Re: the World Basketball Championships. For the life of me I will never understand why anyone would underestimate a LeBron James-co-led team. I just don't get it. Basketball media and fans seem to have a Michael Jordan hang-up that they can't get over. Michael was the greatest player I ever saw, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the rest of the league wasn't very good by the mid-1990s. Professional basketball is getting good again, like it was in the 1980s, and the revival is being led by James, Wade, and maybe Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and a handful of others. It should come as no surprise that these guys are doing so well so far in the World Basketball Championships.
That said, please feel free to continue to believe that there is some reason besides LeBron that team USA is playing so well.
I do not deny LeBron's rising greatness. But I can think of a couple of "reasons besides LeBron that team USA is playing so well." One is Carmelo Anthony. The other is Dwyane Wade. Both are outplaying LeBron in this World Championships. I happen to think that Coach K has pulled together a team concept that the guys are buying into, and that Lebron's leadership (along with that of Anthony and Wade) has been crucial. But to say that there is no reason other than LeBron when two other guys from the team are in the top 10 in the tournament in scoring and LeBron is ranked 31st just does not wash. Wade's success should come as a surprise to no one. But 'Melo had seemed to take a couple of steps back in the last year, and the fact that he is leading Team USA in scoring is a revelation. Lebron continues to show that he will be an alpha dog. He just is not the alpha dog, and I happen to believe that the play of Wade and Anthony happen to be reasons other than LeBron for the early successes of the US team.
Otherwise, enjoy your travels throught he world of Cleveland sports with Tom as your always-entertaining guide.
11 comments:
True dat DCat. I think we have to look no further than the Italy game. When the team was on the brink of going down by the margins seen in the past Olympics and the last world championships, it wasn't Lebron that said "no way is this team losing", it was Melo and to a lesser extent Wade. I love Lebron and he's been a very important member of this team (his defense this morning on Dirk was significantly more than I expected), but if you ask me, the top 5 reasons this team is performing so well are, in order of importance are:
1. The team has bought into playing defense (a lot of this is the embarrassment of not playing D in the last few international comps) and using their athleticism on that end of the floor rather than trying to create 1-on-1 matchups on the offensive end.
2. The makeup of the team--while I still think Michael Redd or Ray Allen would greatly enhance this team (see the first half this morning against Germany when nobody could throw it in the ocean despite most of the 3s being uncontested)--I do think that this team is put together with 12 guys (well, 11, Brad Miller sucks) that are better fit to international play--nice to have PGs that pass first like Paul or can defend like Heinrich rather than Marbury.
3. The team's collective mentality to take the first good shot that they see. While some would say it's unselfish to give up the first good shot to create a better one, in the past that has caused US teams to get sucked into charges and turnovers around the basket when zone defenses collapse. This team understands that even the #4 and #5 options on the floor are very good offensive options and when a Joe Johnson or a Shane Battier has a chance at an open 3, it's worth taking rather than trying to force something to Bosh or Brand under the hoop. This also speeds up the pace of the game, which works for the US.
4. Wade and Melo's ability to score in international play. For some reason Lebron hasn't quite figured out the defenses like Wade and Melo--I'm wondering if this is a product of having gone to colleges and having seen zone defenses (I know Melo only went a year but that was a year with Boeheim, the master of zones). But Melo and Wade seem to know how to create and drive to the open areas of the zone and as such they are able to score much more at will than Lebron or the other guys that are phenomenal 1-on-1 creators in the NBA. That's given the US the ability to know they have guys that can get them a hoop against international play that they haven't had in the past international comps. In the past that has led to the US team not knowing what to do when it needs a bucket. Now, you know the ball will be in Wade's on Mellow's hands when they need a big bucket or the game is on the line.
5. The coaching. I'll be upfront and say that I am a Duke alum and root like mad for the team and love Coach K. But dcat knows me well enough to vouch that I've been critical of K in recent years because I don't think he coaches very well in game anymore. Ever since Duke became a real college power, I think that K has basically said "I've got the best guys, we're playing man-to-man help D and we're playing the motion offense and you figure out a way to stop us" and quite frequently teams do (see UConn 99, Florida 2000, Indiana 2002, Michigan State 2005, LSU 2006). It drives me nuts that recently he doesn't seem to gameplan for his opponent because I think he's great at it (see UNLV 92, Purdue 94, the title run in 2001 after they lost Boozer and he went to run and gun style of play that blew teams away in the tourney). But with this team, I think he (and the rest of the coaches who are all very good as well--I don't pretend that K is solely responsible for this) have adjusted things well and gotten the right personnel on the floor after they get a feel for the other team. Look at how close the 1st quarters have been and how the US team has typically blown teams out in the 2nd quarter or after halftime. Unlike Larry Brown who just went with the most experienced guys, this staff understands that a Chris Bosh could be very important against Germany, but that Brand is better suited to play against Greece. This team hasn't thrown their guys out and said "OK, we've got the most talent, you beat us." This team has looked at what the opponent is trying to do and has gone 11 deep to utilize the guys that will best disrupt that kind of play.
I certainly did not mean to imply that Wade and Anthony and everyone else are not contributing to Team USA's success. And I might be the only person in North America who does not cheer for Duke but loves Coach K.
But LeBron is the rare superstar who can and does do anything his team needs to win. He's only taken over for stretches in one or two games because he's recognized that Anthony or Wade or Bosh or whoever has had the hot hand. LeBron is more like Magic in this sense--not all of what he does for a team is going to show up in the stats--but like I said, everyone's got MJ's style on the brain, so they don't see it unless there is dominating scoring.
Tom --
Though I tend to agree, I think wade is a lot like that as well -- let's keep in mind that Wade has gladly stepped into the role of sixth man for this team. It is because of wade and Lebron in particular that this is the Dream Teamiest of post-'72 US teams.
Plus, you need to know that the rest of us will be tempering your man-love for LeBron just to make sure you (and Donnie baseball, who has not weighed in for a while) do not become insufferable!
dcat
dcat
I really like Wade, at least until I hate him next spring when the Cavs and Heat are playing for the East.
Do not get in the way of my man-love for LeBron. Once the Browns go in the toilet (give or take week 3 of the regular season), I will be an even more desperate Cleveland fan. You've been warned.
I think you might be a year early on the Cleveland to east finals scenario, but I already have a mental note written to make sure I talk to you after the Cavs lose because Wade is able to buy 13 calls for flops, he makes 20 free throws, and you lose by 6.
That will be a tirade worth reproducing in full. And since I have made the conscious decision to allow profanities on dcat, usually rarely, that next day I might actually hear from the FCC. Good times.
I have faith in Romeo. Just give him 4 years.
dcat
YOu think it's going to take all the way until week 3 for the Browns to go into the toilet? Do they have their bye in week 1 or 2 and I just don't know about it?
Uh oh (dcat ducks to avoid incoming attacks)
dcat
Always good to hear the Yankees fans of the NFL chime in.
No Steelers fans here.
dcat
So, uh, nevermind about the whole basketball thing.
Yup. Viva Football! (And, in a arre dcat tennis reference, viva Agassi!). I'll actually be trying to write something on sports later today.
dcat
Post a Comment