WTF NBC? Diary of the Uncredentialed, Edition IV

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NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2012 — Being that I was 38,000 feet in the air, enjoying the comforts of the business class cabin of a KLM 747 when the United States was rewriting the record book against Nigeria, I set out to watch the streaming replay before dawn this morning on NBCSports online.

Black screen. Nothing would play. Nothing.

Tried it four times, logging out, logging in, changing my Internet provider password, etc. Can I have the last 45 minutes of my life back? Is this what y’all were tweeting about in the #nbchate hashtag campaign I was reading about while in Europe? Is this just the tip of the iceberg? (It’s been 20 years since I was subjected to watching the Summer Olympics on NBC).

I’ve just returned from France, where there are almost no commercials cluttering the coverage — but almost nothing to watch that interested me. You like judo, team handball and equestrian? Then get thee to France. Stuff is on nearly 24/7.

One break Parisian viewers received was a live feed of the France-Argentina game a couple nights ago, followed by the US-Tunisia game on one of the cable channels. I watched it at a tavern called the Great Canadian in the center if Paris, where the following two photos show what I saw in front of me, and what I saw if I looked behind me.

France-Argentina on TV in Paris

Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you’d think “The Great Canadian” is a redundant name, right?

I did, until I saw what they were charging for a pint of beer — 7.50 Euro, which equals $9.18. There are nightclubs in Vegas, tourist traps in Manhattan and ballparks all across America that won’t cross the $9 beer threshold, but I found the place that is bucking the trend.

One of my tweeps, an attorney and a huge Knicks fan, had read diary Edition III, which dealt with the Boris Diaw burger, free Frosted Flakes and other assorted anecdotes, and he saw that I had announced my next destination. So he showed up, he brought his newlywed wife (they were honeymooning), and we watched France-Argentina together. If you have a sec, send a shoutout to @Cocolevio. He married quite well.

The US-Tunisia game started at 11:15 p.m. local time in Paris, so the second half was out of the question because the last train had to be caught. So I imagine riding the Paris Metro is off the bucket list — not that is was ever on it.

At some point I will watch a tape of the US-Nigeria game, as I have arrived home with all sorts of new knowledge about how to circumvent Internet rules. You spend four days with American ex-pats, and there are all sorts of tricks they can show you.

As for the Nigeria beatdown, the best line from that game (that did not involve an American player’s stats) came from Tom Withers of the Associated Press:

“The last group in England with this many records was The Beatles.”

Withers is an old friend from my days at AP, so I hope he does not mind a nitpick-slash-ballbust: The words “LeBron” and “James” are conspicuously absent from his game story. Is this because you are an Ohioan, Tom? The Heat media (a.k.a #heatmedia) are going to be deeply offended. Plus there is a wealth of material to draw upon – getting stood up by swimmer Lauren Perdue, having more assists (17) in the tournament than points (14), clubbing at Funky Buddha.

Anyway, back to US-Nigeria game.

_ Carmelo Anthony’s 37 points shattered the record of 31 set by Stephon Marbury in 2004 at the semifinals in Athens against Greece. U.S. coach Larry Brown and Spain coach Mario Pesquera had a public pissing match both on the court at the final buzer and during the post-game press conference over Brown’s decision to call a timeout in the final minute when the game was out of reach – an egregious breach of FIBA etiquette. ”I had — and I stress the word ‘had’ — a lot of respect for Larry Brown,” said Pesquera, who smirked and shook his head when he heard Brown explain that he tried to rescind the timeout. “Dean Smith would have never done anything like that.” I can still see the veins in Brown’s forehead popping when he heard that.

_ Anthony’s 10 3-pointers obliterated the U.S. record of six set by Marbury in that same game, and Team USA’s 156 points not only marked the largest margin of victory ever by a U.S. Olympic team (the original Dream Team beat Cuba by 79 in their first game together vs. Cuba at the 1992 Tournament of the Americas in Cuba), but it also shattered the old U.S. mark of 133 points set vs. China in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics.

Which leads me to a tangent.

I covered that 133-point performance against China in 1996 when I was greener than an unripe banana, and I when I left the arena the media bus was just pulling away. So I decided to walk back to my hotel, which was less than a mile away, and I decided to take the peripheral route rather than straightline it through Olympic Park, which was mobbed.

