The Debut of Team USA

It's one thing to speculate and predict how Team USA will perform in the Olympics, and playing FIBA rules basketball in general. Watching the exhibition game against Canada the other day really opened my eyes to how different the games really are and how difficult this journey could be for Team USA. It's important to note that while Canada is an international team on the rise and have been playing together (in real, competitive games) for over a month while unsuccessfully trying to qualify for the Olympics, they are not a very good team, and are easily worse than any team that the US will see if Olympic play.

I was very interested to notice that the comfort level in the international game still isn't there for the whole team. When you watch Canada, their shooters naturally drift to the FIBA 3-point line, always getting the most efficient 3-point shot and usually making it. The Canadian players were also moving much more naturally, while I felt that USA players were thinking more than just reacting. Obviously, this is the reason they are playing these exhibition games and shouldn't be a problem by the time the Olympics come around. The FIBA game and the NBA game are similar rules-wise, but there are several things that are allowed in FIBA that NBA players have been coached AGAINST their whole careers.

One of these rules is playing a ball on the rim. In FIBA, there is no cylinder rule- you can play a ball off the rim, offensively or defensively. Chris Bosh had a nice play where he dunked home a Chris Paul layup that might have gone in anyway. If exploited correctly, this rule could be huge for the US because Paul and Deron Williams are so good at simply getting the ball to the rim on their drives.

Here's a (relatively) quick rundown of how I thought each player performed in their exhibition game against Canada:

Jason Kidd- I like the role that Jason Kidd fills on this team. He's the unquestioned starter at point guard, as well as one of the team leaders, but when everything is all said and done I think that Kidd will end up towards the bottom of the team in terms of minutes played. Kidd has aged very noticeably, and Chris Paul and Deron Williams are simply too good to keep off the court. That said, Kidd does a great job of setting the tempo that Team USA wants to play at, and I love the way he gets the ball up the court and out of his hands as fast as possible. Watch when he gets an outlet pass after a rebound (or grabs the rebound himself, as Kidd is always around the big bodies down low for rebound opportunities)- he rarely dribbles to advance the ball. As soon as he sees an opportunity up ahead, Kidd finds the fastest way to get him the ball and lets them do the work.

Kidd's impact on the rest of the team is easy to see. Because of his abilities to hit the open man, everyone runs the court knowing that they most likely will get the ball (Carmelo enjoys this the most). But more importantly, the vision and unselfish play of Kidd has really spread to the rest of the team. Kidd has had mixed results trying to instill this unselfishness to his teammates in the NBA, but when surrounded with a group of elite players that all look up to him, it's easy to see them buying into his style of play.

Kobe Bryant- I really enjoy watching Kobe act as a part of this team, and it's clear that he enjoys the role that he's playing. Kobe is completely content acting as the defensive stopper, and as he gets more comfortable with the absence of hand-check rules on the perimeter, Kobe will absolutely shut down whoever he's guarding. There was one play against Canada where Kobe smothered Carl English (one of the better Canadian players), pinning him at halfcourt before wrestling the ball away for an easy breakaway dunk. In FIBA rules, the defender can get very physical with the ball-handler on the perimeter (something that Kobe tries to get away with anyway), and the rules almost give him an unfair advantage here. Obviously Kobe is in phenomenal shape, and he doesn't have to save any energy for offense (like he does for the Lakers), so his relentless defensive efforts never ease up.

On the other side of the ball, Kobe does a good job letting the action come to him. With Kidd and the other great point guards on the team, Kobe doesn't need to dominate the ball (and LeBron wasn't even playing in this last game), so he becomes a spot-up shooter and a bail-out option late in the clock. Kobe still has the ability to quickly score on anyone in a variety of ways, but he knows that he doesn't need to look for his own offense all the time. Kobe also spaces the floor very well- the range on his shot is just ridiculous, and I doubt that FIBA players are used to guys camping out that deep behind the line. I'm sure that Kobe will flip the switch and take over a game offensively at some point, but for now I've really liked his attitude and general demeanor on the court.

Dwyane Wade- Starting in place of LeBron James (who could have played if it wasn't an exhibition game), Wade made the most of his first televised game since his latest injury. It's safe to say that Wade is healthy again. The most surprising thing for me was how well Wade fit in at the small forward spot. My biggest questions about Wade before this game were his health, and what position he would/could play (I had speculated that he might be playing a lot of point guard). Wade has that great midrange jumper which he's extended to the FIBA 3-point line, and like Kobe, he did a good job of letting the action come to him instead of forcing the issue.

At this point, don't expect Wade to play any point guard in the Olympics. He is actually very well suited to be a 2/3 in this style of ball, and his size at the small forward position isn't a disadvantage, given his strength and athleticism.

It's great to see Wade healthy again. Given his recent run of injuries and generally poor play (most likely due to playing hurt), it's easy to forget how dominant of a player Wade can be- this is the same guy who averaged over 30 points per game in the NBA Finals. It sounds like Coach K and the entire team were surprised with his level of play, and I think that they're going to be able to use Wade much more than initially predicted.

