Krzyzewski has Bryant's back

LAS VEGAS -- On the court, Kobe Bryant has been a ferocious defender for Mike Krzyzewski in the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament. Off the court, Krzyzewski is an equally strong defender of Bryant.

The bond between player and coach was formed when Bryant considered coming to Duke rather than jumping directly from high school to the pros. It was strengthened when Krzyzewski considered leaving Duke to coach the Lakers after Phil Jackson's departure in 2004.

And it has been sealed now that they are finally united on the U.S. basketball team.

While Bryant has been heavily criticized for his meltdown after the NBA season, when he went back and forth on his desire to remain a Laker, Krzyzewski is sympathetic.

"I would always want guys who would want to win," Krzyzewski said. "The fact that he's frustrated because they are not winning at the level he would like, I think that's a good problem. I'm sure the Lakers will work things out. The thing about Kobe is that every thing he does is so public. It's the scrutiny placed on an individual who has won three world championships and is considered the best player in the world. That goes with the territory."

Krzyzewski says he has been there for Bryant behind the scenes.

"It's not so much you give advice," said the coach, "because to give advice, you have to have knowledge of the situation. What you want to do is give support, say, 'I'm behind you. Stay steadfast in what you want to do.' "

The two also spoke when it was Krzyzewski's future that was uncertain.

"When I was considering the Laker situation," Krzyzewski said, "he told me he loved the Laker organization and if that's what I wanted to do, he wanted to work with me. No pressure or anything like that. What came across during that time was his love of L.A. and his love of the Laker organization.

"Any second thoughts about turning down the Lakers?

"It was a serious consideration," Krzyzewski said, "but I'm the kind of a person, once I make a decision, I don't look back. I've been married 38 years and I don't write to my old girlfriends. It was an honor and I thank them for giving me that opportunity.

"I'm 60 years old. I'm going to do what I do at Duke and I am not going to coach in the pros. Besides coaching college basketball, I love Duke. I just love the university. It was too much to give up."

Krzyzewski said turning pro was too much for Bryant to give up.

"I don't think he was that close to going to college," Krzyzewski said. "I think it was always on his mind to go to the pros. We kind of knew, if he did go to college, he would come to Duke, but we never really counted on it because he was so good and we knew that he would be a very, very high pick.

"We've developed an even closer relationship now. I really like Kobe a lot. He's easy to coach. He buys into everything. He's doing all the unselfish things, playing hard defensively, not really caring about who scores. It's all about winning.

"He'll do whatever he thinks he needs to do to bring about a championship. He's proven it and he wants to prove it again. There are lot of people who prove it once and never want to do it again. He's uncommon. He wants to prove it over and over again. There is nothing bad about Kobe Bryant."

With Carmelo Anthony, the U.S. team's scoring leader, out with a bruised left heel, LeBron James led the way with 26 points Wednesday in a 118-79 victory over Uruguay. James scored all his points in the first half at Thomas & Mack Center, then sat out the second half.

The victory sets up tonight's showdown against Argentina, both teams unbeaten through seven games. Argentina kept its perfect record intact by beating Brazil, 86-79, in overtime on Wednesday.

Krzyzewski said Anthony was kept on the bench as a "precautionary" measure, but he would play tonight. The U.S. is already guaranteed a spot in Saturday's semifinals.

by Steve Springer
LATIMES.COM

Oops! Kobe Bryant’s showing exactly why the Lakers can’t trade him

Kobe Bryant, by the way, can play.
Sometimes that’s a lesser part of the whole Kobe universe, because, yes:
1) He is fairly crazy;
2) He consistently engages in (he can’t help himself) particularly high-profile feuds, screeching behavior and uncomprisingly infantile activity and probably still wants the Lakers to trade him, though he hasn’t said so in a while.
But then you watch Bryant infuse Team USA with defensive energy from the jump at whatever the hell that international tournament is the new-fangled US team is dominating right now…
You hear what the other superstars are saying about him and how much Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski respect and are counting on him…
And you have to conclude:
* Kobe hasn’t won a title since Shaq departed the Lakers, barely made the playoffs the last few years, has never won the MVP (or ever really come close), has watched Tim Duncan take four championships.
But despite all that, Kobe has to be–HAS TO BE–considered the most dangerous player in the NBA, which I’ve said before, through the craziness and the more craziness and the extra craziness bonus time.
And probably the most valuable, if you’re looking at realistic trade options.
Which is why the Lakers can’t trade him–they’ll probably never have a player like him again (Wilt, Elgin, West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq, at some point it has to end, right?).
And they’ll never get full value for him in a trade.
Because there is no equal value for Kobe.
My measuring stick: If everybody in the league was put up for trade, and if you pull out the rookies (Greg Oden) and Spurs (Tim Duncan), which player would lure the best offers?
Kobe. It’d be Kobe.
* Steve Nash is an incredible player, but he’s four years older than Bryant and doesn’t play much defense.
If you put them both on the trade market, I think you’d get much more Kobe Interest than Nash Interest.
* LeBron James is getting there, but isn’t close to Kobe on the defensive side. (Think of it this way: Switch Kobe onto last year’s Cavaliers. Are they better or worse? Better. They’re definitely better.)
* Dwyane Wade, either.
* Amare Stoudemire, either.
* Dirk Nowitzki, last year’s MVP, vs. Kobe is not even worth a discussion. (Again, switch Kobe for Dirk in last year’s playoffs. Do the Warriors blow away Dallas? Are you kidding?)
* Jason Kidd has remained at the top of his game for a long time, and has looked great in this tournament, but he’s older than Kobe and is a problematic outside shooter.
* Duncan is the Man, and I think he has more value than anybody in the league and that will continue until Greg Oden comes into his own. But Duncan’s not going anywhere.
* Dwight Howard might become the Man, but he’s not close yet.
* Kevin Garnett vs. Kobe… that’s an interesting one, and it might be very comparable in a year or so, when Kobe’s opt-out is coming near.
KG is a premium–a long, versatile, shooting 6-11 who fits into any system. I think I’ve typed that before, somewhere.
But Kobe is two years younger, has won three more titles, can absolutely overwhelm you on offense (obviously) and, when the mood strikes, can also obliterate most perimeter players on the defensive side. If Kobe lands on the trade market, I’m telling you, the Lakers would not be happy about it, but they’ll also be offered more than Minnesota got for KG–Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and draft picks.
A lot more than that.
And because of that, unless and until Kobe forces the Lakers’ hand in some incredibly dramatic way (hold out? hard to imagine), the Lakers cannot trade him.
Can’t even consider it, the way he’s playing and the way he’ll play, probably, for the next three or four seasons, at the very least.
He’s playing on a team of superstars right now, and there’s nobody on that court or is as good as he is. That means the Lakers could never get enough for him.
(The Lakers got Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant for Shaq. Again: Proof that you never get enough for transcendant players.)
So Kobe’s doing a lot to reclaim his image (again) after all the trade demands of a few months ago… and he’ll probably have to reclaim his image in another few months all over again if he does some more crazy stuff…
And more than anything, he’s showing the Lakers exactly why they can’t trade him. Oops!