As I was walking home, this happened:

I spent that night reporting from Grady Hospital, the largest in Atlanta, and pretty much everyone in Atlanta spent the next several days watching the coverage of the U.S. authorities investigating/castigating security guard Richard Jewell, who had spotted the bomb moments before it exploded and warned folks to move away. If not for Jewell, the death toll would have been much higher than two.

Maybe three days after the bombing, I was walking back to the Georgia Dome to cover a game when I was told by a security guard or a police officer (can’t remember exactly which) that he needed to have a look inside my computer bag. Looking back on it, I was aghast that such a request was being made. In America, no one has the right to search you or your belongings without probable cause.

At least that was the case prior to 1996.

Since then, my bag has been searched hundreds of times at various events. The police here in New York now routinely execute a controversial “stop and frisk” policy, in which no probable cause whatsoever is needed to stop a citizen (usually a black or Hispanic citizen) and subject them to a pat-down. When you think about it, it’s astounding how much our value system has changed as the U.S. has evolved more and more into a police state.

Anyway, back to the London Games.

Here is one point I will make about the American’s crushing of Nigeria and Spain’s shocking one-point margin of victory over Great Britain, both of which happened yesterday: Both count as 2 points because they are in the “W” column. You do not get bonus points for piling on.

(RELATED CONTENT: Roundup of Thursday’s men’s basketball games in London.)

And after three days of competition, here is how things are shaping up:

_ That victory by France over Argentina was crucial, because France has all but locked up 2nd place in Group A. They defeated Lithuania on Thursday, and now all they need to do is defeat Nigeria and Tunisia to go into the knockout round without having to face the United States until the gold medal game — should each of them get that far.

_ Over in Group B, the jockeying is to finish 1st or 3rd. If you finish 2nd, you will likely have to play the Americans in the semifinals. Going into the final two games of pool play, Russia and Spain are tied at 3-0, and those teams play each other tomorrow. Should Russia defeat Spain, a tank alert should go out for Monday. That is when Spain will play Brazil with 2nd place in the group at stake. Whoever wins would be on track to play the U.S. in the semifinals. Whoever loses gets to avoid Team USA until the final.

___

An explanation for the New York dateline on this diary entry (and the fact that I was 38,000 feet in the air for the US-Nigeria game) is called for, and so here is the story. I played all my cards seeking that elusive credential, and my last couple of lifelines were coming up empty. Then I received an e-mail from USA Basketball informing the media that men’s basketball would now be a ticketed event, which means you need to have a credential and a special media ticket to cover the games (a policy that hadn’t been implemented since Atlanta in 1996).

No thanks.

Your faithful correspondent makes an early exit from Europe

The view from the balcony at the Renaissance Hotel in Amsterdam

So I dropped 100,000 Delta miles on a KLM business class ticket, non-stop from Amsterdam to New York, traveled through the north of France and Belgium to reach my cold and rainy destination (yes, it is hot over here in the States, but the Europeans would gladly take it. They have had cold and rain followed by more cold and rain, at least in Paris and Amsterdam.)

So my Delta frequent flyer account balance is now down to 438 miles, which means it’ll be a loooong time before I ever sit in the upstairs section of a Boeing-747 and dine on marinated shrimp accompanied by potato salad, cherry tomatoes, vichyssoise, creme of avocado, sweet and sour cucumber, coriander pesto and tapenade (that was just the appetizer) and fillet of chicken complemented by mashed potatoes, pearl onions, chicory, mushrooms and bacon (main course) with a couple glasses of 2011 Castel Firmian Pinoit Grigio from the dynamic Mezzacorona winery in Trentino, Italy.

The diaries will continue from stateside points yet to be determined. The only certainty is that one dateline will be New London, which is nearby.

As for that other certainty — Team USA winning the gold, let’s all take a step back and wait and see. Yes, the Americans were my pick, and Spain cannot touch them without Juan Carlos Navarro playing at full strength. I still think Brazil is the biggest threat, but Russia and its crafty American coach, David Blatt, could be the dark horse.

Remember, every team has one bad game during FIBA tournaments. It is a rule of thumb.

Until next time …

(DIARY OF THE UNCREDENTIALED, EDITION I, FROM MANCHESTER, ENGLAND)

(DIARY OF THE UNCREDENTIALED, EDITION II, FROM BARCELONA, SPAIN)

(DIARY OF THE UNCREDENTIALED, EDITION III, FROM PARIS, FRANCE)

Chris Sheridan is publisher and editor-in-chief of SheridanHoops.com. He has covered every version of Team USA since 1996, at the Olympics in Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing, as well as the World Championships in Indianapolis, Japan and Turkey. Follow him on Twitter.