Carmelo Anthony- Carmelo continues to amaze me every time I watch him play. At this point, it's no secret that Carmelo loves the international game, but he still comes out and exceeds expectations. To me, the most underrated aspect of Carmelo's game is his use of the triple threat position- his jumper is so accurate that everyone has to respect it, but his deceivingly fast first step allows him to get by anyone playing him too close. This is why his ability to simply face the basket and make one jab step can buy him so much room. It looks like he's settling when he does this, but the reality is that he is able to free up so much space that he's basically shooting an uncontested jumper. 

Carmelo always gets a good chunk of his points from easy dunks, and it's because of 2 unique skills that he utilizes. In the halfcourt, Carmelo is very good at making subtle cuts along the baseline to get right under the basket, and also at just shuffling and planting himself in an open space, almost like a tight end settling into a soft spot in the defense and waiting for the quarterback to find him. With so many great players on the team, Carmelo just has to find that spot and wait for the ball to find him. Carmelo is also an expert of leaking out on the break- again, some call it being lazy, but he really does have a knack of reading the play and knowing that his team will come up with the rebound, loose ball, or steal, and getting to the other end for an easy dunk.

Dwight Howard- The international game really is all about perimeter players- what really surprised me is how most of the game is played between the 3-point lines, as opposed to around the baskets. Howard, as I predicted, really isn't a good fit for international play. Against Canada, he really didn't seem to make too much of an impact, and I thought that Chris Bosh played much better than Howard. He's still the starter, and a lot of what he does for Team USA won't show up on the stat sheet, but it was interesting to see how few chances he had to make plays offensively.

Michael Redd- It's really interesting to see just how deep the NBA 3-point line is compared to the FIBA lines. For Redd, shooting FIBA 3-pointers looks as effortless as a free throw. There were several reports that he was absolutely on fire in practices, and he didn't disappoint in the Canada game. Redd made it look easy as he dropped in 20 points against Canada, and it really looks like any time he gets a shot off it's going in. It should be interesting to watch Redd when teams try to go zone against the US, because Redd is definitely best zone-breaker the team has had in the past 8 years, and I think that his shooting ability will really discourage teams from playing as much zone as they otherwise would.

Chris Bosh- I thought that Bosh looked great in the exhibition game. He really is an international-style center, and he seemed much more comfortable in this setting than Howard or Carlos Boozer. Bosh swoops around the floor, and can also hit the jumper with some range (I haven't seem him attempt an international 3, but I wouldn't be surprised if he takes/makes a few). Because of his speed and long arms, Bosh actually plays much bigger than I realized- against most teams in the Olympics, Bosh should be fine at the center position.

Deron Williams- So much for the alleged point guard battle- Deron Williams appears to be a 2-guard on this team. Williams is definitely big and strong enough to play the shooting guard position (in both the NBA and FIBA play), and with his quickness and point guard abilities, makes Team USA much harder to defend. Since he's on the second unit, I don't forsee too many situations where Williams wouldn't be able to play the 2-guard, and I really like the decision by Coach K.

Chris Paul- Forget anything I said about Chris Paul not being a good fit on the team, because Paul is clearly ready for the Olympics. Paul has gotten MUCH stronger since I last saw him in international play, and he is more than capable of holding his own against opposing point guards. Coach K looks like he solved his point guard issue by playing Williams at the 2, next to Paul at the point, and it looks to be a good fit. Paul, as predicted, is going to be a great weapon defensively with his ball pressure. Like Kobe, Paul is only going to get better at using his body defensively, and his feet are already so quick that he has no problem playing pressure defense the entire length of the court. Since Team USA uses defensive pressure and deflections to fuel their fast break, Paul's pressure on opposing point guards will be crucial.

Offensively, Paul is best described as "efficient." Even though he throws as many alley-oop passes as anyone, it isn't to be flashy- it's because the lob pass is often the best way to get the ball to the bigs. His ability to take his man off the dribble is just scary, and he has really embraced the physicality of the international game more than I expected, and seems to be using this move where he intentionally runs himself into opposing players when he has the ball, almost setting a screen on someone else's man while keeping his dribble alive. Paul has always been feisty and an intense competitor, and is a great weapon on both ends to bring off the bench.

Tayshaun Prince- I really don't get why Prince is on this team. From a physical standpoint, Prince really doesn't look like he belongs on the court. Even with LeBron sitting the game out, Prince didn't make his presence felt at either end, and I'm really not sure what kind of element he brings to the team. With Tyson Chandler injured and most likely not able to play, Prince probably would have ended up on the team anyway, but I still don't like it.

Carlos Boozer- The exhibition game really showed how little Boozer is going to play unless there is foul or injury trouble. The international game is played with only one (at most) true big, meaning that Boozer can only play when Howard and Bosh aren't in the game. Team USA generally uses Carmelo at the 4, and it sounds like LeBron will spend some time there as well. That said, I like the way Boozer fills the center spot and trust his ability to fill in when needed.

