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10 reasons why the U.S. should claim gold
by Marc Narducci / August 13, 2004

Ever since losing to Italy, 95-78, in a pre-Olympic exhibition game on Aug. 3, gloom and doom has been predicted for the U.S. team. The skeptics pointed out how deficient the United State's perimeter game is, a valid criticism. Teams will play zone defense and dare the U.S. to shoot. In addition, the U.S. has had least time together as a team than any of the 12 participants and the fear persists that the players aren't familiar enough
with one another. And finally, the U.S. didn't play like world-beaters in its exhibition schedule, despite a 5-1 record.

In the minds of many, this is a team that is ready to be had except for one thing – it still has the best group of athletes and basketball players. And remember, talent makes up for many other deficits. This is the first Olympics since the U.S. began sending NBA players in 1992 with true suspense in the minds of many, but not from this reporter. The U.S. may not be as dominating as in the past, but it still should still be in its accustomed spot on the gold medal stand after all the games have been played. Here are 10 reasons why the U.S. will win:

1. Tim Duncan. Any team would gain an edge by having the best player in the tournament. Duncan averaged 17.7 points and 8.7 rebounds to lead the U.S. in its six exhibition games. There isn't a center who can stop his patented turnaround jumper off the glass and he brings this young team a serious sense of maturity and leadership in a quiet, but forceful way.

2. Perimeter shooting of Allen Iverson. During the exhibition games, Iverson shot the ball more confidently than he did at any point during the last NBA season. He hit 8 of 17 from three-point range, including the 40-foot
buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat Germany, 80-77. If teams have to guard Iverson from three-point range, it's all over because he can drive by any individual or even any zone defense and get to the basket.

3. The bracket. The U.S. isn't exactly in the most difficult of brackets. Sure there is three-time defending bronze medalist Lithuania, but that might be the best of the Group B teams. The other games are against Angola,
Australia, Greece and Puerto Rico, teams that the U.S. could beat with its sub-varsity. Advancing to the quarterfinals should be a snap.

4. Germany didn't qualify for the Olympics. Other than Italy, nobody gave the U.S. more trouble than Germany in the exhibition schedule. It took the first game-winning buzzer beater in Iverson's career to beat the resilient Germans. The U.S. won't have to worry about contending with Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks' all-star forward. Nowitzki scored 32 points, hitting 13 of 23 from the field and also grabbed 12 rebounds. The U.S. won't face a better player in the Olympics.

5. Team depth. Any team that can bring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony off the bench, has some serious depth. These are three of the best young players in the world, and none of them started a single exhibition game for the U.S. All three could be factors in the Olympics – especially Anthony, who was third on the team in scoring (10.3 ppg.) and showed that he isn't bashful about taking critical shots, or any shots for that matter.

6. Larry Brown. He has won an NCAA and an NBA title, so Larry Brown will now attempt to snare the triple crown of coaching by claiming an Olympic gold medal. He was an assistant in the 2000 games at Sydney when the U.S. won the gold, and earned one as a player in the '64 Olympics. While Brown may have a tendency to over-coach at times by having his team "play the right way," there's no doubt that he is a master strategist. By the end of the exhibition tour, he had this group of NBA stars playing like a true team.

7. Team quickness. Nobody can stop the U.S. in transition. Teams will try to sag back in zones against the U.S., but the opposition has to beat the fleet U.S. down the court to execute this strategy. With Stephon Marbury running the show and Iverson as the shooting guard, there isn't a quicker backcourt in the Olympics, one capable of putting the motor on the transition game and getting easy baskets.

8. History and tradition. The U.S. is 109-2 in Olympic competition with 12 gold medals in 14 Olympics. That just may be a tad bit intimidating to some teams, who might be defeated before they step on the court. The only times the U.S. didn't win the gold were 1972 and 1988. In '72, most felt the U.S. was robbed during a game that had the longest final three seconds in Olympic history. The 1988 team that was coached by John Thompson, earned a bronze medal after losing to the Soviet Union, 82-76 in the semifinals. That was the last U.S. team to send non-professionals to the Games. It might also be the last one to relinquish the gold medal.

9. The loss to Italy. The best thing that could have happened to the U.S. was not only losing, but getting trounced by Italy, 95-78, in the second game of the exhibition tournament. That loss got the players attention and made them realize what Brown had been telling them all along – that they couldn't pick up the gold medal by simply showing up. The players realized that they could indeed lose, and it woke them up, while ridding the players of their overconfidence.

10. Pressure of winning. Nobody wants to be on the first U.S. team of professionals that loses out on the gold medal. As if the U.S. needs any more incentive, there will be a true sense of urgency to keep up the
tradition.

Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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