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Will Team USA lose at London Olympics?

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I am going to give you a Team USA gold-or-not prediction in this column, and I promise you a prediction that goes against the grain. That’s all I’ll say about that … for now.

First, I’ll hand over the podium and relay a quote that could be the defining declaration concerning the London Olympics:

“Let’s no longer beat about the bush. This summer’s Olympics Games are going to be a catalog of disasters. Not everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Only lots of it.”

That line was written by the editorial staff of the venerable Times of London, and it was published two weeks ago in the context of organizational difficulties, especially those related to security.

But it could be germane to Team USA if something unexpected happens.

If Ronny Turiaf commits a hard foul against ex-Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant in Sunday’s opener and it breaks a bone in Kobe’s delicate hand, the equation will have changed.

If LeBron James sprains an ankle in the semifinals and can’t play for the gold, then what?

If (when) Tyson Chander gets into foul trouble against an opponent with multiple NBA bigs, the next line of defense at the center position is Kevin Love, Andre Iguodala, James or Carmelo Anthony. All four of those guys have already played center in the Americans’ five exhibition games. What if foul trouble causes neophyte Anthony Davis to be called upon?

What if Team USA has to defend a Spanish front line of Pau Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol all at once, should the fickle Spanish head coach choose to play that threesome together. Then what?

“I am a beast,” a supremely confident Pau Gasol told Larry Fine of Reuters.

If the Americans have to defend Anderson Varejao and Nene at the same time, can Brazil exploit it? Maybe, because it has the best non-NBA point guard competing in London, a guy by the name of Marcelinho Huertas, who dropped 13 dimes in D.C. two weeks ago with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden watching from courtside seats. Team USA trailed for nearly the entire first half of that game.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski went into that Brazil game thinking it’d be a good idea to have Kevin Durant coming of the bench as the sixth man. That notion was quickly abandoned, and Anthony will have that role at the Olympics. (Dwyane Wade had to subjugate his ego and take on the sixth man role four years ago for Team USA in Beijing, and he was the Americans’ most valuable player, hands down.)

Durant or LeBron James will likely be the MVP for this U.S. team. Likely. But it could be Anthony, who presents a matchup problem as a stretch 4 playing against bigs unaccustomed to going out on the perimeter to defend.

Ironically, the 4 (power forward) spot is what should be the key position for the Americans. Their only true power forward is Love, who is teetering between being an impact player as the 9th man or a towel-waver backing up Davis. The choice is his, and it depends on his mental state — as discussed here.

If Durant, James, ‘Melo, Love and Iguodala can play well on the defensive end as the rotating 4s and 5s, the victories will come easily.

If a team with multiple bigs can consistently get the ball deep into the low post, it’s trouble.

“It’s sort of a double-edged sword,” Gasol said. “You have to try to punish them at one end, then adjust at the other end. And they’re loaded, so you have to be alert at all times.”

It should be a relatively easy opening night for Team USA against France, which is a 24 1/2-point underdog. (Argentina was a 28 1/2-point underdog last Sunday in Barcelona and lost to the U.S. by just 6.)

But the French are coming with confidence even though they do not have all of their NBA players. If you throw the missing Joakim Noah, Ian Mahinmi and Rodrigue Beaubois onto Les Blues roster, they would be scary. But they try to play the same speed style as the Americans, and even with a roster of current and former NBA players Tony Parker, Turiaf, Nicolas Batum, Nando de Colo (who will play for the Spurs next season), Boris Diaw, Mickael Gelabale and Yakhouba Diawara, they are going to be overmatched.

Of course, everyone thought Puerto Rico was going to be overmatched in the opener of the 2004 Olympics against an American team that included Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, James, Anthony, Wade and Amare Stoudemire, and we all remember what happened in Athens, right?

The Americans lost by 18 points to Carlos Arroyo and Co.

Nobody saw that coming, and although what happened in 2004 is largely irrelevant to what will take place in London in 2012, there is always some connection.

Because you never know what is going to happen in these tournaments. Every team is bound to have one bad game – even the Americans. It’s a rule of thumb in FIBA competitions that Manu Ginobili once explained to me in great detail. You can make the case that Team USA had its one bad game in Beijing in the gold medal match against Spain, when it surrendered 107 points and it was a four-point game with 3 minutes left.