Coach K- It isn't necessarily easy to coach a team with this much talent. Obviously, all of these stars have done a great job removing their egos and embracing their roles, but it still isn't easy to find the right combinations, and balance playing time, over the course of a 40 minute game. First off, it looks like Prince and Boozer won't get too many minutes unless there is an injury or serious foul trouble. I'm sure that both players understand that and, being late additions, shouldn't have any problems with that. Aside from those 2, it gives Team USA a very talented and versatile 10 man rotation. It seems that Coach K is going to take an all-star game approach to managing the lineups, subbing in waves of 2, 3 or even 4 players at a time, forming clearly defined units on the floor. Given that there's only been one game so far, it's hard to say if he was experimenting or if this will be his real approach, so I'll be looking for that as the team plays more exhibition games.

Overall, I loved the attitude and effort of Team USA. They were completely focused defensively, which is going to be a big key for them, and their fast-break game will be very hard to stop. That said, their half-court offense leaves a little to be desired. Their team shooting is actually quite good- almost everyone on the team can hit the FIBA 3-pointer (Paul and Wade really surprised me here)- but the ball movement and penetration still doesn't come naturally. I think the addition of LeBron will help to solve this problem. LeBron is a facilitator, and I think you'll see much more cutting and movement without the ball when LeBron has the ball- his size allows him to easily read the defense, and his attacking style really puts pressure on the opposing team, as opposed to letting them dictate our offense.

It's really important for Team USA to play in as many of these games as possible before the Olympics begin- starting tomorrow morning, they are playing 4 exhibition games against other countries. The more familiar they get with the international style of play, the better off they will be.

Free Agency Chaos

Basketball, more than any other sport, allows teams a faster turnaround between seasons- just ask the Celtics. Because fewer players contribute to each team than in other professional sports, the addition or subtraction of just one or two players can completely change a team's makeup and competitiveness. Every year, the draft and free agency offer new hope to teams that underperformed the past season, or the chance to load up for a run at the championship for teams that just missed out in the playoffs. 

This off-season was supposed to be a relatively quiet one, but as soon as the free agency period began on July 9, it has been anything but that. Here's my take on some of the biggest moves so far, and what they mean for the future of those teams.

 

Philadelphia 76ers- Elton Brand

The 76ers have made easily the biggest splash in free agency by landing power forward Elton Brand, who surprised everyone by opting out of his contract right before the deadline. Then, after Baron Davis signed with the Clippers (more on that in a second) and seemingly had an agreement for Brand to resign so they could play together, Brand surprisingly bolted for Philly. At the end of the day, Brand could get more money (but not more guaranteed years) from the Sixers, but more importantly, Brand would be able to be most competitive with the Sixers. Philadelphia has an exciting, young core, and surprisingly made the playoffs (even beating the Pistons twice in the first round) last season. They were set at every position except for power forward, and with Brand looking like he would re-sign with the Clippers, the Sixers had set their sights on Atlanta's restricted free agent Josh Smith. 

Now, with Brand in the fold, the Sixers look to be a solid playoff team right away, and a legitimate title contender as soon as next year. The Sixers add Brand to a core that includes veteran floor general Andre Miller, budding superstar swingman Andre Iguodala, and defensive specialist Samuel Dalembert. They also have young, talented players who exceeded expectations such as speedy guard Louis Williams, athletic forward Thaddeus Young, who played out of position at the 4 last season, big man Jason Smith and this year's first round pick, Marreese Speights. Iguodala spent last season as the go-to guy for Philly, but he's really best suited as a complimentary player, someone who helps his team win by filling the stat sheet and doing all the little things. Iguodala can play either guard position as well as small forward, bring the ball up the floor and start the offense, finish on the break, and most importantly, lock down the best player on the other team. With Brand now starring as the go-to guy, Iguodala will be in position to have his best season as a pro.

The best thing about this move for the Sixers is that they don't have to change a thing about their team- their only need was a power forward, and they were able to pick up one of the league's best in Brand without losing any of their players (other than Rodney Carney, who was traded for cap space). Brand can step in to his natural position on a team that fits all of his strengths. Defensively, the front line of Young, Brand and Dalembert will be one of the best in the league, as Philly will still try to make their living on the defensive end to ignite the fast-break. But this year, when their running game slows down, they will have Brand, a proven 20+ point per game scorer, to score in the post and draw double teams to open up the rest of the half-court offense. Their biggest remaining need is a shooter to help space the floor, but they should be able to pick up a knockdown shooter for a relatively cheap price. Although I feel bad for the Clippers, who came so close to the best pairing of players they've ever had, I love the move by Philadelphia and am really looking forward to the seeing the success of a well-built team.

 

Los Angeles Clippers- Baron Davis, Marcus Camby 

The Clippers have been one of the other biggest players in free agency after getting burned by Brand, recovering with the signing of superstar point guard Baron Davis and the "trade" for Marcus Camby. 

The book on Davis is pretty simple. When healthy, he is simply one of the best players in the league, and in that elite class of players who can singlehandedly control a game. He showcased this ability in the 2006 playoffs, when the red-hot Warriors upset the best team in the league, the Mavericks, in the first round of the playoffs. With all the wear and tear on his body, along with the thick beard that has become his trademark, it is easy to forget that Baron is still only 29 years old, and while he has had his share of injuries over his career, the missed time takes considerable mileage off of his body. When he is on his game, there really isn't much Baron can't do on the court, offensively or defensively. It's hard to really describe what Baron does to make him so dominant, but his creativity as well as his flair for the dramatic really set him apart from others. Pairing Baron with Elton Brand would have been the best collection of talent the Clippers have ever had, and probably would have put them in the same class as Western Conference powers such as Utah and Houston.

