USA Olympic Depth

While watching team USA trounce undefeated through the international competition once again this summer at the London 2012 Olympics, I couldn't help but ask questions about parity and the growth of the global game. It seemed like the USA was unmatchable even though they were missing many of their key players from 2008 in Beijing and the 2010 World Championships in Turkey. It has been sufficient time since the USA basketball recruits fell in Athens in 2004 and while the rest of the world seemed to be catching up, maybe the USA has once again sprinted ahead. Let's take a look at the 2012 roster and some notable missing players to comprise a first and second team.

The London 2012 Gold-Medal Winning USA Men's Team

London 2012 Team USA
C - Tyson Chandler
F - LeBron James
F - Kevin Durant
G - Kobe Bryant
G - Chris Paul
6 - Carmelo Anthony
B - Deron Williams
B - Russell Westbrook
B - Kevin Love
B - James Harden
B - Andre Iguodala
B - Anthony Davis

Second Team All-USA
C - Dwight Howard (back surgery)
F - Blake Griffin (knee surgery)
F - Chris Bosh (abdominal strain)
G - Dwyane Wade (knee surgery)
G - Derrick Rose (knee surgery)
6 - Rudy Gay
B - Eric Gordon
B - LaMarcus Aldridge (hip surgery)
B - Danny Granger
B - Joe Johnson
B - Paul Pierce
B - Rajon Rondo

That All-Injured starting five would have surely made the 2012 Olympic roster had they been healthy, and the rest of the players listed could surely form a gold-medal supporting cast to either this second team or first team. In fact, if any of the second team's bigs were able to go it's unlikely Anthony Davis would have made the Olympic team and may be tough for him to crack the second team too, not to take anything away from what he brought to the team. Rudy Gay and Eric Gordon were the final cuts for the London squad in favour of Harden and Iguodala and they could have easily slotted into the gold-medal team. Pierce and Rondo are underrated picks while Johnson and Granger are perennial all-stars. It seems safe to say that Team USA could have sent an entirely different squad (if healthy) to London and still come away with gold, but what about a podium sweep? If team USA and the other participating nations were allowed to send however many teams they wanted as long as they qualified, could the USA "C-Team" still hold off the likes of Spain, France, Brazil, Russia and Argentina to capture a medal? Let's look at who they could field,

USA 2012 C-Team
C - Andrew Bynum
F - Al Jefferson/Amare Stoudemire/Tim Duncan/Kevin Garnett/Zach Randolph/DeMarcus Cousins
F - Josh Smith
G - Monta Ellis
G - Kyrie Irving
6 - Ray Allen
B - Tyreke Evans
B - Stephen Curry
B - John Wall
B - Mike Conley

The plethora of power forwards that remain unattached to the first two teams is staggering. Team USA-C could pick any three of the aforementioned PFs and field a strong front-court with Andrew Bynum and the versatile Josh Smith. And there are still names like Millsap, Boozer, and West who you could also make a case for. Greg Monroe could have also provided some size and depth in the front-court. Ray Allen is deadly as ever, and should he not be able to go, Jason Terry seems primed to fill his spot. The point guard spot is very strong with reigning rookie-of-the-year Kyrie Irving, and backed up by Curry, Wall and Conley the C-Team would likely play two of them at one time. Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Kyle Lowry and Jeremy Lin could also garner consideration here. And Shane Battier could hold this team together if a spot opened up. It seems unlikely, but with the collection of talent assembled here, a team USA-C team could conceivably win bronze while USA sweeps the podium. What do you think? Did I leave anybody out? Am I crazy and severely underestimating international talent and moxie? In any case, the argument could be made...

Links
Team Spain 2012 Roster
Team Russia 2012 Roster
Team Argentina 2012 Roster
Team France 2012 Roster
Team Brazil 2012 Roster

White Men Can't Jump

Last night I finally watched White Men Can't Jump, the 1992 film starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as streetball hustlers. Great movie, lots of swearing obviously, but touching on social issues with flair and humor, often surprisingly. And all the while I was just waiting, waiting for somebody to speak the titular line in the movie until it seemed like Harrelson's character Billy really couldn't throw it down. If you've seen the movie then you know how it ends, and I ask this question of you- if you could throw a lob to any white dude in the NBA, (and no, Blake Griffin doesn't count) who would it be?