That’s where the sphincter factor comes into play, and in 2008 it was Spain that tightened up in those final 3 minutes. When the game was out of reach with a minute left, the coach kicked the scorer’s table and took a technical foul. The Americans drained the two free throws, and it was over. Team USA ended up with 118 points and won by 11.

But the 225 combined points in a 40-minute FIBA game was astronomical. Again, nobody saw that high of a number coming.

That’s the thing about the Olympics: You never know.

All you can know is that the Americans’ opponents will respect them but not fear them. Ginobili and Luis Scola have already defeated Team USA before – twice, in 2002 and 2004.

Sarunas Jasikevicius has already defeated the Americans before (in 2004), and he had a shot to knock them out in the semifinals of the 2000 Sydney Olympics but was defended superbly on the final possession by Jason Kidd.

Watch this video of the tense final minute of that game if you want to see how close the Americans can come to losing against an upstart. Then read on for some background of what happened before that final shot by Jasikevicius sailed wide left.

_ Before Ramunas Siskauskas missed two of three free throws with the score 80-80 and 43.4 seconds left, he had not missed a free throw during the entire Olympics.

_ With 25.9 seconds left, the aforementioned sphincter factor came into play for Kevin Garnett, who missed two straight free throws before Antonio McDyess scored on the putback. (Also, go back to the 3:50 mark of that video and check out the Greco-Roman wrestling going on on the other side of the paint between Vince Carter and a Lithuanian player. That kind of physicality is common in FIBA basketball).

_  After Jason Kidd missed the second of two free throws with 9.4 seconds left, the ball was loose for four  seconds before Siskauskas and McDyess were on the floor scrambling for it and a jump ball was called. Watch how quickly the ensuing jump ball violation (at the 6:40 mark of the video) was whistled – giving the Lithuanians their final shot.

_ Little-known fact: That US-Lithuania game was the second semifinal of the day. The French had won the first to make it to the gold medal match. Afterward, one of the referee assignments was changed for the US-Lithuania game. The replacement referee was French.

Why does any of this matter 12 years later?

Again, because you never know.

The scope and pressure and exhaustion factor of the Olympics is enormous, especially when you are at the event, on foreign soil and haven’t been home for 35 days by the time it ends. It is so much bigger, in such a different way, from the pressure of an NBA Finals game – with the exception of Game 7.

When you are one-and-done, it’s a whole different ballgame. Anyone recall what happened the last time there was a Game 7 in the NBA Finals? Kobe Bryant was 6-for-24, Pau Gasol was the best player on the court for the final 3 minutes, and the best player for the Lakers overall was Ron Artest, a guy who is so borderline nuts that he thanked his psychiatrist at the conclusion. (Artest will forever be immune from the sphincter factor for that Game 7 performance).

But back to these Olympics, this American team, and whether they can be defeated.

Continue reading …

 

 

 

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With President Obama in the house, Team USA gives hope to rest of the world

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Barack Obama was on Kiss Cam, smooching his wife Michelle, when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

The First Family’s date night had a happy ending, but it was perilous along the way as Obama and vice president Joe Biden watched from courtside seats across from the Brazilian bench.

The home team struggled coming out of the gate, was outsized and outcrafted and trailed by 10 points at the end of the first quarter. Even when Obama was in the locker room at halftime, schmoozing the players, this was still only a 5-point game.

The president stopped on his way back out for a quick chat with coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“I told him he should have said something to them like ‘Start making some shots,” Krzyzewski said following Team USA’s last game on home soil, an 80-69 victory over Brazil that exposed the Americans’ flaws, showcased their strengths and taught them a lesson about how difficult the road ahead of them could be over the next month as they head to the London Olympics.

Team USA surrendered 27 points in the first quarter and trailed by 10, then held Brazil to 5 second-quarter points to catch up and overtake them for good.

It was the first time since the semifinals of the 2006 World Championship (against Greece) that Team USA played from behind for an extended stretch of time.

Think about that — six years these guys have gone without trailing for more than a minute here and a minute there.

Even in the epic gold medal game against Spain four years ago in Beijing, the Americans played with a lead almost the entire night as the two teams racked up an astonishing (for a FIBA game) 225 points in the Redeem Team’s 118-107 victory.

This game was nothing like that game, and the Americans learned exactly how critical it is going to be for them to let their defensive intensity dictate their offensive opportunities.

If they can crate havoc, poke balls away and create transition opportunities, they will run all over you.