Now, with Brand out of the picture, the Clippers decided against trying to sign restricted free agents Josh Smith or Emeka Okafor, and instead stole center Marcus Camby from the Nuggets for a future second round pick (better known as "nothing"). Camby has been one of my favorite players ever since he burst onto the national scene with the Knicks, replacing the injured Patrick Ewing on their run to the Finals. Since then, Camby has been one of the league's best defensive forces- a phenomenal rebounder and arguably the best shot blocker in the league. His frail build makes him prone to injuries, but he has played more games the last 2 seasons than he ever had for 2 consecutive seasons. Either this means he's due for an injury or he's simply learned how to take care of himself a little better. He doesn't offer much offensively- he has a streaky midrange jumper that he has a tendency to shoot a little too often- but he is a good finisher, runs the floor very well and has the ability to take his man off the dribble if they're not paying close enough attention to him.

The Clippers already have a very good center in Chris Kaman, a true 7 footer who can score in a variety of ways and is a good rebounder, but isn't a great defensive player. Camby (who is athletic enough to play the 4) and Kaman will be great compliments to each other in one of the biggest frontlines in the league, and would fill out a Clippers roster that now has Davis at the point, Cuttino Mobely and rookie Eric Gordon at shooting guard, and the athletic Al Thorton at small forward. With the frontcourt of Camby and Kaman protecting the rim, and the aggressive backcourt of Davis, Gordon and Mobely, the Clippers have the potential to be a very good defensive team, and will try to use their defense and control of the boards to fuel a running game, where Davis, Gordon and Thorton will excel. I think that this move, along with some smaller moves to fill out their currently thin roster, will make the Clippers playoff contenders this season.

One more important note- while it seems risky to pair two expensive, injury-prone players in Camby and Davis, it needs to be mentioned that Camby's contract comes off the books in 2010, the much-anticipated summer where several superstars will be free agents. If the Clippers can show improvement over these next two years, they could definitely be in the running to land a high-impact player that summer.

 

How does the Camby move affect other teams? For one, it lets the Hawks and Bobcats breathe a little easier, as the Clippers were the last realistic threat to try and sign Josh Smith (Hawks) or Emeka Okafor (Bobcats). Now, no other team has the money available to sign these restricted free agents to an expensive offer that they might not be inclined to match. I find it interesting that neither of these teams have proactively tried to resign their players, taking a wait-and-see approach. The Hawks have publicly stated that they want to keep Josh Smith at all costs, and I'd expect them to wrap up a reasonable deal with him shortly. However, the Bobcats have been much more passive with Okafor, almost seeming like they wanted him to sign an offer sheet somewhere else, so that they could either match the offer or work a sign-and-trade. Okafor is an interesting player to me. After a few years in the league, it is clear that while he is a very good defensive player, he isn't a true center and really isn't much of an offensive threat. The Bobcats drafted him to be the face of their franchise, but it's a difficult situation because any team that boasts Okafor as their best player probably won't ever be very good- he's best suited as a complimentary player who can do the dirty work defensively and on the boards, and contribute 10-15 points a game on garbage buckets and a few plays run for him offensively. I get the feeling that Okafor isn't too interested in staying with the Bobcats for the rest of his career, and it would seem that the Bobcats want to keep Okafor, but don't want to pay him franchise-player money. I think a trade would make the most sense for both parties.

The other team that this trade (obviously) affects is the Denver Nuggets. While Camby did have a large salary (which actually costs twice as much to the Nuggets because they have to pay the luxury tax) and is getting older, it's amazing that they literally gave him away and got nothing in return. As I already said, Camby is a dominant defensive player, and made up for the gambling style of Iverson and the generally indifferent defensive play of Carmelo. He didn't ask for the ball on offense, and ran the floor to keep up with the high-octane attack of the Nuggets. This leaves the Nuggets with only two players who can really play center- Nene, who is just coming back from beating testicular cancer and has always been an injury risk, and Steven Hunter, who really isn't a NBA-caliber starter. Kenyon Martin is their only other post player besides those two, and he has a long history of injuries as well. The trade does give the Nuggets a $10 million trade exception, which means they can take back more salary than they give away in a trade, but taking back a big salary in a trade would defeat the point of giving Camby away in the first place. In my opinion, this is public relations nightmare for the Nuggets, and leaves them with two options: 1) They play this season out with their current roster (and maybe some smaller signings), basically saying that the playoffs would be exceeding expectations, waiting for Iverson's contract to run out at the end of the season, and rebuilding around Carmelo from there; or 2) they make another big move this summer, either trading Iverson and his expiring contract, or trading Carmelo for a ton of assets. Honestly, I'm not sure what they do. If they trade Carmelo and then let Iverson's contract expire, they are essentially starting from scratch, which doesn't make much sense. But at the same time, staying with their current roster (option 1) means that they will be going from a 50-win team to a team scraping to make the playoffs, and admitting that the Iverson trade was a mistake. This was a bad move for the Nuggets, and as much as I like to see a team shake things up, I don't think that this move made much sense at all.