Here's my short-list,
Chase Budinger: The clear favourite. Made this tribute dunk at this years' Dunk Contest.
Rudy Fernandez: Overseas now after signing a 3-year deal with Real Madrid, Rudy can jam.
Chris Andersen: The Birdman can fly and he's able to catch plenty of lobs at 6'10"
Manu Ginobili: Sure, he's 35 but if anybody is going to Euro-step slam it's Ginobs
Tom Chambers: Bonus pick. The GOAT
Extras
Josh McRoberts...Jon Brockman...Chandler Parsons...Jonas Jerebko...Tyler Hansbrough...Jan Vesely...Spencer Hawes...David Lee...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Westbrook



Russell Westbrook may be the cowabunga-est current NBA player. With his excitable play, ninja-esque physical abilities, and the reluctance to accept the second-banana billing that his team formation seems to want to fit him into, Westbrook is very much like Raphael of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When Raph goes off on his own or tries to be the sole leader, the team sometimes suffers much like the Thunder do when Westbrook dominates the ball and takes more shots than Durant. With Leonardo filling the role of group leader, he fights within the team system, and understands what he must do. Similarily stoic and mature among his dynamic, youthful teammates, Kevin Durant leads by example. All of which makes Westbrook and Raphael say, "Who made you the leader?"

Watch some Russell Westbrook highlights here

Bill Russell Profile

Bill Russell

"The Original Celtic"

Boston Celtics- 13 seasons- 963 games

6’9” – 215 lb – 15.1 pts – 22.5 reb – 4.3 ast – .44 fg% - 42.3 minutes

“Book of Basketball”- Bill Simmons’ Ranking: 2

SLAM #130 and Top 500 Ranking: 3

 ESPN's 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century: 18

Defense wins championships…

because Bill Russell says so.

Russell gave the NBA another dimension: serious defense to combat the fairly loose, offensive-based score-fest the NBA had been becoming behind previous seven-footers who were skilled, but generally earth-bound.

The school of thought in the pre-perimeter era was that the biggest guy was the hardest to guard and should therefore score the most, which he could do easiest by standing the closest. This had worked for years, but Russell changed all that. Though he never led his team in scoring, he won 11 championships in his 13 seasons.

And really who could argue with the lord of the rings? We’re talking about the man David Stern named the Finals MVP trophy after, and presented a custom championship ring that has each of his title years engraved on the sides so that Russell isn’t forced to choose his favorite ten.

For the 6-9, 215 lb centre, defense was everything because he turned it into everything. Defense became offense when the other team couldn’t convert, and Russell fired outlet passes to a streaking Bob Cousy, KC or Sam Jones, John Havlicek, or any of a cast of other hall-of-famers.

As Russell says, “I had never seen a blocked shot in a basketball game before I did it! I estimate that, in college, I averaged at least 15 blocked shots a game. Often, I started fast breaks off those blocks which revolutionized the way offense could be played.”

“That’s quite a twist, isn’t it, having a defensive player mean the difference?” said Lakers coach John Kundla in 1959. “We don’t fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. Take him out and we can beat them… He’s the guy who whipped us psychologically. Russell has our club worrying every second. Every one of the five men is thinking Russell is covering him on every play. He blocks a shot, and before you know it, Boston is getting a basket, and a play by Russell has done it.”

With big #6 patrolling the paint, blocking shots like nobody had ever seen before, the Celtic guards could play aggressive in their defense. They could lunge at exposed dribbles, stray into passing lanes hoping for interceptions, and generally put more pressure on the other team. They were able to do all this knowing that if their over-zealous defense meant their man got past them, Russell was there.

They called it the “Hey Bill!” defense.

Bill Russell and Red Auerbach celebrated 11 championships together

And he was always there. A staple of the original Celtics dynasty, Russell usually sat for only two minutes at the end of the first quarter before playing the rest of the game.

And the other team knew he was there too. Russell’s presence alone was enough to make offensive players think twice about taking the ball to the basket, or putting up some kind of weak, two-handed set shot.

“I went around my man going for a lay-up and [Russell] blocked a couple shots,” says former MVP and hall-of-famer Bob Pettit. “The next time I got around them I missed the lay-up looking for him.”

Russell scouted opponents like a coach to learn their moves and visualize their tendencies, something current players do with the aid of technology, but just one thing Russell did to gain any kind of edge that could momentarily satisfy his unquenchable thirst for victory.

This coach’s perspective allowed him to build a fruitful relationship with Red Auerbach. The two worked together to employ Russell’s game-changing skillset and build the team around it. When Red became GM, Russell took over the bench and coached himself to two more titles.

