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know, I know, who's even thinking about Team USA at this point?
TrueHoop reader Kirk, is, that's who. And he sent me a lengthy and impassioned email detailing why he thinks Wade should not be on Team USA.
To me he represents (as a basketball player, not as a person) the pinnacle of what is wrong with American basketball. He destroys the potential of basketball, as described by Chuck Klosterman, by making a mockery of the rules through falling down every time he shoots, be it lay up or jump shot.
He travels, often, and doesn't get called for it.
Frankly, I don't think he plays basketball the way it was meant to be played.
My dislike aside, the story got me thinking on something that needs to be addressed sooner or later: why is D-Wade virtually guaranteed a roster spot on the 2008 Olympic roster? For two years it has been a "forgone conclusion that D-Wade would be one of the stars of the 2008 roster, despite the fact that he was injured last summer and wasn't able to play.
I don't see where he fits in, at least when you compare statistics. I don't see how he fits in at point guard (he averaged 2.75 assists and 2.38 turnovers in 23 minutes of action), not when compared to Jason Kidd who averaged 4.6 assists and 0.5 turnovers in only 16 minutes of play in the 2007 Americas Tournament. Nor does he compare with Deron Williams, who averaged 4.6 assists and one turnover in 14.3 minutes.
His 2006 teammate Chris Paul (who has to be on the 2008 roster) averaged 5.2 assists and 1.2 turnovers in 23 minutes of action.
And, while yes, D-Wade can score, where is he going to get minutes when you have LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant who were true go-to players this last summer?
Redd is a better pure shooter and every team needs a specialist like him. What does he bring to the team? In a word turnovers. But, he also dominates the ball and does not know or hasn't learned how to play without it. Don't get me wrong, when he is on (see the 2006 3rd place game in Japan) he is dominant. I know the competition was better in 2006.
But the chemistry in 2007 was amazing. It reminded be of the beauty of basketball. The problem is D-Wade doesn't add to the chemistry, he takes away from it. Kidd, Williams, Paul, LeBron, Kobe, Redd, even Joe Johnson, Tayshaun Prince, and Carmelo Anthony (if you consider them back court since team USA runs a lot of 4 out, 1 in sets); these are the guys I want playing to win.
As great of a player as D-Wade is in the NBA, his game does not translate to international, team-oriented basketball. I really, truly believe he does not need to be on the national team.
I know this is out of left field considering its winter of 2007 still. The Dream team and the aura surrounding it dominates my memory of basketball when I was young, almost forming an archetype of how basketball can and should be played. I had never seem anything come close to the reality of that archetype until last summer. I hope we can win. I know we can win. USA!
First things first: Kirk is a Dallas fan, and his email was inspired at least in part by ugly feelings born of the 2006 Finals. So, as he confesses, he has something of an agenda.
Also, I find the statistical comparisons to point guards misleading, because although Wade brings the ball up once in a while, he does so mainly as an easier way to get himself in a strong position to score.
He's just not a point guard, and should not be judged as such. He's a supreme, multi-faceted and efficient scorer (last year he led the NBA in PER in short minutes), along the lines of Bryant, James, and Anthony.
I 100% hear the call for role players, great chemistry, and Playing the Right Way. I'm on board.
If LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are going to dominate shooting, I would much rather have that fourth wing player be the defending and rebounding Tayshaun Prince instead of the smaller Wade.
And it was plain to see that things turned out well for that team last summer. Who wants to mess with that roster?
I'm not convinced, however, that Wade deserves to be singled out as the "bad" superstar. In fact, if you were to say you only wanted three go-to scorers, I'm not sure how you'd pick out of those four.
The decision should be driven by basketball strategy.
I'll take a crude stab at how I might decide it if I were Jerry Colangelo. In a tournament that will place a premium on clever defense, ball movement, length, and long-distance shooting, how many multi-faceted, first-option, perimeter scorers do you want to play at once? I'm thinking you want a real point guard at all times, and some kind of big man just about all the time. I also like having a role player who won't need the ball for long periods to help the team, like Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier, Shawn Marion, Redd, or Prince.
That leaves two spots for, essentially, ballhogs.
And let's not forget that the tournament features an insane number of games in short succession. You don't want to play anyone long minutes. So, the question is, do you want four perimeter scorers who play twenty minutes each in close games -- at the expense of the last player on your bench, who would be a real role player -- or three guys who average thirty minutes each?
I could see the argument for either, but would probably lean towards just carrying three and making that twelfth player an especially good defender. It's not like you won't be able to score, with guys like Michael Redd and Deron Williams as your third and fourth options.
Most likely, life will handle this decision for Jerry Colangelo. The way the NBA is, it's extremely unlikely all four will be ready to play on this team. Whether through injury, fatigue, personal reasons, the birth of a child, or whatever, I bet at least one of the foursome of Bryant, James, Anthony, and Wade will suit up in Beijing. And if Wade is on the team in place of Anthony, say, or James, it will be a different team, to be sure, but it's hard for me to believe Team USA will be doomed.
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