By Tim Kawakami
NBA.COM

No Doubt

If we’ve learned one thing from watching Team USA this summer, it’s this: the debate over who’s the best player in the world isn’t a debate anymore. Kobe Bryant has been the primary factor in why this year’s version of the U.S. squad is so much better than the last few versions. (No, we’re not dissing Jason Kidd, it’s just the truth.) Last night was Kobe’s best game of the tournament — he dropped 20 points and three triples on Brazil, and held tourney leading scorer Leandro Barbosa to four points, four turnovers and zero assists. Before the game, we know a lot of folks thought that even if Brazil lost, Barbosa would go off. Turns out he was taken out of the equation, opening the door for Team USA’s 37-point W …

Bryant becomes 'pacesetter' for Team USA

LAS VEGAS -- The tone of the Kobe Bryant-Leandro Barbosa matchup was set just a few moments into the first quarter, but you had to look 80 feet away from the action to see it unfold.
As a player from Brazil shot two free throws at one end of the court, Barbosa stood beneath the basket all the way at the opposite baseline, trying to get a clear view.
Every second or so, however, Barbosa had to move a step or two away to clear his line of vision from the obstruction that kept moving in his way.
That obstruction was Bryant, who was gluing himself to Barbosa at that very moment and stayed attached to him like white on rice all night in another stellar defensive performance that keyed Team USA's 113-76 drubbing of previously undefeated Brazil on Sunday night.
"He don't guard like that in the NBA, but he did tonight and I was impressed," Barbosa told ESPN.com. "He came to guard me, and that was good practice for me. I learned a lot of things the way he was guarding me."
Barbosa isn't the only one learning a few things from Bryant, whose intensity and commitment level is having a trickle-down effect on his U.S. teammates. To prepare for Sunday night's assignment, Bryant had Team USA video coordinators prepare him a DVD of Barbosa's offensive repertoire, comprised of some 200 plays from tapes of the Phoenix Suns and the Brazilian national team. Some paperwork came with the DVD, too, an accompanying chart listing Barbosa's efficiency percentage for each of his favorite moves.
"I watched a little bit of the Phoenix stuff, but how they use him in Phoenix is much different than how they use him here with his speed and his agility," Bryant said. "But at the same time, I've dropped 20 pounds, so I'm a little bit quicker than I used to be."
Bryant clearly studied his homework hard, holding Barbosa -- who entered the game as the leading scorer in the tournament at 27 points per game -- to four points on 1-for-7 shooting, with four turnovers and zero assists.
"For him it's about playing defense, and he enjoys that challenge. He understands he doesn't need to score 60 points to help us win, so he can use a little more energy on the defensive end than he's done in the past," Jason Kidd said. "He loves the challenge, and since the opening tipoff of that first game against Venezuela, he wants to take that best offensive player on the opposing team and make it as tough as possible. Against Barbosa, he did it again."
Bryant had the crowd chanting his name midway through the first quarter when he harassed Barbosa into losing control of his dribble and dove on the floor to try to secure the loose ball, forcing a scramble that led to a backcourt violation.
Brazil withstood a game-opening 8-0 run by the Americans and was able to stick with the U.S. through the midpoint of the second quarter, keeping its deficit in single digits, until Bryant hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to start a quarter-ending 15-4 run that gave the U.S. team a 57-38 halftime lead.
After Brazil scored the first three points of the third quarter, the Americans came back with a 17-0 run that put them ahead 74-41 and ended whatever suspense there was.
The Americans were on top of all aspects of their game, shooting 53 percent on 3-pointers (including Bryant's 3-for-3 and LeBron James' 4-for-5), including 11-for-22 on catch-and-shoot 3s, scoring 26 fast-break points and holding their own on the boards against one of the few tall opponents they'll face in this tournament.
James and Carmelo Anthony led the U.S. team with 21 points each, Bryant had 20 and Michael Redd 16. The only sour note was Tayshaun Prince spraining his left ankle late in the first quarter. He was listed as day-to-day for the Americans, who open second round play Monday against Mexico.
Bryant logged only 19:59 of playing time, and every American except Prince logged at least 10 minutes as the non-competitive second half gave coach Mike Krzyzewski a chance to save his starters' legs for the next step of a stretch in which they are playing six games in six nights.
So far, the focus and intensity -- and the blowout final scores -- have been constants.
And when the question turns to who is setting the tone, the answer always comes back Bryant.
"Kobe has been a pacesetter for sure," Team USA director Jerry Colangelo said. "Defensively, he's just locking people down. He's so strong and so focused, you just can't say enough about his work ethic and how he has led. He's done a great job."
After facing Mexico, the U.S. team will play either Panama or Puerto Rico on Tuesday, Uruguay on Wednesday and Argentina on Thursday before finally getting a day off prior to the only game that really matters in this tournament -- Saturday's semifinal match, in which a berth at the Beijing Olympics will be at stake.
"We have to continue to get better," Bryant said.