 

Washington Wizards- Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison

While the re-signing of Arenas and Jamison was sort of a non-move by the Wizards, it's still worth noting, as this free agency period could have been a major turning point for the Wizards franchise. They had a big decision to make, choosing to keep Jamison and Arenas (basically a package deal), and keep the core of a team that has been exciting, but always had injury problems when the postseason rolled around. They could have chosen to go in the complete opposite direction, losing their captain (Jamison) and most popular player (Arenas), choosing to use the saved money to sign a big free agent, like Brand or Baron Davis, to pair with Caron Butler. While the latter seems to be the option that most of the media outside of Washington would have liked to see, I think that the Wizards did the right thing by keeping their own players. Arenas has more value in DC than anywhere else, as he is one of the most popular athletes ever in the Washington area, and Jamison is the captain and leader of a young and reckless team.

So can the Wizards contend with this core group? I think the answer is yes. When healthy, the "Big 3" of Arenas, Butler and Jamison is among the most talented trios in the league (try finding one that matches up outside of Boston or LA). The team really grew, on both sides of the ball, when Arenas was injured last season. The key here is for Arenas to buy into the team concept, and defer to Butler and Jamison when necessary. That said, it's easy to forget that Arenas is one of the most prolific scorers in the league, as well as an amazingly dangerous weapon when the clock is winding down. But everyone knows that the Wizards can score points. To really contend for a championship, which Washington believes they can, the Wizards need to commit themselves to the defense. They have the ability to be a good defensive team, as does just about every team in the league, the question is if they can put in the effort on a nightly basis. I thought the Cleveland series, even though the lost, was a huge step for the franchise, as they really got tough with the Cavs, and came together as a team in their short-handed attempt to take down LeBron and the Cavs.

 

Golden State Warriors- Corey Maggette

My biggest pet peeve for NBA teams is treading water, or staying in no-mans land, by making moves that don't significantly improve the current team and also don't help the team rebuild in the long term. Unfortunately, one of the most exciting teams in the NBA for the past 2 years, the Warriors, are doing just that. With a ton of money to spend now that Baron Davis is off the books, the Warriors felt that they needed to spend it somewhere, and fast (despite wasting a $10 million trade exception that expired on July 1 after trading away Jason Richardson during last year's draft). With former Clipper Corey Maggette the best remaining unrestricted free agent on the market, the Warriors offered him a contract a few million over the mid-level exception. This will keep the Warriors as an exciting, high-scoring team, but it definitely doesn't make them a dramatically better team right now, and Maggette isn't young enough to be considered a major piece of a rebuilding plan. For next season, a starting line-up of Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Maggette, Al Harrington (or Brandan Wright) and Andris Biedrins with lots of young talent coming off the bench is good enough to win 40 to 45 games, which would put them right on the playoff bubble again, and of course, have them picking in the late lottery again. And probably the year after that. And so on.

Which brings me back to my pet peeve- barring any significant change, or a run of luck like they had in 2006, the Warriors will not be a significant contender in the near future, and will not be a bad enough team (unless injury strikes) to land a top draft pick. It's a big problem in the NBA, one that several teams can't seem to figure out. Will Maggette keep the Warriors as an exciting and competitive team? Absolutely. But to become championship contenders, the Warriors need to make a major trade that puts them in contention immediately, or a move that lands them young players, high draft picks and cap space, and have Ellis, Biedrins, Wright and Anthony Randolph lead a rebuilding movement that puts them in a position to win big 2-3 years from now.

 

New Orleans Hornets- James Posey

The most recent move probably won’t get as much fanfare as the other big free agent signings, but the Hornets signing James Posey is a big move for a franchise with legitimate championship aspirations. Posey, as I've written before in this space, is simply a winner. He has won 2 championships (with 2 different teams) in the past 3 years and has distinguished himself as someone that you want on your team if you're going to contend for the championship. An unrestricted free agent, Posey was a hot commodity, and while he's probably getting paid more than he should, he will definitely help the Hornets in their quest to win a championship. Posey is a great defensive player- he's not an outstanding man-to-man defender, but he is a great team defender who plays within the scheme and elevates the play of everyone on that side of the ball when he's in the game. Offensively he doesn't offer much besides his clutch 3-point shooting, but he isn't afraid of taking a big shot and makes smart decisions. The problems with Posey getting 4 guaranteed years is that he is already 31 years old, and will be getting paid as much this upcoming season as he will be when he's 35. The Hornets saved money by trading their draft pick this season, and have definitely put all of their eggs in one basket with this move.

