Team USA (Official Thread)

[OH10]

Originally Posted by ScriptOhio

If he wants to whine, fine. We don't need him. Send him home. There are plenty of role players who can contribute to this team that would want to be there.

[ScriptOhio]

Interesting article:

No offense, America

Team USA doomed to fail without immediate changes

Posted: Thursday August 24, 2006 7:45PM; Updated: Thursday August 24, 2006 11:32PM
Warning: The following column contains pessimism and player hating to the highest degree.

Dunks have been plentiful for LeBron James and Team USA, which won by an average margin of 23 points per game in the first round.


So Team USA has advanced to the medal round in the FIBA World Championships. Big deal. An elite high school team could have taken Senegal. So the U.S. beat its group play competition by an average of 23 points per game. So what? The Americans were one Carmelo Anthony injury away from getting spanked by Italy.
I'm on record saying I don't believe the U.S. will win the world championships. Do I think the Americans are the most talented? Yes. Do I think they work hard? Absolutely. Do I think they stand a chance against Argentina? Not even a little.
That's what it's all about, really. Argentina. The Argentines are the Patriots to the USA's Colts. They are Ali to our Quarry. Jordan to our Ehlo. You get the idea. Watching the the Americans play is exciting. They are a fast-breaking, high-flying circus act capable of putting up points in bunches. So is the AND1 Mixtape Tour. Doesn't mean we should have sent them.
The truth is Team USA has fallen into the same trap it did at the 2004 Olympics. It runs no plays. It has no set offenses and if it does, it never uses them. It still runs isolation plays on nearly every possession. It has no shooters, a weakness that has yet to be exposed but will most assuredly become an issue when the competition improves.
And it will improve. Should the U.S get by Australia (which features Bucks center Andrew Bogut), it will likely have to face Dirk Nowitzki and Germany, against whom the U.S. needed an Allen Iverson prayer at the buzzer to beat in Athens. After Germany comes the survivor of the France-Greece-China troika. Then Argentina. It just keeps getting better.
Watching the U.S. play reminds me of a scene from The West Wing. It's when Alan Alda's character, Senator Vinick, has to choose his running mate for the fall election. His staff gives him two choices: one guarantees a win, but not a big one. The other won't guarantee a win, but if done right could mean a sweep of all 50 states.The Americans might be able to run every team out of the building. They have the talent to do it. But if they would run an offense, an effective offense that puts every player in motion and utilizes their superior size and athleticism, it would guarantee a victory. They would win, but not big. It's OK, though -- last time I checked there was no BCS scoring system in Japan.
The solution? Take the next few days and learn an offense. Any offense. Run the triangle if you have to. It's the only way you can win in international competition. Pound the ball in the post with LeBron James and Dwight Howard and open up lanes for slashers like Dwyane Wade and Anthony. Utilize Brad Miller in the high post. Set a screen for someone not dribbling the ball. Pretend an NBA playoff berth is on the line.
As it stands, the Americans seem either unwilling or unable to make that commitment. They continue to be indifferent when defending the three-point line. Wait until Manu Ginobili and Andres Nocioni start teeing them up. They think they can run everyone out of the building. Doesn't work when Argentina plays defense like a hockey team, dropping two defenders back after every shot. As the old saying goes, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...hat/index.html

[OSUsushichic]

This is the first time in a long time I've even remotely cared about USA Basketball. I love Coach K.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/25/06

LeBron scores 17, rests as USA tops Senegal

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter


Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
USA's LeBron James goes up for a shot Senegal's Jules Richard Aw looks on during their first round game at the world basketball championships, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006, in Sapporo, northern Japan.
More photos

• Audio | Listen to LeBron James' post-game interview against Senegal
• Blog | Brian Windhorst in Japan covering FIBA

