Team USA looks too much like the Nuggets...

Team USA as constructed by Jerry Colangelo would clearly go unchallenged in an NBA playoff type of scenario, where the occasional bad shooting night is forgiven by the best-of series set-up. However, with a one-and-done medal round a bad night can easily turn the ostensible best team into a bronze medalist. Channeling Doug Collins, here are team USA's keys to the Olympics:

1) Defend the 3-point line: As with Greece in 2006, the short line equalizes the USA's explosiveness toward the basket... turning our penchant for spectacular alley-oops into an entertaining brand of losing basketball. It doesn't take a MIT professor to figure out that trading 2 for 3 isn't a recipe for success.

2) Stay focused: Most of the sloppy ball-handling and turnovers come from a bored USA team hoping to entertain themselves making a spectacular play rather than steadily building a lead making the right play. Teams stay in games because the USA has a tendency to either play down to their level or throw away opportunities on the offensive end.

That's it. Two things to keep in mind and team USA should be fine. We'll see what happens. Team USA has a treacherous road and can very well lose to half the field, so it will be interesting.

Woohoo us Aussies gave y'all a bit of a scare ay. Minus Bogie too. Anyways yeah they did look like the Nuggets a bit last nite.

It's crazy to actually think a team composed of players such as Lebron, Kobe and Melo could actually loose to a team who's best players are Pau Gasol & Jose Calderon. But this is the Olypics, a.k.a. the epitome of teamwork. It all comes down to teamwork and unselfishness. Which ever team does this best will win.

They're going to be alright. I see what your seeing, but there is no way to compare this team to the Nuggets. How about point guard play? Chuck Atkins and Anthony Carter or Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Darrent Williams? The one thing they need to and you touched on is getting out of the one-on-one play that was happening at times, run a half court offense and make sure they get the ball down to Dwight Howard for at least a touch every other possession. He will be the X-factor in these Olympics - if he's getting 15+ a night and hitting free throws, the other nations will have no way of stopping U.S.

paddy mills torched cp3. fastest player since allen iverson sheridan said!

Some coaches tell their players to hold back during these practice matches, so maybe Coach K is, but who knows. When Russia and Australia slowed the tempo down, team USA struggled, because there is no half court execution. The defense could be better, but the fewest points were given up against Russia and Australia. If this team can play better on defense, and execute an offense, then they should be fine.

Pretty easy solution...Play the shooters more. Redd is barely getting any time. The rest of the guys are streaky shooters, so the US would just have to keep feeding the ball to the hot hand.

Bottom line is, the Nuggets, er, USA won't win it all unless they have at least 30-35% from 3 point land. Not asking too much.

When did we decide that the 2007-2008 Nuggets were "supremely talented?" Admittedly, AI is a great player (although he is on the decline) and 'Melo can do a lot on offense (although he offsets most of his production with REALLY bad defense). But let's look at the rest of the team last year before we call them supremely talented:

(1) The Nuggets had a starting point guard who John Hollinger called "one of the worst shooters at the guard position in recent NBA history."

(2) The Nuggets had a starting center who contributed next to nothing on offense and, while he has received many defensive accolades, had virtually no chance at successfully guarding any center in the NBA one-on-one.

(3) If my life was on the line based on whether the NBA player of my choosing would miss an open 15 footer even though he was trying, I would choose the Nuggets' starting power forward. Oh yeah, this player has a max contract.

(4) The Nuggets' backup point guard is short, old, and not particularly good at anything.

(5) our backup PF/C makes $10 million a year and is always injured, always overweight, and never averaged better than 10 and 6 in any season. As a side note, though, God bless this man in his recovery from cancer.

(6) Of the Nuggets' two most efficient offensive players, one hardly played for half of the season because he was "immature" and the other can either dunk or hit a three pointer, but is lucky to draw iron on a mid-range shot.

(7) The Nuggets had a talented defender who was extremely efficient on offense, but was relegated to backup duty behind the aforementioned power forward who was never taught to shoot yet makes $92 million over seven years.

