Blame for USA's struggles squarely with NBA

[Cloudy]

We've all come to grips with the idea that USA Basketball is no longer an international superpower, but four news items from August suggest the problem is not what happens to U.S. players in high school or college. The problem is what comes later.

The problem is the NBA. Can't say it any plainer than that. Here's the proof.

News item No. 1: Pacers sign Sarunas Jasikevicius to three-year deal.
What it means: Players get better overseas.

How we know: After two years of American high school (Solanco High in Quarryville, Pa.) and four years of American college (Maryland), Jasikevicius was so good that he went undrafted in the 1998 NBA Draft. He played in Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain and Israel, developing his game to the point where he torched the United States for 28 points in Lithuania's victory in the 2004 Olympics. Now 29, Jasikevicius was one of the more hotly pursued guards of this past offseason.

News item No. 2: Shammond Williams signs with Barcelona.
What it means: Players don't necessarily get better in the NBA.

How we know: When he played for North Carolina, Williams was superior to Jasikevicius. They played in the ACC from 1994-98, and Williams scored nearly 500 more points. He made second-team All-ACC (Jasikevicius didn't even make the third team), then was drafted early in the second round by Chicago. While Jasikevicius was making his bones in Europe, Williams was playing for six NBA teams in four years. To recap: Since 1998, Jasikevicius has progressed from a European player to an NBA player, while Williams has regressed from an NBA player to a European player.


Read on

This is a very interesting article, they're right saying NBA is paying too much, and these NBA veteran doesnt want to play for USA...
Let's see how they'll do in the World Champions.. or will they even qualify

[boconcio]

man, that's a very good article!!!!
nba players just don't care about playing international ball anymore. good for us the usa team isn't the best anymore.

[J@3]

They are the best, they just never field their best players. I mean no team in the World could handle a starting 5 of Kidd, Kobe, Garnett, Duncan and Shaq but of course they don't really give a shit about playing for their country, so it never eventuates.

[fgrep15]

^
Exactly, when last have they actually had the "best" players going. Duncan is the only guy that has really been committed to going, and also they have had 2 week put together teams where they haven't thought of roles, and different aspects of the game. Blame those who are choosing these teams.

When they choose this is how they should thinks something like this:

Very good big man combo
Pure PG
Top interior and perimeter defender
Shooters
All-Round players

Have a mixture of talent. Having 3 scoring guards, Wade, Iverson, and Marbury in your backcourt, and with none having consistent outisde range is just retarded. Having a coach who for some reason doesn't want to play young guys when it's the olympics, not even his NBA team or anything is also stupid.

[Jugs]

Having a coach who for some reason doesn't want to play young guys when it's the olympics, not even his NBA team or anything is also stupid.

Is that coach's name Larry Brown? or is there others out there like him

(lol i feel stupid )

It's a nice article though, and Duncan's commitment to the US team is good, which is the sorta commitment i Like

[Cloudy]

I think just putting 'SPURS' into the Olympics can win it...
They have the team chemistry.. and they're the Champs..

[Matt]

problem is that Ginobili, Parker, Nesterovic and Udrih wouldnt be able to play.

[Cloudy]

Oh, my bad..

[Amphatoast]

the pistons team can take the world

[cyanide]

Is that coach's name Larry Brown? or is there others out there like him

Yeah, he was just referring to Larry Brown.

[guan lu]

this article raises some good points.

Here in the Philippines, we tried to cram for our national teams, too; we also picked the players from our professional leagues. Lately though they've changed tack. The pro league reformatted their schedule to fit around international tournaments, with plenty of time for practice in between.
The best thing is they now have a training pool of 30 players or so who are COMMITTED to playing for the country. From what i hear their actual goal is to be competitive and successful not exactly in this year, but in 2007 or thereabouts. Longterm, but it shows the kind of dedication we expect of national teams.

The good thing all countries, even the USA Dream Teams can learn from this, is that it only takes a few dedicated people to come up with an idea like this and put it into action. From there, it can snowball into a great TEAM effort. I mean, if somone can start with the effort and show the NBA's glamor boys the work is worth the time and actually productive why shouldn't they do it? I believe these players are actually really competitive and want to prove something to the world -- else why fight yearlong for professional championships? THEY JUST NEED TO BE GUIDED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

If shaq can give up 10 mil for a ring i don't see why they can't do it sacrifice to give a ring to their country too.