<!-- begin body-content -->SAPPORO, JAPAN - On the sixth day, Team USA rested.
Playing on a third consecutive night and for the fifth time in six days in the grinding pool play of the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the Americans were able to ease into a blowout 103-56 victory against an overmatched Senegal team today.
LeBron James scored 17 points and had a team-high four assists in just 18 minutes as the United States rested its front line. Chris Bosh scored 20 points to lead Team USA, which finished Group D at 5-0. The previous wins came against Puerto Rico, China, Slovenia and Italy.
Team USA now is set up nicely for the single-elimination medal round, which starts Saturday outside Tokyo. The Americans will play Australia on Sunday in the round of 16. Australia is led by last year's No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, Andrew Bogut.
The other top teams on the U.S. side of the bracket are two-time defending world champion Serbia-Montenegro and Greece, the reigning European champion. Germany and star Dirk Nowitzki are potential opponents in the quarterfinals.
The Americans dodged their top competitors. Current Olympic champion Argentina and undefeated Spain are on the other side of the bracket.
Those matters are all for the coming days. The Americans prepared to leave Sapporo after a series of strong performances, scoring 108.6 points per game with a 21-point average margin of victory and feeling pretty good about themselves.
Such dominance nearly had been forgotten by the American team, which lost two pool games in each of the last two major international competitions, the 2004 Olympics and the 2002 World Championships.
James finished off pool play by making 7-of-8 shots, most of them on driving dunks and layups, as Senegal was unable to show much resistance. He's averaging 14 points per game and has been a major factor in Team USA's strategy along with co-captains Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.
``I've played pretty well, but we're 5-0 and that's all that matters to me,'' James said. ``I think I've helped our team win every one of our games. I'm trying to get out there and help get the team get into the flow of the game.''
Bosh hadn't seen much playing time in the first four games and took advantage of his 20 minutes by also grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. Anthony scored 12 points in 14 minutes; Wade got the night off.
``We needed a night like this with our fifth game in six nights,'' forward Elton Brand said. ``We were able to give some guys who weren't getting as many minutes a chance. Now it is the medal round and we really have to focus.''
Elhadji N'Doye led Senegal, which finished 0-5, with 25 points.
Varejao controversy
Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao had a tough world championship.
According to reports from Brazilian media, Varejao has been complaining of fatigue in his legs that has been causing him to lose strength. It wasn't clear whether team doctors believed the symptoms were due to a physical problem or something else.
After playing well early in the tournament, Varejao's production fell off. He scored nine points in Brazil's loss to Lithuania on Thursday, but the defeat knocked the Brazilians from the tournament.
He also was involved in a violent collision with Greek guard Nikoloas Zisis on Wednesday. As Zisis dribbled to the middle, where Varejao was playing in Brazil's zone, Varejao delivered a nasty elbow to the right side of Zisis' face. The blow broke a bone in the guard's face.
Replays showed Varejao was looking the other way when the hit occurred, but there was no doubt he swung his elbow. Angry Greek players reportedly confronted Varejao following the game.
Gooden deal nearing
Drew Gooden flew to Cleveland to undergo a physical on Wednesday, one of the final steps in finishing off his three-year, $23 million contract.
Gooden's agent, Calvin Andrews, and Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry were hoping to wrap everything up before both were scheduled to travel to Japan at the end of the week.
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[scarletngrey11]

Maybe if Bosh didnt suck this whole tournament he would be playing more?

Just a thought. He launches 3's every chance he gets and hes not even a good shooter...

[ScriptOhio]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD align=conter colSpan=4>2006 FIBA World Championship Finals Bracket</TD></TR><TR class=bg1 vAlign=top><TD width="25%">Round of 16</TD><TD width="25%">Quarterfinals</TD><TD width="25%">Semifinals</TD><TD width="25%">Final</TD></TR><!--tr class=bg4 valign=top><td>Aug. 26-27</td><td>Aug. 29-30</td><td>Aug. 31-Sept. 1</td><td>Sept. 2-3</td></tr--><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 1)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Argentina «</TD><TD align=right>79</TD></TR><TR><TD> New Zealand</TD><TD align=right>62</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--ROUND 2 (MATCH 1)--><TD rowSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Argentina</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD> Turkey</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Aug. 29, 3:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--SEMI (MATCH 1)--><TD rowSpan=4><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Sept. 1, 3:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--FINAL --><TD rowSpan=8><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Sept. 3, 6:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 2)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Turkey «</TD><TD align=right>90</TD></TR><TR><TD> Slovenia</TD><TD align=right>84</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 3)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Spain «</TD><TD align=right>87</TD></TR><TR><TD> Serbia</TD><TD align=right>75</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--ROUND 2 (MATCH 2)--><TD rowSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Spain</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD> Lithuania</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Aug. 29, 6:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 4)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Italy</TD><TD align=right>68</TD></TR><TR><TD> Lithuania «</TD><TD align=right>71</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 5)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Greece «</TD><TD align=right>95</TD></TR><TR><TD> China</TD><TD align=right>64</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--ROUND 2 (MATCH 3)--><TD rowSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Greece</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD> France</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Aug. 30, 3:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--ROUND 3 (MATCH 2)--><TD rowSpan=4><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Sept. 1, 6:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 6)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> France «</TD><TD align=right>68</TD></TR><TR><TD> Angola</TD><TD align=right>62</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 7)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> USA «</TD><TD align=right>113</TD></TR><TR><TD> Australia</TD><TD align=right>73</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--ROUND 2 (MATCH 4)--><TD rowSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> USA</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD> Germany</TD><TD align=right></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Aug. 30, 6:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><!--ROUND 1 (MATCH 8)--><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> Germany «</TD><TD align=right>78</TD></TR><TR><TD> Nigeria</TD><TD align=right>77</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Final</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=bg4><TD colSpan=4>Rankings 5-8: Aug. 31 at 3:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. and Sept. 2 at 3:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[scarletngrey11]

