Same Ol’ Team USA ... Just Better

↵
↵The sentiment had been building: this Team USA hadn’t really learned a thing, and it’s playing the begrudged NBA style instead of the beloved Euro way. Shoals waxed eloquent on the subject just a few days ago. But the 118-107 gold medal win against Spain cemented the sentiment. Team USA hasn’t changed one bit from the 2004 disaster. The players are just better.
↵
↵The starting lineup in 2004: angry Tim Duncan, Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury. The starting lineup in 2008: Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd. I mean, Duncan aside -- Timmy hated FIBA rules/refs -- that’s a terrible lineup compared to today’s team. The style didn’t change: Team USA still gambled for steals instead of playing cogent, consistent team defense, isolation offense ruled the day. But this set of players was so good it couldn’t be beat. If the Athens players were better, the 2004 team would have won.
↵
↵And this is fine, by the way. The world is playing more of an NBA style. I daresay the Euro exodus will solidify that as teams like Olympiacos won’t be able to rely on sixth-sense team-building while inserting NBA rentals willy nilly. The Americans have unique skills suited to the NBA style game. The Americans have the best players in the world. Ergo, the Americans should be winning this tournaments if they put a really good lineup out there, style be damned.↵