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Latest Team USA idea
Topic Started: Aug 20 2004, 08:58 PM (65 Views)
amit
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Lizard King
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Team USA should tap international Americam stars
By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

Finally.

After three weeks of watching Team USA sleepwalk through the prelims and the opening games of the Olympics, the team caught fire in the second half versus Australia on Thursday, dominating with physical, aggressive defense on the perimeter and the inside play of Tim Duncan. The keys to Team USA's success start with getting the ball to Duncan in the middle. Against a very porous Australian front line, Duncan dominated. He scored 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting and was essentially unstoppable when he caught the ball in the paint. Other international teams will provide stiffer defense against Duncan in the middle, but there's no reason that anyone on Team USA should take more shots than Duncan. He's the best player in the world.

After getting burned by the Australian shooters in the first half, Team USA got aggressive in the second half, crowding the perimeter and harassing shooters into taking off balance, wild 3s. Led by Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom, this was the first time we've seen Team USA really crowd the perimeter they way they need to. The top players on Team USA are also beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Duncan and Iverson have been great. James should be getting 25 to 30 minutes a night alongside Duncan and Iverson. He's the best passer on the team and has been a force defensively. Most importantly, good things seem to happen when LeBron is on the floor.

Odom and Marion have also been good over the past couple of games, doing all the little things Brown has asked them to do. That should be Larry's starting five and he should stick with them all for 25 to 30 minutes a night. On the flip side, Richard Jefferson and Stephon Marbury in particular, have been awful. Brown's insistence on starting them is ridiculous. Like many other NBA players, their games, as good as they are, don't translate at the international level. They don't have the shooting ability or team mindset you need to play at this level.

While many European stars would be awful in NBA, the reverse is also true. There are some NBA stars who wouldn't see the light of day on a good Euroleague team. Jefferson and Marbury are prime examples. That leads me to a modest proposal for the powers that be at USA basketball. Let's forget filling up our international teams with NBA stars and start tapping a pristine reserve of American basketball players that no one talks about. Let's have the role players on Team USA come from a pool of Americans overseas who happen to be international stars.

I've read the proposals that we send over the NBA champs each season, or that we fill the team with role players from the NBDL or the CBA so that we can create a year-round team. The NBA champ thing is a great idea that, unfortunately, is completely unworkable. There is so much offseason turnover and such an influx of international players on rosters … how could we really field a team that way? What if the Spurs won the title last year? Duncan was the only American in their starting five! The Lakers? They traded Shaq and almost lost Kobe in free agency. Even when Kobe signed, his legal problems would've prevented him from playing. Devean George wouldn't have been able to get it done on his own.

Even Detroit would've struggled to field the same team. Remember, Rasheed Wallace was an unrestricted free agent, and Mehmet Okur would've been ineligible to fill his role. A key injury or two or a holdout by a key player and that team would be finished. The NBDL or CBA route is just silly. There's a reason those players aren't in the NBA. I don't care if they practiced 365 days a year. Teamwork and chemistry are important but you've got to have talent. That brings me to a solution that a few people are beginning to talk about. A number of American players are having very successful careers playing in the Euroleague right now. Former college stars like Tyus Edney, Scoonie Penn and Trajan Langdon are dominating. Given our lack of shooting and understanding of the international game … why can't these guys get a spot on our roster?

"People totally forget about guys like that," Pistons international scout Tony Ronzone told Insider. "They'd be perfect for what we're trying to do. European teams value them and respect them. They play against the top international talent every night and dominate. Why wouldn't they do the same thing in international tournaments. They're proven competitors against the top players in the world." Before the executives at NBC hyperventilate (I think they are as responsible as Stu Jackson or Larry Brown for some of the team selections) let's put this in perspective. I'm not suggesting that we scrap using NBA players for the Olympics. If Duncan, LeBron, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Jermaine O'Neal or Tracy McGrady want to play by all means, we let them. Ditto for some NBA players who would excel in the international game. That includes guys like Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Michael Redd. Even young players like Chris Bosh would be a nice addition because of the style of basketball he plays.

But after that, I'd draw the line. Why have NBA players just for the sake of having them? Especially when you can have experienced players who not only know the game, but have been dominating in it for years. Penn, a former Ohio State star and Big 10 player of the year, was one of the top players in the Euroleague last year playing for Cibona in Zagreb, Croatia. I got him on the phone on Tuesday. He too has been watching the Olympics. Unlike most Americans, however, he isn't surprised. "The European game is very different," Penn told Insider. "It takes a while to get used to. The zone. The lane. The refs. It took me several months to really get into the groove there. There's no way a team is going to play together for a few weeks and pick up all the nuances. That takes years."

Penn, like a growing chorus of NBA scouts and executives, believes that a few players like himself would make a big difference. "We know the players, know the coaches and what they like to do," he said. "We know the refs and understand the team game. You can't be an individual over here. They beat that out of you. We've learned how to play the team game. We've really got the best of both worlds. We've played the American game at the college and NBA level and we know the international game inside and out." Ronzone agrees. "The only reason some of these guys aren't in the NBA is because of size or defensive issues. They're perfect for the international game, however. Most of the top Americans can shoot it, know how to run the offenses and know how to defend the best players. If nothing else, they'd provide great leadership for our team." Penn still believes that Team USA can win the gold, but he thinks the current players need to respect the international game more first.

