My Predictions for Team USA...Don't take them to Vegas

Earlier in the week I went over the finalists for Team USA. The team will be announced Saturday night on NBA TV. Once again, finalists by position include:

Guards - Kobe Bryant, Eric Gordon, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, James Harden

Forwards - Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis

Centers - Tyson Chandler

Nine of these finalists are considered locks.

Kobe, CP3, Deron Williams, Carmelo, and LeBron are all returnees from the 2008 Beijing team.

Kevin Durant averaged nearly 23 points per game in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Tyson Chandler all played on that 2010 gold-medal team, as well.

Westbrook has certainly become an elite talent. Love may be the best power forward in the world. And Chandler certainly provides an athletic, interior defensive presence. For Love and Chandler, the lack of depth inside makes them even more important to the roster.

It has also been speculated that Blake Griffin will make the roster.

That gives Team USA a depth chart that looks something like this:

PG – C Paul, R Westbrook, D Williams
SG – K Bryant
SF – C Anthony, K Durant, L James
PF – K Love, B Griffin
C – T Chandler

It is believed that Gordon, Harden, Gay, Iguodala, and Davis are vying for the final two roster spots.

When looking at the roster Anthony, Durant, and James are so versatile the Team USA coaching staff has some flexibility. Each of them can play three positions. LeBron could even run the point if needed.

The only true need for this team is possibly another big. For that reason, I would think Anthony Davis has a great chance of making the roster if the coaches feel his ankle will be healed in time for London.

If that is the case the last roster spot will come down to Gay, Gordon, Harden, and Iguodala, All of these except Harden were on the national team in 2010. I like the energy that Harden provides but I have a hunch his lack of international experience may hurt his chances.

I think Andre Iguodala gets the last spot. He is a good defender and is a pretty good offensive player, as well. That combination can make Iguodala a nice option off the bench.

If Anthony Davis ends up not being able to play I think Rudy Gay’s 6’8” length gives him an advantage over the rest.

I love Eric Gordon but EG is a little inconsistent as a shooter. And his ability to attack the basket is a strength of nearly every wing on the roster. He’s a guy that needs the ball in his hands a lot to create. I don’t think that would happen on this team.

These are just predictions. Don’t hold me to them.

Thoughts from The Gold Standard

Mike Krzyzewski wrote this as kind of a memoir/leadership book telling the story of the rebuilding of USA Basketball. It is still one of my favorite books. It is packed with leadership principles while it also discusses the building of the 2008 USA Basketball gold-medal winning team.

On what Team USA emphasized...On our team, there were two things that we talked about every single day: the gold medal and defense, our goal and our competitive edge. Those are two pretty important things for your team to always have on their mind.

I was struck with Krzyzewski's positive impression of LeBron James as a leader. This is a great example of LeBron's leadership...
The first practice (for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that summer) also helped our players get reacquainted with LeBron’s voice after having been apart for an NBA season. He communicated throughout. When going from one segment of practice to another, LeBron would announce the transition to the team. This is the type of communication you want from the bench to the court during a game. When a coach says something to a player on the court, you want that player to echo your message. LeBron did that naturally in practice. We may have just finished doing some work on our inbounds plays and I would say, “Okay, let’s get going on some shooting drills off of our sets. Divide up into two groups and each go to a basket.”

LeBron would immediately take control: “Shooting off sets, guys. White over there and blue over here. Let’s go.” This echoing of instruction is something that makes a practice run much more smoothly and is essential in games.

You have to be a family first to be a team. – LeBron James

On developing his systems...

On my basketball teams, I try to instill three systems. Our offensive and defensive systems comprise those X and O strategies that we implement on the court. But most important of all is our system of communication.

What teams need...
Every team needs an ultimate goal, a purpose for which it unites and prepares. Thinking about the goal that lies ahead is what gives your team energy. It’s what you get excited about. It’s why you practice hard. No matter what intermediate steps you take, your team should always have your ultimate goal in mind and allow its pursuit to invigorate.

On Legacies...
Legacy asks the question, “Who were you? Did you win? Did you lose? Did you do something special?”

A Look Back at Beijing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Since I am writing about Team USA I would be un-American if I did not begin by wishing our great country a Happy Birthday! Everyone be safe and enjoy your holiday. A big thank you to those who have fought for our freedoms. A friend of mine recently made me realize how many opportunities there are for Americans to create their own work, especially in today’s technology age. Thank you to everyone who has made possible the great dreams that we have.

PERSONNEL NEWS
As soon as I post my own update of personnel yesterday, Lamar Odom announces that he is not going to be able to participate in London. In addition, it was reported today that Anthony Davis will, in fact, report to Team USA’s training camp and participate after his ankle is healed. This makes fifteen players that will be vying for twelve roster spots. More on this Friday.

