http://www.nypost.com/sports/50675.htm Now this is what I and Ric Bucher were saying after the Worlds: Finley was the only guy on the U.S. team being a team player and giving his all on both ends of the floor. Which is why of the 10 players asked to play in the Olympics (according to this article), Finley is the only one who was also on the Worlds team. The article also goes out of its way to say that Paul Pierce and Baron Davis will likely not be asked back. I still maintain that Finley is underrated. He deserves serious props for this.
Even though Phil was ranked pretty low in the eyes of the committee, all of that makes George Karl a grade A class one chump.
Stein's Daily Dime Save a spot on Team USA for Finley Thursday, Nov. 28 Those in the know say there's only one Team USA alumnus from last summer's World Championships debacle who has a chance to be on the next Team USA. Same guy who hung 42 points on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Michael Finley took the Yanks' slide to sixth place in Indianapolis as hard as anyone, but there hasn't been a hangover effect. Not with him. Finley looks determined to have his best season, which is why Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash always say the Mavericks are still Fin's team ... even though the truth is the three of them share it. Finley impressed countless USA Basketball types with his team-first approach and dedication in Indy, qualities that stood out on a squad that needed lots more of both, especially when the Yanks started losing games. The carryover effect finds Finley, after his career-best scoring output against the Pistons, averaging 22.3 points per game. The 42-point outburst was especially impressive, given Detroit's standing as the league's No. 1 defense … and the fact that the Pistons had three days off to prepare for the Mavs … and the fact that they had already seen the Mavs once (a 39-point loss in Dallas on Nov. 9) to wipe out the unfamiliarity defense. Finley's scoring, mind you, isn't what pleases the Mavericks most. He's averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, or two more boards than last season. More than anyone, Finley has embraced the demands from Mark Cuban and Don Nelson to put more emphasis on board work and defense to negate the absence of pure stoppers on the Dallas roster. The emergence of Finley (9.1 rpg in his last 10 games) and resurrection of Shawn Bradley (7.5 rpg overall) as rebounders have been as crucial to the Mavericks' success as their three zone-defense schemes. USA Basketball has noticed, raising the likelihood that a spot will be held for Finley as a sole returnee. They're looking for team guys and Finley is playing the team game as well as anyone these days. Which is better than hearing your name in trade rumors, as Finley did last season, and much better than wearing street clothes during a long winning streak … as Finley did last season. The Mavericks reeled off 10 straight victories without him last winter, spawning a bunch of "Better Without Finley?" stories leading up to the trading deadline. Can't see those same stories running this February. Ask Finley about the Olympics and he's philosophical. "It would definitely be an honor -- I love representing my country -- but if it doesn't happen I'm not going to let it hurt me," he said. Ask him next if he worries that the Mavericks are playing too well too early and he philosophizes again. "Is there such a thing as peaking too soon?" Finley said. "Every team in the league would love to have the start that we've had." Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. (http://espn.go.com/nba/s/stein/feedbackform.html)
Shawn Marion won't play, because you have to play the qualifier too. Marion already played in the Goodwill Games and Word Championships the last 2 years and said he thinks it is too much to play another 2 offseasons in a row. I think that's a bit unfair to players like Marion who worked their ass off, lead the USA in points and rebounds on their way to win the goodwill games and played this year. He should be invited in 2004 without playing another offseason. Let those players play the qualifier that rejected the invitation first and now want to represent Team USA.