The Nuggets last year were not that talented (and the players who are talented see far too little playing time) and were put together with no concept of how to build a basketball team (See: 2002-2004 Team USA).

The bad news is that next year will probably be worse.

I was secretly hoping that the Nuggets would try to sign and trade for Emeka Okafor (with the trade exception) and pursue Louis Williams as a restricted FA from Philly. Think of a young core (after the subtraction of AI) of Williams, J.R., 'Melo, Okafor, Nene, and Kleiza. You can compete for a title with that core.

Too bad there is no chance of that happening now.

Oh well, go Nuggets and Team USA anyway.

When did we decide that the 2007-2008 Nuggets were "supremely talented?" Admittedly, AI is a great player (although he is on the decline) and 'Melo can do a lot on offense (although he offsets most of his production with REALLY bad defense). But let's look at the rest of the team last year before we call them supremely talented:

(1) The Nuggets had a starting point guard who John Hollinger called "one of the worst shooters at the guard position in recent NBA history."

(2) The Nuggets had a starting center who contributed next to nothing on offense and, while he has received many defensive accolades, had virtually no chance at successfully guarding any center in the NBA one-on-one.

(3) If my life was on the line based on whether the NBA player of my choosing would miss an open 15 footer even though he was trying, I would choose the Nuggets' starting power forward. Oh yeah, this player has a max contract.

(4) The Nuggets' backup point guard is short, old, and not particularly good at anything.

(5) our backup PF/C makes $10 million a year and is always injured, always overweight, and never averaged better than 10 and 6 in any season. As a side note, though, God bless this man in his recovery from cancer.

(6) Of the Nuggets' two most efficient offensive players, one hardly played for half of the season because he was "immature" and the other can either dunk or hit a three pointer, but is lucky to draw iron on a mid-range shot.

(7) The Nuggets had a talented defender who was extremely efficient on offense, but was relegated to backup duty behind the aforementioned power forward who was never taught to shoot yet makes $92 million over seven years.

The Nuggets last year were not that talented (and the players who are talented see far too little playing time) and were put together with no concept of how to build a basketball team (See: 2002-2004 Team USA).

The bad news is that next year will probably be worse.

I was secretly hoping that the Nuggets would try to sign and trade for Emeka Okafor (with the trade exception) and pursue Louis Williams as a restricted FA from Philly. Think of a young core (after the subtraction of AI) of Williams, J.R., 'Melo, Okafor, Nene, and Kleiza. You can compete for a title with that core.

Too bad there is no chance of that happening now.

Oh well, go Nuggets and Team USA anyway.

Pretty easy solution...Play the shooters more. Redd is barely getting any time. The rest of the guys are streaky shooters, so the US would just have to keep feeding the ball to the hot hand.

Bottom line is, the Nuggets, er, USA won't win it all unless they have at least 30-35% from 3 point land. Not asking too much.

Some coaches tell their players to hold back during these practice matches, so maybe Coach K is, but who knows. When Russia and Australia slowed the tempo down, team USA struggled, because there is no half court execution. The defense could be better, but the fewest points were given up against Russia and Australia. If this team can play better on defense, and execute an offense, then they should be fine.

paddy mills torched cp3. fastest player since allen iverson sheridan said!

They're going to be alright. I see what your seeing, but there is no way to compare this team to the Nuggets. How about point guard play? Chuck Atkins and Anthony Carter or Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Darrent Williams? The one thing they need to and you touched on is getting out of the one-on-one play that was happening at times, run a half court offense and make sure they get the ball down to Dwight Howard for at least a touch every other possession. He will be the X-factor in these Olympics - if he's getting 15+ a night and hitting free throws, the other nations will have no way of stopping U.S.

It's crazy to actually think a team composed of players such as Lebron, Kobe and Melo could actually loose to a team who's best players are Pau Gasol & Jose Calderon. But this is the Olypics, a.k.a. the epitome of teamwork. It all comes down to teamwork and unselfishness. Which ever team does this best will win.

Woohoo us Aussies gave y'all a bit of a scare ay. Minus Bogie too. Anyways yeah they did look like the Nuggets a bit last nite.