A LOOK BACK AT BEIJING
The first decade of international competition for Team USA in the new century was subpar, to say the least. Prior to the 2004 Athens Olympics, USA won three consecutive golds and four of the previous five (The lone non-gold year was in 1988, the last year USA sent all amateurs.) But it was obvious that many international opponents were catching up in a sport that the USA owned throughout the sport’s century of existence.

Things hit rock bottom for USA Basketball in 2002 when it finished a pathetic sixth in the FIBA World Championships. To make matters worse the world championships were held on its own soil, in Indianapolis. To add insult to injury a young Team USA brought home just a bronze from the Athens Olympics.

Things began to change when Jerry Colangelo was hired as the Managing Director of the USA Basketball National Team in 2005. And the most important personnel move did not involve making sure LeBron or Kobe or Dwayne Wade participated on the team. It was hiring Mike Krzyzewski as head coach. Coach K was hired to implement a program where the players would participate for three years, with the ultimate goal of bringing home gold from Beijing.

It is really a great story. A story of dealing with adversity. No longer was Team USA the bully that could throw the ball out and beat any France, Germany, or Puerto Rico. USA Basketball responded to their failure.

The 2008 team was comprised of a tremendous mix of veterans (Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd) and youth (LeBron, Carmelo, Dwight Howard), among others. And they had the opportunity to play together for three years. And the coaching staff had the opportunity to spend three years to learn the international game, a game uniquely different than the college game that Krzyzewski and Assistant Jim Boeheim know and the NBA from which Nate McMillan and Mike D’Antoni know.

The buy-in from these so-called spoiled, coddled superstars was off the charts. Ask Krzyzewski if he thinks they’re not professional. It all resulted in dominating performances from Team USA. They won all eight games in Beijing by double digits. They were somewhat challenged in the gold medal game by Spain but was able to pull away for a 118-107 victory.

This was not 1992 “Dream Team” dominating. But it was “Redeem Team” dominating. This team earned their name and the shoe fit. They redeemed USA’s claim as the greatest basketball country in the world.

And they did it the American way: as a team. Six different players led the team in scoring over eight Olympic games. All twelve players played in each game. Five players averaged in double figures while eight averaged at least eight points per game. The up-tempo, pressure-defensive system that Krzyzewski and his staff implemented was just what USA needed to “redeem” themselves.

There are two moments from Beijing that stick out in my memory. Both occurred after the gold medal victory. The first was of Krzyzewski. Keep in mind that the coaches in the Olympics do not receive medals during the medal presentations. Only the athletes. Each player gave Coach K his medal to wear. This is a man that is a graduate of West Point. He coached at West Point. He loves his country more than basketball. And to have his team win a gold medal under his tutelage had to have been at the top of his greatest basketball moments.

The other was of Doug Collins. Collins was serving as color analyst for NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. Collins has certainly contributed a lot to the game as a head coach in the NBA and as a broadcaster. But his most famous basketball moment was not a good one. He was on the floor when the officials in the 1972 Munich games took victory away from Team USA not once, but twice, in the most controversial end to probably any basketball game. It was the USA’s first basketball loss in international competition. And it was stolen. Collins’ son, Chris, was part of Krzyzewski’s scouting staff for the Olympics. I’m sure Collins still has a bitter taste of the incident in ’72 but he was sure proud of Team USA in 2008.

TOMORROW: Some thoughts from The Gold Standard: Building a World Class Team, by Mike Krzyzewski

A Look at Team USA Personnel

The original twenty players that USA Basketball announced as finalists for the men’s national team in January is quite a bit different than the 16 still eligible to make the final squad. Injuries have been the biggest factor. USA Basketball was going to announce the final roster on June 18. However, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose were late withdrawals so USA received an extension to select the team this Saturday, July 7.

Here is a breakdown of who is still eligible, who may or may not play, and who will be missed due to injuries.

WHO IS CURRENTLY A FINALIST FOR THE 12 ROSTER SPOTS?

Guards
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Russell Westbrook
Eric Gordon
Andre Iguodala
James Harden

Forwards
Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Durant
Rudy Gay
Blake Griffin
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Lamar Odom

Centers
Tyson Chandler
Anthony Davis

OUT OF THESE FINALISTS WHO STILL MAY NOT PARTICIPATE?
Anthony Davis– The recent #1 pick suffered a mild ankle sprain while working out for his new team, New Orleans, on Sunday. Davis won’t be able to participate in a workout with Team USA this week but still could be added to the team.

Blake Griffin – Griffin, another former #1 pick, injured his knee during the NBA playoffs and may or may not be ready.

WHO IS INJURED AND WITHDREW FROM CONSIDERATION?
LaMarcus Aldridge – Aldridge was an early withdrawal when he had hip surgery in April.