by Chris Sheridan

ESPN

No Breathing Room For Barbosa

LAS VEGAS, What looked to be an upset in the making turned out to be nothing more than another rout, the type that’s come to be expected when the U.S. men take the floor at the Thomas & Mack Center for the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.
“We beat a really good team today,” U.S. head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after his team won its closest contest of the tournament thus far, defeating Brazil 113-76. “Brazil is one of the best international teams.”
For more than 15 minutes Sunday, Brazil looked the part, clinging to a single-digit deficit as it worked the ball inside to Nene and Tiago Splitter, getting the Americans’ front court players in early foul trouble.
“It’s the biggest team we’ve played,” Coach K said afterward. “They’re very strong. They have four big guys. You're concentrating on (Leandro) Barbosa, you’re playing the bigs and their guards got by us a few times. And Splitter did a really good job in the first period, with driving the ball to the basket. It was obviously their goal to do that.
“I think we made adjustments in that regard. Our guys did a much better job after the first quarter.”
While the team’s defense did a better job protecting the paint after the first 10 minutes, it did a tremendous job of containing the Phoenix Suns’ speedster from start to finish. Barbosa entered the contest as the tournament’s leading scorer at 27.0 points per game. He left it adding only four to his total.
“We put a lot of focus on Barbosa,” Chauncey Billups admitted. “He’s a dangerous player. He can beat you inside. He’s so fast and quick to the basket he can get you in foul trouble. So we put a lot of emphasis on stopping him. Kobe (Bryant) started off and did a great job, trying to deny him the ball and not let him get touches, playing physical with him. When he came out of the game, whether it was me or whoever else on him, we took the challenge and tried to do the same thing. We thought if we could take him out of the game and make all those other guys make plays, then we had a great chance.”
While Bryant clearly has the ability to take a player out of the game, some were left wondering after the game how much a twisted ankle, suffered in the team’s win over the Virgin Islands one day earlier, slowed his Pacific Division rival.
“He’s just as fast, just as quick,” Bryant said, ending any such conversation. “I’m 20 pounds lighter, too.”
Regardless of whether Barbosa was slowed or Bryant is quicker, this much is true: Kobe gave him no breathing room. And his teammates gave equally as little.
That much could be seen as early as three minutes into the game, when, after chasing Barbosa all over the court, Bryant raced Barbosa for a ball that squirted loose into Brazil’s backcourt, diving head-first to try to get to it before his opponent – even though the call on the court was a backcourt violation when Barbosa finally did reach the ball along the sideline. Kobe was that determined to keep Leandro from touching the leather.
When Bryant took a seat for his first-quarter breather, his teammates threw a number of different defenders at Leandro – Billups, LeBron James and Tayshaun Prince – whether by design or not.
“I think we, at times, went too much that way,” Coach K said of focusing so heavily on Barbosa, “and didn’t talk as well, which we have been talking the first three games. But overall, that’s a nice mistake – or a nice adjustment – to make, where we’re going so hard.”
Bryant continued the suffocating defense every time he was on the floor, never giving an inch.
With 6:26 remaining in the first half and teammate Carmelo Anthony at the free throw line, Bryant retreated all the way to the far baseline, bumping with Barbosa and denying a long pass off the rebound.
Thirty seconds later when Bryant went to the stripe, it was Jason Kidd shadowing Barbosa at the other end. Bryant, perhaps worrying about getting back to switch, missed the second attempt before sprinting the length of the court to resume guarding Barbosa on the ensuing possession.
Barbosa, however, wasn’t the only threat the U.S. was forced to deal with. Nene and Splitter drew two quick fouls on both Dwight Howard and Anthony.
“We had foul trouble with Carmelo and Dwight,” Coach K assessed, “and we had to use LeBron at the four, which was something we haven’t used yet.”
The problem was compounded when Prince twisted his ankle in the first quarter and couldn’t continue playing.
Anthony, for his part, picked up the two quick fouls because he simply could not guard Splitter. That’s not to say anything negative about Anthony as a defender so much as it is to say Splitter played that well against NBA competition. The San Antonio Spurs’ first-round draft pick in this June’s Draft never played frightened of his All-Star opponents. He’s big and strong, able to get the ball as far out as the elbow, face up, put the ball on the floor and aggressively attack the basket. The lasting impression from this one outing is that the Spurs, again, seemed to have selected well late in the Draft.
Basketball fans – and the U.S. men – might get another look at Splitter, Barbosa and Co. late in the tournament if both teams advance to the semifinals or finals, by which time Brazil might find a way to hang around longer than 15 minutes.
by Jeff Dengate

Kidd, Kobe make immediate impact for U.S.

There were a minimal number of surprises in Team USA's 112-69 thumping of Venezuela.
As expected, the Americans' fast break was awesome. Jason Kidd made several snappy passes. Kobe Bryant converted his obligatory spectacular layup. And against the shorter, slower, less-talented Venezuelans, Team USA frequently seemed to be playing five-on-four — and sometimes even five-on-three.
But, nevertheless, there were some surprises, both positive and negative.
· The U.S.'s aggressive defensive pressure on the Venezuelan ball-handlers (especially by Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd) completely stymied the unfolding of the losers' offense.
· The quick-handed help on ball penetrations by Team USA helped induce 20 turnovers and produced innumerable layups.

