U.S. team not its best for World Championships - Sam Smith

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

U.S. team not its best for World Championships

By SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune

INDIANAPOLIS - So just what will it mean if the U.S. team of NBA players, 
most of them All-Stars, loses a game in the World Basketball Championship?

That American basketball no longer is the standard for excellence?That a 
historic transition has occurred to rival the 1980 Soviet Union loss in 
Olympic hockey?That it's the fault of Major League baseball players?That 
first American loss since the 1988 Olympics may come in the next few days 
following back-to-back struggles against Germany and China.

The latter came Saturday night despite 7-foot-5-inch Chinese center Yao Ming 
scoring just 10 points while in foul trouble.Both Germany and China had the 
U.S. virtually even at halftime and in close games until the end of the third 
quarter.And if you could name more than one player on each team, you're in 
need of a hobby.

"Basketball is better on an international basis," said former NBA player 
Quinn Buckner, now USA Basketball vice president. "Looking back 10 or 15 
years, it was inconceivable (the U.S. would lose a game). Now it's a 
possibility, a distinct possibility. And pretty soon it's going to be a 
probability. The guys here don't want to be the team to lose a game, but I 
don't think that's bad for basketball."

After all, since the last U.S. loss and the inception of the NBA Dream Team, 
we beat Iraq, the stock market took off and the Bulls won their first NBA 
title. So what might a U.S. loss here mean in the larger context?

Nothing.

The Bulls beat the Lakers twice last season, and that Bulls team probably c
ouldn't beat half the teams in this 16-team field. Maybe more. And stuff 
happens in a basketball game, especially when you have multiple NBA pros and 
All-Stars on the opposition. Which wasn't the case 10 years ago.

"Now you have five, six, seven countries with two or three NBA players on 
their teams, and because of that they may be able to catch us," U.S. coach 
George Karl said.

This U.S. team, which meets Russia on Monday and then New Zealand and 
Argentina as the next round unfolds, certainly has appeared catchable despite 
winning its first three games.They cruised against a miserable Algeria team 
in the opener, but then drew nervous breaths against Germany and China, 
neither considered serious contenders for a medal.

"America should be proud of how these guys are playing," Karl said. "They're 
busting their butts, committed on defense. They've done everything I've 
asked."

They're not the best the NBA could provide, so a loss shouldn't be 
devastating.Let's see Ming in his first game against Shaquille O'Neal. Or Tim 
Duncan. This is an unusually weak offensive team, especially with Reggie 
Miller out with a sprained ankle and Ray Allen having dropped out. That left 
the team with no perimeter threat to stretch the defense.Plus there's no true 
center or classic post-up player. 

Trying to build more of a team, offenseless role players like Ben Wallace and 
Antonio Davis were added. It makes this team's defense its best offense, but 
Karl has been hesitant to trap much even with his superior depth.So it's been 
more of a struggle than expected.China dropped five three-pointers on the 
U.S. in the first quarter and they were up by a dozen. Oops. 

Germany got Dirk Nowitzki loose and the U.S. was down four as the fourth 
quarter approached.This is not a U.S. team that can shoot itself back from a 
deficit and a smallish one that has out-rebounded Germany and China by an 
average of just three per game.

"With a 40-minute game, they (the international players) have a better 
opportunity," Karl said. "They're more accustomed to the international rules 
and refereeing. From a basketball expert's standpoint, I don't think it will 
be a milestone (if the U.S. loses a game). From the standpoint of fans and 
media coverage, it will be."

The U.S. lost the Ryder Cup and the American League batting title (Ichiro 
Suzuki took that). But it's still the place to measure the best in golf and 
baseball. It will remain so for basketball no matter the outcome here.