If they are slowed down into a halfcourt game, they are vulnerable inside against teams with the type of size Brazil has with three NBA bigs — Anderson Varejao, Tiago Splitter and Nene.

It is no secret around the world, and it should he somewhat of a cause for alarm back home as the countdown to the Olympics continues. Tyson Chandler is their only legit center. Anthony Davis is going to be the 12th man. Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant are going to be matched against taller, stronger players on the defensive end — and it is going to impact how well they are going to be able to play on the offensive end.

If Team USA dictates the pace and style of the games, the gold medal should be a lock.

If Team USA does not, there are too many good teams with too many good players for this to be a cinch.

Just listen to what Brazilian point guard Marcelinho Huertas said after carving up Team USA in the halfcourt for 13 assists.

“We know this is a team that likes to go in transition very fast, they don’t like to go 24 seconds. They’re the only team that don’t have many systems on offense, they play one-on-one, which is to their abilities, and on defense the same. They try to steal the ball, get in the passing lanes all the time. So whenever you get a team that’s used to playing like this, you make them play 24 seconds on defense and chase you around, and don’t let them run, make them play 5-on-5, that’s when you can prosper in a game like this,” said Huertas, who would have an NBA job by now if he didn’t have a 7 million Euro buyout in his contract with Barcelona that still has three years remaining.

Of course, those things that Huertas spoke of are easier said than done.

The challenge for Team USA against their good opponents (and there will be plenty of them, beginning with exhibitions next week against Argentina and Spain, then in the first round of the Olympics against France, Lithuania and Argentina) will be imposing their will.

That’s what Krzyzewski was taught at West Point — hit ‘em hard with your best weapons and annihilate them. Keep other tactics in reserve, but go full force with your best stuff right from the get-go and put the opponent on the defensive.

You will see Team USA succeed with that type of attack Thursday night against Great Britain, and in Games 2 and 3 of the first round against Tunisia and Nigeria.

Will you see it against the others?

That’ll dictate whether we see close games or blowouts.

From a talent standpoint, no one can match what the Americans are bringing.

From a tactical standpoint, there are several teams that are capable of knocking them off.

As much as these guys like to make comparisons between themselves and the original Dream Team, the entire argument is silly. Twenty years ago, no team could keep up with America’s best. These days, America’s best can be beat if they are not playing their A game. It hasn’t happened in six years, but it can certainly happen again against the caliber of players and the wily coaches they will be going up against.

If you couldn’t see that against Brazil, you were blind.

“I felt our defense won the game, it was outstanding for three quarters. We didn’t hit a lot of shots — we missed dunks. But I liked the mental toughness of our team and reminded them if we’re not doing it on offense, don’t let it affect defense,” Krzyzewski said. “We learned a lot, we grew. And to win a game like this, when we’re not hitting, is a good thing for us.

It was especially good because losing on home soil in front of the president, his wife, his daughter and the vice president would have been a debacle.

But the mystique surrounding this version of Team USA was wiped out in Monday night’s first quarter, and the mystery of how to beat them is a mystery no more — just make them play in the halfcourt, keep the turnovers down and use whatever size advantage you have. It ain’t rocket science, and a half-dozen teams in the tournament are capable of doing it. (Can they do it for a full 40 minutes? That is a good and pertinent question moving forward. We shall see.)

So as the Americans left the arena and headed for their flight to England, only one mystery endured: What the heck type of sneakers was Obama wearing along with his blue jeans and his casual shirt (which had a Nike swoosh on the sleeve)?

“I took a look but I couldn’t do it (identify them),” Kobe Bryant said. “I’m definitely sending him some Mambas, some presidential Mambas.”

So I guess the question that has to be asked is this: Will those presidential Mambas be highlighted with gold, silver or bronze?

After this game against Brazil, you had to acknowledge that the lower two classes of those colors could be the fate of this American team if they cannot dictate the way every game will be played.

If some opponent can protect the ball, slow the pace, knock down shots and outrebound the smaller Americans, they most certainly can lose.

Chris Sheridan is publisher and editor-in-chief of SheridanHoops.com. He has covered every U.S. Olympic and World Championship team since 1996.

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Hubbard: Days of self destruction over for U.S.

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LAS VEGAS — In their continual quest to keep up with American talent, the serious basketball countries in the world have relied on fundamentals, intelligence and, well, Yankee stupidity.

