Team USA vs. Turkey Recap

In what appeared to be USA's first real international test, the Americans put on quite a show. The alley-oops and ferocious dunks were there as usual, but the offensive cohesiveness was something that was missing from the 2004 team. Kobe Bryant, the reigning NBA MVP, only scored nine points but dished out a game-high seven assists. LeBron James, in his first game back from an ankle injury, put up a impressive stat line of 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Dwyane Wade was extremely aggressive on both the offensive and defensive ends yet a tad overaggressive at times, being called for a couple reaching fouls and an offensive foul in the lane. Nonetheless, he finished the game with 13 points and 3 assists on 6-for-9 shooting. The game ended with a final score of 114-82, the expected annihilation of the Turkish squad that was without Hedo Turkoglu (Orlando Magic) and Mehmet Okur (Utah Jazz). However, the game was much closer than the score indicated. The Turks took the lead from USA midway through the first quarter, which ended with Team USA leading by only one point.

Carmelo Anthony, arguably the best international player in the entire world as Fran Fraschilla said, scored 11 first-quarter points but only six in the remaining three periods. Akyol, a Turkish guard, finished with a game-high 22 points which included 3-for-8 shooting from deep.

From the beginning, Turkey was trying to pound the ball inside. On the defensive end, they were sending double-teams at Dwight Howard in the post. This soon ended when Carmelo went on a little scoring run of his very own, which forced Turkey to lay off Howard and focus more on Anthony. Semih Erden, the big man who was just drafted by the Boston Celtics, played very physically inside and left me somewhat impressed. With his size though, he could have been much more assertive with his rebounding.

The biggest problems I saw for Team USA were simple: team defense and rebounding. Although the Americans out-rebounded their opponents 28-25, the Turks had more than half their rebounds on the offensive end. They got a lot of second-chance points because of either bad positioning or no boxing out. At times, USA would have only one guy crashing for the rebound.

Another minor concern was the fact that Team USA was maybe having too much fun at times. Seeing Kobe at the free throw line going through his routine while he was laughing and carrying on was ridiculous and out-of-place. They should have fun but still remain focused and intense. Finally, Coach K should address some of the defensive lapses that occur. Leaving guys wide-open and being so overaggressive that a good shooter gets an open three are things that can't happen if they want to win gold.

All in all though, I was very impressed with everyone's play (even though I didn't get to see any spectacular shooting from Michael Redd) and the USA coaches should be happy with their team's performance. It wasn't easy to bring all these big-name players together but they seemed to have done it very well. I just hope they don't get too overconfident and arrogant about their play. These international teams are serious about winning gold and beating the Americans. If a team like Spain succeeds in taking us down, it's going to be a long road before USA Basketball gets back on track to win gold medals.

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Defending Kobe Bryant

Kobe. The mere mention of his name breeds controversy. After what some would consider a poor showing in the NBA Finals, he is doubted now more than ever. "He can't win without Shaq." "He's just a selfish player who can only score." Is it fair? Not in the least bit. Is it said? Most definitely. I am now writing this as Kobe's basketball lawyer.

Disclaimer: I am not liable for anything written in this blog. I am neither a diehard Lakers fan nor a Celtics hater. I feel compelled to give you the whole truth and nothing but it. Please do not hold anything against me for what you may or may not read here.

Accusation #1: "Kobe didn't deserve the MVP award."

That is ludicrous on every level. Kobe has been the best all-around player in the League for a couple years now. This year, however, he stepped up his team game. He was getting them the ball more often. The result? An NBA Finals appearance. However, in those six season-ending games, Kobe's teammates froze up. They suddenly were struggling at the most inopportune time. The Celtics' fantastic defense didn't help much either. Kobe always had a defender right on him, and as soon as he put the ball on the floor to make a move, another defender would be coming to help. Sometimes, it didn't work, like when Kobe dropped 36 in Los Angeles. Other times, it did.

Kobe's numbers were great as always, but what separated him from players such as Chris Paul and LeBron James was the fact that he led (yes, I use the term "led") his team to the #1 seed in an extremely tough conference that was chalk full of parity. To not give him the award would be an injustice. He earned it; he got it. Some have even gone as far as saying that Kobe got the award because the voters were afraid of the backlash if he didn't receive it. That statement is pure ignorance. The voters have long been receiving backlash for their choices so what would make this year any different?

Accusation #2: "Kobe isn't a team player."

