Let's not get all overwrought about the most-watched basketball game in history. The US won easily 101-70 thanks to great defense - Coach K has the American team pressuring college-style all over the court - and a weak Chinese backcourt.
On the other hand, it wasn't lost on anyone that the US shot 7-24 (29%) from 3 points and the Chinese were left open for threes and hit 4-6 in the first quarter and 7-15 for the first half, exposing again the seemingly eternal US weakness against the 3-point shot. Clog the middle and make the US shoot jumpers...don't have to be a genius to figure that one out.
The "Redeem Team" has an easy one against Angola on Tuesday, but nothing simple after that. And the Croatians - who shot 12-16 from 3-points in their 97-82 win over Australia (who lost to the US by 11 in pre-Olympic play), Russians, Lithuanians, Greeks, Argentines and espcially the Spanish have backcourts that can compete with the Americans, and these teams consistently shoot 40% and more from long range. The US shouldn't count their gold medals before they hatch.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
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