Team USA has had a pretty easy go of it thus far in the World Championships, but they faced a test today against Italy, eventually prevailing, 94-85, over the silver medal winner in the 2004 Olympics.
The U.S. led by six after the first quarter, but had a miserable second quarter, as Italy outscored the U.S. 26-11 in the period to take a nine-point halftime lead. For those that watched the Olympic debacle, it was the same old mistakes that continue to plague the U.S. team in international play – stagnant, one-on-one offense; poor shot selection and sloppy defense.
But the difference in this year’s team is head coach Mike Krzyzewski. After halftime, the team put on a 32-19 run in the third quarter to take a four-point lead at the end of the period. Krzyzewski started the half with a different lineup that the one that started the game: Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Elton Brand. Clearly, he challenged the group, and they responded.
Anthony, whose game translates internationally better than James and Wade due to his ability to shoot from all over the court, caught fire in the third, posting 19 points in the period. Meanwhile, Wade chipped in 11 to help give his team a lead going into the final period. Slowly, the U.S. built its lead, and eventually put the game out of reach. Anthony and Wade finished with 35 and 26 points, respectively, while Elton Brand added 16 points in the win. Marco Belinelli led Italy with 25 points in the loss. The 20 year-old reminds me of a young Brent Barry, and it’s quite possible that we’ll see him in the NBA in the near future. For some reason, #1 draft pick Andrea Bargnani is not playing with his national team, even though he has been called the future of Italian basketball.
Italy’s style is similar to that of Spain, Greece and Argentina, three teams that many feel have a good shot to prevail this summer, so this was a good test for Team USA. Once the next round begins, it’s single elimination, so the U.S. will need to be on the top of its game if it hopes to re-establish itself as the premier basketball program in the world.
