Improving Men's USA Basketball

[JamesCraven]

With the embarassing performaces this week in Athens against Puerto Rico (say what?) and Lithuania (Crap, CRAP, CRAP!), it is time for me to make a few changes in how we have a senior men's basketball team that is proud to represent the red white and blue instead of the Mis-Fortune .500.

• First, hire a full-time national coach, no matter how much it's going to cost. Phil Jackson's officially available for four years, so we'll hire him.
  
• Second, get the best Class of 2005 basketball players who may have played elsewhere (i. e. outside the NBA) and have tryouts to whittle them down to the best twelve payers and sign them to a four year, $250K/year contract. Since the 2002 Nightmare Team of one George Karl (a lot of peeps on this board loathe him for that) did not win the FIBA WORLD CHAMPIOSHIPS IN THE USA FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, we would have to be in a regional qualifying tournement. If we win, the players each get a $100K bonus. Win the 2006 FIBA World Championships, get a $250K bonus. Fail, no bonus, and entry into the 2007 Olympic Qualifier. Win that, $150K bonus per player. Win the 2008 Olympic Basketball Tourney in Beijing, and it's a $1 million bonus per player. Why? To foster TEAM EFFORT.
  
• Finally, since this is going to be a year-round team, play exhibition games against both NBA and NCAA D-I teams. The Harlem Globetrotters recently cancelled a scheduled tour against NCAA teams, so this would be ideal for the NCAA to approve this kind of game for Division I schools. I certainly think the NBAPA will OK playing exhibition games in the midst of a season in November, December and January. In addition, change the 2008 NBA All-Star Game Format to Team USA vs. Team NBA. This would be a lot of fun.
  

Of course, this may be hard to get past USA Basketball officials after this, but anything new is worth trying.

[pcgd]

I know players can be professionals now, but can they be paid for being on the national team by olympic rules? I mean, I totally agree with you but I don't know if you can get paid by IOC rules. I think if they sent a good college TEAM, they'd fair just as well as they are now. They just need a team that works together.

Phil Jackson would be an excellent choice.

peace,

pc

[JamesCraven]

"Amateurism" as the IOC knew it, died in the 1970s when the old Soviet/Eastern Bloc had their athletes as paid employees. It still goes on with China, North korea and Cuba in case you haven't noticed. If you get paid by sponsors and national federations, that is "amateurism" as it now stands.

[ROCHitman]

Let's just get a bunch of NBA officials to work the olympics and we'll be fine

[slapshot]

It might foster team unity, but how does this make the team any better? For four years, the highest quality competition this team might play would be NCAA Div I teams, and maybe an NBA exhibition. When would these games get played? I don't see an NBA team playing a meaningless game in the middle of the season (The All-Star game is 1 or 2 per team, tops). The best basketball players in the world are in the NBA, just spread out over 30 (more or less) teams. Just because a team becomes fundamentally sound doesn't mean the players can handle themselves against tough competition.

Besides, with the money you listed, a player out of high school can make that in one season sitting on the bench of an NBA team.

The first thing that needs to be done is limit international competition to 25/under, like baseball. This way, younger players might have something to work at, instead of leaving college after one year, if they go to college at all, and go to the NBA. Let them continue college and work on their fundamentals. None of these players is very good at all the basic skills, save one or two. Everyone just passes a bit and shoot for three, or does too much fancy dribbling (it's all travelling, double-dribbling or palming), or tries for an open dunk and a SportsCenter highlight.

Maybe USA Basketball should be set up like USA Soccer. The players can still play for the teams that draft them, but they also would still have to play for the National team and work together up to the competitions, like World Cup & Olympics in Soccer, then FIBA & Olympics in basketball.

[habsfannova]

"Amateurism" as the IOC knew it, died in the 1970s when the old Soviet/Eastern Bloc had their athletes as paid employees.  It still goes on with China, North korea and Cuba in case you haven't noticed.  If you get paid by sponsors and national federations, that is "amateurism" as it now stands.

Uh, no, to be technical, the Communist block athletes were not "Paid employees", they were soldiers in the army. "Special" soldiers.