The U.S. has always had better basketball players and more of them than any other country. Sometimes, however, talent doesn’t translate to gold. International teams have proven that experienced teams playing with skilled unselfish players can cause problems for the U.S.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic team is aware of history – losses in the 1972, 1988 and 2004 Olympics that they’ve seen film of and/or participated in.

The players will go to London with a bit of an attitude and a determination to prove they are not only the best in the world, but also that the U.S. plays superior basketball.

And they will not make the mistake made by past unsuccessful teams, most notably those in 1972 and 1988. They will not rely on the set offenses and deliberate styles employed by the respective head coaches of those two teams, Hank Iba and John Thompson.

The 1972 loss was no doubt tainted by the controversy at the end of the gold medal game that gave the Soviets two additional chances to win the game. But the fact is the Soviet Union was in position to win, and the game probably should not have been that close.

The differences in talent were less in 1988 because international teams had players in their mid to late 20s and even in their early 30s playing against U.S. collegians. The approach of a halfcourt offense and pressure defense simply did not work against an experienced, veteran Soviet team. That victory was not tarnished.

“Style of play is important,” Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “That ’72 team did not take advantage of the athleticism it had. The ’88 team didn’t have enough shooters.”

If there is one possible deficiency in the makeup of the current team, it was the presence of only one true center – 7-1 Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks.

(RELATED CONTENT: Russia, Lithuania qualify for 2012 London Olympics)

Blake Griffin of the Clippers and Kevin Love of the Timberwolves – both 6-10 – are prototypical power forwards but each will get time in relief of Chandler. Love finished second in the league in rebounding with 13.4 a game and Griffin was sixth at 10.9, so they do not figure to be overmatched.

The U.S. also has the ability to field a lineup of superior athletes that could put extreme pressure on opponents. Imagine a lineup of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony. It seems doubtful that any team in the world could withstand the offensive pressure of that unit.

And make no mistake. Team USA will run.

“The main thing is athleticism,” Griffin said. “Having players who can get above the rim and really play missed shots and run.”

Or as Colangelo said: “When you have thoroughbreds, you’ve got to let them go. And we have a lot of thoroughbreds playing basketball in the United States.”

(RELATED CONTENT: Versatile American squad on Dream Team mission)

While style of play contributed greatly to losses in 1972 and 1988, there were different problems in 2004. Perhaps the largest was that as many as nine players withdrew from the team either because of injury or concerns about security in Athens, Greece, where the Olympics were held.

At the time, a selection committee was responsible for inviting players and their replacement choices indicated they either had twisted senses of humor or were more suited for lead roles in The Three Stooges.

Some of the replacements were James, (19) Anthony (20), Amare Stoudemire and Emeka Okafor (both 21) and Dwyane Wade (22). There was little doubt that forces within the NBA had campaigned for players primarily for future marketing purposes.

“They young players weren’t ready for prime time,” Colangelo said. “They were put into a position they weren’t ready for.”

The 2004 team, led by Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson and coached by Larry Brown, lost three times and settled for the bronze medal, which was not even as good as the silver medal won by Italy. (Argentina with Manu Ginobili won the gold).

A year later, Colangelo – who had been a successful NBA executive and owner since the late ‘60s – was asked to take over the program.

“I said I would do it with full autonomy,” Colangelo said, “which means no more politics, no more I want this guy on [the team] because of – whatever.”

In building the coaching staff of Mike Krzyzewski, Mike D’Antoni, Nate McMillan and Jim Boeheim, Colangelo also went for a group that knew how to utilize player strengths.

RELATED CONTENT: The Olympic rich get richer, and the good get better

So the U.S. will run. And it will take advantage of athleticism that can be partially, but not totally matched by international teams. Because there is a smart blend of youth and experience that results in an average age of 27.2, Team USA will have no problem running on offense and playing pressure defense.

“One thing you have to be prepared for in life is adversity and we’ve had our share of it,” said Colangelo, talking about injured players such as Wade and Chris Bosh, who will not play. “But we’ve put together, in my opinion, a terrific team with great versatility. We believe we’re going to be successful.”

The roster is well designed, the approach is thorough, the style of play will be ideal, and the message to the rest of the world is simple: If you win, you have to beat the Americans. They will not beat themselves.

Jan Hubbard has written about basketball since 1976 and worked in the NBA league office for eight years in between media stints. Follow him on Twitter at @whyhub.

 

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Mitnick: Olympic Qualifying Tournament Preview

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Kostas Papanikolau of Greece, the 2nd-round draft pick of the New York Knicks in 2012

Olympic basketball begins today … sort of.

