USA Basketball Dominates Pool Play in Beijing

The United States Men's Olympic basketball team has shown up in the Beijing Olmpics like everyone has expected them to. They have breezed through pool play knocking out China, Angola, Greece, their strongest competition Spain. All that is left for the USA in pool play is an insignificant game against Germany. The USA clinched the pool play after defeating Spain that at the time was undefeated as well. But the Spanish team looked listless as the defensive pressure that that Team USA has shown has been incredible during the entire tournament. 

The last game against Spain was supposed to be a better contest than it turned out as they dominated the game winning 119-82, as Spain never pulled closer than 16 points in the second half. As I mentioned earlier the defense has been incredible for the Americans, as constant pressure, jumping passing lanes, and packing the paint has been so effective in bottling up the opposition. Doug Collins made a great point during the broadcast that the Spaniards felt they could beat Team USA once but not twice, while the Americans were more than confident they could defeat Spain twice. And for the most part this has to be the mindset of most of teams in the Beijing Olympics. The Americans look as confident as any team, and have a confident, but not cocky swagger.

Team USA has seemed to gel more than they had in earlier exhibitions, and are playing a better team game. The ball movement seems crisp, and seems to have a definite purpose. In the last 2 games against Greece, and Spain the assists have come on great passes, many of them coming with a familiarity with playing with people for a while. They are also showing the ability to drive aand kick out, or get dunks. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, the team had a hard time driving and drawing defenses, and showed the inability to hit the open man. This team is showing that they love to make the play for their teammates, and cheer with enthusiasm everytime a spectacular play is made.

Another factor that will help Team USA along the way to gold is the support that the country of China is showing them. Wehn they are out andabout they are treated as celebrities as the game of basketball is wildly popular in China. Earlier in the Olympic games, Kobe Bryant and the rest of Team USA went to watch a women's basketball game, and were mauled as the crowd scrambled to just touch Kobe, or nap a picture of him. The Americans have a measure of a home-court advantage, even as they played China, the Chinese fans cheered both teams, which is a far cry from what they experienced in 2004 in Athens. As things are shaping up, consistency will be the key to gold in Beijing.