Postscript to the FIBA Worlds

One big lesson that Team USA learned from this tournament is that familiarity and continuity can beat an assembly of talent at any given time.

Spain has been playing together for sometime that they consider their teammates as friends and playmates, that even the loss of Pau Gasol was hardly felt. Greece had a roster of flexible and interchangeable personnel that despite losing star guard Nikos Zisis halfway through the games, they still got the silver medal. Fourth placed Argentina has a team whose core group has grown together for more than seven years. Bottomline, it is cohesion that spells the difference and it wins games.

The big question now is will there be changes on Team USA where it has to join the qualifiers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. If this team seeks continuity, it has to stay as it is. The pool of players still has Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire, Michael Redd, Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce and if these big name stars are to be accommodated, half a roster will be changed. Will the new guys blend with the remaining cocktail mix? You can always assemble superstars together but if you just have six weeks together, man, even the UV Lancers can give them a run for their Nikes.

Next summer's qualifiers, the 2007 Tournament of the Americas in Venezuela would be a difficult one. There will only be 12 available spots in the Olympics as compared to the 24 spots in the Worlds. Only the top three teams in this tournament will qualifiy for Beijing 2008. Challenging Team USA for the three spots will be Argentina, Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Panama and yes, Venezuela. It won't be smooth sailing for the Americans to the 2008 Olympics.

The original 1992 Dream Team is incomparable and no other US team assembled has surpassed the mystique, awe, intimidation and supremacy of the Barcelona squad. Forget the 2002 version composed mostly of NBA journeymen who finished a disastrous sixth in the Indianopolis Worlds. The discussion now is not of how the world has caught up with Team USA, but of when will Team USA catch up with the world.

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Familiar faces will be wearing new uniforms when the 2006-2007 NBA season opens. The biggest name on the free agent market was Ben Wallace who will be on a Bulls uniform. Big Ben will anchor an already potent Chicago defense which allows the opposition to only hit 42.6% of their shots last season. Chicago's formidable defense will be Detroit's headache.

Peja Stojakovic changed address and is now with the New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets. Hornets head coach Byron Scott has played against Peja in Greece during the 1997-1998 season where Scott's Panathinaikos team defeated Peja's PAOK in the 1998 Greek Championships and where Peja was the League MVP. Scott was assistant coach in Sacramento during Peja's first two seasons.

Derek Fisher has moved to Utah and will be bringing veteran leadership and championship experience and a potent 43% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Devean George will be a Maverick and have Mark Cuban as a motivator. He could be part of the starting frontline alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Erik Dampier.

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