And all those New York Knicks fans who are wondering about their new draft pick, Kostas Papanikolau, will likely get a chance to see him later this summer against Team USA.

Greece is one of the favorites in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that begins today in Venezuela, and there are more familiar faces for NBA fans than one might imagine.

Andrei Kirilenko and Timofey Mozgov are representing Russia. J.J. Barea, Carlos Arroyo and Renaldo Balkman are representing Puerto Rico.

Al Horford is playing for the Dominican Republic, which will be coached by John Calipari (who cut Charlie Villanueva from the team). Al-Farouq Aminu and Ike Diogu are playing for Nigeria.

Sarunas Jasikevicius and Jonas Valanciunas are competing for Lithuania.

Bo McCalebb of Macedonia

Bo McCallebb, the pride of both New Orleans and Skopje, will be playing for Macedonia

The top three teams from the 12-team field will earn berths in the London Olympics, and the top two finishers will be in Team USA’s preliminary round group, which already includes France and Argentina.

My picks to win the three Olympic berths are Russia, Greece and Lithuania.

Here is a preview of the tournament and a rundown of the participants. The tournament runs through July 8, and we will be bringing you daily updates on SheridanHoops.com.

The teams are split into four groups of three who will compete in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group will make it to the quarterfinals, which will be a one-and-done tournament, in which the winners of the semifinal games qualify for the London Olympics and losers battle in a death match of a bronze medal game.

The field:

Group A

Greece – The Greeks have long been known as a tough challenger in international competitions, especially after their smackdown of Team USA in the 2006 World Championships. The Greek team doesn’t feature any current NBA players, but has several players who have been NBA draft picks and several of the best players Europe has to offer. Led by All-Euroleague first teamer, Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece has a very balanced attack behind European vets Ioannis Bourousis, Nikolas Zisis, Antonis Fotsis and Kostas Kaimakoglou, as well as three NBA rights owned players, Nick Calathes (Florida/Dallas Mavericks) and the Knicks’ pair, Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgis Printezis.

It will be a bit of an adjustment for Greece to move forward without three of Europe’s best players and former national team stalwarts Theo Papaloukas, Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Dimitris Diamantidis, but the opportunity will be there for their talented youngsters to make a jump. Look for the Knicks duo of Papanikolaou and Printezis to make a big impact with their overall toughness and clutch play. Papanikolaou can really get to the rack and is a streaky 3-point shooter who can occasionally carry his team by making consecutive momentum 3-point shots. Papanikolaou knows that until he proves himself in the NBA, Knicks fans will be questioning him, and he undoubtedly is the type of personality who will look to get the fans excited with spectacular play. Look for him to be the breakout player in international competition this summer.

Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico has been a staple in the World Championships and beat the United States by 19 in the first game of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Led by Carlos Arroyo, who just led Besiktas (Deron Williams’ old team) to a championship in the Turkish League and the Euro Challenge, and 2011 NBA Champion, J.J. Barea, the Puerto Rican team will need another guy to step up big for them if they are to have a chance to qualify. While Renaldo Balkman may provide some defense, look for D-League rookie of the year, Edwin Ubiles, to have an outstanding tournament if Puerto Rico is to be in the mix to advance.

 

Jordan – Featuring no players with any experience in any major leagues in America, Europe or Asia, Jordan will have a tough time competing with two experienced teams. Don’t expect them to come within 30 in the two games they will play.

 

 

Group B

Lithuania – Despite finishing fifth on their home soil last summer’s Eurobasket, Lithuania has typically been a very strong international team, winning a bronze medal at the last World Championship, and coming in fourth place in the last Olympic tournament. Linas Kleiza appears set to become a leader on this squad, with his athleticism and energy level very difficult to match in this tournament. He is more of a role player and energy guy in the NBA, but on the national team, he will be expected to be one of the pieces that makes Lithuania go.

The Raptors’ 2011 first-round draft pick, Jonas Valanciunas, (a favorite of Miami rapper O’Grime) looks to emerge from being up-and-coming contributor to a leader on the national team. His production on both sides of the ball and his tremendous length will prove as a major weapon that this veteran squad will need if it wants to not only qualify for the Olympics, but also make some noise.