And, you can't specificaly pay them for their service. No financial reward may lie on the Olympic games. They can be taken care of (Food, etc.)by the country, or have their own jobs, but they can't be paid just for performence.

[pcgd]

Maybe USA Basketball should be set up like USA Soccer. The players can still play for the teams that draft them, but they also would still have to play for the National team and work together up to the competitions, like World Cup & Olympics in Soccer, then FIBA & Olympics in basketball.

The problem is, soccer players feel a sense of pride, something the basketball players have no feeling for. They don't care. Its the problem with american sports. We honestly think we're better in every single sport, no matter what. And if we lose, well it isn't the players fault. Not enough practice, new rules, etc. Its a team sport, you have to win and play with a team. That's how the pistons beat the lakers. You'll win for awhile with a bunch of stars, but your weaknesses WILL be exposed, just like now for U.S. Basketball.

The U.S. team, under Craven's idea, could play friendly matches against other international competition, just like soccer. Then they'd get that competition. Yes, the best players in the U.S. are in the NBA, but that's not workin' out too well anymore is it?

[JamesCraven]

"Uh, no. To be technical, the Communist block athletes were not 'Paid employees', they were soldiers in the army. 'Special' soldiers."

Nevertheless, they were "paid government employees" nonetheless.

[See Red]

You guys are totally overlooking the REAL problems there are with USA Basketball --

• International basketball teams often times play a collapsable zone, which is not allowed in the NBA. This makes it difficult for players like Tim Duncan to do his thing. The United States players are not used to being allowed to play this zone, and the coaches aren't used to teaching it, or teaching how to beat it.
  
• Because of that reason, International Basketball is about the mid to outside game, rather than the inside game. All the other teams have shooters, while the US doesn't have anybody that can be considered a shooter by nature. The United States is made up of slashers and big men.
  
• Also keep in mind that this is the youngest team of professionals the US has ever sent, and they were given the shortest amount of time to prepare for any US Basketball team.
  

The problem is not with the skill of the players the United States has taken over there, but the types of players.

What the US should've done is not taken a few of the players that are on their roster. Dwayne Wade and Richard Jefferson would be two players I would take off. I would then replace them with shooters like Michael Redd, or someone who will fit good into a team aspect like Wally Szcerbiak or Voshon Lenard. If you can't get those players, get players who are like them in that they are great shooters.

Then replace one of the big men that aren't named Tim Duncan with Marcus Camby. A true center, and one who won't look to score all the time.

Nevertheless, they were "paid government employees" nonetheless.

And I don't think I've ever said someone put 'Nevertheless' and 'nonetheless' in the same sentence. Kind of reduntant, eh?

[NJTank]

The solution is to pick the best team not the best players. The team needs some roll players not just a bunch of players who can do the same thing and have the same game.

[See Red]

The solution is to pick the best team not the best players. The team needs some roll players not just a bunch of players who can do the same thing and have the same game.

Ok, so explain the original Dream Teams. Go back, and find me how many 'Role Players' were on those teams?

[NJTank]

John Stockton for one he is the ultimate play starter he is a good shooter but he was mainly some one who set up the polay that role is not filled here.

A role players is not necceassrilly a bench warmer he is some one who has a desinated role on the team.

See the team has too many puzzle pieces teh same size and its left an incomplete picture.

[See Red]

Ok, and how many good players that fit that mold were still available to be on the team and didn't already decline an invite? Or more importantly, how many are good enough to start over Stephon Marbury or any of the other USA PGs'?

[pcgd]

The thing about the orginal...wait...the only Dream Team was that they did accept roles. They knew that they went over there and had a job to do. Egos out the door. They played as a team, something that isn't happening now, in the World Championships, the last olympics, or dream team 2. DT2 was better than now, but still there were a bit too me me me.

[See Red]

But the ego's aren't the reason they're not dominating everyone like they used to. It's that they don't have their team set up to where they can succeed in the International Game. You CAN'T be successful at the international level without a shooter, and the team doesn't have one. You're asking players who are completely used to playing the best in the world with one set of rules, and one style of play, and asking them to adjust to a completely different style of play is almost too much, especially when they're not the best players the NBA has to offer.

