After watching the first week-and-a-half of Olympic men’s basketball, it’s pretty tough to envision anyone beating Team USA.
Not Argentina or not the winner of Spain-Lithuania.
The U.S. team has more talent and every bit as much commitment as the competition.
Still, upsets happen … and if Team USA loses this weekend and doesn’t bring home the gold, it will be interesting to see the fallout. After all, Jerry Colangelo was brought in to revamp the system and make up for the 2004 debacle.
But what if a team with a committed Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, etc. can’t guarantee you a gold? Then what? Then the world truly has caught up, right?
Not necessarily. We still have something up our sleeve.
Send the NBA champions. That’s right. The NBA champs. This year _ the Boston Celtics.
Colangelo and Team USA have the best intentions. And it’s admirable that star players are willing to tone down their own games for the sake of the team and the country. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
It’s great Carmelo Anthony is willing to be more selective with his shots and take fewer overall, but do you really want Anthony playing a lot if you’re not asking him to score?
You really want Anthony doing a lot of passing and screening away?
Team USA has been working out all summer … for what? To figure out offensive pecking orders, defensive schemes, overall strategy, etc. But if you sent the NBA champions _ the Boston Celtics, this year _ all that would automatically take care of itself.
Option No. 1 is Paul Pierce … No. 2 is Kevin Garnett and No. 3 is Ray Allen.
Yeah, it stinks that they'd have to practice a couple of times a week in June and July of your championship season, but then again, it was nice for everybody on the squad to get that $2 million Olympic bonus written into the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
Good luck to Team USA this weekend. Just know that if we go down, we’ve still got an ace in the hole remaining.
