With the US team's two losses, there is a whole heap of blame to hand around. This certainly isn't the first time someone has written this. You can blame Team USA, Goerge Karl, our stars who didn't play, and widespread complacency. However, I would like to point at least one player who in my opinion should not be blamed: Michael Finley. Finley is certainly one of the hardest workers in the league, and he was certainly the hardest worker on that team. Finley gave his all on both ends of the floor, in practices and in games. I think the only other player on the team who could claim working on both ends consistently and refusing to treat the Worlds like a meaningless exhibition is Andre Miller. As Ric Bucher says, "If the U.S. team had a few more like (Finley), it would be playing for gold." I am almost happy USA lost. Maybe America will start treating international competition seriously, and players will start taking representing their country seriously. But I am deeply saddened that Finley and A. Miller will forever be known as players that lost it for us, because in my opinion that just isn't the case. I have no pity for the others though.
No one person or group is to blame. It an erosion of basketball fundamentals over the last 15 years. When Jordan came into the league, a lot of kids at home started imitating him on the court. They wanted to be "like Mike." They thought that if they looked "good" dunking that, that was all they needed to be a great player. They forget that Jordan also mastered the pick-and-roll, the back-door-pass, the no-look, the wrap-around-pass, the jump-hook, the finger-roll, the jump-shot, the three-pointer, the pivot-move, the up-and-under, the off-the-glass-shot...need I go on? Jordan also shot 98% from the free-throw line WHEN THE GAME WAS ON THE LINE (the mental part of the game). Jordan also never gave up in a game, even if his team was down by 20 in the fourth quarter (competitiveness). Jordan could also lead his team in assists if he HAD TO. So, all these kids that are out of grade-school and college are in the NBA now. We have a whole generation of kids in the NBA NOW that grew up with this mentality....now we're paying the price. They grew up watching Jordan, Magic and Bird. These kids built their bodies to the limit so that they could jump "like Jordan" and run "like Jordan." But, they forgot about all the other things (fundamentals) of the game that made Jordan great. Have you noticed that when a young player makes a "Magic like" pass he celebrates (ESPN too) like he just won the championship. Nike calls and Rebok calls to offer that player (seen on ESPN) a shoe contract just because he made a few flashy passes on TV. That same player never makes a "Magic like" pass the rest of the season. It's all hype. Style over substance. This is not good. Things have to change. NOTE: Sure, if Iverson, Shaq, Kobe KG and Duncan played we probably would NOT have lost. But it would have only DELAYED the inevitable. Sooner or later, international skills, fundamentals and the team-game would have caught up to the athletes of the NBA and beat them.
How many times did you see Finley up in the faces of those very suspect officials? It was a bit humurous...maybe a hassle for the officials, who had Vlade in their faces from Yugoslavia (what's new) and Finley from the United States (along with Jermaine O'Neal's barking).
I personally think Paul Pierce was the best player on the team and now in my opinion should be considered as one of the top ten players. Defensively there wasn't really much to say, a few blocks by Wallace and a little body pressure every now and then by Davis when he felt like it. But the way Pierce single handedly took over the game, and I still think he should have had the last shot of the game, towards the end of the game Miller was taking too many shots, although he did hit that one three, lots of plays down the court you could see Pierce wide open calling for the ball, he was hogging it a bit but you count argue with results.
