court that features a shorter three-point line, the officials allow rough play, unlike the NBA where a whistle is blown every five seconds, and a big guy is not effective unless he plays like Dirk or Pau Gasol. After watching the first three games, the USA has not been able to guard anyone or use their set plays. The USA really gets going when the other team makes costly turnovers and the USA runs out for a dunk. When the USA faces a team like Argentina, their team defense will be exploited more than anything.

This USA team has a lot of potential but right now the team is in the baby stages of something big. This concept of keeping guys around for every summer is going to backfire on Team USA. I will not be surprised if a prominent player drops out because he wants to stay fresh for the NBA season. Remember, at the end of the day, the players get their checks from the NBA.

The days of the Dream Team are long gone. When the Dream Team dominated in 1992 and 1996, other teams were afraid of them. I have heard stories where opposing players would go up to the Dream Team and ask for autographs before the games. When you have a team that consisted of MJ, Magic and Bird, that team CAN meet up a day before the tournament and win. Those players were good defenders and had another level to the game that Lebron, Melo and Wade have not achieved just yet. Yes, Wade dominated the NBA Finals, but tell that to Manu Ginobli, a player who also dominated the NBA Finals the year his team won. So far, Puerto Rico and Slovenia gave USA their biggest test because they have good guard play. If these teams did not make bad turnovers in the second and third quarter, they would have won the game. When the USA faces the elite teams that do not make costly turnovers, they are going to be in a for a rude awakening.