NBA Playoffs Key to Settle on US Olympic Team

A feature article by an Alumbo member, Apr 19, 2008         

Summary: Mike Krzyzewski the coach of the US Olympic team will concentrate his attention in the NBA playoffs to choose the best players possible and hopes the top players will stay healthy and without injuries for the Olympics in Beijing.

 
Mike Krzyzewski the coach of the US Olympic team will concentrate his attention in the NBA playoffs to choose the best players possible and hopes the top players will stay healthy and without injuries for the Olympics in Beijing. "If all our players are in the playoffs, that's better. They will be in the best shape," Krzyzewski said. "We evaluate everything. We want to see what a guy does in his environment. That's the highest level." Four years ago while in Athens, U.S captured the bronze medal and two years after U.S lost the semifinals to Greece at the World Championships in Japan. With that the U.S team with NBA players is trying to regain global dominance and recapture superiority. "We have had an arrogance to say it's our game. It's the world's game. It originated here. We've tried to educate people. It's actually the fastest growing game in the world. Let's get on that page instead of saying, 'We're American. We should win. People watching the Olympic team and its performance in Athens left a lot to be desired. It wasn't pretty. That's as simple as I can be. It was just bad. It was pretty ugly. Change needed to take place." The former of the Phoenix Suns, Jerry Colangelo is working as the US team’s top executive, helping in the selection procedure after watching the top NBA players loosing out in Athens, he is seriously wounding the best effort of the American players. Coach Krzyzewski has observed close the world talent breach since the U.S Olympic Dream Team of 1992 in Barcelona, also with NBA top stars guiding Argentina to the 2004 Olympic gold and Spain to the World championship in 2006. Krzyzewski thinks that people should not be shocked at how good these opponents are, he thinks beating can hurry the learning process, Krzyzewski mentioned that people can’t be shocked when they lose to these teams they are good too. A lot of players have been utilize during the past two years. It will be involve 15 to 18 players at the camp in Las Vegas in belatedly June after the NBA Finals and the list of 12 players adding three alternates will be known on June 30. It will not be easy for Coach Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo to choose the best players because more than one of the NBA stars would want the opportunity to bring home the gold medal for the U.S. However; one of the biggest problems would be in filling three point guard spots, one of them is almost definite to go to the star Jason Kidd "That's the biggest decision we have to make," Krzyzewski said. "Jason is older. We worry about injuries. We have to have a good point guard in their all the time. It's how you fit the whole team, the versatility within a system." The U.S team will prepare and practice for a week in Las Vegas; they will be playing an exhibition game and then fly to Asia for the pre-Olympic exhibitions and practicing before getting to Beijing on August 6th. Krzyzewski is stressing responsibility to his players as well as the fact they represent their nation and team. "We have a unique opportunity, not only to go for the gold medal and hopefully win it but also show how the game should be played with camaraderie, enthusiasm, attention to detail, those things that make basketball what it is. Hopefully; we will show a higher level. The guys who played for us last year had pretty good seasons. We would hope not only to produce gold medals but produce higher quality of play at all levels. Sometimes through a performance you show more than what you say." About the Author Ally White is a top senior copy writer on NBA games and sports action for the sportsbook www.instantactionsports.com/ Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

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