· Given the overall weakness of their opponents, the Americans still stuffed virtually every screen/roll they encountered. They accomplished this mostly with quick switches in tandem with a wingman discouraging the screeners from rolling hoopward by cheating toward the middle. As a change-up, the screener's defender sometimes stepped into a help-stance on the nether side of the screen while the weakside wing looked to jam any roll-action. Whether these schemes will work against stronger, more skilled opponents remains to be seen — but they certainly addressed Team USA's most glaring defensive failure in losing to Greece in last year's World Championship.
· With the point guard (mostly J-Kidd) setting down- and cross-screens, Team USA's man-to-man offense was lively and the ball-movement was extremely unselfish. But there wasn't nearly as much activity when Kidd was on the bench.
· Nor did Team USA exhibit much ball- or player-movement on those rare occasions when Venezuela played a zone. Aside from some simple (and ineffective) baseline screens, Team USA's zone offense relied on baseline drives (which were readily available) and an abundance of 3-point shots.
· Team USA's free-throw shooting was deplorable — only 20-29. And its long-range shooting was also subpar — 10-26 for 38.5% — especially since the 3-point arc is so close. (Michael Redd said that international treys were "layups".) Indeed, their overall 55-percent shooting from the field was hugely inflated by a barrage of layups and dunk shots.
· The Americans only forced a total of four shots — one each by Kobe, Chauncey Billups, Mike Miller and Michael Redd. As a result, their shot selection was admirable.
· The biggest surprise of all, however, was Carmelo Anthony getting three of his shots blocked!
Late in the game, with their lead approaching 50 points, the Americans became somewhat sloppy — but only on defense. They yielded too many offensive rebounds, and were also burned when they jumped too quickly into the passing lanes. But these lapses were totally understandable. Staying alert and disciplined at the conclusion of such a lopsided contest is not an easy task.
So, then, what — if any — conclusions can be drawn from Team USA's opening game in this latest FIBA tournament?
J-Kidd's presence does make a difference — in sharpening his teammates' competitive chops, in executing the offense, and in extending the defensive pressure to the time-line.
Kobe's defense was better than his offense, and his offense was beastly. He, too, will make a huge difference if and when Team USA finds itself in a tight ball game.

With a dearth of dominant big men, the U.S. managed to out-rebound the undersized Venezuelans by an alarmingly small margin — 43-32. This lack of commanding boardwork could be a problem as the tournament progresses.
In the long run, though, the easy win over the hapless Venezuelans might have been too easy. The Americans' over-confidence in the most recent international competitions has contributed much to their repeated poor showings. But it's safe to assume that the previous pitfalls of arrogance and lack of focus will be avoided this time around.
Discerning NBA-watchers have learned that fielding a squad with overwhelming talent isn't necessarily a guarantee of success. Not even against theoretically inferior opposition. Perhaps this latest incarnation of Team USA has also done its homework and taken the same lesson to heart.
There'll be no acceptable excuses should the good guys fail to cop the gold in Sin City.

by Charlie Rosen
FoxSports.com

Team USA puts the hammer down

LASLAS VEGAS -- LeBron James threads a low bounce pass to Kobe Bryant cutting baseline. Bryant goes up and under for a reverse layup. The Thomas and Mack Center crowd goes wild.
Dwight Howard blocks a Team Canada baseline jump shot attempt. Jason Kidd scoops up the ball and flicks it fifty feet to a sprinting Carmelo Anthony for an emphatic dunk. The fans roar.
Anthony underhands a ball, like a bowler, to Bryant. Another big dunk and another giddy huzzah from the stands. There are sweet, sublime moments aplenty when Team USA takes the floor for a FIBA Americas Championship game. The highlight reel is full of them.
But if the all-star team's offensive exploits are a given, they aren't definitive, they aren't what characterizes this team in action.
If Saturday's 113-63 win over Team Canada is any indication, the heart of Team USA 's game, the essence of their identity, is an unrelenting collective will, a nasty killer instinct.
They're not just beating teams in this tournament, they're driving them into the ground, pounding Venezuala by 43 points, Virgin Islands by 64, and now Canada by 50.
You can chalk up some of the massive differentials to the gap in talent between the squads, but after watching Team USA systematically overwhelm Team Canada it becomes clear talent is only half the equation.
James gets down in a mano-a-mano, Rucker Park-style crouch, arms spread wide, and barks at Team Canada guard Olumuyiwa Famutimi: "Come on! Come on!," daring the shorter man to put the ball on the floor.
Half a second after a Team USA bucket, while his teammates hustle back on defense, Jason Kidd spins and gets in the face of Team Canada point Denham Brown, waiting for a play on the inbounds pass, ready to hassle and chase and dog the overmatched guard length of the floor.
Amare Stoudemire is at the line after an and-one put-back deep under the bucket puts Team USA up 17 points, and Bryant is at the top of the key, shouting at his teammates, "Right here! Let's turn this up right here. Let's turn this up right now!"
Up 40-plus with just seconds remaining in the third quarter, and Michael Redd scrambles baseline to get free for a corner three (one of 30 taken and fifteen made by Team USA on the night). Bang.
They bring it, start to finish. Every pick is a switch. Every ball handler and shooter gets chased and harassed. Every defensive rebound is a quick-turn opportunity for a fastbreak. And every time James gets the ball near midcourt, no matter what the score is, he's going to dunk all over your sorry butt.

