Aug 22 2008
One More for Gold
The “Redeem Team” is now one win away form Olympic Gold in Beijing after beating Argentina. Argentina was the defending gold medal winner form Athens and was one of the teams that beat us as well. Sweet revenge came from a win that was from another great team effort.
The US team does not have a top eight scorer in all of the Olympics which shows that this team does not care about who scores but what the results show afterwards. The defense has been equally strong as the offense making this team very well rounded. Everyone has played a part in the team’s success.
Chris Bosh, Derron Williams and Chris Paul have been solid contributors while Kobe, James and Wade have been showing the world why these guys are superstars. Dewayne Wade looks very good in these Olympics as he as recovered wonderfully from all of the injuries from the last couple of years and is the leading scorer for the US team. Chris Bosh has possibly played better than stater Dwight Howard at center and Chris Paul at times has injected life when Jason Kidd has sat down on the bench. Everyone is doing their part and that is showing in the results.
The coaches that have put it all together is Duke great Mike Krzyzewski. With the help from Mike D Antoni, Nate McMillian and Jim Boheim this coaching staff and general manger Jerry Colangelo have really stressed the whole team philosophy and wanting to be the best team in the world and the players are buying into the philosophy. The team has constantly believed that team ball will win on the international level and they are showing the world they are right with one more win left to capture the gold.
The United States will face Spain in the gold medal game as they have already beaten them in the preliminary group stage by a wide margin. However, this team does have NBA talent including Pau Gasol and has a pretty good bench of players that are good role players that have a great feel for the game. I expect another win although I believe the win will be not as easy as the first match up. Really no one can beat the US men’s team when they are playing on all cylinders. It will take a miraculous effort from the Spanish and a equally bad all around game for the US to lose this one. If the US does lose it will be a tremendous disappointment that this team has worked on for the last three years. I know I will be rooting here in Chicago how about you all?
Lastly, I wonder if Michael Phelps will return the favor of watching his US teammates go for gold after many of the men’s basketball team including Le Bron James and Kobe Bryant have watched him go for his eight gold medals in swimming. Although, I here he might be in London as he is one of the Olympians selected as an ambassador of the games for London in 2012.