Chauncey Billups – Billups was an early withdrawal when he tore his ACL back in February.

Chris Bosh – Bosh is going to rest after playing with that strained oblique on the way to a NBA Championship.

Dwight Howard – Superman has been in the news more lately for his other drama than the Olympics but his April back surgery will sideline him from London.

Dwayne Wade – Wade will have surgery on his left knee, which looked like was bothering him throughout the playoffs.

Derrick Rose – Rose tore his ACL and MCL in the NBA Playoffs and will be out through most of the 2012-13 season.

WHAT DO ALL THE INJURIES MEAN TO TEAM USA?
They don’t help. It is obvious that the gap between the USA and the rest of the world closed tightly over the last decade or so. USA was able to recover the gold in Beijing in 2008 and also claimed the FIBA World Championship in 2010. I have a feeling some of these absences could hurt the USA’s chances. Consider these items:

- I believe Chauncey Billups’ absence is the most underrated out of everyone. I had a hunch he would have played the role that Jason Kidd played in 2008. Veteran leader. Could have likely started each game yet played very little. But his leadership will be missed.

- I am really disappointed Derrick Rose can’t play. He plays with some good players in Chicago. But I would pay to watch him play with guys like LeBron, KD, and Kobe. WOW! Very unfortunate. He would have helped but if there was one position Team USA could afford to lose a player it is point guard. They’re still pretty solid there.

- Chris Bosh has been in the national team program for a while. His ability as a big man to stretch the floor with his shooting ability in the international game will be missed.

- Wade was the leading scorer on the 2008 team. And his chemistry with James has only gotten better over the last two years.

- Howard was such a defensive presence in 2008. I do wonder how all of his recent drama would have affected his performance had he been able to play.

- With these injuries to Aldridge, Bosh, and Howard, and the possibility of Anthony Davis and Blake Griffin not being able to play the USA is left with little depth of true post guys.

SO WITH ALL OF THE INJURIES WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS?
The good news is Team USA still has the best three, four, five, etc. players in the world on their team. And the lack of interior depth may not be so bad. LeBron and Carmelo showed how effective the USA could be with a small lineup in 2008. They are perfect 4-men in the international game. KD can probably be slotted in that category, as well. The versatility of the USA’s best players will be so vital to their gold medal chances.

Five players (James, Bryant, Williams, Paul, Anthony) expected to make the roster have won Olympic gold. And these five are expected to see a lot of playing time in London. The leadership of James and Bryant, in particular, is elite. Eight more players won gold in the 2010 World Championships. These guys have won!

So that is a breakdown of where the USA’s personnel stand as of now. Remember that the team is announced on Saturday. I’ll leave my predictions on Friday.

TOMORROW’S BLOG: Reviewing Beijing 2008

USA, USA, USA....

I am going to do something a little new and different with this blog over the next month. It may spur me to do similar things when the month is over. I, like many sports fans, love the Olympics. And I have come to really enjoy watching international basketball. And the USA Men’s Senior National Team has been pretty fun to watch under the guidance of Jerry Colaneglo and Mike Krzyzewski.

So I’m going to provide some in-depth perspective, from a coach’s point of view, on the USA Men’s National Team through the Olympics in London. Well, it will be as in-depth as I can without actually being with the team at their practices and in London.

I will blog about the direction that USA Basketball has taken to improve their international standing, give some perspective on their games, discuss some of the philosophy that Mike Krzyzewski and his staff have developed, and preview some of their Olympic opponents.

In addition, Jack McCallum’s new book Dream Team comes out July 10. It is on my summer reading list and I’ll chat about it some, too. I'll review some of the book that Coach K wrote after the 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold Standard. I loved that book. Coach K gave insight on a certain iconic figure that was very revealing.

I will also attempt to talk some USA Women’s National Team.

I've already got a lot to talk about. So beginning tomorrow, expect a breakdown of the final roster candidates. It is quite a bit different compared to what it was a month ago, and from what the original 20 announced in January were. USA Basketball will announce the men's roster on Saturday, July 7.

Please follow along. I would love to hear your thoughts on the Olympic team.

E-mail coachhoytbasketball@gmail.com
Twitter @CoachHoyt

Bill Walsh's Standard of Performance

From The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh, with Steve Jamison and Craig Walsh, Coach Walsh details the standards by which he ran the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers, of course, had one of the biggest dynasties in all of sports in the 1980s and 1990s, winning five Super Bowls in 14 seasons.

