Almost every article I’ve read about Team USA’s final cut-down recommends either Bruce Bowen or Shane Battier for dismissal, sometimes both. After Athens, everyone was screaming, “You can’t just have a team of superstars, you need role players!” And now, when it’s time to finalize the roster for the next major international competition… the role players are the first ones people want to put on the chopping block.
Why, oh why, when anyone is discussing the relative value of Battier or Bowen to this team, do they mention their scoring averages? That’s like saying, “Okay, let’s talk about the hottest sideline reporters for NFL games, so let’s start with comparing their SAT scores.” It doesn’t make sense. Yes, Bowen is averaging 1 point per game. Yes, Battier’s average isn’t much better. Those are not negatives. If anything, they’re positives.
You don’t want those guys taking shots. If Bruce Bowen was scoring 12 points per game, I’d cast my vote to send his ass home, because that would mean either he isn’t doing his job, or other guys on the floor with him aren’t doing their job. Scoring averages have nothing to do with their effectiveness. Nothing. Much like Ricky Bobby isn’t a thinker, Bruce Bowen is not a scorer, and at least on this team, neither is Shane Battier.
And on the subject of Battier possibly going home… that’s just insane. He has been outstanding. He hustles, he forces turnovers, he gets to loose balls, he hits the offensive glass, and he is easily the best non-Bowen man-to-man defender on the team. There’s just not much more you could ask from him. The guy they end up sending home might very well be a better basketball player than Shane Battier or Bruce Bowen, much like Gilbert Arenas is a better basketball player than some guys who will be making the trip. But that’s not what this is about.
lopey986 Says:
August 16th, 2006 at 9:19 am
No way Coach K cuts a former Dookie. If anything, Bowen goes before Battier. It should be Jamison.
Adam Says:
August 16th, 2006 at 4:49 pm
They need to keep at least one of those guys around, but they certainly don’t need both. If Battier stays around (which I’m almost positive he will with Coach K at the helm) they don’t really have any need for Bowen. He doesn’t have as much of a rep, but Battier is as good as Bowen on D (maybe even better in international play since I doubt those refs will let Bowen get away with a lot of the crap he does in most NBA games) in addition to being a better scorer and rebounder.
Ted Says:
August 16th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
I think Bowen and Jamison should go. Bowen just isn’t that good. Yeah he’s a “role player” and all that but Battier does the same things better. As for Jamison, well as MJD said he just doesn’t do anything that we don’t already have better. His best skill is moving without the ball on offense. Shawn Marion does that even better and actually plays defense to boot.
Adam Says:
August 16th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
Yeah Jamison will probably go as well. I think he’s a good fit for the international style of play, but at this point I’m not really sure who, other than Bowen, that I’d cut instead of him.
DJM Says:
August 16th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
Well to begin with, I’m pretty sure that freedarko will immediately unlink to you due to this post. But anyway, Jamison kind of needs to stay because the US team is extremely short on size. Of course, as we saw against LeBron in the playoffs, Jamison is not capable of playing good defense (and the referees are not capable of calling travels on James/Wade). Battier will give you a little bit of maybe passable size on defense, but not on offense. Bowen is good only for defending, and after watching Wade not get away with his total bullcrap against FIBA refs (not that they’re better than NBA refs, but FIBA refs actually try to call the games fair), I have my doubts about Bowen being allowed to play dirty (plus USA Bball wants it to look as if we win because we are so much better, not because we can cheat). As far as I can tell, this leaves Bowen with the weakest case for remaining on the team.
Sean Says:
August 17th, 2006 at 10:30 pm
Call me a Wiz traitor, but I would send Gil home before Jamison or Bowen. He doesn’t fit. He’s a shoot-first PG–this team does not need him, even if he’s gonna try to get better at something other than scoring. AJ is a versatile offensive weapon, though I question his confidence at times, and Bowen would be invaluable on D. It’s not a bad thing that Gil has this “excuse” to leave.