This is ridiculous so far.

You cant touch a player without it being a foul.

Let them [censored]ing play.

[ScriptOhio]

Updated: Aug. 27, 2006, 2:59 AM ET
USA puts Australia down under 40-point rout


<!-- end pagetitle --><!-- begin bylinebox -->Associated Press

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<!-- begin text11 div --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-TOP: 10px" vAlign=top><!-- begin leftcol --><!-- template inline -->SAITAMA, Japan -- Andrew Bogut was no problem for the United States. Next up: Dirk Nowitzki.
Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points, and the Americans smothered Australia in the second quarter and ran away to a 113-73 victory Sunday in the second round of the FIBA World Championship.
Joe Johnson added 18 points, and Dwyane Wade had 15 for the Americans, who allowed only two baskets and six points in the second period en route to a 30-point halftime lead. The U.S. shot 54 percent from the field, including 14-of-27 from 3-point range, and led by as many as 42 points.
"I thought the second quarter was the deciding quarter today," Johnson said. "We started making plays for each other. There's no reason for us to be selfish on this team. We can all play."
The U.S. (6-0) advanced to a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday night against Germany, which beat Nigeria 78-77 in the first game of the day behind 23 points from Nowitzki, the All-Star forward from the Dallas Mavericks. The Germans were the bronze medalists in the 2002 World Championship.
"We just have to come out, put our hard hat on and be ready for Germany," Johnson said.
Added Team USA point guard Chris Paul: "Dirk's one of the best players in the NBA, so he's definitely one of the best players in international ball."
The Americans were sixth in 2002, their worst performance ever in a major international tournament. But they continue to look like one of the favorites in Japan after surpassing the 100-point mark for the fifth time in six games. They are averaging 109.3 points in the tournament. But they are still wary.
"On any given night, you can lose a game." Paul said. "And that's like the NCAA Tournament in college. You can lose a game and you're done."
This time, the U.S. defense was there, too. The Americans weren't always sharp on that end during pool play when they allowed 85.6 points per game.
Bogut, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA draft who just completed his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, led Australia with 20 points. But after a strong start, he was scoreless for a stretch of more than 15 minutes, when the Americans outscored the Australians 45-14.
The Australians (2-4) came in seeking to control the tempo, and they did a good job of it for most of the first half. Their problem was in making shots.
Bogut, the former national college player of the year at Utah, scored nine points in the first five minutes, hitting a 3-pointer to give the Australians a 15-14 lead with 5:07 left in the first quarter.
Australia was within two points after Brad Newley's dunk with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter. But by the time C.J. Bruton made the next one, the Australians had gone nearly 9 minutes without a field goal as the Americans broke the game open.
Leading 27-23 after one, the U.S. outscored Australia 18-1 during the first 7 minutes of the second quarter to take a 45-24 after Anthony made a pair of free throws with 3:01 left in the half. Australia missed 20 of its first 27 shots before Bruton's jumper with 2:50 to go.
Johnson scored the last seven points of the half, and the Americans took a 59-29 lead into the break.
Bogut finally ended his drought with a pair of free throws to open the second half, but the U.S. built its lead to 88-48 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter after Wade hit the Americans' fourth straight 3-pointer.
U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski kept the same starting lineup he used for most of pool play, with the exception of Elton Brand replacing Dwight Howard at center. But he went away from his two-team rotation, sending only three players out when he made his first substitutions midway through the opening quarter.
Shane Battier hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points, while Chris Bosh also added 12 for the Americans.
LeBron James had another quiet game with five points, hitting the top of the backboard on one jumper from the corner.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/wbc200...ory?id=2562617