By Eric Neel

ESPN.COM

Kobe Bryant is Not Messing Around

The man came to Las Vegas on a mission. I have heard a lot of stories already: In the lead up to yesterday's first game of the FIBA Americas tournament, he was walking around with a custom-made DVD of Greivis Vasquez, the Venezuelan guy he was going to be guarding. He has elevated the level of practices. He has mixed and mingled and made people feel good. He has infused the team with optimism.
And he was like a hungry wolf on defense. Here's how Mark Heisler tells it in the Los Angeles Times:
The tone was set from the opening tap by, who else, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. Coach Mike Krzyzewski put him on the Venezuela point guard, Greivis Vasquez, a Maryland sophomore, who was challenged even in trying to complete an entry pass.
"I don't know how to explain it," said Vasquez after the game. "That was amazing."
"I grew up watching the NBA. I was in College Park, watching his highlights. All of a sudden, he was guarding me like it was the last game of his life. . . .
"I'm 20 years old. . . . It was tough. I'm not going to lie to you guys. I lost the ball on a couple of possessions. . . .
"But tomorrow's another day. It's all good. I'm glad it happened."
I know he's everyone's favorite villain, and not without reason. But this is how we want our superstars to play, and when they play that way, let it be noted.
He has even stopped eating junk food. The man is a professional.
He also finished one of the funnest highlights I have seen in a long time. You can see it here. Here the play is described by Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Kidd had four assists and made a great hustle play in the second quarter as he saved a ball from going out of bounds, flinging it to Anthony at the top of the key. Anthony quickly found James cutting to the basket and hit him in stride. James then delivered a behind-the-back pass to a trailing Bryant, who finished with a thunderous slam dunk that brought the Thomas & Mack crowd of 6,537 to its feet.
LeBron James' pass was spectacular.
Also, without Kobe Bryant's 2-2, the U.S. shot 33% from downtown. With a short three-point line. And a ton of wide open garbage-time shots.
Now, I know the U.S. won easily, but there were a couple of things to worry about. TrueHoop reader Brandi blew off some law school work to keep detailed notes of the game, and the first quarter looked like this:
[Tayshaun] Prince just set the most illegal pick ever. He shuffled from the threepoint line to three feet behind it to set that screen. *shakes her head* So far I've seen two poorly executed rolls (unless they're not teaching a proper roll in Phoenix ... you'd think Amare Stoudemire would know how to roll, given it's the primary weapon in the Suns' offense) at least three bad passes out of LeBron (I think he got away with a fourth), a horribly illegal pick, and a lot of mugging in the paint. Stimulating first quarter. Walton calls out Venezuela for scoring eight points in the quarter, but we only scored 18 in ten minutes. 18 won't cut it against a full-strength Argentina or Spain.
The other thing worth noting? The U.S. was playing a much smaller opponent. Yet they had no post-up game whatsoever. Synergy Sports logs every play, and records only four possessions when the U.S. posted up at all (compared to 26 three-pointers). The only one of the four that resulted in a bucket was when Carmelo Anthony caught a lob over the top and eventually dunked it. It was really a case of undersized defense more than actual posting up. Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire got nothing done catching the ball in the paint. Which was fine against Venezuela, and may be OK in the long run, but you know what they about teams that live by the jump shot.

Coach K hopes he's reliving the Dream

LAS VEGAS -- Nobody calls it the Dream Team anymore. We know better. So does Mike Krzyzewski.
Dream Teams win things. They don't need MapQuest to find the top step of the medal stand. They don't go bronze, bronze, zilch in the last Olympics and two FIBA World Championships. And they don't wonder whether the rest of the world has passed them by.That's why Krzyzewski was here working the sideline Wednesday evening as his Team USA defeated Venezuela 112-69 in the opener of the FIBA Americas Championship. Krzyzewski was hired to make things right, to return the USA to what national team managing director Jerry Colangelo says is "our rightful spot on top of the heap in basketball."

Rightful? Maybe 15 years ago, when the original Dream Team won its opening game at the 1992 Summer Games by 68 points and the gold-medal game by 32. Krzyzewski was an assistant on Chuck Daly's USA staff back then. But the truth is, Krzyzewski's wife, Mickie, could have coached the USA to Olympic gold in Barcelona that year.
Jordan. Barkley. Malone. Bird. Magic. Stockton. Etc. And a Dookie coach named Krzyzewski. My gawd, it was almost obscene to have that much talent on a single roster. There wasn't any doubt, any hand-wringing over who was going to win those games. Are you kidding? The USA romped. It was like killing a housefly with a nuclear-tipped warhead.
"That's in the past, and that was beautiful," Krzyzewski said Wednesday. "But like in music, there's one Woodstock. If you want another one, you have to go out and create something special of your own. We are the U.S. national team. What we want to be called is not a 'Dream Team.' We want to be called a 'championship team.' The other one will not happen again."
Krzyzewski witnessed the domination of that original Dream Team, just as he has witnessed the slow erosion of USA on-court dominance. There has been a coup d'etat in international basketball, with the USA being the toppled hoops dictatorship. Gold used to be a foregone conclusion. Now the USA team -- Krzyzewski's team -- has to qualify for next August's Summer Games in Beijing. This is the equivalent of Duke's having to sweat out an NCAA at-large bid.
"If we had done our job last summer, we wouldn't be here," Colangelo said.
But they are here, thanks to that third-place finish at last year's FIBA World Championship in Japan. Of course, there's more to it than that. They're here because the Dream Team concept wobbled and fell, because some of the USA players forgot to care, because the rest of the world has caught up.
That explains why Krzyzewski, who was hand-picked by Colangelo, is a regular at the Thomas & Mack Center these days. If he's not working these same sidelines Sept. 2, when the FIBA Americas final is played, that means the USA was humiliated once again. Only the top two teams automatically advance to the Olympics, so if Team USA does the unthinkable and gags, it will have to schlep overseas next spring, probably to Europe, for one last qualifying attempt.
"We've got to come home with the gold, that's all there is to it," Colangelo said.
The victory against Venezuela was a nice start, but that's all it was, a start. To win this thing, the USA needs 10 victories in 12 days, counting Wednesday night's win. That means no letdowns, no serious injuries, no forgetting how to shoot over the defense of choice in international play, the zone.
I like its chances, especially against a so-so field, especially since it's 27-0 in this tournament over the years and especially since Team USA looks like it has a point to prove.
If you're interested in the numbers, Carmelo Anthony and Michael Redd led Team USA with 17 points. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant led in floor burns and defensive intensity. He had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot. He was terrific.
Negatives? Nine missed free throws ... 10-for-26 from the 3-point line ... Mike Miller limping off with a tweaked knee with 1:32 left to play (he's fine). But that's nitpicking for now.
Fifteen years ago, Krzyzewski watched the Holy Trinity of Hoops (Bird, Magic, MJ) dominate the Olympics. Now he has Bryant, LeBron James and Melo, among others. Not bad -- in fact, damn good -- but nobody is scheduling a congratulatory visit to the White House just yet. They first have to win this thing and then win in Beijing.
"We're ready," said Krzyzewski, which in understated Coach K-speak means he must love his team's chances here and in Beijing. At the very least, it means he thinks Colangelo & Co. are close to fixing what was wrong with the senior national program.
Winning matters to Krzyzewski. But it seems to matter more when his three favorite colors -- red, white and blue -- are involved. After all, he is the grandson of a Polish immigrant who came to America in 1906. You should hear the pride in Krzyzewski's voice as he talks about receiving in April a framed copy of the original ship passenger manifest from Ellis Island that included his grandfather Joseph's name.
Krzyzewski himself graduated from West Point, where he played for a genius and sometime-SOB named Bob Knight. He left the Army as a captain, but the Army never left him. This coaching-for-your-country stuff is part of his basketball DNA.
This is Krzyzewski's 11th tour of coaching duty with the USA Basketball programs. So it's no surprise the guy turned into pudding when Colangelo asked him to coach this team.
"You cannot say no to this," the 60-year-old Krzyzewski said. "I don't believe in reincarnation. You're not going to come back. You're not going to come back and do this. ... I want to do this. It's service."
Service. Duty. And a total jones to respectfully kick butt.
"The biggest thing Coach K wants is to be Olympic champion," said Chris Collins, a longtime Duke assistant who is helping out during the USA practice sessions.
"This, for him, is the ultimate challenge," says Steve Wojciechowski, another Duke assistant serving in the same role here as Collins. "USA Basketball has taken some hits. I think he looks at this as a chance to do something incredibly special."
The only thing missing from Krzyzewski's head coaching résumé is an Olympic gold. He has those three national championships, 10 Final Four appearances, 775 college victories and a place in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But this is his one and only chance to lead his team to the top step of an Olympic medal stand.
Olympic coaches don't get medals. Only the athletes get those, which Krzyzewski said is the way it should be. But every so often Krzyzewski closes his eyes and visualizes Bryant, James, Anthony, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade standing on the top step of the victory stand in Beijing as they celebrate their Olympic championship."That's my gold medal," said Krzyzewski.

