The Right Attitude

Ron Artest is often labeled as the bad boy of the NBA, but I don't think that should keep him out of the Olympic basketball. Especially if he wants to be there...

http://www.nypost.com/sports/27391.htm

In his mind, Ron Artest deserves to be Athens. Heralded by many as the NBA’s best perimeter defender, a skill which is lacking for the “Dream Team”, Artest may very well have a point.

"I was surprised the Defensive Player of the Year didn't get an invite, didn't get called," Artest said at the Park Avenue Country Club. "I would've been a ballboy. I would've gotten all the guys water. I would've done anything to be down there."

Artest speculates his being passed over is a political move due to a mildly turbulent past in which he was subject to technical's and disciplinary action.
This latest outburst comes as a shock to many, especially after so many players seemed to be over the Olympic scene and passed down roster spots.

 

Also I know that great shooters like Hoiberg would love to play for the Olympics. Forget all NBA stars, lets get other players that can fill a role that would love to be there. We need a good collection of players that can play TEAM basketball...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=knight-dreamteamshooterideahumbl&prov=knight&type=lgns

ATHENS, Greece — Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg would look sharp in a Team USA jersey right now.


Too bad no one bothered to ask.

"That never entered my mind," Hoiberg said by telephone Saturday night, an hour after the United States lost to Lithuania 94-90. "I never thought in a million years that my name would come up in discussions for the Olympic team. I never would think of myself in the league of these guys to be on an Olympic team."


But given the makeup of the current team, Hoiberg might be in a league of his own.


Although he's certainly not among the top 25 NBA players, Hoiberg — a pure outside shooter who plays solid defense and makes sound decisions — would fill a role this U.S. team desperately needs. In fact, so would several other Wolves players not named Garnett, namely Troy Hudson, Sam Cassell and Wally Szczerbiak.


But Hoiberg was diplomatic about Team USA's problems.


"I think the big thing was to try and get the biggest stars they could on this team," he said. "It's easy to say in hindsight that they should have some pure shooters. But this is a team that seems to be playing a little bit better. All it'll take for them is one game where they make some shots."


Hoiberg was diplomatic about the players who are expected to do what he does best.


"They've got shooters," Hoiberg said. "(Allen) Iverson can get it going. They've got (Richard) Jefferson, who hit some shots (Saturday)."


But the United States needs more. The Americans have made just 18 of 83 three-point attempts from a distance inside the NBA's three-point line, a dismal 22 percent. Hoiberg hit 44 percent of his three-point attempts last season and nearly 47 percent of all his shots.


Regardless, Hoiberg still believes in the U.S. team.


"I still think they're the favorite and they'll win the gold," he said.

 

Tuning up Team USA
By Andrew, San Antonio / Aug 24, 2004

Everybody is trying to find a quick fix for Team USA to get the gold medal in these Olympics and to cruise to it in the next. But there is no simple solution. So after reading every sportswriter in the country's solution, I thought that it was my turn.

For the next Olympics, USA Basketball should first and foremost try to get the best players in the game on the team, that should be a given. The original team that won the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last summer would be undefeated and would win the gold medal in these games. It wouldn't be a blowout or anything of that sort, but they would find ways to win, that's why they are considered the best. And they would make themselves fit into a team concept because that's what good players do. But if the same problem arises in the next Olympics with the best players turning down requests to play, the Selection Committee needs to focus on creating a real team, not an second-tier all-star team, or in this Olympiad, a Rookie-Sophomore game starting lineup.

It would be very simple to create a smooth, functioning team around Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson. The spurs have a team centered around Tim Duncan, and he does not have a second scoring option as good as Allen Iverson. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are both very talented players, but part of the reason they are so good is because Tim Duncan lifts a lot of pressure off of them. But the Achilles heal of Tim Duncan, besides free-throw shooting and his Mona Lisa smile, is that he needs a shooter on the perimeter to help stretch the defenses. That is why the Spurs obtain guys like Steve smith, Stephen Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu, and in this summer's case, Brent Barry. If this year's Olympic team had one consistent perimeter (notice how I didn't say three-point, that shot is starting to ruin American basketball) shooter, Tim Duncan would probably average around 25 points per game, and if he didn't, that shooter would.

But in addition to adding a shooter or four to the lineup, the team needs to role-players. Not scrubs who do what they're told because that is the only way that they can make a roster, but guys who are very talented players and who otherwise might be one of the best players on their teams. Guys who can find ways to help the team and whose game is a complement to the superstar. I believe that Carlos Boozer was a good selection for Team USA. As Doug Collins pointed out, Carlos Boozer probably hasn't been the best player on his team since high school. He played at Duke behind Shane Battier, Jay Williams, and Mike Dunleavy Jr., and this past season, LeBron James.

Two players who belong on Team USA are Ron Artest and Brad Miller. The squad needs to be based on a great defense. The best offense you can have is a great defense. Ron Artest is no worse than the second best perimeter defender in the game and is a rapidly developing offensive threat. Although everyone remembers Brad Miller with his back turned to a less-than-threatening Shaq haymaker, his physical play and beast mentality frustrated Shaq the entire night. He has a very underrated passing game (a must in international basketball) and a fifteen-foot jumpshot that can draw a defender away from the paint. Also, both Artest and Miller have an attitude and a killer instinct. A player like Artest would make the team play hard and hustle; there would be no loafing on Team USA. Brad Miller's defense would make easy baskets hard to come by. Team USA needs players like these.

What Team USA doesn't need is a year-round national team made up of minor league stars. It needs an NBA star-filled lineup team that is overwhelming not only athletically, but physically and mentally. Players who aren't merely strong, but also actually play strong. The selection committee needs to build a team based on the players' skills and not their sales ranking. They need to study tape of players much like coaches and GM's do and get players that will thrive in the international game. And finally, although David Stern is great at marketing the game, making it popular and making it profitable, he should not be a consultant in this matter. Team USA basketball is in desperate need of an overhaul, and somebody needs to step up and make it happen.

 

Wasn't there a guy on the Lithuanian team that was a total dick? I remember the television announcers said that he is always yelling at the officials and even his opponents. After seeing that, I thought that Artest wouldn't even be that bad. About Artest, I think he would have been a great addition to the team because he is the 2nd best defensive player in the game and he has awesome defense too. Also, he brings intensity to the court and as long as he is under control he would be a tremendous help to the team. The thing thats wrong with this team is that there are too many players with the same talent, but not other talents, its not diversified enough. I think in order for a team to excell you have to have players that have strengths in different areas that can bring their games to match with other players. That said, I think Artest would be an awesome fit at guard/forward.

 

I think the number one thing we need to do is to put a team together that doesn't have a glaring weakness in any area (shouldn't be too hard) and then to have them prepare and be able to play really together plenty of time in advance. This is the hard part because of the length of the NBA season and that there is hardly any time for a team to really practice a lot years in advance like European teams can...