A Rose By Any Other Name

     Almost everyone over the age of 14 has probably heard or read Shakespeare's line, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," or something like that.  Apparently, though, not everyone believes in it.  The team USA will send to the 2010 World Basketball Championships is devoid of the proverbial, "Big Names," like the trio of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant.  More importantly, none of the members of the Olympic gold medal-winning team of 2008 will join the team.  This has resulted in loud moans and groans from American basketball fans, with some already writing the team off as, "doomed."  Is this version of Team USA really that bad?  


The Right Fit

     This year's Team USA may be devoid of big names and big centers, but what they have are a wealth of are long, athletic and lean bodies.  Players like Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Durant, Lamar Odom, Andre Iguodala, Danny Granger and Rudy Gay all possess this body type, which makes switching at defense possible from the "1" spot to the "4" spot.  This will enable the team to play excellent trapping defense to cause turnovers, which will fuel USA's greatest weapon, the fastbreak.  Just ask China, who just got blasted by Team USA's run-and-gun game, 98-51.  Every year, Team USA always does most of its damage in transition.  The 2008 team did, and even the legendary 1992 Dream Team did too.  


Dead Eye Dans

     Nervous Nancys dreading this year's team try to bring in memories of the horrible 2004 and 2006 teams who not only lost but lost miserably.  In 2004, the team was composed of guards like Allen Iverson (.313 3pt%) , Stephon Marbury (, and Richard Jefferson (.348), none of whom are reliable outside shooters.  In 2006, the team played  guards Chris Paul (.353 3 pt %), Dwayne Wade(.289) and Kirk Hinrich (.379), again none of whom are consistent shooters.  They did have Joe Johnson, which could explain why they finished third.


     This year's Team USA employs a couple of "dead-eye" guards in Chauncey Billups (.383) and Stephen Curry (.437).  Swingmen Danny Granger (.385), Eric Gordon (.380) and Kevin Durant (.365) are also much better shooters than their predecessors.  This year, it looks like shooting will actually be an asset and not a weakness.


What's (Not) Good for the Goose...

     Even as people lament the lack of "Big Names" for Team USA, what people have to realize is that the other countries have lost big names too.  Spain won't have Pau Gasol, France lost Tony Parker and Joachim Noah, Slovenia just saw Beno Udrih say good bye and Argentina will not have Manu Ginobili in their line up.  As big names go, plenty will not show up in Turkey, and it won't just be the American ones.


     As the World Championships approach, more doomsday scenarios will be laid out by nervous fans of Team USA.  They will, however, be mostly unwarranted.  Roses smell great but the Amricans will love the smell of gold even more.


photos courtesy of Getty Images, daylife.com and beat.bodoglife.com