Beijing: Expectations of Only Gold

If there is one gold medal expectation at the Beijing Olympics, it rests with the men’s basketball team. All members of that team are professional basketball stars. The head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, has a stellar, legendary college record. However, the days of American dominance in basketball are gone, as foreign players have improved their hoops skills. Nevertheless, the American men’s basketball team are expected to dominate and win gold. Anything less would be considered a failure.

Other nations know that the Americans can be beaten. At the world championships in 2002, the USA finished sixth. At the 2006 world championships, the USA improved to a third place finish. And at the last Olympic Games, the USA men’s team won the bronze medal. So that gold medal expectation will involve overcoming some obstacles of international basketball. Three of the major challenges are:

• zone defense - The teams that the USA men’s team will face know that they are at a disadvantage playing man-to-man defense. That is not their strength. The advantage in playing the American professionals will be a disciplined zone defense. This approach will allow the lower percentage long range shots. However, the zone defense will attempt to stop drives to the basket and limit the high percentage shots. The US team will need reliable shooting from long range to draw out the defense and allow the guard to find the seams in the zone. The long range accuracy will be essential.
• the officiating - The American professionals are used to NBA officiating. The international game is different and is officiated differently. There will not be the deference to the superstars that each one on the American team experiences in the professional game. There will simply be fouls that will not be called. That must be expected and composure maintained. It will be problematic if the Americans lose their focus because the international game is refereed in a different manner.
• size - Despite being all elite players from the NBA, the basketball team going to Beijing is small by international standards. Again, that will put more emphasis on the long shot. However, the rebounders for the American team must work for position. The international teams will count on their size for a rebounding difference, on both ends of the court.

And finally, with parity in the international game, there is still some distinction in beating the American professionals. The game against the Americans is the game that other teams want to win. The Americans are still ‘Goliath’; and the other teams will see themselves as ‘David’ and wanting do whatever it takes to beat the American powerhouse.

The Americans have the best players. There is no doubt about their individual skills. The best team is yet to be determined.

Catherine Forsythe

Team USA: Men’s Olympic Basketball

The final selection for the USA Olympic basketball team was named and there were not really any surprises:

“…Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Jason Kidd were among the 12 players selected for the squad. Completing the team were Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams.

“It was a very difficult selection process,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said during a news conference. “When you have as many outstanding players as we have in this country — to select a group of 12 is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people.”

link: US selects James, Bryant to lead Olympic basketball hopes in Beijing

The one possible weakness that other teams might exploit is the lack of three point shooters. There is Michael Redd, Kobe Bryant and possibly Carmelo Anthony to force other teams out from the zone defense. Teams will try to pack the lane with the zone defense so the outside shooting is crucial. It would be reassuring to have another ‘Ray Allen type’ of shooter who can score over the zone. And yes, even a shooter like Ray Allen can go into a slump as the recent NBA playoffs showed. However, the international teams would chance being beaten from long range than with anything close to the basket. Any Lakers fan or Celtic fan will verify how effective that defense is.

Catherine Forsythe