By
Rohan Patel[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
2/17/06[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The USA team lost by 19 to Puerto Rico in the 2004
Olympics
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Athens, Greece. August 15, 2004. [/FONT]
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Puerto Rico 92 USA 73 (Boxscore). [/FONT]
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An island of 4 million people and a commonwealth of the United States beats the most dominant basketball country in the history of the game. Shocking. A 19 point shellacking? Unbelievably embarrassing. [/FONT]
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The US went on to lose to Argentina and Lithuania, but it was the Puerto Rico loss that got the attention of the American Public and finally got the people at USA basketball scared about the state of Yankee basketball. The team was assembled by a selection committee that was either apathetic or incompetent. [/FONT]
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For reasons unknown, the committee failed to put a single great shooter or legitimate floor general on the team. Marbury and Iverson are great shooting guards. Richard Jefferson, Lebron James, Lamar Odom, and Shawn Marion are great wings, but they don't have the ability to create space with their jumpshots. This was clearly evident during the Puerto Rico disaster, during which the team shot 3-24 from the 3 point line. Teams were able to pack it in against Tim Duncan, and the US didn't have the teamwork necessary to find the open man, who generally was either Odom or Jefferson. Defensively, the US had guys giving a lot of effort, but they weren't playing together at all. It wasn't a matter of selfishness, rather it was a lack of familiarity with common team defensive principles due to the short period of time this team practiced together.
My friend James and I would wake up early in the morning during the Olympics to root patriotically for our country, but became increasingly frustrated at the makeup of the team, and would get into heated debates about who should be representing the USA. Here is a look at some of the names that I put forth in those debates, and who I strongly believe should be selected for the 2006 World Championships and the 2008 Olympics in order for us to regain our place as the basketball superpower of the world. This team does not include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, Ray Allen or Tracy McGrady as they have expressed their disinterest in being part of the team. [/FONT]
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Coaching Staff: Mike Krzyzewski and his staff of Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan, and Jim Boeheim have unique talents and expertise and I'm certainly not one to criticize the selections of these accomplished coaches. Krzyzewski doesn't have experience leading NBA players, but he is among the most accomplished motivators and disciplinarians of our time and will have no problem relating to players that will be selected. D'Antoni, McMillan and Boeheim have a range and depth of basketball knowledge that hasn't been equaled by any of our past coaching staffs. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chris Paul
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Here is who Jerry Colangelo, the man charged with putting this team together, should pick for next years world championships and the 2008 Summer games in Beijing: [/FONT]
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Point Guards:
1. Chauncey Billups
2. TJ Ford
3. Chris Paul
Alternate: Kirk Hinrich[/FONT]
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Billups has gone from draft bust to clutch floor general in a few years, and he'll be the starter for this Olympic team. TJ Ford is a true point guard in every possible sense: court vision, unselfishness, leadership, and full court defensive ability. Any Olympic team without Chris Paul isn't worth a bag of moldy cheese puffs. [/FONT]
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Shooting Guards:
1. Kobe Bryant
2. Joe Johnson
3. JJ Redick
Alternate: Bruce Bowen
How could I possibly leave off the best basketball player in the world right now? Kobe likes Coach K, so he's an obvious choice to be the first scoring option on this team. He also has made it known that he wants to play for the team. Bringing home gold could considerably enhance the general public's opinion of him. Johnson has a multifaceted game equaled by few guards in the league. Truth is, Colangelo probably won't include Joe on his hand picked team as Joe decided he'd rather be the Man in Atlanta than the 4th option in Phoenix. Redick won't mind not getting much playing time, and just might crack the rotation, as I'm not sure there is a better American jump shooter. Ben Gordon would be another option as he is able to hit the outside shot and spread the floor, but he may choose to play for England along with teammate Luol Deng.[/FONT]
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Small Forwards:
1. Lebron James
2. Michael Redd
3. Ron Artest
Alternate: Adam Morrison[/FONT]
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Larry Brown showed an incredible amount of stubbornness and stupidity in not playing King James and Amare Stoudemire (who I left off the team due to his very serious injury, and probable reluctance to playing through what should be a summer of rest). Lebron has really worked on his outside shot, making him more valuable in international competition while Redd is the ultimate zone buster and an underrated defender. I know there is zero chance of Ron Artest making an Olympic squad, but if Colangelo was truly interested in winning the Gold medal Ron Artest would be one of the first selections. Much like Deion Sanders could take away the opposition's best wide receiver, Artest has the defensive talent and tenacity to take away the best perimeter player from the opposition. [/FONT]
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Big Men:
1. Marcus Camby
2. Chris Bosh
3. Dwight Howard
Alternate: Brad Miller [/FONT]
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When healthy, Camby is the best center in the NBA not named Shaq. He seems to be entering the prime of his career, and has rediscovered his jump shot since George Karl was brought in last season. In two years Bosh will be even better than the polished inside outside threat that he is today. Dwight Howard is an obvious selection - young, eager to prove himself, (leads the league in rebounding) and immensely talented. Brad Miller has all of the skills you'd normally associate with a European big man and a Gene Keady trained toughness that almost got him killed by Shaq in a fight a few years ago. Two other big men possibilities are Ben Wallace and Greg Oden.
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