Posey probably won't start for the Hornets- their starting 5 of Chris Paul, Morris Peterson, Peja Stojakovic, David West and Tyson Chandler is already set in stone, so Posey will fill his familiar role of 6th man. He will play the 2, 3 and 4 spots for the Hornets, taking on the task of guarding the opponents best perimeter player when he's in the game, and aggressively running the floor, knowing that Paul will reward him on the break. His value will only increase as the year goes on, and his impact on playoff games can't be quantified by numbers. Ask anyone on the Celtics- they wouldn't have won the championship without him. I think that the Hornets will be very happy with this addition, and it definitely puts them on the short list of championship contenders this upcoming season.

 

For everyone who checks this space on a regular basis, I apologize for the delay since my last post. With so many changes every day, I wanted to find a good breaking point before offering my opinions on moves that had actually happened. I will be coming back shortly with some speculation on more things to look for as the offseason continues, as well as some comments on the Summer Leagues that have be going on in Orlando and Las Vegas. As always, thanks for reading.

Team USA

The 2008 version of Team USA is, in my opinion, the best team that the US has fielded in the Olympics since the original Dream Team. The current roster is loaded with NBA mega-stars, young talent, and a trio of tri-captains who have experienced defeat in the previous Olympics. In Beijing, Team USA will make a commitment to defense, preventing easy baskets while forcing turnovers that will lead to quick buckets on the other end. Since USA has the best collection of athletes in the world, they will look to exploit this advantage by running the fast break as much as possible. This Olympic team also represents the culmination of a three-year program designed to re-establish the United States as an international powerhouse, and they will be looking not just to beat the other teams, but to run them off the court like they did in the 90s.

The international game is very different from the NBA game, which is a big reason that Team USA has struggled for the past few years. International basketball stresses team play and can neutralize selfish, individual talents with zone defenses and much more physical play than is allowed in the NBA. While this Team USA has a collection of superstars, they have been taught to put their egos aside in order to thrive in this style of basketball. Following is the 12-man Olympic roster, and my take on the role that each player will fill.

Jason Kidd- Easily the oldest player on Team USA, some would argue (myself included) that Kidd is probably the worst of the 3 point guards on the 12-man roster. So why is he starting? Because not only is Kidd the only player on the team who has already won Olympic gold, but he also boasts an undefeated record in international play. He is the master of running the break, something that Team USA plans to do as much as possible, and he has the best understanding of how to play the international game. Kidd is a great defensive rebounder, a skill which should allow the wing athletes of USA to release on the break quicker as Kidd corrals the rebounds and ignites the break.

Kobe Bryant- The next oldest player, Kobe prides himself on being the defensive specialist for Team USA, making it his task to completely shut down the best perimeter player on the other team (he proved his ability to do this against Brazil's Leandro Barbosa last summer). Of course, it's not like Kobe won't be contributing on offense as well. He is more than capable of bringing the ball up against pressure, and his outside shooting will be critical when opponents go to a zone defense (which will be often). Against man-to-man defense, Kobe can penetrate and make plays as well as anyone in the world. Playing for his country clearly means a lot to Kobe, and he took the team to the next level with his commitment to defense and all-around work ethic after his addition last summer.

LeBron James- LeBron is one of the physical marvels on Team USA has that no other country can match. His combination of size, speed and power is unmatched by the rest of the world (LeBron will be bigger than the starting center for some teams), and he will exploit this by getting out and running as much as possible, knowing that Kidd, Kobe and the rest of the guards will be able to find him. LeBron is probably the best finisher on the break in the world, which he doesn't get to showcase very much in Cleveland, so he really makes the most of his time with point guards like Kidd and Paul. Like Kobe, he will be taking his defense very seriously, and will have to be committed on the boards as well. Offensively, LeBron has to be careful not to fall in love with his jumper- even with the shorter three point line, LeBron is a very streaky shooter. While he has the size and jumping ability to get a clean look off at any time, he is more effective going hard to the basket and making things happen. LeBron is one of Team USA's tri-captains who only won the bronze in the 2004 Olympics.

Carmelo Anthony- He might not be the biggest name on the team, but Carmelo is the best player on Team USA in the international game (he has even admitted that he prefers playing the international style to NBA rules). Starting at power forward, Carmelo will more than likely be the leading scorer for Team USA. His game translates so well into international competition because the deep jumper that he loves to shoot, which is usually a long 2 in the NBA game, is a 3-pointer in the international game. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams- against bigger power forwards, Carmelo will use his quickness to blow by them and get to the rim, and against smaller defenders, he will either shoot his patented corner jumper over them, or use his size and take them in the post. He will also be leaking out on the break at every opportunity, where he is a terrific finisher. Anthony is another tri-captain of the team.

Dwight Howard- Like LeBron, Dwight Howard is simply on a different level physically than the rest of the world. In the brutal international game, Howard will have to control his emotions and swallow his pride, as his role will be limited to rebounding, shot-blocking and picking up garbage baskets (alley-oops, put-backs). USA big men have always had a hard time in the international game (ask Tim Duncan), where the refs won't protect them from the overly physical play down low, and the zone defenses that most teams will employ clog up the middle and limit their touches offensively. Also, Howard's free throw shooting problems make him a target for hard and frequent fouls. How Howard, who is still only 22, handles all of this will be a big factor in how well Team USA does. Despite all of the things going against him, Howard is one of the most dominant big men in the NBA and a vital cog for Team USA. His combination of strength and athleticism inside is enough for most teams to immediately go into a zone defense, which opens up the perimeter for USA's shooters, and his presence on defense will prevent teams from even attempting to finish at the rim.

