Team USA defeated Angola 97-76 behind another superb outing from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Wade led the United States in scoring with 19 poins on 6-of-8 from the field. James scored 12 points on 5-of-7 from the field and notched a game-high 5 assists. Dwight Howard scored 14 points on 6-of-6 from the field. And Carmelo Anthony scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbed a game-high 6 rebounds.
For the third straight game, the United States struggled to connect from the three-point line. Shooting guard Kobe Bryant was a no-show. Bryant shot 0-for-8 from beyond the arc against Angola. Team USA is now a combined 15-of-63 from 3-point distance over their last three contests. Doug Collins noted that Bryant in particular, was trying to “adjust to being a catch-and-shoot player.” Which is something I noted in my first bulleted concern after Team USA’s win against China.
- Outside shooting. Team USA is 10-of-42 from the 3-point line over their last two games. The reason is simple: Michael Redd is the United States’ only catch-and-shoot threat.The international 3-point line is 20 feet, 6 inches, that’s roughly three feet shorter than the NBA 3-point line. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James haven’t fine-tuned their mid-range games. Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony have perfected their mid-range jumpers, but both players do their damage off the dribble or fading away instead of squaring up and measuring themselves from that distance. The United States can get away with shooting poorly from outside against the likes of Australia and China because they can make up the difference with easy baskets off of turnovers.
Team USA forced 23 turnovers against Angola and scored numerous baskets in transition. But as Collins noted, the United States is “not going to get layups against good teams, they’re going to have to make jumpshots.”
Wade and James are the most explosive players on Team USA. They’re driving the lane and getting to the rim at will against the likes of China and Angola. But there isn’t a defensive 3-second rule in international play and “good teams” will pack the paint, take care of the basketball, and force the United States to hit from outside.
Hopefully, Wade will continue his stellar play and extend the defense with his outside shooting. Wade was 2-of-3 from the three-point line against Angola and appears to have an extra bounce in his step after six months of rest and recuperation.
China and Angola were simply happy to share the court with Team USA. But the writing is on the wall. This team has been anything but a dream. If the United States shoots 15-of-63 from the three-point line over their next three contests, they will lose.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I keep missing these games. What time was it on?
August 12th, 2008 at 10:03 am
It was 8 AM ET.
But you can watch the game in it’s entirety here:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/index.html
It doesn’t look like NBC has posted the video yet, but they will shortly.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Tsunami,
Here’s the link:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=bk1h-bj-sd02-081208-195003
August 12th, 2008 at 11:23 am
yeah I’m watching it now
thanks Hoff
August 12th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Man this just isn’t a good game. Team USA still doesn’t seem to know what it is doing on switching pick and rolls. They can get away with it here, but not against a team like Greece. I hope the outside shot starts falling.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I think that team USA is not really being tested right now, so we can’t draw any conclusions. However, I think they will win the gold medal. Too much talent.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Tsunami – I noticed the pick-and-roll uncertainty. Greece is a great P&R team too.
SanatFlapJacks – Welcome. You’re probably right. It’s early to jump to conclusions. But I think they’ve given us reason for concern.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
It is the nature of competitors to play better as the competition gets better. In my prime, I’ve lost horse games to middle schoolers, and shot 7 3s in a row in a tournament. It’s just how some guys are and Team USA has a LOT of those kinds of guys.
So some things I don’t worry so much about.
Three things about Team USA, though, do concern me a great deal.
1. Rebounding. This could be a motivational thing, but it also could be a symptom of too much outside, not enough inside play. Also, it could be Team USA didn’t get the right players to assure this job gets done.
2. Kobe. I almost put this at #1. What on EARTH is going on in his head?! It’s like he keeps shooting 3s so that he can prove he can make them. If they aren’t falling Kobe, quit worrying about how you look and find a way to contribute to the team that DOES work. I don’t care if you are 8 of 8, if you are shooting THAT much from down town, you official are NOT the team’s defensive specialist.
3. Lack of focus on mission. Deron is starting to overdribble again. Chris Paul may as well yell ole’ as he lets his men blow by him. Hey Dwight, you didn’t grow up in a ghetto, your dad’s a state trooper, quit embarrassing yourself and our country with the trash talking! Kobe, you were named after top quality lean and mean beef, not a howitzer. Carmelo, quit pouting and find ways to contribute. Boozer, you aren’t a scorer on this team, so REBOUND!
These guys are drifting their focus off their mission and onto themselves.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I’m never one for excuses but I think what we are seeing with Kobe as far as his struggles are concerned is a product of 110+ games played over the course of a full season + playoffs + NBA Finals + Olympics.
The toll has taken its course on Kobe and the wear and tear is beginning to show. His legs aren’t under him and that’s why a lot of his outside shots are short. Not to mention he’s been playing with a torn pinkie ligament for the better part of 8 months.
Nonetheless, you gotta give it to the man. He plays hurt all the time and he never complains about it.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
this is a matter for coaching. i think that, refs forbid, our team can lay-up its way to a gold. Our athletes are too good. The issue is that our coaching isn’t putting the hammer down. these guys aren’t used to coaching, theyre used to management. I’m still rather bored with the whole thing, right now.
glad to see you got your theme straight. i hope you didnt pay too much for it.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Basketballogy – I wonder if Kobe didn’t continue to shoot because he knows those are shots he’s going to HAVE to hit later on in the tournament. Everyone else is playing their roles to a ‘T’. But aside from Redd and maybe Carmelo, Kobe is only player with a consistent stroke to stretch the defense. Just a thought.
J-Dizzle – Bryant doesn’t seem to have his legs under him does he? His defensive pressure has really tapered off lately and you’re right, that may be the result of a long stretch of NBA games. But I haven’t noticed a lot of his shots falling short. I’ll have to watch the games again today.
Curtis – Coach K is going to be put to the test over the next two games. I’m a big Coach K fan — although I detest Duke University. But I read an article recently that questioned his ability to prepare his team in a short period of time. It centered around the differences between a 30 game college season and the 82 game NBA grind where teams play back-to-back games.
I haven’t done anything new with the theme yet. I’ll send you an email shortly.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Hoff, I’ve been thinking along those lines too. Kobe could just be shooting himself out of a slump even.
What we have are two clashing paradigms:
Kobe’s outside shooting over the last 2 games, versus a well documented CAREER of nailing outside shots.
Well all know who Kobe is. Heck, his jersey sells more than Yao’s in China.
He needs to quit worrying about proving he’ll hit outside shots when needed, and do what the TEAM needs.
I know I’m kind of a defensive nut, but the United States allowed Angola to score 15% more than Angola was able to score against Germany and Greece.
That’s not a good sign, is it?
Where was our defense?
Following the example of our defensive stopper… off task.
Remember my research on defense winning championships?
It is very hard to put on defense, you have to live it the whole regular season prior to the Finals to prevail with it.
TeamUSA might be good enough to overcome bad defensive habits when the chips are down, but then again they may not be.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
When your hitting the side of the backboard on a corner three-point attempt, i’d say your shots are short.
Kobe is doing more reaching on defense. Again, another sign that your legs aren’t there.
And I agree about Coach K’s strategy and coaching. This takes nothing away from the fact he’s a great leader and great with people and building relaitonships. But I’ve never really been impressed with Duke since the team with Hurley, Hill, and Laettner.
Coach K, in his history, has never been great with utlilizing big men in his system and that’s another reason big men don’t go to Duke. He’s got a beast in Howard, a bruiser in Boozer, and an athletic power forward in Bosh, yet his team barely outrebounds Angola by 3 and they still haven’t solidified their presence in the paint.
Greece tomorrow will be an ultra tough test.