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/27/06

Time to get serious

Competition will get stiffer for U.S. in round

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->TOKYO - The 2006 FIBA World Championship has moved into its serious stage.
The surviving 16 combatants, including Team USA, meet at the Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo for a nine-day tournament. The Americans, who face Australia in the round of 16 at midnight today, finished pool play unbeaten, something they were unable to do at the 1998 and 2002 World Championships and the 2004 Olympics.
Team USA has verified its role as favorite, but the Americans' attempt to restore world superiority will be no cake walk from here on. Here's five things the U.S. must to do to win gold and its top three challengers:
• Start fast.
This has been a problem for the Americans all summer. They seem to take awhile to find their legs and get going.
Usually it is because the opponent has some early energy from the rush of facing the world's No. 1-ranked team.
These games are a lot like NCAA Tournament games: neutral floors where the crowd backs the underdog. Letting teams stay close early in the game feeds the upset hopes.
• Don't play one-on-one.
This means on either end of the floor.
Team USA will see a lot of zone defense. They have enough talent to break any zone in the world with players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony who like to drive to the basket, and a decent group of streaky outside shooters, such as Joe Johnson, which has to be respected.
They can't drive if the ball stops moving -- like the trend is in NBA games, especially under pressure. The defensive three-second rule and the no-charge zone allow for lots of help on defense.
• Stop the ball.
The Americans favor an up-tempo game with non-stop pressing and running.
They can't allow opponents to dribble the ball to the hoop easily. Gambling on defense is fine, but not at the expense of allowing uncontested layups. If teams with good guards smell it, they'll do it to them all day.
• Don't wait for the run.
Team USA has gotten past sluggish starts with giant runs of 17-4 in the third quarter against Italy and 19-0 in the first half against Senegal being the more recent examples.
``We just wait for our run and then we're fine,'' James said.
This is a carryover from the NBA way of thinking. Many games during the regular season see massive swings.
Against the world's top teams with good guards, such runs won't always be possible. Plus the games are eight minutes shorter than in the NBA.
• Keep the swagger.
The favorite salvo tossed at Team USA in recent years is that they're no longer invincible and no longer feared.
The Italians tried to get under Wade's skin by telling him he's ``no Michael Jordan'' during in-game trash talk. With James, Wade and Anthony, this is the best team the United States has put on the court since Jordan's Dream Team in 1996.
Playing with confidence and a defiant air, it not only will restore that lost edge, but also will help with the officials, who often seemed to be swayed here.
The main competition
• Spain.
The Spaniards looked like the best team in pool play at the Athens Olympics, but Team USA beat them in the elimination round. They were a dominant 5-0 in pool play here as well. Guards Jose Calderon (Toronto Raptors) and Juan Carlos Navarro can handle pressure, and big-man Pau Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies) is made for the international game.
• Argentina.
The reigning Olympic champions have the most NBA players besides the Americans. The hard-charging and oft-flopping Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs) is their heart and soul. Andres Noiconi (Chicago Bulls) is a rough and tough defender, and Luis Scola is a quality big man. They fully believe they will beat the Americans and win the title.
• Greece.
The current European champions also went 5-0 during pool play. They are big and rough and have a reputation of playing dirty.They have a balanced scoring attack, but suffered a loss when Brazil's Anderson Varejao broke the jaw of guard Niko Zisis earlier in the week. The Americans are on track to see them in the semifinals.
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[BB73]

The USA got a very good draw in the 16-team elimination play. Projecting out likely opponents, they'll get the Greece-France winner, while top threats Argentina and Spain play in the other semi-final.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/28/06

