Team USA needs to take Argentina seriously 2008-08-22 News Miami Heat

Should Team USA beat Argentina in their semifinal matchup then they're a lock to take the gold.

However, while a win for the Americans appears to be inevitable it behooves the Redeem Team to respect their opponents. That's because, for even the best hoopers in the world, dissing any opponent means dissing The Game itself, and confers no self-respect for the winners — not even after a 40-point victory. Beating "chumps" does not make the winners "champs."

Moreover, Team Argentina is a formidable squad.

Here are the particulars:

They've been playing together for so long that they appear capable of reading each other's minds. As a result, Argentina's off-the-ball movement is perfectly coordinated, and their passing is quick, instinctive, and quite accurate.

Just about every member of the team can routinely knock down 3-pointers. In fact, in any given game, they usually put up more treys than deuces. This makes doubling anybody a risky business.

They play an effective ball-sniping, passing-lane hawking defense.

Their bigs (primarily Luis Scola and Fabricio Oberto) set bruising screens and play physical interior defense. Although neither is an accomplished scorer, both will bang their way around in the paint and come up with an occasional put-back and short jumper. Given enough space and time, Scola's duck-under and spin moves can also be effective.

Carlos Delfino is a scorer (albeit an erratic one). But when he's on his game, he can light up a scoreboard by nailing turnaround jumpers (going either way) on wing-isolations.

Andres Nocioni is one of the most forceful players in the tournament. His hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners style of play is even more suited to international competition than it is for the NBA.

Pablo Prigioni is a quick-handed, capable ball-handler who usually makes good decisions.

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Analysis

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And then there's Manu Ginobli, the only player on his team good enough to make the U.S. squad.

Ginobili is a deadly long-range shooter with a quick, step-back release.

He's also an adept penetrator and one of the best finishers on the planet.

Furthermore, Ginobili is a truly great clutch player, one who can provide whatever is needed to either seal or steal a victory — a score, a steal, the recovery of a loose ball, etc.

His handle is tricky enough so that in end-game situations, Ginobili will often replace Prigioni at the point.

Ginobili's outside shooting, lefty slants hoopward, and kick-out passes constitute the heart of Argentina's offense.

All things considered, Ginobili is capable of exploding for 40 points against even the most stringent defenses.

The best way to defend Ginobili is to force him right. In any event, he must be attacked in the paint with bigs (to block his vision), but only when he's airborne. Look for Kobe Bryant and Tayshaun Prince to be Ginobili's main defenders.

And Ginobli absolutely must be forced to play defense in both isolation and post-up situations. Running him into multiple screens would also be beneficial.

Where are the weak points of this team and how will Team USA try to take advantage of these flaws?

They aren't exceptional rebounders. Indeed, they'll most likely only send one big to the offensive glass and send everybody else back to protect against the Americans' potent running game. This, in turn, means that the U.S. can often leak out wings and guards to jump-start their fast breaks.

There's a huge drop off in talent when they go to their primary bench players — Paoli Quinteros, Leonardo Gutierrez and Roman Gonzalez. Accordingly, the starters must avoid committing unnecessary fouls. This means that the Americans should emphasize ball-penetration over outside shooting.

Both Scola and Oberto are slow with the ball, are the worst passers on the team, and can be judiciously jumped. Since both are also slow-footed, the American big men will be able to beat them downcourt.

If Prigioni carries the ball into a coffin corner he becomes trappable.

As ever, the Americans will look to speed up the tempo whenever possible to wear down Argentina's core players and maximize their own depth.

They can counter Argentina's gambling defense by making safe passes and by making extra passes.

Should Argentina play more zone than they've shown so far, the Americans must keep the ball and the bodies moving, and also play with patience and discipline. If Team USA is diligent, guys like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James should ultimately be able to carry the ball to the hole against whatever zones Argentina might present.

Another huge problem for Argentina is the state of Nocioni's injured knee. If he is unable to play, if his on-court time is limited, or if he can't play at full speed, then add another 5-10 points to Team USA's margin of victory.

Despite their considerable advantages, the Americans must be wary of making risky passes, taking quick shots in half-court sets, leaving 3-point shooters unattended, and executing late and/or faulty defensive rotations.

The outcome: If Team USA is hitting their 3-pointers, they should win by 20-30 points. If not, their margin could shrink to 10-15.