This is the one that I have long had a problem with. You have to understand Kobe's personality I suppose. He wants to win above everything else. His desire and passion for the game is unparalleled by anyone in the NBA. Therefore, if it means he has to score 40 points for his team to win, he does it. If it means he has to share the ball and get his teammates involved, he does that, too. Now, some may not believe my last statement, but Kobe has done it before. Take a look at last year's FIBA World Championships. Kobe was playing alongside superstars such as LeBron and Carmelo. The result was exactly what I expected. He was among the team leaders in assists.

Since most readers don't believe what they hear, I decided to supply some stats. In games when Kobe had at least 10 assists this past season, the Lakers went 4-1. This directly shows that when he gets his teammates involved, they respond by playing well and winning. Going back to the first accusation that is made, his team didn't respond in the playoffs as much due to all the inexperience. In fact, Los Angeles went only 1-2 in the postseason when Kobe dished out 10 assists or more. He's a team player when he needs to me, and that's good enough for me and it's good enough for the League MVP.

Accusation #3: "Kobe isn't a good leader."

This particular accusation probably irks Kobe the most. He leads by example. The examples he sets is one that I would expect. It is full of passion and desire which he achieves through playing hard and winning by any means neccessary. Some of the younger guys on the team have trouble responding to it. Others, such as Luke Walton, have been with Kobe for a little longer and understand what he's doing. Throughout this postseason, Walton was called out by Kobe on numerous occasions. What happened next? Walton began playing better and started helping the team more. That is just one of the many prime examples of how Bryant has led the Lakers.

The casual fans of the NBA wouldn't understand what his yelling and screaming at guys would do for the team. Nonetheless, as his teammates gain more experience and skill, they will begin to respond much better to what he says. On the flip side, Kobe is always the first to congratulate and praise his teammates for what they do right. He's the positive guy in the locker room, which is exactly what you want from your franchise player. Kobe is the best player in the NBA, bar none.

Case closed.

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Game-Planning 5

College basketball is starting to heat up. For all of you not paying attention, you should start...now! The games this week? Ehh, they're okay. Not the greatest week but a week of basketball nonetheless. Highlighting this week will be a top ten matchup, a game you should watch but probably don't know much about, and (for all you East Coasters) a game far, far away that is worthy of attention.


1st Quarter- Kansas at Georgia Tech

Winner: Kansas

Why They'll Win: Yes, I know picking the number 3-ranked team in the nation to beat an unranked team, but it should be a decent game. The Jayhawks are led by Darrell Arthur (14 pts, 5 reb), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast), and Darnell Jackson (11 pts, 7 reb), who has emerged as the leading rebounder for Kansas. Interesting for Kansas is their depth. They have eight guys averaging 18+ minutes per game and another player getting a solid 13 minutes each game. The Jayhawks' biggest win to date has been over USC, which they won by four points. Currently, they sit at 9-0. Georgia Tech is 4-4. A lousy record, yes, but they aren't too shabby. They only lost to #15 Indiana by four points and have posted a win over Notre Dame. The Yellow Jackets are headed by Anthony Morrow (16 pts, 6 reb), Lewis Clinch (14 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast), and Jeremis Smith (10 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast).

When To Watch: Tuesday, December 18th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.


2nd Quarter- Arizona at UNLV

Winner: Arizona

Why They'll Win: Yes yes, I understand. Another lousy matchup, but maybe not as lousy as some would presume. The Runnin' Rebels are 7-2 and unranked but have a good core of players. I am referring to Curtis Terry (14 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), Wink Adams (13 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), and Joe Darger (13 pts, 6 reb). Sadly, they will lose because they just can't compete with the big schools. They played #6-ranked Louisville and were completely demolished in the 20-point loss. Six days later? They were upset by UC-Santa Barbara. The Wildcats, however, are ranked 21st in the AP poll and have already defeated Texas A&M to help their 6-2 record. Arizona also played Kansas, a game in which they lost by four points. The fabulous freshman, Jerryd Bayless, shoulders the scoring load with his 20 points per game to go along with 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Also, helping out are sophomores Chase Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) and Jordan Hill (13 pts, 6 reb).

When To Watch: Wednesday, December 19th at 10pm eastern time on CSTV.


Halftime Thoughts-

As many of you already know, David Arseneault set the record for most assists in a single game recently. He had 34 dishes in that game. Very astounding. But what's more astounding is the team he plays for. That team, Grinnell College, often shoots more than 50 threes a game. Grinnell was 23 for 86 on 3-pointers off Arseneault's passses ONLY! He also had 22 points in the game. Also making noise were the two scorers of the game. John Grotberg had 49 points on his 14-28 shooting from deep, and Keith Chamberlain had 39 points and 14 rebounds (ironic, huh?).

