Actual Basketball

I want to take a quick moment to echo what Dave Sez about the World Basketball Championships:

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’ve seen the US play in past years and have been underwhelmed and maybe a bit disgusted. I’m with you. I felt the same way. Ever since the Dream Team in 1992, we’ve been putting out worse and worse teams filled with disinterested players. There was nothing worse than watching a team full of NBA All-Stars get drubbed by Puerto Rico by 20 points in the last Olympics. It was disgraceful.

But that’s the past. This team is awesome. They way they play is awesome. The things they do on the court are awesome. Mike Krzyzewski has successfully installed his Duke system, not just in the style of play, but in the attitudes of the players. This team gets out on the court and gives it their all on both ends of the court. The best way I can describe it – and coming from me, this is the ultimate compliment – is that it looks like a college game played with NBA talent. There’s all the passion, defense and hustle of the kids, but played with the unimaginable size and skill of the NBA’s best young talent.

I haven’t watched much of the tournament, because the games are on at six in the morning, but the bits I’ve seen have been very impressive. They’re actually playing basketball, not that NBA crap, and it’s fun to watch.

Of course, this will end up annoying me, because it will be held up by smug Dukies as more evidence that Mike Krzyzewski is God. For the record, I don’t think it’s anything unique that he brings to the team that’s making this work. It’s a result of the selection system, and the players that have been chosen for the team. Given the ability to choose a real team, rather than a collection of all-stars, you could get the same result with some other top college coach– Roy Williams of UNC, say.

It also doesn’t hurt that the core of the team is the best trio of young players to come along in a while, in LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade. These guys really know the game well, and have the sort of game that really lets them thrive in Krzyzewski’s system. And they’re young enough to be willing to work with a system, rather than being a bunch of spoiled prima donnas.

I won’t go so far as to say that you have to watch this team– after all, they are playing at a rotten time of day. But if you happen to be up, and like real basketball, it’s worth a look.