• Exhibit a ferocious and intelligently applied work ethic directed at continual improvement
• Demonstrate respect for each person in the organization
• Be deeply committed to learning and teaching
• Be fair
• Demonstrate character
• Honor the direct connection between details and improvement, relentlessly seek the latter
• Show self-control, especially under pressure
• Demonstrate and prize loyalty
• Use positive language and have a positive attitude
• Take pride in my effort as an entity separate from the result of that effort
• Be willing to go the extra distance for the organization
• Deal appropriately with victory and defeat, adulation and humiliation
• Promote internal communication that is both open and substantive
• Seek poise in myself and those I lead
• Put the team’s welfare and priorities ahead of my own
• Maintain an ongoing level of concentration and focus that is abnormally high
• Make sacrifice and commitment the organization’s trademark

Jon Gordon on Excellence

Jon Gordon is a best-selling author who has a unique writing style. His leadership fables have been used by many sports teams and Fortune 500 companies in developing their own teams. I read Training Camp, a leadership fable about a football player attempting to make an NFL team in training camp. Here are some of his thoughts from Training Camp on excellence.

"It's not ability that separates those who make the team from those who don't. It's sustainability. And sustainability has as much to do with mental strength and mental preparation as it does physical health."

"Talent isn't enough anymore. Everyone here has talent. It's about infusing talent with heart, soul, spirit, and passion."

"I realize that not everyone is willing to pay the price, and that's okay. It's just that I'm not willing to waste my time on someone unless they want it as much as I want it for them. Life's too short."

"I found that the best of the best all shared similar characteristics, principles, and habits..."

"The telescope represents the big picture..."

THE BEST...
1. Know what they truly want.
2. Want it more.
3. Are always striving to get better.
4. Do ordinary things better than everyone else.
5. Zoom-focus. - extraordinary consistency, commitment, and focus
6. Are mentally stronger.

Basketball Thoughts from Larry Bird

Larry Bird recently became the first person to win the NBA MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. Here are some thougts from Bird, as told by Mark Shaw in his book Larry Legend:

On passing - Once I realized I could pass the ball, my game changed completely.

On coaching - A lot of coaches try to coach too much. Prepare the players, get them in good shape, tell them what you expect, and then stay back and let them play.

On free throw shooting - I've never really understood why more players don't make the effort to become great free-throw shooters. It just takes practice and hard work. And concentration.

On defense - To play good, sound defense takes five guys playing and thinking together. But you can't do that all the time. Sometimes the big stand is taken in the first quarter. Or the third. The crucial times are the key.

On great teams - If you want to be a great team...win a championship...you've got to fight through everything. You've got to keep hammerin' and focusing yourself.

George Raveling Rebounding - "Anticipation of the Missed Shot"

I'll continue to highlight some of the key points from George Raveling's War on the Boards. The following are preparation points for rebounders in anticipation of a missed shot.

1. Observe how far away from the basket the shot was taken. - 10-15 feet shots rebound short. 20-25 feet shots rebound long.

2. Observe the type of shot taken and the amount of arc on the shot.

3. Observe the angle on the floor from which the shot was taken in relation to the basket. Was it taken from the corner, middle, side or inside of the foul line?

4. Conduct a pre-game check - Are the backboards and rims loose or tight? Does the game ball have the proper amount of air in it?

5. Have a complete knowledge of the shooting abilities of your teammates and your opponents - What moves and shots will opponents utilize? Know when a shooter likes to shoot, from where, types of shots, amount of force and arc behind his shots.

George Raveling's Anatomy of a Rebound

I have become a collector of old basketball coaching books. I came across a gem last week at a baseball card show. It is titled War on the Boards, one of two rebounding books that George Raveling has written. It was published while Raveling was the head coach at Washington State in 1984 and is the most comprehensive rebounding book I have ever seen.

I’ll post a series of blogs on Raveling’s good stuff. This post includes the four mechanical areas of rebounding. These are great teaching points when working on rebounding:

1) Positioning– the precise position on the court from which a player can most effectively compete for the missed shot


Defensive player – keep yourself between the offensive player and the basket
Offensive player – position yourself in the general area in which you think the shot will rebound

2)Rebounding Stance

1. Feet – spaced apart
2. Knees - flexibility
3. Trunk – slight lean towards the basket
4. Hips – lowered into semi-crouch position
5. Elbows – out and away from the body
6. Hands – spread apart, upward, open
7. Eyes and Head – eyes on flight of shot; head up and straight
8. Body Balance – allow for easy movement in any direction
9. Toes – push off as the body leaves the floor

3) Approach

Quick and aggressive movement toward the ball
Arms fully extended
Grasp the ball tightly with two hands
Bring ball down in a quick jerking motion with elbows out, away from the body
“Spread eagle” with a firm base

4) Conversion– “outlet” a sharp or direct pass; use of dribble only used as a last resort

Coach Raveling also has a wonderful website (www.CoachGeorgeRaveling.com) and is a great follow on Twitter (@GeorgeRaveling).