Now that Team USA is on the verge of winning the gold, let's analyze some of the differences between this team and their predecessors four years ago in Athens.
 |
| Coach K and his staff have installed solid strategies at both ends of the court. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images) |
The current squad is comprised of several new players plus some returnees who are much more experienced than they were in 2004. On their own merits, these guys have a much better understanding of how the game should be played, but Coach K has amplified their savvy by emphasizing unity (which Larry Brown was incapable of doing), and by instituting a team-oriented game plan (which can't succeed without team unity). The mitigating circumstance is that Coach K had three years to implement his strategies whereas Brown had only a few weeks.
Here are the specific Xs and Os at both ends of the court.
Offense
The current outfit is much less pivot-oriented. Sure, they go to Dwight Howard at the start, but certainly not as a steady diet. This approach keeps the middle open and makes double-teaming costly.In Athens, the offense against man-to-man defenses mostly consisted of four guys watching while another guy tried to wend his way into the paint. In Beijing, there's much more off-the-ball movement and even more side-to-side ball-reversal.There's much less dribbling in Beijing that there was in Athens.Against zones, the Redeemers love to utilize baseline cutters to drag wing defenders away from the basket and then zip the ball into the middle. Should the wing defender fail to challenge the ball, then guys like Dwyane Wade simply power their way to the hoop.Rather than trying to create driving lanes by running high-screen/rolls vs. zones, Coach K's idea is to try to get the ball into someone like LeBron James at the high-post and then let him do what he does so well.Quick ball movement enables Team USA's quicker/stronger/trickier guards and wings to penetrate most zones.Outside shooters are always moving into areas where drivers can see them and easily deliver the ball.Unselfishness is everybody's byword and precious few shots are forced.Weak-side screens and pops are also more prevalent.Check out the under-out-of-bounds plays against Spain, and notice how many players burst from the pack-in-the-paint and are open for side-angle jumpers.The increased team speed also permits the almost gold-medalists to beat opponents to the retrieval of missed shots.The sheer speed of Chris Bosh and Howard can beat most opponents' bigs down the court for easy buckets on the run (something that Tim Duncan and Carlos Boozer could never do).Because these guys have been working together for so long, everybody knows where their teammates are, where they're going to be, and where they want to be.Every player on the team is an effective (and routinely spectacular) finisher -- even in heavy traffic.Except for Paul and Tayshaun Prince, all of the guys are strong enough to take a big hit and not get derailed.LBJ was a man-child in 2004 and now he's a he-man.Kobe Bryant adds an electric element to the offense.Before, James and Carmelo Anthony were upset with their lack of playing time. Now, universally respected players like Boozer, Michael Redd, and Prince have gladly accepted their subordinate roles.Defense
Quickness (laterally and in small spaces) and speed (end-to-end) are the most significant differences.This quickness can be employed to deny wings so that they have to move farther from the basket to receive the ball. As a result, the spacing and timing of opponents' offensive sets is destroyed.Passing lanes are always under attack.Ball-handlers are forced to the sideline where they can be easily trapped. In tandem with this, a fleet-footed defender is always in optimum position to intercept any pass made back to the middle of the court.If high S/Rs were the bane of the Athens team, this squad neutralizes this tactic with switches (which is why Coach K insisted on big guards), bigs showing, and, most importantly, alert weak-side help. Indeed, if the interior defense of Howard and Bosh leaves much to be desired, it's the weak-side help that diminishes the damage. Notice, too, that most of the blocked shots are accomplished by these helpers.It's the same coordinated weak-side help that protects what would otherwise be risky gambles on the ball and in passing lanes.The ball-pressure is vastly improved, especially on the part of Kobe, Deron Williams, and Paul.Every shot, every pass, every catch, and every dribble is challenged.Credit goes to Coach K and his staff for their diligence, to Jerry Colangelo for presiding over the decision-making, and to the players for their commitment to each other, to their country, and above all to excellence.
Hotmail
Add a comment
advertisement
