Hey, don’t look now but the Leader of Men just watched his team struggle to beat Australia in its final pre-Olympic tune up game. An Aussie team that played without its lone NBA player, Andrew Bogut, who had a knee.
The post-thin Americans shot just 3 for 18 from 3-ball land and had only 10 fastbreak points. In other words, the Aussies protected the ball and kept Team USA in front of them, forcing contested shots. It is formula that blunts K-ball’s primary offensive thrust. Combine it with enough offensive counter-punch in the form of hitting open jumpshots in the half-court and you can stay in the game. Add some post presence — like Spain, Greece, Argentina, and sometimes China can — and K-ball struggles.
Meanwhile, karma jumped up and bit McClatchy for sending dook symbiote Luciana Chavez to Beijing to “cover” Coach K and Team USA. She tripped getting off the plane after a 14-hour flight and sprained her ankle badly enough to require a trip to a Chinese hospital.
Update: Another worried look at Team USA, this time pin-pointing poor half-court defense.