Chris Bosh- Bosh is more of an international-style big man, who can step out and hit a jumper and also take his man to the basket off the dribble. Physically he's not even close to being on Howard's level, and he will have trouble banging down low, but Bosh is a great offensive weapon who will make Team USA much harder to defend. He's also a great runner who should be able to beat his man down the floor for easy scores. When Bosh is in at center without Howard or Boozer in to protect him, USA might have to turn down their running game and make a more concerted effort on defensive rebounding, as Bosh probably can't control the boards by himself like Howard can.

Dwyane Wade- The third tri-captain of the team, Wade has been committed to this process since the bronze-medal showing 4 years ago, and redeeming that effort clearly means a lot to him. He will usually be the first man off the bench and can step in at either backcourt position. He's another superior athlete who will look to get out and run on the break, and his penetration skills offensively will force the other teams into the zone defense. However, Wade isn't a true point guard (meaning that he will be competing with Kobe for playing time), and I'm really not sure how well he fits into the overall scheme of the team, given that he isn't a great outside shooter, a big part of the problem on the 2004 team. Defensively he can lock down both guard spots, and this might be his greatest value for the team. That said, despite his captain status, I wouldn't be surprised if Wade isn't happy with his minutes.

Michael Redd- Redd is on the team for only one reason- shooting. A premier 3 point shooter in the NBA, the shorter international 3-point line is like a free throw for him, and he will be put in as the designated "zone breaker." With most teams going zone against the bigger and stronger Team USA, Redd will simply float around the perimeter and knock down the open shots that the zone defense allows. He's also a good defender when he wants to be (usually not the case in Milwaukee), and will help out on the defensive boards before trailing the break and looking for open 3's.

Carlos Boozer- Boozer is the most surprising addition to the team, as he hasn't participated in the summer programs for the past 2 years (even though both were for injury and personal reasons). That said, Boozer has the powerful, stocky build that most international big men have, and he will be counted on to do all the dirty work at center. He probably won't ever be paired with Howard, but he will see some time in the same lineup as Bosh, as they compliment each other very well. Boozer is basically playing in place of Amare Stoudamire, and while he isn't as explosive of an athlete, has a very similar game to Stoudamire. He is equally comfortable in the post as he is shooting a mid-range jumper, and he can knock bodies around down low with the best of them. The biggest downside to Boozer filling the back-up center spot is that he doesn't provide the shot-blocking defensive presence that Howard, Stoudamire or Tyson Chandler would to anchor the defense.

Deron Williams- The next in line as the starting point guard for Team USA, Williams has the size to handle the stronger, more aggressive point guards that most international teams use. He will split time with Wade and Paul as a backup point guard, although I think he will end up getting more minutes than originally expected. He is a better ball-handler and smarter passer than Wade, and a better shooter than Paul. Williams uses his quickness and devastating cross-over to get into the lane almost at will, and he is fearless at the rim. Defensively, his end to end speed and man-to-man defense are his biggest issues, so he won't be able to pressure the ball full-court like Paul or Wade can, although he will be able to body the opposing point guards in the half-court.

Chris Paul- Paul is another point guard that will split time with Wade and Williams. After Kidd, he is the best at running the break, which is a crucial part of Team USA's game, and he can apply full-court pressure on opposing point guards. The problem is that Paul isn't a great outside shooter and is relatively small for international competition. Smaller guards have notoriously struggled in international competition (Allen Iverson), and even as strong as Paul is, he might have more trouble than anyone is anticipating. It's hard for me to doubt Chris Paul, but it's definitely a cause for concern. Offensively, Paul can easily penetrate against man-to-man defenses, but the zone defenses that opposing teams will employ could really give Paul trouble.

Tayshaun Prince- The USA decision-makers like Prince as a versatile defender who can guard four positions. He's also the selfless, team-oriented type of player that Team USA is looking for. That said, I don't like the decision to have Prince on the team. He is the true 12th man, so in the end it might not make a difference (look at the 12th men on the past Gold medal teams), but I think they should have taken Tyson Chandler instead.

Each team can carry 6 reserves who can be added to the team due to injury until August 6.

Tyson Chandler- Chandler, like Howard, is the type of athlete that almost every other country simply won't be able to match up with. He is a selfless player who never looks for his own points, and would have understood his rebounding/shot-blocking role as well as anyone. Team USA currently only has 3 true "bigs" (although Carmelo and LeBron will both see a lot of time at power forward), and they could have used Chandler as insurance in case Howard gets hurt or in foul trouble (which is very likely). As it stands, Chandler is the first reserve for Team USA, and would be the first added to the team in the event of injury. I feel bad for Chandler, who is one of my favorite players in the league anyway, because he is a better fit for this current team than Prince.

The other 5 reserves are Mike Miller (who was competing with Redd for the "designated shooter" spot), Shawn Marion, Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson and Chauncey Billups. After Chandler, Miller and Johnson would be the most likely additions to the team in the event of injury.