"I've played in both leagues and I can tell you that these guys know how to play," Penn said. "It's intense. The practices are two times as intense as what you go through in the NBA. We spend a lot more time on fundamentals over here. When you underestimate guys that are hungry, you get surprised. Team USA has looked out of synch out there. Like they're surprised at what they're seeing. Nothing would take us by surprise." The biggest challenge for USA basketball will be finding a dominant American big man overseas. There are a number of guards who excel there, but few big men. Still, if we could get six dominant players from the NBA, with an emphasis on big men, here are six Americans playing overseas who would be perfect to round out Team USA's roster.

THE INTERNATIONAL SIX

Tyus Edney, PG, Benetton (Italy)
2003-04 Stats 15.2 ppg, 4.5 apg
The former UCLA star led his NCAA team to a national
championship. He was drafted by the Kings in the second round of the 1995 draft and played several seasons in Sacramento and a year with the Celtics before heading to Europe. He's won at every level in Europe. He was named to the 2001-02 and 2002-03 All Euroleague first team and most recently was the 2003 Italian Cup Finals MVP. Edney is passing machine who comes up big in the biggest games. The fact that he shot 52 percent from 3 during the 2002-03 Euroleague season and is a career 44 percent shooter from 3 makes him a great fit for Team USA.

Scoonie Penn, PG, Cibona (Croatia)
2003-04 Stats 13.8 ppg, 3.3 apg
Penn, a former standout at Ohio State, was drafted by the Hawks in 2000 and spent a year playing for the Chicago Bulls before heading to Europe. He won the Week 5 MVP honors for the Euroleague this season and has gained a reputation as one of the best 3-point shooters and perimeter defenders in the Euroleague. He shot 42.4 percent from 3 last season as well as averaged 2.3 spg for Cibona (Croatia) last season.

Marcus Brown, SG, CSKA (Russia)
2003-04 Stats 18.7 ppg, 4.2 apg
Brown played his college ball at Murray State and was a second-round draft pick of the Blazers in 1996. He's one of the top scorers in Europe, dominating for one of the strictest coaches and most conservative offenses in Europe. He was named to the 2003-04 All-Euroleague first team He was huge for CSKA in the Euroleague Final 4 this year, averaging 25 ppg and shooting 60 percent from 3.

Anthony Parker, SG/SF, Maccabi (Israel)
2003-04 Stats 16 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.5 apg
Parker was this year's Euroleague Final Four MVP, averaging 24 ppg and shooting 75 percent from 3 on the way to Maccabi's stunning Euroleague title. For the season he shot 49 percent from beyond the arc and is considered one of the most athletic players in Europe. The former Bradley star was originally drafted by the 76ers in 1997 and also played a year for the Magic in 1999. Given his clutch play in the international game's biggest event, he'd be a must for the squad.


Trajan Langdon, SG/SF, Efes Pilsen (Turkey)
2003-04 Stats 14.2 ppg, 3 rpg
He was a bust for the Cavs -- the former No. 11 pick in the 2000 NBA draft -- but he's been a big hit in Italy and Turkey the past two seasons. He had a great rep at Duke for being one of the best shooters in the country, but his lack of defense, size and opportunity killed his stock in the NBA. Langdon may never be a great NBA player, but his style is perfectly suited for the European game. He's a 45 percent career shooter from 3-point range in Europe. Given our miserable 13 percent 3-point shooting in the Olympics, you think we could use him?

Joseph Blair, PF/C
2003-04 Stats 12.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg
The former Arizona big man was drafted by the Sonics in the second round of the 1996 NBA draft and has had a great career in Europe. He was the MVP of the Euroleague in 2003 when he averaged 15.4 ppg and 10.7 rpg for the Turkish team Ulker. He's big, physical and is used to going up against the top European bigs every night.

Put those six on the floor with Duncan, Iverson, James, Odom, Marion and either Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer and Penn is confident that we would bring home the gold. "We'd bring it home," Penn said. "It's nothing against the guys that play it right now. But I just think with a little more experience and some better shooting, we'd be running away from this thing." So, if invited next time around, would Penn heed the call? "In a heartbeat," Penn said. "It's an honor to represent your country. People forget about what we do here. I think we'd make everyone proud." Now that's a refreshing idea.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
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Strider
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Legend
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That's long.
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I'mRickJamesBitch
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f*ck it just bring the old timers out there to play for the US.
Ewing, Barkley, Jordan, Stockton, Malone :dance:
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Mattingly23
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Trajan Langdon, SG/SF, Efes Pilsen (Turkey)
2003-04 Stats 14.2 ppg, 3 rpg
He was a bust for the Cavs -- the former No. 11 pick in the 2000 NBA draft -- but he's been a big hit in Italy and Turkey the past two seasons. He had a great rep at Duke for being one of the best shooters in the country, but his lack of defense, size and opportunity killed his stock in the NBA. Langdon may never be a great NBA player, but his style is perfectly suited for the European game. He's a 45 percent career shooter from 3-point range in Europe. Given our miserable 13 percent 3-point shooting in the Olympics, you think we could use him?


I was wondering what Langdon was up to these days. He was a great shooter at Duke.
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