We could talk about accomplishments and awards all day; Russell’s 51-rebound game, his record 40 rebounds in a Finals game, his ten straight seasons with 21+ rebounds per game, and his average of 24.9 in career playoff rebounds, but individual statistics didn’t matter to Russell.

That’s in many ways what separates him from Wilt Chamberlain, Russell’s primary rival. For example, it was in the 1961/62 season Wilt averaged 50.4 points and scored his iconic 100 in a single game. Russell won MVP, and the Celtics took the title.

The winning was what drove Russell each game. During Russell’s reign, the Celtics won 71% of their regular season games, 65% of their playoff games, and never lost a game 7, winning 10 of 10 deciding games.

Closed and surly while a Celtic, Russell eschewed most fans by refusing to sign autographs, and disliked media saying, “The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation and people go deeper than that.”

After he won his last championship in 1969 he didn't attend the victory parade, nor his jersey retirement in 1972, or his Hall of Fame induction in 1975. Only recently has Russell re-emerged as a smiling face of the NBA, his differences reconciled by time.

Nowadays, “defense wins championships” is undeniable, an intrinsic truth, and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Bill Russell reinterpreted basketball in a way no player has before or since, and his record 11 championships will likely never be matched.

Basketball Reference- Bill Russell's career stats

Watch- Bill Russell "Block Art" feature

Watch- Bill Russell talk to Kevin Garnett

Watch- Bill Russell and Red Auerbach teach rebounding technique

"Russell the Celtic, Lord of the Rings"             illustration by Devin Gray

Canadian Men's U18 Team

The Canadian junior national team recently travelled to Brazil to compete in the FIBA Americas under-18 championship. After posting a strong 3-0 record in their bracket, they faced the host Brazil in the semi-finals and fell just short of a shot at USA in the finals. The Canadians settled for a bronze medal with a close 68-66 win over Argentina, and the team qualified for next year’s FIBA U19 World Championship in the Czech Republic. Before the tournament began, I attended the team's last practice game in Canada with northpolehoops.com and compiled this TV report on the team,

NBA Mock Draft 2012

I'm writing this now so that everybody knows I wasn't cheating when all my predictions end up correct in tonight's draft, plus Raps recond-rounders...

1. Anthony Davis - Hornets (the concensus first overall)
2. Thomas Robinson - Bobcats (acquired Ben Gordon, need a big to pair with Biyombo)
3. Brad Beal - Wizards (may have the highest ceiling in the draft)
4. Harrison Barnes - Cavaliers (scoring wing Cavs need, friends with Kyrie Irving)
5. Michael-Kidd Gilchrist - Kings (defender with a high motor to go along with their scorers)
6. Damian Lillard - Trail Blazers (could go Drummond, but seem to be impressed with Lillard)
7. Andre Drummond - Warriors (can't let him slip too far, too much upside)
8. Dion Waiters - Raptors (penetrator with rapidly rising draft stock, tough character Raps need)
9. John Henson - Pistons (defensive big to pair with Greg Monroe)
10. Austin Rivers - Hornets (rounds out guard rotation, big-game attitude)
11. Myers Leonard - Trail Blazers (a legit seven-footer, they need a centre)
12. Perry Jones - Rockets (Houston traded up to secure this draft's biggest wildcard)
13. Terrence Ross - Suns (multi-dimensional player, Suns will take best available)
14. Tyler Zeller - Bucks (could use a dependable big man, traded down and can still get their guy)
15. Arnett Moultrie - Sixers
16. Jeremy Lamb - Rockets
17. Moe Harkless - Mavericks
18. Marquis Teague - Rockets
19. Terrence Jones - Magic
20. Kendall Marshall - Nuggets
21. Royce White - Celtics
22. Jared Sullinger - Celtics
23. Fab Melo - Atlanta Hawks
24. Quincy Miller - Cavaliers
25. Andrew Nicholson - Grizzlies
26. Draymond Green - Pacers
27. Festus Ezeli - Heat
28. Doron Lamb - Thunder
29. Tyshawn Taylor - Bulls
30. Tony Wroten - Warriors
37. Khris Middleton - Raptors
56. Kostas Papanikolaou - Raptors

Finals Preview: Heat vs Thunder

Heat vs Thunder. Thunder vs Heat. The people's Finals. It's a toss-up. Both teams look like championship teams. The Heat have already been here and lost in the Finals just one year ago, while the Thunder are fresh. The saying usually goes, "You need to lose one to win one," but the Heat largely seem to be the underdog in this series. This matchup also pits the top two vote-getters in the MVP race against each other in the Finals for the first time since 1998. The easiest way to analyze this epic matchup will be to break it down... let's go!

