Team USA working in perfect harmony
Usually, a team needs a few months to develop a personality. But this USA Basketball team isn’t your ordinary squad.
In two games at the FIBA Americas Championship, Team USA has taken on the personality of a club that thinks pass first and shoot second, plays ferocious defense and has had its superstar players sacrifice parts of their individual games and blend in.
Did you think Kobe Bryant would be talking about his defense before his scoring? Do you believe Jason Kidd would have attempted one shot in two games? Would you have guessed that Mike Miller, Michael Redd and Chauncey Billups would be happy coming off the bench?
But that has been the case. Team USA is a happy 2-0 club entering today’s nationally televised Group B pool play game at noon against Canada at the Thomas & Mack Center (ESPN2, Cable 31).
The Americans have averaged 107.5 points per game and racked up 50 assists. More important, they’ve held each of their opponents, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands, to fewer than 60 points and forced 37 turnovers.
“We’ve almost taken on the style of the European teams where we move the ball, hit ahead instead of dribbling, using the pass to beat you,” Kidd said. “That’s different from the way we’ve played in the past. It makes the game much easier, and you get more wide-open shots.”
Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he didn’t have to put a hard sell on his players to be unselfish.
“The attitude on this team has been the best,” Krzyzew-ski said. “It’s been selfless. It’s a team that likes to pass. Our guys are only concerned about one score — the score on the scoreboard.
“You have two of the great players in the world in Kobe and LeBron (James), and they’re fine. LeBron is more of a pass-first player anyway. You put he and Jason out on the court, and you almost have two point guards, which is why our break is so good.
“And Kobe is so unselfish. I told him the first couple of practices at the minicamp, ‘You’re overpassing,’ which, when you think about it, is a nice problem to have. He’s trying so hard to blend in with everyone.”
He’s blending in nicely. He and Kidd lead the team with nine assists apiece, and James has eight. But Bryant’s defense has been stifling on the perimeter. He’s getting up into people, crowding them, not giving them room to operate.
“That’s the beauty of this team,” Kidd said. “These guys are taking it personally at the defensive end to show they’re more than just scorers. We’re not out there looking to score. We’re looking to play the game the right way.”
The challenge for Canada and the rest of the field is to find a way to disrupt Team USA and get it out of its character.
The Canadians, who improved to 2-1 and clinched a spot in Monday’s second round after beating the U.S. Virgin Islands 93-83 Friday, have been led by Philadelphia 76ers forward Samuel Dalembert and former Hawaii star Carl English, who spent last year playing in Croatia.
“We can’t let it become a highlight-reel game,” Canada coach Leo Rautins said. “We’re a defensive team, and we’re going to have to play great defense and hope to control the tempo.”
Virgin Islands coach Tevester Anderson has seen both teams firsthand. He thinks the Americans’ talent and deep bench will create difficulty for the Canadians, who will be playing their fourth game in four days.
“Canada is strong in the middle,” Anderson said, referring to Dalembert. “But the U.S. is strong in the middle, too, and they’re deeper. It’s going to be hard for Canada to match up depth-wise.”
His advice to Rautins?
“Pray,” he said. “Pray very hard, and then pray some more.”