[jkrdevil]

Any team made up of Non NBA players would do worse than this team. Like Tank said pick the best team not the bst players. Get outside shooters.

You won't be able to build a good team of non NBA players, and it has to do with the cuture of american sports. American sports is driven by professional sports. When kids if they play hockey they want to win the Stanley Cup, if they play baseball they want to win the World Series, and if they play basketball they want to win the NBA Finals. They don't care about a gold medal, sure if they had a chance would they want to win one, yes. But they are not going to go out of there way to win one. That's why so many declined the olympics, and why you will never build a good non nba team becuase the people will not give up their dream of a of a NBA championship to play for a national team. They rather warm the bench than be on a national team permanently.

[habsfannova]

Well, guys, just don't get into "Laker Fever", in which I mean that you criticize the winner so much, you don't look at how good the victor was.

[See Red]

HabsFan, I give credit where it's due but you can't tell me that any of these teams that are beating the USA have anywhere NEAR the talent of the United States team.

[plattopus]

The original Dream Team might not have had any role players, but what it did have was some of the best players of all-time. All due respect to the players on the USA team currently, but they're not MJ, Magic and Larry. The original team could make it work even without any real team play, because they were such great players. Today, the players in Team USA aren't even top-rung NBA players (well, not ALL of them are). The real great players have no interest in playing for some stupid Olympics tournament.

And besides... the 92 team actually had a sense of pride in their country and felt lucky to have the chance to play in a competition that they previously couldn't. Now all you've got is some overpaid cry-babies who want to score 40 points a game regardless of whether they win or lose.

[See Red]

The original Dream Team might not have had any role players, but what it did have was some of the best players of all-time. All due respect to the players on the USA team currently, but they're not MJ, Magic and Larry. The original team could make it work even without any real team play, because they were such great players. Today, the players in Team USA aren't even top-rung NBA players (well, not ALL of them are). The real great players have no interest in playing for some stupid Olympics tournament.

And besides... the 92 team actually had a sense of pride in their country and felt lucky to have the chance to play in a competition that they previously couldn't. Now all you've got is some overpaid cry-babies who want to score 40 points a game regardless of whether they win or lose.

Whether they have MJ, Bird, and Magic or not -- this USA team is FAR more talented than any other country out there. They're not the BEST NBA players, but just about everybody on that team is a Top 30 players in the world.

The difference between the other dream teams and this one is that the rest had people who could shoot, and that's the only thing. Don't try and make this about will or even about how much talent the team has -- it's as simple as they didn't bring what is essential towards winning Internationally, and people try to make too much of it.

Don't try to make this about all of them being cry-babies, they play a game that is entirely different than the International game and you can't expect athletes to adjust to a completely new game in that time span. And if you are going to make it about who wants to be there and win, and who just wants to score his points -- put the blame no further than Larry Brown. He's using Carmelo Anthony as his scapegoat in these games. Not playing Carmelo because "He's not grasping our system"? That's unacceptable -- you're 3-2 with the best players in the world, what system are you trying to get these guys to grasp onto? Or "Carmelo just isn't performing on defense" -- Um, your team game up 90+ points to Lithuania in a 40 minute game, who IS performing on defense? Please, give me a break. Carmelo Anthony is not playing because championship or not, not drafting Carmelo was the biggest mistake the Pistons ever made and Larry Browns sick and tired of answering questions about it. Don't bench a guy because of how he answered interview questions when he was frustrated and gave an honest answer after having only player a few minutes.

We've seen what he can do in High School at Oak Hill Academy, we saw him carry a team on his back to a Championship at Syracuse, we saw him contribute to the biggest single season turn-around in NBA History, and we saw him, in games leading up to the Olympics, completely control games and look like the best player on that supposed Dream Team -- so Larry Brown trying to explain that Carmelo Anthony doesn't have the determination or drive to get to actually play and represent his country is crap.

If lack of National Pride is the problem, give the guys who WANT to play play. Let Carmelo play, let Dwayne Wade play more over Marbury who was firing up brick after brick, let Okafor more.

Blame the players all you want, but it's just as much Larry Brown.