by Gene Wojciechowski

ESPN.COM

Bryant is the Star of Stars

LAS VEGAS -- Winter, summer, in a Lakers uniform or that of the U.S. team, it's still all Kobe, all the time. . . .

He's not just a Lakers obsession, now he belongs to the world, or at least international basketball, and just in time with the U.S. expected to mop up the competition in FIBA's Tournament of the Americas that begins today -- We're back! -- if only because there isn't any.

Argentina, which won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, won't have Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni or Fabricio Oberto. Brazil, which upended the U.S. in the 2002 World Games, won't have Anderson Varejao.

Even with the U.S. team's new humility that comes from winning their last gold medal in 2000, followed by embarrassments in one Olympics and two World Games, the Americans are expected to be OK here, needing only to finish in the top two to qualify for next summer's Olympics in Beijing.

On the floor, this unofficially became another of Bryant's teams in its televised intrasquad game when he shut down LeBron James at the end and hit the game-winning shot.

Off the floor, there was never a question with Kobe making his first public appearance after last spring's media blitz in which he demanded that the Lakers trade him.

Well, most days, anyway.

Understanding the sensibilities of USA Basketball and Nike, which sponsors the U.S. team as well as Bryant, Kobe has been low-key, trying to defuse the issue. . . while pointedly refusing to take anything back or rule out a holdout.

Just to cut to the chase, here's how he feels.

He still wants out.

He finally figured out the Lakers wouldn't move him, no matter what he said, and settled down . . . only to watch in anguish as his beloved Kevin Garnett went to Boston. If the Celtics could land KG with nobody, why couldn't the Lakers?

More reports of Bryant's dismay went out through the usual channels but Kobe, himself, seems to be settling down again. It's still fuzzy enough to lead to priceless moments, like last week's exchange with ESPN'S Rachel Nichols.

Nichols: "You said one day you wanted to be traded, you said you wanted to be a Laker for life. There were different phone calls back and forth.

"Bryant: "I think a lot of people misinterpreted it. But that's water under the bridge to me because going forward we're handling our situation between ourselves, meaning the Lakers organization and myself."

Maybe all those times Kobe contradicted himself led to the misinterpretation, but being as good as he is means never having to say you're sorry.

If the question is, will he play for the Lakers this season, the answer is almost surely yes.

The real question is whether he'll make this issue go away, before or after training camp, so the Lakers can play this season without a sword dangling above them.

If the day is coming when Bryant and the Lakers do part, his impact on the U.S. team is an excruciating reminder for Lakers fans of how many positive attributes he still brings along with his unrivaled game, the work ethic, the competitiveness, the elbows teammates have to watch out for in drills.

In this ensemble of stars, where great care is taken not to build up anyone at the expense of anyone else, Bryant is indisputably the star of stars.Phoenix Coach Mike D'Antoni, who marveled at his ferocity as Kobe won the All-Star MVP here in February, is marveling at him again as an assistant coach on this team.

"He loves playing and he loves to compete and it just carries over," said D'Antoni. "I think all the guys are doing it this summer. It's been a joy.

"No matter who we're playing, what we're doing, he's competing. He works out like a fiend. I mean, he works out in the morning, at night. It's pretty impressive."

Said Detroit guard Chauncey Billups: "I've always said from the beginning that I felt like Kobe was the best player in the league. We're around a very elite group right now and you can still see his greatness."

The same can be said for a few more players but Kobe's the cream of the crop out there.

