By the time you read this, the United States will likely have romped Senegal, but I’d like to rewind it to the Italy game for a second. Fascinating game to watch. Not only did we finally play a team equipped to exploit our weaknesses, but they were also dickhead enough to get under our skin.
In a lot of ways, the Italian basketball team is like a less-talented version of their soccer team. They’re dickheads, but not really in a bad way. They’ll shove, grab, hold, flop, and talk about your mother… they’ll piss you off to the point where you retaliate, and then you’ll get called for the foul. I’ll be honest with you, I’m starting to admire the Italian approach to sports, which is to be a huge dickhead. They just don’t give a fuck, and I love that.
There was a point late in the first quarter where Dwyane Wade was clearly… if not rattled, at least agitated. He wanted to hurt this guy. #7 for Italy was fucking with him, and a whistle was blown, and Wade kept walking into the guy. And then, as finally seperated, Wade hit him in the head with his forearm. Intentionally, but done so as to look unintentional. Wade clearly wanted a piece of this guy.
But the guy who rose above it all was Carmelo Anthony. You know why he’s been our best player so far in this tournament? His offensive assertiveness. There are no real leaders on this team, and Carmelo’s sliding in and filling that void. When we need a bucket, ‘Melo’s going to be the guy to go out and find it. He had 35 today, 29 in the 2nd half. And it was a very non-selfish 35.
I’ve done a total 180 on Carmelo in this tournament (even if he does wear backpacks to press conferences), and he’s done a total 180 from what he did in Athens. I thought that there was no way that a guy who bitched about his playing time in 2004 should be invited to play on another team. But he’s been perfect. He’s working hard on defense, and he’s earning the #1 leadership role on this team. I never would have guessed those things would happen.
Without Carmelo, there’s no way we win that game yesterday. Wade played very well in the 2nd half, but it was Carmelo who put the team on his back. If he didn’t take control of the game, exactly when the team needed him to, I am 100% confident that we would have lost yesterday to a weak Italian team. I’m looking at Carmelo in a whole new light, and I think this tough game will be a huge benefit to our guys down the line in this tournament.
The other encouraging thing was that we switched up our defense in the second half, sagging back and not going for so many steals. It was still man defense, of course, but they played it loose, limited the dribble drives, and thus, eliminated the need for so much help defense, something Italy gleefully exploited in the first half. The change of philosophies on the fly was probably the most encouraging thing I’ve seen yet from USA in this tournament. We didn’t look like the one-trick pony that we had been to this point. The halfcourt offense, however, still needs a little shaping up.
And I’m still going to win my bet with YAY!Sports.
23 Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 2:33 am
Playing extended man-to-man pressure D is the right strategy, I think - I mean, our uber-athleticism is our greatest strength, why not play to it as much as possible? But can Coack K explain to the boys that when you are guarding the ball, just pressuring it and keeping your guy in front of you is more than enough?
K has them so hyped to get steals and start their break that on-the-ball defenders are constantly reaching and grabbing on the perimeter - and getting toasted for their effort. Steals don’t come on the ball - they come off the ball, in passing lanes, because the on-the-ball defender’s pressure forces a bad pass. Honestly, how many times has a US defender just taken it from the guy with the ball? Not many. How many times has all the unnecessary reaching let a less-athletic guy blow right by them? Many.
And when they reach and let up penetration - usually from a few feet past the arc - then they have to rely on help D, which means either a lay up or and open 3, which is just no good. So please, Coach Rat, tell the boys to quit reaching - they look like high schoolers.
(Oh, and do you think Bruce Bowen would help chasing all those shooters off screens? Ask Ray Allen.)
Alright, I’m done. I just had to get that off my chest. Worst of luck in your bet with the Cavalier, MJD.
Unsilent Majority Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 10:07 am
I can’t stand watching any Italian national team, regardless of the sport. Melo’s the one guy with the balls to lead this team, he’s the guy I want to see with the ball when we need a big basket (of course all bets are off when mamba joins the team).
Chris Paul has continued to look fantastic at the point. His assist to turnover ratio is off the charts.
M. Materazzi Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 10:11 am
I butt head you, testa di cazzo!
UC Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 11:40 am
No Brad Miller head butts? Damn.
WBRS Sports Blog Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Carmelo is the bomb baby.
Joe Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
I agree - man to man is the way to go…the loose man in the passing lane has to be exploited –especially when you have players as lanky as ours. As 23 says, the steals come “off the man”…long arms in the open spaces is the ultimate defense. And leads to awesome dunks too!
BTW A friend of mine has got a sports culture blog which you guys might enjoy…it’s pretty cool. Later.J
http://www.sportslice.blogspot.com/
Andrew Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Here’s the scoop on the #7 that you speak of for Italy, Matteo Soragna. Generally, he’s a pretty big dick, but he’s so quiet about it and so nice about it, that he never draws fouls and tends to just piss people off. He’s also pretty good though, and should’ve been playing internationall a long time ago. He now plays (and captains) for Benetton Treviso, which is one of the best basketball teams in Europe, only made famous in America recently because that’s the team the #1 draft pick (Bargnani) came from. He’s certainly not one of the best playmakers* or small wings* in Italy (Gianluca Basile is the best)… but he’s awesome on defense and a killer 3-point shooter (kind of weak in general, on offense).
But - he doesn’t talk. No other player or coach has ever come out and said, “Soragna is a big asshole” because he’s not the NBA media happy type. He’s silent. Which I think makes him scarier, and also does wonders for his image. I’m trying to think of a comparison, maybe Tim Duncan?
Andrew Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
* Sorry. I left a space for footnotes but forgot them. Anyway, “playmakers” are point guards and “small wings” are small forwards.
the mighty mjd Says:
August 24th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Thanks for the knowledge… I appreciate it.
WBRS Sports Blog Says:
August 25th, 2006 at 2:43 am
Dirk scored 47. We have to play Germany in the second round? Dirk is the best player in international competitions, in the world.