U.S. loss and Travis Best

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't fall into the sky-is-falling camp over the U.S. loss to Argentina,
but I do think it illustrates some great basic points.

1.	Basketball still is a team game. The sum can be greater than the
whole of its parts. That's what is so great about it. As NBA fans we always
hear "it's all about talent" and it's true to an extent. But is Argentina's
talent superior to the U.S.? Of course not. But Argentina's team is
better-last night, anyway-than the U.S. team. By working together, they
elevate their game to a level none of them could reach individually. This
isn't an indictment of the U.S. team. They don't have the time to practice
together. Contrary to what Lance keeps spouting (he made the Yahoo list
unbearable, and he's working on doing the same to this one), you don't just
decide to play great team basketball. It takes a lot of practice time. The
U.S. team is a collection of great players who really have no understanding
of how to play with each other.
2.	The NBA game is different. It's different from college and it's
different from international basketball. The NBA has chosen-and been very
successful doing so-to try to showcase "stars." They don't want the
Nets-where everyone has an equal opportunity, no one stands out. They want
to see the "stars" dominating the ball and taking the shots. They don't want
Shaq passing out of double teams to Derek Fisher. They want Shaq ripping
through double teams to throw down a dunk. They don't want Iverson passing
to Aaron McKie. They want Iverson launching his body into three defenders,
contorting three times and finding a way to get the shot off. The coaches
and players feed into it. The team with the biggest star wins. Of course,
that isn't the case in the international game.
3.	There aren't many good NBA coaches anymore. Everyone talks about the
NBA players losing, but it seems to me the NBA coaches should be held
accountable. They don't adjust to the different style of game. They go to
this tournament and try to play NBA basketball and act surprised and
frustrated when it doesn't work. The U.S. team is deeper, longer and more
athletic than any team in the tournament, but did they exploit that by using
a full-court press? Nope. Did they try to stop the back-door cuts by playing
some zone defense? Nope. As usual, they count the all-stars and figure if
they throw out more all-stars than the other guy, they'll win. It doesn't
work that way.
4.	Everyone talks about the foreign invasion of the NBA. You watch a
tournament like this and it's more obvious than ever why it's happening. The
U.S. put such a premium on athleticism for so many years that basic
basketball skills fell by the wayside. Foreign teams put five players on the
floor who can catch the ball, pass it, dribble at least a little, and, above
all, shoot. And they know where to shoot. Guys have "spots" where they feel
comfortable, and that's where they find their shots. The NBA used to be the
same way. Remember Bill Laimbeer (I know, I know, but he was the best
example I could come up with) and his elbow-extended jump shot? He didn't
like to take three-pointers. He didn't try to do too much in the post. But
he knew he could hit that elbow-extended jumper, and he found 8-10 shots a
game from that spot. Laimbeer is a great example of a guy who wouldn't get
noticed in today's NBA. He doesn't run fast enough or jump high enough. But
he knew how to play (and how to play dirty, but that's another story...)

Anyway, from a basketball purist's point of view, last night's game was just
affirmation of what I love about the game. Five guys, working together, can
beat a team with superior talent. It was Villanova-Georgetown. As an
American, I'm still rooting for the U.S. to win the gold medal.

OK, now... Travis Best. He's clearly the best of the remaining point guards
on the market. He may have been the best of the bunch from the beginning.
Like Ray, I think of Best as more of a great backup point guard than a
starter, but when your options are Tony Delk and Shammond Williams, you take
what you can get. Best is a good ball-handler and shooter, but he's another
guy who tends to let an offense stagnate while he dribbles too much. But,
he'd be a great pickup for the minimum. I'll still be surprised if that
happens. I think Miami gets him for a larger one-year deal, but who knows?

Mark