There are three players who I have problems with being on the team- Boozer, Paul and Prince. From the beginning of this new era for USA basketball, all of the players that were going to be on the 2008 Olympic team were expected to make a 3 year commitment, being a part of the team every summer. Carlos Boozer has not been a part of any of these summer programs. As I said earlier, there were reasons for Boozer missing these sessions, including injury and personal matters, which I have no right to question. But last summer, when Wade couldn't play because of an injured shoulder, he was still in Las Vegas attending all of the team's practices, traveling with the team, and sitting on the bench during the games. He couldn't play, but he was still very much a part of the team. A big factor in Boozer being on the team is the injury to Amare Stoudamire- Boozer fills an obvious need on the team (in a different way than Chandler would), so at the end of the day I don't really have that big of an issue with the decision, but it was interesting to me as he was such an unexpected addition.

Criticizing Chris Paul is almost blasphemous, but it is worth noting to me that Team USA seems to be carrying too many point guards. Jason Kidd had to be on the team- he's the leader, the coach on the floor, and a veteran of the international game. For the young and inexperienced Team USA, Kidd is invaluable. Dwyane Wade, one of the captains, will most likely be playing a good amount of point guard off the bench (put it this way- he's not taking minutes from Kobe, LeBron or Carmelo), and as a captain, he is almost guaranteed a certain amount of minutes. That's already 2 point guards. From there, the issue for Team USA was making the decision between Deron Williams and Chris Paul, which is already looking to be an all-time argument as to who is better (remember, Williams was taken one pick before Paul in the 2005 Draft). It would have been extremely difficult, simply from a PR perspective, for USA to take one and not the other, but it would have been even harder to take Williams over Paul, who was the MVP runner-up this past season, as well as one of the most media-friendly players in the league. As dominant as Williams is, he doesn't get nearly as much national attention as Paul does. All that said, Williams is a better fit for the international game, for reasons I listed above. On talent, Paul and Williams are better players, regardless of position, than anyone else that would have made the team, so their selections are both justified, but at the same time USA probably needs more size and they might be sacrificing a bigger player to include both point guards.

Boozer and Paul, even though I might not like their choices, both fill specific roles on the team (Boozer replacing the offensive game of Stoudamire, Paul as a defensive/change of pace point guard). The selection of Prince, however, is what I really have a problem with. As the last player selected, Tayshaun Prince was brought in specifically to be a versatile defensive specialist. But Prince simply doesn't fit in well with the international game- he is a streaky shooter from outside, and his light frame will result in him getting knocked around too much (especially if he is playing the 4). Also, the role of defensive specialist really isn't that important for this team- they already have Kobe and LeBron to guard virtually any scoring threat that other teams might have. When those two are focused primarily on defense, they are two of the most dominant defenders in the league. I guarantee that there isn't anyone that Team USA will face who would have more success being guarded by Kobe or LeBron than they would being guarded by Prince.

This all brings me back to the snubbing of Tyson Chandler. Even in the NBA game, Chandler is a role player. He guards the best post player on the other team, controls the boards on both ends (his specialty is slapping an offensive rebound back to his team), and is a dominant shot-blocker. He doesn't care about getting his own points, but still tries to beat his man down the floor for easy dunks, and is one of the best alley-oop finishers in the league. Most importantly for this team, he is 7'1 with long arms, and is an explosive athlete. Going back to the points I made earlier about LeBron and Howard, Team USA should be flexing its muscles with the best athletes in the world- physical specimens like Chandler that simply can't be matched by other countries. If you're going to carry a 12th man who will only be used in specific situations, why not carry someone like Chandler, who is a true defensive specialist that doesn't duplicate the talents of anyone else on the team? He brings a specific skill-set and attitude, and would really only see time if Howard was in foul trouble. All that said, Chandler is not yet a house-hold name (while Prince has slowly become one) and is not an NBA champion (a distinction Prince has held since his rookie season). He is still extremely young and has been a part of this process from Day 1, so he'll definitely be on several future teams, but I really disagree with the selection of Prince over Chandler.

Even with this collection of talent, Team USA doesn't intimidate teams like they used to. They will always have a huge bulls-eye on their back, because simply beating Team USA is such an accomplishment for the other countries. Also, the talent level of the rest of the world has slowly started to catch up to the United States, and the teams from the rest of the world have been playing together for much longer than the US team has. That said, this Team USA is much more committed to winning than the past few Olympic teams have been, and (as usual) it would be a huge shock if they don't win the gold, or even lose a single game. My prediction is that the easily win most of their games, with one close call in the earlier round and a hard-fought medal round. 

On a side note, ESPN and Nike are running a 5-part documentary series on Team USA called "Road to Redemption," which premiered last Wednesday. It gave lots of behind the scenes footage of the team and lots of player interviews, and I thought it was extremely well done. The first installment focused mainly on the 3 years since the last Olympics and the rebuilding of the program, and ended with the announcement of the official 12-man roster. I really recommend it to anyone interested on the team and the upcoming Olympic games.