U.S. still cruising without true test

Win by 40 points over Australia feeds the ego of streaking Team USA

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->SAITAMA, JAPAN - After weeks of meticulous physical and psychological preparation, Team USA is perhaps facing its greatest opponent yet: old habits.
After a 113-73 whipping of Australia on Sunday, the Americans have cruised into the 2006 FIBA World Championship quarterfinals without seriously being tested. Except for a poor quarter against Italy, Team USA has been as dominant as the good old days.
Of course, those days have become old because of overconfidence and disrespect for the opposition in major international competitions.
After taking apart the Aussies with their most complete offensive and defensive game of the tournament, it appears those dangerous states of mind might be the only serious threat keeping Team USA from a date in next Sunday's world title game.
The Americans shot 54 percent and hit 14-of-27 3-pointers, their Achilles heel until now, to turn it into a rout quickly.
Eight American players scored at least eight points, led by Carmelo Anthony's 20 points, in a brilliant display of unselfish basketball. Team USA recorded an assist on 24 of its 41 field goals.
LeBron James seemed to be leading that philosophy as he continues to serve as the offensive general with the starters, giving up his own shot opportunities to set up his teammates after drawing defenders. He took only five shots in 22 minutes Sunday, scoring a tournament-low five points, with four rebounds and four assists.
Don't let those totals mislead. Even though his points are down, James is playing the same sort of point-forward role he takes with the Cavaliers.
The offense starts through him, and James has been setting up numerous baskets, even when he isn't credited with an assist.
``I'm a very unselfish player, sometimes too unselfish,'' James said. ``For our team, it brings confidence to know none of us has to go out and score a lot of points for us to win.''
Fellow captain Dwyane Wade is playing the same way. He scored 15 points and dished out four assists in the latest blowout victory.
All seem to be following their lead. The Americans played nearly flawless offensive ball.
It was the sort of display, in fact, that might tempt overconfidence. Already there are hints of chests getting puffy.
``I think our biggest opponent is ourselves,'' said guard Joe Johnson, who scored 18 points. ``When shots are falling or when they're not falling, I think we're unbeatable because we're such a versatile team.''
The shots are falling, for now. Despite spotty efforts from long range, the Americans are shooting 53 percent in their six games in the world championship. That's due to, in large part, fast breaks off turnovers and excellent passing that have led to many easy looks.
``We're trying to go out there and take care of business and blow teams out,'' James said. ``It is fun to win like that.''
Team leaders and coaches are trying to reinforce that they are not getting ahead of themselves. They will point to their improving defense, which held Australia to six points in the second quarter Sunday and forced 24 turnovers for the game, as evidence.
Only Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who scored 20 points, could dent the defense.
Team USA simply could sample the game films of Argentina, Spain and Greece. Though none has as much talent as the Americans, all easily dispatched their competition in the round of 16 over the weekend to move on.
``I don't think we're overconfident or cocky. We need to play well to beat some of these teams,'' said forward Elton Brand, who was part of the 2002 team that stumbled in the world championship quarterfinals and ended up finishing in sixth place.
``It is tough to stay grounded, but we've been on the losing end in the past so we understand we need to remain focused.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/29/06

Unselfish Team USA follows LeBron's lead

Kobe Bryant missing as Americans repair image

<!-- begin body-content -->SAITAMA, JAPAN - The expansive train platform nestled alongside the Saitama Super Arena on the northern outskirts of sprawling Tokyo is truly the gateway to the FIBA World Championship.
The vast majority of the spectators arrive via train, and they are greeted with a wave of advertisements.
The most unavoidable is a giant sticker affixed to the floor just past the turnstiles that thousands of feet and eyeballs must cross every day of the mega-tournament.
It is a Nike ad, splayed with the innocuous question: ``LeBron or Kobe?''
It is part of a promotion the shoe giant is running that offers fans a free gift tied to one of the players and is aimed at drawing visitors to the company's Japanese basketball Web site. But, to a more trained Team USA follower, it also might be a basketball metaphor.
Kobe Bryant isn't in Japan with his fellow national team members. Knee surgery last month knocked him out, and he has been recovering and doing charitable work this summer in Los Angeles, though Nike will bring him to Asia soon for promotional work.
With the Americans butchering opponents and rebranding the tarnished image of USA Basketball, is it possible Kobe's absence advanced the team's cause?
The ownership of this edition of the Dream Team quickly ended up in the hands of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. The overall attitude is really a product of James and Wade, who have founded an unselfish style that is shocking the international basketball world that long ago tagged American stars as snobbish and self-centered.
It was Wade, owner of an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy and a forthcoming ring, who openly volunteered to come off the bench. It is a move that has proved to be brilliant; his entrance when the opposition is huffing and puffing almost always leads to a swing in the score.
The most recent example came Sunday against Australia. Wade ripped off the warm-ups with the score 12-12 and returned to the bench with the Americans up by 20.
Then there is James, whose willingness to share the ball is converting many new fans. He took a mere five shots in the win over Australia and repeatedly set up his teammates when he could have attempted a driving layup he surely would have finished -- or at least drawn a foul.
Amazingly, it has rubbed off. U.S. players are falling over themselves to share the glory as the ``Ugly American'' label starts to fray at the edges.
TNT analyst Steve Kerr wrote this in a column on Yahoo Sports: ``In many ways, James' play in this tournament epitomizes what looks like a revitalization of American basketball. He is helping establish an egoless chemistry.''
Others are expressing similar views.
``I'm surprised at how unselfishly they play,'' Australian guard C.J. Bruton said. ``Everyone likes to get their shots off; these guys get 17-20 shots a game in the NBA. This group takes the shots when they're open and shares the ball. In that way, you could compare them to Dream Team I and II.''
There is no doubt Bryant is one of the best players in the world. He owns three NBA titles and is coming off one of the most prolific scoring seasons in league history. His ability is unquestioned.
Were Bryant on Team USA, however, he probably would have been named a captain, if not the only captain, as one of the oldest and most experienced players. The team wouldn't necessarily have belonged to the three guns from the class of 2003, and the theme, as Bryant's game often suggests, might not have been to share before all else.
``It starts with me. Being the captain, if I'm out there passing up shots to get a better shot, it kind of rubs off on your teammates, and you can see that,'' James said. ``I'm not sure how having Kobe would've worked out. Kobe would've been a big part of our team.''
Kobe's role probably would have been what he does best: score. Wade and James are doing what they do best: lead unselfishly.
The Los Angeles Lakers and coach Phil Jackson tried to make Bryant a cog rather than the centerpiece in the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. It almost worked, but the plan -- and Kobe -- fizzled in the end.
If Team USA steamrolls to a gold medal, how could the plan for the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 possibly differ from the strategy to allow Wade and James to wear the ``C'' and let them dictate play?
``Right now, we're the leaders,'' James said. ``And my teammates have done a great job following so far.''
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[ScriptOhio]

