USA-Australia Preview
Well it all comes down to this for Team USA. All the warm ups are over and it’s time to get down to business. One off day in these next three games and it will be bye-bye gold medal.
Some of you might remember that Australia gave the Americans trouble in their final exhibition on 8/5 in Shanghai. The US won 87-76 but looked very vulnerable in doing so. The Boomers showed no fear of Team USA and were able to control the tempo making the Americans play at their pace throughout.
Since then the Aussies have turned into maybe the hottest club in the Olympics. After losing their first two contests of the tournament to Argentina and Croatia, the Boomers have scored 106, 95 and 106 points in their last three games...all wins. They are shooting 50.9% from the field (3rd in tourney), 44.4% from three (2nd) and 78.3% from the free throw line (4th).
Besides being able to score the ball the Aussies like to try and get into the opposition’s head either by rough play or talking smack. Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee) is their leader and is averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 71.4% from three (all lead team) and 61.7% from the field. SG Brad Newley (Houston) leads them in minutes (25.2) and FG shooting (65.0%) and is second in scoring (13.2). Patrick Mills (St. Mary’s, CA) is their 6th man and the only other guy averaging double figures (13.0). Mills in particular killed Team USA with his quickness blowing by Chris Paul not once but twice in full court situations.
It doesn’t stop there though as the Boomers have three other rotation guys with NBA ties. Big man David Anderson (Atlanta) is their 7th man and was a starter on the CSKA Moscow club that just won the Euroleague title. Seven-footer Chris Anstey is their 8th man and played with the Dallas Mavericks from ’97-99. And finally starting PG C.J. Bruton was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies back in 1997.
Obviously the Aussies know how to play and aren’t intimidated by America’s NBA stars. That said I think the boys from Down Under were let off the hook a little in Shanghai. Team USA was done with friendlies by that point and was looking forward to the Olympics already, so the Boomers didn’t get anywhere near their best effort.
I guarantee that will be different this time around. The American players don’t like hearing about any squad (ahem…Greece) that can hang with them. So all these reporters that keep asking them how Australia gave them problems back on 8/5 really just fuels their fire. I expect another “payback” mentally from Team USA and likely another blowout that may or may not including a fracas or two.
That said the Americans still have to play smart and under control. They can’t get sucked into the Aussie’s overly physical style and MUST defend the 3-point line, because if the Boomers get rolling from deep Team USA could be in for a long night. Since Australia will play a packed in zone again it would really help the US if they shoot threes like they have been the past two games.
In closing America can definitely lose this game if they take it lightly. But nothing I’ve seen so far suggests that will be the case. As long as our perimeter defense continues to make it difficult for the opposition to initiate their offense, while at the same time creating numerous easy transition opportunities for us, we will be fine no matter what our shooting percentages look like.
(The game is live on the USA cable network at 5:00 AM Pacific.)
Elsewhere around the tournament…
QF1) Spain v Croatia – To me this is danger time for the Spanish. Croatia is the top 3-point shooting team (47.5%) in the tournament and Spain is the worst (30.4%). Also the Spaniards seem to be out of rhythm or something (they fired long time coach Pepu Hernandez only two months before the Olympics). I’ll go with Spain in a close one since Marko Popovic (torn foot tendon) and Zoran Planinic (hip) are both questionable for the Croats.
QF2) Lithuania v China – If the Chinese guards (paging Liu Wei…) can withstand the ball pressure that is sure to come their way I like their chances. For starters China is coached by a Lithuanian national (Jonas Kazlauskas) and they are also the host country. I’m going out on a limb here and predicting that the Chinese ride their home fans right into the semis.
QF4) Argentina v Greece – This one is really too close for me to call because both sides are very disciplined in what they do, both possess high basketball IQ and both know how to perform in pressure situations. While the Greeks are deeper the Argentines have the star power. In situations like this you always go with the best player, so I’ll say Manu Ginobili makes the game winning play in crunch time.
Some of you might remember that Australia gave the Americans trouble in their final exhibition on 8/5 in Shanghai. The US won 87-76 but looked very vulnerable in doing so. The Boomers showed no fear of Team USA and were able to control the tempo making the Americans play at their pace throughout.
Since then the Aussies have turned into maybe the hottest club in the Olympics. After losing their first two contests of the tournament to Argentina and Croatia, the Boomers have scored 106, 95 and 106 points in their last three games...all wins. They are shooting 50.9% from the field (3rd in tourney), 44.4% from three (2nd) and 78.3% from the free throw line (4th).
Besides being able to score the ball the Aussies like to try and get into the opposition’s head either by rough play or talking smack. Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee) is their leader and is averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 71.4% from three (all lead team) and 61.7% from the field. SG Brad Newley (Houston) leads them in minutes (25.2) and FG shooting (65.0%) and is second in scoring (13.2). Patrick Mills (St. Mary’s, CA) is their 6th man and the only other guy averaging double figures (13.0). Mills in particular killed Team USA with his quickness blowing by Chris Paul not once but twice in full court situations.
It doesn’t stop there though as the Boomers have three other rotation guys with NBA ties. Big man David Anderson (Atlanta) is their 7th man and was a starter on the CSKA Moscow club that just won the Euroleague title. Seven-footer Chris Anstey is their 8th man and played with the Dallas Mavericks from ’97-99. And finally starting PG C.J. Bruton was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies back in 1997.
Obviously the Aussies know how to play and aren’t intimidated by America’s NBA stars. That said I think the boys from Down Under were let off the hook a little in Shanghai. Team USA was done with friendlies by that point and was looking forward to the Olympics already, so the Boomers didn’t get anywhere near their best effort.
I guarantee that will be different this time around. The American players don’t like hearing about any squad (ahem…Greece) that can hang with them. So all these reporters that keep asking them how Australia gave them problems back on 8/5 really just fuels their fire. I expect another “payback” mentally from Team USA and likely another blowout that may or may not including a fracas or two.
That said the Americans still have to play smart and under control. They can’t get sucked into the Aussie’s overly physical style and MUST defend the 3-point line, because if the Boomers get rolling from deep Team USA could be in for a long night. Since Australia will play a packed in zone again it would really help the US if they shoot threes like they have been the past two games.
In closing America can definitely lose this game if they take it lightly. But nothing I’ve seen so far suggests that will be the case. As long as our perimeter defense continues to make it difficult for the opposition to initiate their offense, while at the same time creating numerous easy transition opportunities for us, we will be fine no matter what our shooting percentages look like.
(The game is live on the USA cable network at 5:00 AM Pacific.)
Elsewhere around the tournament…
QF1) Spain v Croatia – To me this is danger time for the Spanish. Croatia is the top 3-point shooting team (47.5%) in the tournament and Spain is the worst (30.4%). Also the Spaniards seem to be out of rhythm or something (they fired long time coach Pepu Hernandez only two months before the Olympics). I’ll go with Spain in a close one since Marko Popovic (torn foot tendon) and Zoran Planinic (hip) are both questionable for the Croats.
QF2) Lithuania v China – If the Chinese guards (paging Liu Wei…) can withstand the ball pressure that is sure to come their way I like their chances. For starters China is coached by a Lithuanian national (Jonas Kazlauskas) and they are also the host country. I’m going out on a limb here and predicting that the Chinese ride their home fans right into the semis.
QF4) Argentina v Greece – This one is really too close for me to call because both sides are very disciplined in what they do, both possess high basketball IQ and both know how to perform in pressure situations. While the Greeks are deeper the Argentines have the star power. In situations like this you always go with the best player, so I’ll say Manu Ginobili makes the game winning play in crunch time.
posted by D$ at 1:16 PM
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