[Andrew]

I don't think it's a question of talent, rather it's a matter of commitment and attitude. Nobody thought the original Dream Team would be able to control their egos and work as a cohesive unit, but those 11 stars and Christian Laettner understood what was at stake and what they had to do to win. While they were confident in themselves, they didn't fall victim to overconfidence.

A few years ago Stern said "No more Dream Teams", which I think it a mistake and certainly has an air of arrogance and overconfidence that in part led to the third place finish at the 2004 Games and the World Championships meltdown. Everyone else is sending their best, why shouldn't the US do the same?

Furthermore, I don't think Larry Brown is the right choice to coach at an international level. The strength of the previous US Olympic teams featuring NBA players is that they've been able to go from one great player to another. Take the three headed monster at centre in 1996. Out goes Shaq, in comes Hakeem...or David Robinson. Pippen takes a seat, Grant Hill takes his place. Brown's preference of a smaller rotation doesn't take advantage of having such a stacked roster.

[RoCkY MaIvIa]

im afraid that one day USA is no longer the best in terms of Basketball is concern.And who the **** is currently playing for FIBA Americas all stupid..

[boconcio]

i just don't know why nba players don't care about international games, it should be the most important games of their lives, after all the NBA is just an american league, not a world league.
i mean, do you prefer winning the american chamionship or the world championship?

in soccer we brazilians have the best team in the world, no doubt. our players are the best, but players care more about the international games, they have that winning desire, and that makes a big difference.

[RoCkY MaIvIa]

The problem is in the players..i dont know their ultimate dream is to win an NBA championships

[Riot]

You know why they lost? They didn't have Kevin Garnett.

Actually, they need to start getting some role players on there. Guys like Eric Piaowski (I have no idea how to spell that) and Fred Hoiberg!

[RoCkY MaIvIa]

yeah need to have all superstar players like KG...

[Riot]

You can have superstar players like Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, ect. Guys who care about the team and care about basketball.

[Matt]

KG is the sole reason USA won in 2000. In a tight game vs Lithuania in the semis he picked up an offensive rebound and through it down on 3 big men. He played like his life was on the line, just as he does in the NBA.

What USA needs next time is some team players. They have a nice core of extremely talented players coming through who are not selfish. Wade, LeBron, Okafor, Howard, Bosh. Add some shooters to that (Redd, Allen) and some defensive guys (Prince, Artest) and what you have is a well rounded team.

None of this bullshit shooting from Marbury (except from 1 game), not to mention his horrid defense. What about Jefferson, when he actually hit his 1st 3 pointer he was acting like he just hit the game winner in the NBA Finals.

mean, do you prefer winning the american chamionship or the world championship?

That's because the NBA is the ELITE competition, not the world championships as in Soccer.

[RoCkY MaIvIa]

perfect line up for international competitions like olympics or World championships:

1 Dwayne Wade
2 Ray Allen
3 kobe Bryant
4 Kevin Garnett
5 Tim Duncan

Bench: Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'neal, T-Mac, Mike Bibby, Amare Stoudamire

Head Coach: Phil Jackson Asst Coach: Pat Riley

Man, that team will not loose 100%

Agree?

[Andrew]

i just don't know why nba players don't care about international games, it should be the most important games of their lives, after all the NBA is just an american league, not a world league.
i mean, do you prefer winning the american chamionship or the world championship?

Amongst other things, the NBA is their livelihood though, their profession. They're getting paid millions of dollars to hopefully be successful in the NBA, so there's quite a bit of pressure there too.

[Nel]

KG is the sole reason USA won in 2000. In a tight game vs Lithuania in the semis he picked up an offensive rebound and through it down on 3 big men. He played like his life was on the line, just as he does in the NBA.

Wasn't it Mcdyess who got that key offensive rebound?

[RoCkY MaIvIa]

No its KG he is correct dude.

[Riot]

Perfect starting lineup:

1-Chauncey Billups
2-Ray Allen or Michael Redd
3-Bruce Bowen
4-Kevin Garnett
5-Tim Duncan

[RoCkY MaIvIa]

I hate to see again those players..some of your line up (Bowen or even Redd) is not established their superstardom...I remember the world championships the US [players there were not that big.I hope they will have my line up..