Spain (7-0) and Argentina (7-0) advance.

Updated: Aug. 29, 2006, 10:43 AM ET
Spain, Argentina roll, set up final four showdown


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SAITAMA, Japan -- Pau Gasol had 25 points and nine rebounds and Spain used another impressive performance to beat Lithuania 89-67 Tuesday and advance to the FIBA World Championship final four for the second time.
<!-- INLINE TABLE (BEGIN) --><TABLE id=inlinetable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=250 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TH style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000"><CENTER>FIBA World Championship</CENTER></TH><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ececec" vAlign=top><TD>QUARTERFINALS
Wednesday, Aug. 30
• Greece vs. France, 3:30 a.m. ET
• USA vs. Germany, 6:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2
SEMIFINALS
Friday, Sept. 1
• Argentina vs. Spain, 3:30 a.m. ET
• Greece-France vs. USA-Germany, 6:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, Sept. 3
• Semifinal winners, 6:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2
• Full schedule
• Vote on the matchups
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Spain (7-0) will play Argentina (7-0), which advanced by routing Turkey 83-58 behind 21 poins from Andres Nocioni.

Both teams have run over their opponents in this tournament, with average margin of victories in the 20s. They both have NBA stars -- Argentina has Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs and Spain has Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

"These are two of the best teams in the world and they play similar games with smart players," Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said of the final four matchup. "It will be a great, great game and people will enjoy it and nobody can say before the game who will win."


"The team who beats us is the team that plays really well," Spain coach Pepu Hernandez said. "We know we can lose if we don't do the right job and be the team we have been until this moment. They can beat us, but it will be difficult."
Spain 89, Lithuania 67
Juan Carlos Navarro added 22 points for Spain, which finished fourth in 1982 in its only other semifinal appearance.


"This game was much easier than we expected probably because of the way we established our rhythm and kept it up and did not allow Lithuania to ever get in the game," Navarro said. "We will do our best to make history. In front of us is a great opportunity and we have to try and take advantage because you don't get many chances."


Spain came into the game with an average margin of victory of 25 points, and it led this game 76-49 with five minutes to play when the reserves took over.


Gasol, the 7-foot center who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, came into the game averaging 21 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 65 percent from the field. He was 8-for-14 from the field Tuesday and 9-for-12 from the free throw line.


Darius Lavrinovic had 17 points to lead Lithuania (4-3), which never recovered from another one of Spain's bursts, this one a 15-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters.


Lavrinovic scored down low with 3:53 left in the first quarter to bring Lithuania within 17-11. Lithuania wouldn't score again for 5:33, missing eight shots and committing six turnovers as Spain turned up the defensive pressure and scored again and again on breakaway layups and dunks.


Linas Kleiza, who plays for the Denver Nuggets, finally broke Lithuania's drought with a tip-in with 8:20 left in the first half, cutting Spain's lead to 32-13. Spain led 47-30 at halftime and opened the second half with a 7-0 run, forcing three turnovers in the first two minutes.

"They could not get into the game with the best moment of Spanish defense," Hernandez said. "Maybe 30 percent of our defense is strategy. The rest is the mentality and the work of the players on the court."


