Since there was really nothing at stake for Team USA, their 106-57 obliteration of Germany showed few surprises. Still, every team in every game has some ups and some downs.
First, the upside:
Coach K perpetuated his game plan of going to Dwight Howard ASAP, and the young man responded by totally dominating Germany's bevy of 7-footers. It should be noted, though, that there's nothing radical about this procedure — the well-known principle being that after getting early touches (and shot opportunities), bigs will then run the floor, be active on the glass, and hustle on defense. The Americans did a great job of pushing the ball and attacking Germany's zone defense before it could get set. Against Germany's man-to-man defense, the Americans were routinely able to carry the ball into the middle, resulting in layups and even more dunks. As ever, Team USA's hounding defense translated into a dunk-o-rama at the other end of the court. America's defense was so stifling that the Germans had trouble getting shots up, completing passes and even maintaining possession while they were standing still. Dirk Nowitzki was repeatedly swarmed on defense and was subsequently never a factor. Their 3-pointers were also on target. No matter how large their lead, they always played hard and smart.Now the downside:
Germany's defense was so overwhelmed that it was often difficult to discern whether they were playing zone or man-to-man. Nevertheless, when operating against clearly identifiable zones, the Americans shot only 8-for-20 (for 17 points) and committed four turnovers. Not bad, but not good either. Howard's continued failures at the free throw line (4-for-9) could prove costly should Team USA find themselves in a tight game during the medal round. The U.S. resorted to several isolations against man-to-man defenses — mostly by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony — with only limited success. It's imperative that this team keeps the ball moving whenever they're forced to play a half-court possession. Kobe missed two dunks!Biggest surprise performance: Jason Kidd maintaining his perfect shooting percentage by dropping a 3-pointer. He's now 2-for-2.
Most disappointing performance: Carlos Boozer missing a 4-foot jumper by two feet.
Conclusion: The guys were loosey-goosey and having fun, yet they still played with discipline. In addition to their collective talent and depth, the overall confidence of this squad makes them even more formidable.
Outlook: They have yet to be seriously challenged, and perhaps they won't be. But with every play fraught with increased importance in the forthcoming one-and-done tournament, and with the rugged, fearless Aussies on deck, nothing is guaranteed.
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