The regulars, such as Sarunas Jasicevicius (known to Israelis as Sharas), Robertas Javtokas, Paulius Jankunas, Ramantas Kaukenas and Darius Songaila, give Lithuania a deep squad with a veteran presence. Add former Duke guard, Martynas Pocius, who emerged last summer as the team’s starting point guard, and Lithuania appears to have a very likely chance of locking up one of the Olympic spots.

Nigeria – While Nigeria is by no means a favorite to make it out of this tournament, they will surprise some people over the next few days. Aside from former lottery picks Al-Farouq Aminu and Ike Diogu, Nigeria has several players who are strong contributors in Europe.

Their main x-factor for this tournament is former George Mason point guard, Tony Skinn, who was the major push behind George Mason’s miraculous 2006 Final Four run. Skinn spent this past season playing for Ironi Ashkelon in Israel, where he made a habit of hitting momentum baskets. Skinn plays with a lot of moxie, and his 3-point shooting percentage has been a major factor in his team’s win/loss percentage throughout his career.

Venezuela – Coached by Eric Musselman, Venezuela has a chance to compete with Nigeria for the quarterfinal slot, and they will be relying heavily on New Orleans Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez can lead a team, as he showed last summer and during his time at the University of Maryland, but to get this team an Olympic berth, Vasquez  may need to average a triple-double for the tournament.

 

 

Group C

Russia – Led by Andrei Kirilenko, this team should have little trouble making it back to the Olympics, where they won the bronze medal in 2008.

Kirilenko is coming off of a Euroleague MVP season for CSKA Moscow, and he has a perfect game for European competition as he is an incredible defender and finds a way to make a strong contribution offensively through the flow of the game.

Look for former CSKA guard, Alexy Shved, to have a monster tournament as he tries to play himself onto an NBA roster for next year. Shved has an amazing first step, can get to the rack at an excellent rate, and should prove to be a solid backup as a scoring point guard in the NBA.

Rounding out coach David Blatt’s roster will be former NBA first-round picks, Victor Khryapa and Sergey Monya, as well as big men Timofey Mozgov (Nuggets) and former Kansas Jayhawk, Sasha Kaun.

The Russians have a lot of experience and are coming in with a very serious attitude, and it is hard to imagine any scenario in which they are not competing in London.

(From our archives: Kirilenko played like a “wild horse” in Eurobasket ’11).

 

Dominican Republic – Coach Calipari may be able to recruit the best talent to bring championships in college, but it appears he will not have such luck with the Dominican Republic national team. While they will be led by NBA All-Star Al Horford, he is coming off an injury and may not be his dominant self.

Charlie Villanueva was cut by Calipari for reporting to camp out of shape. Without the depth of some of the top teams, Horford will need former Louisville guards, Francisco Garcia (Kings) and Edgar Sosa, to step up big time. Garcia has excellent leadership ability and will need to play very well in crunch time for this team to pick up some W’s. This squad may have very little depth, but with Horford and Calipari, they have an outside shot at sneaking into London.

South Korea – Korea is in a little bit over its head in this tournament, but this experience will be very important for this emerging basketball market. Former Cal big man Rod Benson spent last season playing (more like dominating) in Korea, and spoke very highly about the competition level and the up-and-coming play of the domestic players. They will probably get whacked in both of their games, but this experience could be a stepping stone for the future for this squad.

Group D

FYR Macedonia – The big surprise in last summer’s Eurobasket, Macedonia will need a miracle run from Bo McCalebb to have the slightest chance to play in London. McCalebb is an unbelievable scorer who seems content passing up a chance to be a strong third guard in the NBA in favor of being arguably Europe’s best scorer.

McCalebb will need help from rebounding forward, Pero Antic (Olympiacos), and point guard, Vlado Ilievski. They should make it out of Group D, since they are in unquestionably the weakest group, but they will struggle to get wins after the group stage. (From our archives: Chris Sheridan’s profile of McCalebb from his coverage of Eurobasket ’11). 

Angola – They won’t wow you with any recognizable names, but they are a squad that plays with energy and effort. No matter who their opponent is, they play hard on both ends for 40 minutes, and their combination of effort and athleticism should be too much for New Zealand to overcome in the group stage.

 

New Zealand – New Zealand is only here because FIBA lets in the second-place finisher from the weak Oceania region. They have had their moments in international competitions, and were the toast of the town in Indianapolis at the 2002 World Championship, regularly quenching their thirsts at one of America’s great music bars, the Slippery Noodle. Their best player, Kirk Penney, is not on the roster, nor is former national team stalwart Pero Cameron.

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