Navarro had four of Spain's five 3-pointers and Gasol was dominant inside as Spain pulled away to another easy win. The closest any team has come was Angola, which lost 93-83 in the opening round.


Spain finished with 17 steals and forced Lithuania into 28 turnovers, nine more than its average over the first six games.


Lithuania, a young team that wasn't given much of a chance at a medal entering the tournament, surprised Italy in the second round to reach the quarterfinals.


"We brought a young team and we learned a lot. This can only make us better," said Kleiza, who had 15 points and 14 rebounds. "They ran straight at us."


Lithuania coach Antanas Sireika didn't want to use major international inexperience as an excuse.


"We did not prepare mentally for this game," he said. "In a game as important as this, you cannot make 28 turnovers and expect to get away with it. We still have a long way to go before becoming a strong team. We have a lot of work to do."
Argentina 83, Turkey 58
Nocioni, who plays for the Chicago Bulls, was 6-for-7 from the field and grabbed six rebounds to lead Argentina in its latest blowout. The South Americans came in having won its first six games by an average of 23 points.


They took over this one by holding Turkey (5-2) to seven points in the second quarter to take a 43-23 halftime lead.


Argentina shot 55 percent (16-for-29) in the opening half, holding Turkey to 32 percent (9-for-28), well off the 46 percent it was shooting entering the game. Turkey averaged 76.7 points in its first six games.


"We played our best defense of the tournament in the first half," Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said. "We got easy points because we had a lot of patience on offense and when we do that we can find easy points."


Ginobili had seven points on 1-for-2 shooting and only played 16 minutes. No Argentina starter played in the fourth quarter, which started with it leading 75-40.


A concern for Argentina in its 79-62 second-round win over New Zealand was that it missed 17 of its 18 3-point attempts. Against Turkey, Argentina finished 8-for-23 from beyond the arc.


Cenk Aykol had 11 points to lead Turkey, which lost only to unbeaten Greece in the final game of the opening round. Turkey advanced to its first quarterfinal with a 90-84 victory over Slovenia.

"Nobody in Turkey was expecting we would be in the eight and for that we are very proud," Aykol said. "We never thought this would be a 30-point game. We couldn't play defense and couldn't make baskets but we tried our best."
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CPD

8/30/06

USA adjusts to physical play at worlds

<TABLE class=byln cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=428 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=bottom><TD class=byln width=328>8/30/2006, 7:04 a.m. ET

By ANDREW BAGNATO
The Associated Press

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SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — Early in the FIBA world championships, U.S. captain Carmelo Anthony let his younger teammates in on a secret of international basketball.
"They were kind of looking for the foul and we were like, 'Look, ain't no fouls over here,'" Anthony said. "'You gotta play through it and if you get a foul, you get a foul. If not then you keep playing.'"
Through its first six games in the tournament, Team USA has had to adjust to the officials as much as the opposition. International basketball is far more physical than the NBA, which has taken strides to streamline the game by cracking down on handchecks and illegal screens. Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo helped lead the cleanup effort when he owned the Phoenix Suns.
"The NBA game has changed some and in the NBA it's not as physical," U.S. captain Dwyane Wade said.

"Physical" is a nice way of describing FIBA basketball. "Brutal" might be more accurate.
In Argentina's second-round game against New Zealand, Argentina's Andres Nocioni was felled by a forearm to the throat on a halfcourt pick. Everyone in Saitama Super Arena saw the blow — except for the officials, who allowed play to continue while Nocioni writhed on the floor.
In Spain's quarterfinal victory over Lithuania on Tuesday, Spanish center Pau Gasol shoved an opponent over the baseline as they battled for a rebound. As Gasol snared the ball and laid it into the basket, the Lithuanian bench erupted.
The call? Two points for Spain.
"When you get over here the refs let a lot of things go on both sides, when we get physical and also when our opposing team gets physical," Wade said. "We had to get used to it, but now we kind of understand how the game goes a little bit better and we're able to be physical and be able to take some of the hits that come."
With an average victory margin of 26 points in its first six games, the U.S. hasn't had much reason to gripe about the officials. The statistics indicate that the U.S. has adapted to the different style of play. The Americans have made more free throws (136) than their opponents have attempted (117) and have been called for 44 fewer personal fouls.
Still, players have had to figure out what's a foul and what's not.
Moving screens, for example, are typically allowed here.
"It's just a different kind of physical," center Brad Miller said. "There are certain things that are automatic fouls here that aren't in the NBA and vice versa. Here you can push off almost at any given time, create space for your shot, where in the NBA you can't do that. You can handcheck and face guard internationally, you can't back home. Some of what is allowed here is just a 180 (degree difference) from the NBA."
The Americans say they can take the physical style, even if it hurts at times. After Team USA worked out in Tokyo this week, trainers packed captain LeBron James in so much ice that he resembled one of the local fish delicacies.