"The U.S. team may not be tested here, nor are the Lakers likely to get their questions answered. In both cases, that time is coming, but it's not now.

by Mark Heisler

LATIMES.COM

Red, white and blue, but built for gold

There are a lot of reasons why the USA Basketball Team should storm through the field at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas beginning Wednesday. They are almost too numerous to mention, although we will point out some of the major ones in due time.
But having a more talented roster top to bottom or giving a superior performance in the most games over 12 days isn't what winning at the highest levels of international basketball is all about. The USA Basketball outfits that lost in the semifinals of the last two major international competitions — the 2004 Olympics in Greece and the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan — learned that painful lesson and each limped away miserably clutching bronze medals.
Neither the 2004 or 2006 teams even earned a chance to play for the gold medal. In fact, the United States hasn't competed in a gold medal contest in the Olympics or World Championship since 2000 — when it defeated France in Sydney, Australia to take home the last prime coinage for the once-unbeatable Red, White & Blue.
In this Olympic qualifying competition, the United States could win eight straight games by an average of 30 points over the first two rounds and it wouldn't matter much. What matters is winning on Sept. 1.
That is the date of the two semifinals, and the winners on that Saturday night will be special, indeed. That's because the two finalists in this tournament both qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. (In a strange way, the gold medal game on Sunday, Sept. 2, will be anticlimactic, almost an exhibition game.)
This current amalgamation of NBA stars is the best team constructed by USA Basketball since the little-remembered 2003 FIBA Americas team that punished opponents (including nemesis Argentina twice) on its way to a 10-0 record. That group included Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and a healthy Jermaine O'Neal. It also boasted outstanding 3-point shooting from Ray Allen and Mike Bibby.
Unfortunately, Kidd, Carter, O'Neal, Allen and Bibby did not suit up for USA Basketball in 2004 or 2006, and the point guard play and perimeter shooting has not been nearly as good since. In 2004, Iverson and Stephon Marbury clanged enough 3-point attempts to allow not only mighty Argentina but middle of the road teams like Lithuania and Puerto Rico to humble the USA squad. In 2006, big Greek guards Theodoros Papaloukas and Dimitris Diamantidis punished the smaller Chris Paul and Kirk Hinrich in the semifinals, exploiting the NBA guards' inexperience and lack of physical strength on every inch of the court.

Now, the field for the FIBA Americas Championship doesn't boast Spain, Greece, France or any of the other current European powers. Argentina, beaten by the U.S. one year ago in a consolation bronze medal game that offered little in the way of consolation for either the winners or losers, will be without national team stalwarts Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto and Walter Hermann, all of whom are playing in the NBA. But the team still boasts Carlos Delfino (Toronto Raptors), Luis Scola (Houston Rockets) and Pablo Prigioni (Tau Ceramica of Spain), all experienced players who have played key roles in many international victories. It's still not clear whether Andres Nocioni, the Chicago Bulls star who was hobbled most of last season by plantar fasciitis, will be on the final roster.
Puerto Rico, with NBA guards Carlos Arroyo (Orlando Magic) and Jose Juan Barea (Dallas Mavericks); and Brazil, with Nene (Denver Nuggets), Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix Suns), and Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs draft pick), are the other favorites in the tournament, but none will be favored to beat the United States when it counts most.
Here are the five main reasons why the USA Basketball team should go undefeated in Las Vegas and capture a berth in the 2008 Olympic Games:
1) Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James is getting better all the time, and Carmelo Anthony, the scoring leader of the 2006 bronze-medal winning World Championship team, is a truly outstanding offensive player. But neither player has taken, much less made, as many big shots as Bryant has in his 11-year NBA career. Despite experiencing seven losses in the last three major international competitions (19-7 overall, .731), the United States rarely gets soundly defeated in international play. Often, one or two more perimeter shots or simply better free throw shooting would have made the difference. Bryant is the ultimate big shot maker, and that includes making all the big free throws down the stretch when it counts.
2) Jason Kidd.
It's no accident USA Basketball has an 18-0 record in the last two competitions (2000 Olympics, 2003 FIBA Americas) in which Kidd has played. Kidd is big and strong enough to trade hip checks with the biggest international guards, is a tenacious defensive player and his acumen at setting up teammates for baskets is unmatched in basketball today outside of Steve Nash (who isn't playing for Canada, by the way). Kidd is most dangerous when he doesn't even have to think about scoring a basket, and the composition of this team makes that a reality. Whereas Chris Paul and Kirk Hinrich were novices trying to feel out international play, Kidd is a proven international floor general who won't be thrown off by the rhythm of a 40-minute game or the inconsistent international officiating. At crunch time, Kidd will ensure the right players have the ball in their hands.
3) Better 3-Point Shooting.
International teams are replete with smallish guards who don't have the athletic package to compete in the NBA, but are masters at locating and nailing shots from the shorter international 3-point line (20 feet, six inches). Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks is a marvelous physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, but he made only 12 of 39 attempts in Japan (30.8 percent), failing at his primary function and putting the United States at a tremendous disadvantage. Overall, the United States shot only 36.9 percent from 3-point range in Japan. USA Basketball hopes it has rectified that shortcoming by naming 3-point specialists Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks and Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies to the 2007 team. If Redd and Miller can be counted on to make 3-pointers when defenders clog the lane or swarm Bryant, Anthony and James, the USA team could start administering profound beatings to its brethren in the Americas.
4) Better Free Throw Shooting.
A disgrace. A shame. An embarrassment. Only the censorship capabilities of my editors prevent me from using stronger language to describe the performance of the last two USA Basketball teams at the free throw line. In 2006, the United States shot 66.7 percent from the line. In 2004, the tally was 66.8 percent, and Shaq wasn't even on either team. In 2006, it was a communal disgrace: of the top six USA players in free throw attempted, Dwyane Wade was the best at 70 percent. Anthony (63 percent), Dwight Howard (61.9 percent) and LeBron James (55 percent) were all terrible, although for Howard, that measured up to his career average. Why will things be different this time? For starters, it will be an upset if Bryant, a career 84 percent free throw shooter, doesn't lead the team in attempts. Chauncey Billups (88 percent), Redd (85 percent) and Kidd (78 percent) are all fine free throw shooters. And while James is no guarantee to shoot any better after the way he looked at the line in the playoffs, you have to believe that Anthony will do better than 63 percent this time around. He's a career 80 percent shooter.
5) Better Defense.
You would think NBA players would be able to defend the pick and roll reasonably well, but that just wasn't the case in Japan. The burly international forwards are masters at setting moving screens that seem to elude the notice of FIBA referees, and too often, NBA stars were relegated to whining at the refs instead of coming up with a solution. USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski will doubtless do a better job of preparing his team to combat the international offensive staple, but he also has a savvier group of players this time around. Bryant, Kidd and Billups all possess enormous physical strength and won't be picked off as easily as Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich and Dwyane Wade were. And with another year of experience under his belt, Howard won't have that "deer in the headlights" hesitation he showed so often in Japan, when he blocked only 12 shots in nine games.
Parting Thought
If the unthinkable happens and the United States does not finish in the top two in the FIBA Americas Championship, it will be no less than a calamity for USA Basketball, which has invested more time and energy in dogged pursuit of an Olympic berth than ever before. Still, even if that should come to pass, that unhappy result would not necessarily preclude the United States from participating in the 2008 Olympics.
The third, fourth and fifth place finishers in Las Vegas will qualify for the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, a 12-team, last-chance tournament that will be played July 7-13, 2008. The top three finishers in that tournament will earn the last three available spots for the August, 2008 Olympics. Of course, USA Basketball would rather not have to compete in yet another qualifier, but then again, winning basketball competitions is no longer a sure thing for the nation formerly known as the Dominant Basketball Power on Earth.