The MVP

Since Jordan and Malone met in the 1998 Finals, there hasn't been this level of MVP talent going head-to-head for the Larry O'Brien. This year, LeBron won his third career MVP award topping Kevin Durant, the NBA's scoring champ in each of the past three seasons. In these playoffs LeBron has averaged 30.8 points per game over 42.4 minutes per, while Durant is averaging 27.8 in 41.6. LeBron is one of the best defenders in the League and Durant's no slouch either; his long arms and quick hands allow him to excel on the defensive end of the floor as well as his deadly shooting touch. LeBron is simply a better all-around player right now with 9.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists to KD's 7.9 and 4.2, but the well-rounded pair should match up well with LeBron maintaining the slight edge.

Second Bananas

On any other team in the League, Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade would be the unquestioned team leader and go-to-player, yet both defer to the aforementioned MVP candidates. This season Westbrook outplayed Wade, a former Finals MVP, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team while Wade made the Third Team. Wade is averaging 22.9 points, 5 rebounds and 4.1 assists, while Westbrook is averaging 21.7, 5.1 and 5.6. Whichever of these two can better complement their team leader while allowing them the space to do what they do, should lead his team to victory. Wade has been here before and is less likely to make the questionable decisions on the court that Westbrook is often criticized for.

Big Two-and-a-Half

Chris Bosh has been the butt end of many jokes along the lines of "two and a half men," but the third wheel of the big three came up big in game seven against the Celtics hitting three of four shots from the land beyond in just his third game back from an abdominal strain suffered earlier in the playoffs that caused him to miss nine games. He has averaged 13.7, 6.9, and just 0.8 assists in his limited time. On the other side, James Harden has emerged as one of the best shooting guards in the League and a legitimate third scorer for the young Thunder. Coming off the bench, Harden has averaged 17.6, 5.2 and 3.3. Whoever shows up more and completes their team's big three should be able to push their team over the top. Bosh is the bigger factor if he can show up and has no limitations.

Post Powers

The Thunder post players are able to shut down the paint, so that Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha and others can play risky basketball and stab at passes that will lead to steals and fast breaks knowing they have Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins down low to protect the basket if any offensive players get through the perimeter. Ibaka is grabbing 5.9 rebounds and blocking 3.3 shots per game, while Perkins is averaging 6.0 and 1.5. The Thunder also have Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed backing up the starting bigs. The Heat meanwhile have Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, Ronny Turiaf and Dexter Pittman, all limited offensively and not as intimidating on the defensive end either. Technically, Bosh counts here too. The Thunder bigs will give OKC a huge advantage.

Coaching

From 2001 to 2008, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra served as assistant coach/director of scouting for the team. Since taking over as head coach, he's led the Heat to 194 wins in four seasons and two Finals appearances. He's been on the hot seat most of his time in charge in Miami, and if the team falls short again, drastic changes may be in order. Whether LeBron or Wade will listen to Spo over their own instincts is doubtful. While Spo never actually played in the NBA, Thunder coach Scott Brooks spent ten years with six teams in the League. The Thunder have improved each year during Brooks' tenure going from a 22-47 record after he took over the team in 2008-09, to 47-19 this season. Both coaches have done a fine job controlling the best players in the League, but Brooks gets the slight nod because of his in-game experience.

The Season Series
March 25 in Oklahoma City: Thunder 103, Heat 87; Durant: 28 points, nine rebounds, eight assists
April 4 in Miami: Heat 98, Thunder 93; James: 34 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists

The Verdict
With better post players, and perhaps the better coach, the Thunder are the favorites right now. Westbrook will be hard-pressed to outplay Wade in the Finals where Wade has been a few times, and of course the MVP is looming on the other side. Bosh could make or break this series, but he may be even less dependable than the off-the-bench effort from James Harden. Don't forget about Shane Battier and Derek Fisher, who provide leadership and championship-mentality. This should be a thrilling NBA finals, that will likely (hopefully) go seven games. The Thunder have advanced in four, five, then six games, while the Heat have advanced in five, six, then seven. If the series goes to seven, count on the energy of Oklahoma City to push the Thunder over the top while the Heat fall just short for the second year in a row.