Asked if he was tired of being banged on, James replied, "It don't matter. I played football my whole life. Basketball contact is nothing compared to football. I rarely feel it, to tell you the truth."
The U.S.' biggest adjustment has been to the officials. Unlike in the NBA, where players know what to expect from each official, it's difficult to predict how a FIBA crew will call a game.
"There's always physical play," Kirk Hinrich said. "But coming into each game, you just don't know what's going to happen. It's not like each game gets called a certain way the whole game. The first quarter they can just be calling crazy stuff, and the second quarter they can be calling nothing.
"It is a lot more physical and they get away with a lot more stuff," Hinrich said. "It's definitely a wilder game. That's one of the challenges we face is just adjusting to how the game's going."

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

8/30/06

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="" vAlign=top width=560>U.S. 85, Germany 65

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>U.S. 85, Germany 65</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER type="block" width="1" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
August 30, 2006

SAITAMA, Japan (AP) -- The Americans weren't going to win this game with their shooting. So they made sure they didn't need to. Carmelo Anthony scored 10 of his 19 points in the third quarter, when the United States finally took control with its pressure defense, and the Americans went on to beat Germany 85-65 Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the world championships.
LeBron James added 13 points for the U.S., which broke away from a one-point halftime lead by using a flurry of steals and blocks to outscore Germany 16-2 over a nearly 6-minute span in the third period.

The Americans (7-0) remained one of the four unbeaten teams and advanced to face European champion Greece (7-0) Friday night in the semifinals. Greece beat France 73-56 earlier Wednesday.
But this was unlike the other American victories in Japan.
Instead of looking like the team that came in averaging 109.3 points, the Americans looked like the ones that have come up short in recent years because of a lack of perimeter shooting. They shot 37.6 percent (32-of-85) and were 10-of-40 from 3-point range.
But they kept it from being costly by pressuring Germany's guards and preventing them from getting the ball to superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who finished 3-of-12 with five turnovers.
Nowitzki and Ademola Okulaja each scored 15 points for Germany, the bronze medalist in the 2002 world championships. The Germans (5-2) will face France in a classification-round game on Thursday night and can still finish fifth.
Leading 40-39 at the break, the U.S. came out of the break with a new lineup -- Anthony, James, Joe Johnson, Kirk Hinrich and Dwight Howard -- and forced three turnovers in the first 1:01 of the third quarter.
The Germans were still within a point before Anthony followed a 3-pointer with a steal a dunk. Elton Brand's follow shot made it 51-43 with 6:41 remaining in the period.
Okulaja made a jumper, but Anthony drilled another 3, Dwyane Wade made a free throw, Johnson had a basket and Chris Bosh converted a three-point play on an alley-oop that extended the Americans' lead to 60-45 with 1:53 left in the quarter.
The U.S. had five blocked shots and seven steals in the quarter, taking a 67-52 lead on Chris Paul's jumper as the buzzer sounded.
Sitting back in a zone that featured Nowitzki, fellow 7-footer Patrick Femerling and 6-8 Okulaja along the back line, Germany forced the U.S. to shoot from the outside. And unlike Sunday's rout of Australia, when the Americans were 14-of-27 from 3-point range, they were woeful behind the arc Wednesday.
The Americans were 5-of-20 in the first half, including one miss when Wade appeared to try to bank one in and it missed the rim entirely -- and that was while he could still see straight.
Wade went to the bench a few minutes later after taking a shot to the eye from Pascal Roller while going for a loose ball. He sat the remainder of the half and returned 4 1/2 minutes into the third quarter -- and promptly threw up an airball on his first shot attempt.
But Germany could never take much of a lead because of foul trouble. Both Nowitzki and Okulaja were on the bench in the final minute with three apiece, and the U.S. took a 40-39 lead when Anthony made a 3-pointer with 47 seconds to go. That was one of the few highlights in the first half for Anthony, who missed his first eight shots and was 2-of-12. Wade -- who came in combining with Anthony for nearly 40 points per game -- was 1-for-7. Shane Battier started on Nowitzki, and James and Chris Bosh would get cracks at the Dallas Mavericks All-Star later in the period. All did a good job, forcing Nowitzki to miss his last five shots as the Americans took a 23-21 lead.

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