With the World Basketball Championship set to tip off in Turkey in just under two weeks, there are a plethora of skeptics scrutinizing Team USA. How will they match up with the reigning champs from Spain? No Lebron. No Kobe. This team has no star power. No Howard. No Bosh. This team lacks size.
You know what else Team USA doesn't have? An ego.
Watching Team USA dismantle both China and France in their two preliminary games in New York City this past weekend, I couldn't help but notice a cohesion amongst a group of talented young players. This group boasts a brand of basketball that has become a lost art by today's standards - team play. It is understood that Kevin Durant has become the face of this USA team, however, the All-Star forward's humble attitude seems to be contagious. The ball movement has been crisp, the shot selection has been mindful and the defense has been tenacious. This group has a true pride for both the game of basketball and for the country and their play is indicative of that.
As for the aforementioned issues that certain naysayers have manufactured as a hindrance for Team USA, the answers are quite simple.
Let's start with the size issue. Granted, Team USA only boasts one true center in Tyson Chandler, but they are far from undersized. Aside from Chandler's seven-foot stature, USA has five players that are at least six foot eight or taller. Not only do they possess length, but players like Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay and Danny Granger present certifiable matchup problems for opposing teams based on their combination of size and athleticism. As far as rebounding is concerned, there should be no issue. If all five guys put a body on someone and box out, as the fundamentals of basketball indicate, rebounding will take care of itself.
Well, what about their lack of superstars?
Team USA has two budding superstars on their roster, whom in a few years time will be ranked amongst the likes of Wade, James, Bryant and Anthony. Kevin Durant, or KD as the kids nowadays call him, is the reigning scoring champ and can already be considered one of the top ten players in the NBA in what will only be his fourth year of service. And then there is Derrick Rose. Rose is the best all-around guard on this USA roster, his combination of size, quickness and ball-handling skills easily put him in the conversation with Deron Williams and Chris Paul as the elite point guards in the league.
So, how does America plan to match up with Spain? Guard play.
The strength of this USA team lies in their depth at the guard position. The NBA has transitioned from the dominant big man to the crafty guard. Gone are the days when the offense was run through guys like Ewing, Olajuwon, Robinson and O'Neal. Guards have the ability to take over games and allow for the entire offense to run through their creation of shots not only for themselves, but for their teammates as well. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers about Rajon Rondo during last year's Eastern Conference Finals. After such a performance, it is no coincidence that Jerry Colangelo reserved a spot on the roster for the Celtics' All-Star.
Although Spain has a good core of guards in Rubio, Fernandez and Calderon, they are not nearly as deep as this American team. Team USA will be able to keep constant pressure on the Spanish ball handlers, disrupting the flow of their offense and therefore creating turnovers that can lead to easy points. Players like Rose, Rondo and Westbrook will be able to get out and run, spreading the floor and creating easy jump shots for shooters like Curry, Granger and Durant. I also like Colangelo's pick in Mr. Big Shot himself, Chauncey Billups. Aside from being one of the most clutch shooters in the game today, Billups will bring a veteran leadership that will help guide the younger guards on this team.
We may just have to start referring to Colangelo as King Midas, because Team USA is looking like the golden standard.
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