Rotoworld.com Hot Topic: The forum is buzzing with topics of all sorts but the biggest one had to have been about Derrick Rose. The topic starter claimed he was the next big thing because of his amazing debut game. Call it what you will, this kid can flat-out play. He has everything it takes to succeed at any level of basketball he plays at. I can only hope he stays at Memphis for a few more years. In the thread, someone also mentioned OJ Mayo. Mayo is a headcase and a legal problem waiting to happen. He has also been complained to take too many shots and has been on the receiving end of many a "ballhog" chants.

I recently found an article seeding the NCAA tournament already. I must say, I agree completely with the number one seeds of Memphis, Kansas, North Carolina, and Texas. The two seeds are good for the most part as well. However, I am not yet sold on Pitt being a 3 seed nor am I sold on Clemson being a 3 seed. I think Texas A&M (4), Louisville (6), and Ohio State (9) will all be moved up come March.


3rd Quarter- Gonzaga vs. Oklahoma

Winner: Gonzaga

Why They'll Win: The Sooners are unranked yet sit fairly well with a 7-3 record. They lost to Memphis but only by ten points, and they lost to USC by eleven points. If Oklahoma didn't have a game between Stephen F. Austin and the Zags I would probably have them winning this one. But, sadly, they do not and I don't think they'll win. Oklahoma is led by Blake Griffin (13 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) and Longar Longar (12 pts, 7 reb) but won't be able to overcome Gonzaga's Austin Daye (12 pts, 5 reb). No contest though, the Bulldogs have the edge in the backcourt. Jeremy Pargo (12 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) is part of a long line of good, solid Gonzaga point guards. Matt Bouldin (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast) also helps out Pargo in the backcourt.

When To Watch: Thursday, December 20th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN2.


4th Quarter- Pitt vs. Duke

Winner: Duke

Why They'll Win: As I mentioned earlier, I really don't think Pitt is as good as everyone claims. The Panthers are led by Sam Young (18 pts, 8 reb), DeJuan Blair (11 pts, 9 reb), and Levance Fields (10 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast). To the contrary, Pitt hasn't played a team worth mentioning in this blog. Duke is their first real test of the season and I think that will be tough for an team without much big game experience. Moving on...Duke is led by Kyle Singler (14 pts, 7 reb), DeMarcus Nelson (12 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), and Jon Sheyer (11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). Let me start off by saying that this year's Blue Devils are NOTHING like last year's Blue Devils. Already, they claimed wins over #13 Marquette and #20 Wisconsin, not to mention a tough win over mid-major Davidson.

When To Watch: Thursday, December 20th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.


There ya have it. That wraps up this week's edition of Game-Planning. I hope you enjoyed reading it and next week's will be a Christmas Special, but won't come out until Friday. Have a good weekend, everyone.


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The Tale of Ricky Rubio

This was a post I did on FanNation.com about 2 months ago about an up-and-comer on the basketball circuit.

Some of you may have heard of him once or twice but what do you really know about him? Did you know that DraftExpress.com has him as the number 1 pick of the 2009 NBA Draft? Did you know he is the best player outside of the U.S. right now and is only 16? Yes, he's that good. Ricky Rubio has been proclaimed by some to be the next Pistol Pete Maravich. Others have even said he is comparable to Magic Johnson.

Here's some of the basics on him: He's a 6'4", 180 pound point guard from Spain. He plays on DKV Joventut. He's a very good athlete who can play defense, is quick, is an amazing ball handler, shows great potential, and is usually the best passer on the court when he plays. He started playing for Joventut when he was fourteen years old.

But what is so great about this guy? His hunger to win. At the U16 Championships playing for Spain he was the hero. He made a half-court shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Then he kept his team in overtime sending the game into the second overtime where his team, Spain, won the game. What was his stat line for the game? 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 steals, and 7 assists. In that tournament, Spain played eight games. In those eight games, Rubio averaged 23 points, 13 boards, and 7 assists. He was unstoppable.

But there's something else about him. He can control the game without scoring. He can take less than five shots in a game and still control the tempo and help his team win. That's the reason for the Magic comparison. He can do everything. Score, rebound, pass, lead, handle the ball. He shows great intangibles and is very savvy on the court. People have already proclaimed that he's good enough to play in the NBA right now, at 16 years of age.

The one thing that might hold him back from being great? His inconsistant jump shot. Don't forget though, he still has two or three more year until the draft so I'm guessing that's being worked on as you read this. Ricky has been asked what his favorite move used in the NBA is. His answer? The move is by Steve Nash. Rubio has said that he loves how Nash takes an extra dribble off the screen to create more space for himself. I think that answer just shows how mature he is for his age. He has pretty good speed and a great basketball IQ. This kid is the next big thing. He could be the future if he continues to develop.

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