By Chris Ekstrand

MSNBC

No KG, No Problem: The New Movement

Kevin Garnett is now a Celtic, something I think he will regret for the rest of his NBA career.
Kevin Garnett’s quote about the Lakers was, “I didn’t know the whole Kobe situation so…” That makes total sense; you couldn’t call Kobe and ask him? Even saying that you act like you had leverage in the trade.
You didn’t want to go to Boston and now that Ray Allen is there you love it? Amazing how a 30 year old with two bad ankles can make you do a total 180.
So to Garnett, good luck over there and when Kobe drops 60 on you in the Garden and they start chanting his name again like last year, I think you will then have realized that you choked and you should of demanded management to send you to beautiful Los Angeles, California — Rather than cold and muggy Boston, Massachusetts.
As an avid preacher of the movement, am I bitter that KG didn’t come to LA? No, I actually really don’t care as much as I thought I would. I think looking back at it logically the possibility of Kevin McHale, a man with Celtic pride in his blood ( I guess the phrase over there would be… bleeds green and white?), getting KG to LA was near impossible.
A guy that once close lined Kurt Rambis, he would of never sent KG to LA, and ill even take it one step further, McHale knew that Garnett had to be moved, and that they were going to re-build, so why not send them to your alma mater, in a sense?
There’s no doubt in my mind that McHales past with the Celtics factored in more than we might think when sending him to Boston.
It also goes both ways why he probably didn’t entertain offers from the Lakers or he wouldn’t really entertain a three team deal. No matter how much older he gets, or how professional he says he is. Deep down he still hates the Lakers and in return loves the Celtics with all his heart.
“Hey, I got a 10 time All-Star that I need to trade, hmmm… What team should I trade him too?” I might be over exaggerating but in sense that’s how it went down.
The “Get Garnett movement” was in no way something that was a waste of time, it was in no way something that never helped and was pointless. The fact of the matter is the “Get Garnett movement” will always be remembered for the idea that it instilled the passion, hard work, and determination for the diehard Laker fans.
The Nugget, posting relevant Laker news up to the minute, LD2K using the visual effect to let us envision a more promising future, hZm making the site looking ridiculously sick with his professional graphics. It was a site that was mentioned on both NBC and ABC, mentioned by Fred Roggin and Rob Fukuzaki. Was shouted out on the radio, LD2K was a guest on a radio show in Minnesota talking about the movement; people were emailing us from all over the world talking about the movement and the Lakers in general.
The “Get Garnett movement” was in NO way a failure, in no way something that we should be ashamed of. But now it’s time to make this site what it truly is, #1 in Lakers news, rumors, and articles. We no longer worship or hope and wish for one single player. We will not be known as the Get… Anyone. We will be known as getting the Lakers back to a championship level.
Phil Jackson said, “We’re only one piece away.” There are still options out there for us to look into and to upgrade our roster. The movement in a sense is still there but has just re-focused back to what it really was in the first place, a site for passionate Laker fans to speak their mind and hear about rumors and possibilities of making our roster better.
The users are still passionate and want to make a difference and want to be heard. All that being said, it is essential that we don’t forget what got us here; GetGarnett.com was not a failure nor was it something we should forget about. Now we move on continuing to report the Lakers in a professional setting for the FANS, the Laker Nation.
To say the movement is over is ridiculous, we just no longer worship some All-Star that rather be with Paul Pierce then Kobe Bryant.
So my personal opinion is we need to change the site name ASAP, we cannot forget where we came from, but we must move on in a more positive direction without the Garnett cloud hanging over us.
Till then we will still update the site with all relevant Laker news and rumors… Gasol, Jermaine, Artest, whoever!
We still have hope to upgrade our roster significantly and get Kobe in better spirits. Remember, most of the deals that go down don’t have too many rumors, so right when you least expect it we might make a move that catapults’ us to the NBA’s elite.
This quote still sums it all up and stays very relevant…

By DBricks

GetGarnett.com