Team USA gave Turkey a beating in their second exhibition game, but I’m not too impressed. Here are five ways they can please me and Coach K:
5. How about some more air time on Road to Redemption? As Coach K is probably in his last couple of years as a coach, I’d like to see him doing other things than saying come on let’s go, this is great, we have to play as a team. I mean, if they don’t win the gold, he’s got to have something to remember.
4. Get Dwight Howard to work his magic to get more minutes for ex-Blue Devil (his current title is bench warmer) J.J. Redick. Maybe then he can look half as good as he did in college. I think saying this kid hasn’t lived up to his potential is an understatement. If the Magic can’t deal him where he would play, they need to find a use for him.
3. Give Coach K a cool Chinese nickname (like Ball Don’t Lie did for Kobe and LJ). I’m thinkin something that involves ee (the number one, I know how to say it, not sure on the spelling) and however you say number and coach in Chinese (together, number one coach!). Maybe asking Yao to help out?
2. Get Kobe to go back in time and play for Duke. A dream for Coach K and Kobe is now being achieved in the Olympics. But, I assume he’d like to win an NCAA title with Kobe at the helm. So, they’ll cut a deal to go back in time when ever time travel is real (trust me, we’re just having fun with this one!) and get Kobe in blue and white. This would really change everything, he’d probably be drafted before the 13th pick and not traded to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.
1. Win the damn gold! Sorry to be obvious, but this is why these guys are giving up their summers. If they don’t win the gold, I think it would be a huge disappointment for US basketball. On the positive side, I think it will increase the hunger for some of the stars during the NBA season. We know Flash and Kobe don’t need more desire, but why not?
EXTRA: I came up with two ways to make assistant coach Mike D’Antoni happy!
2. Find a way to make Danilo Gallinari a US citizen and get him on the 2012 team! I know, I’m playing the Italian card, but the Knicks drafted him, by the time those London games rolled around, they’d have a great feel for each of their styles. To get him on the team, they could pull some strings (hey, Kaman got to play for Germany!).
1. Let him take over for Coach K! It’s time for some fresh legs all across USA basketball and Fran Fraschilla also thinks he could be the next coach. He could bring his experience from playing and coaching and Italy, he’d already know the international game. A little run and gun for the USA team? Why not!
Of course some of this stuff is crazy, but I’m psyched about this basketball! The summer league wasn’t that interesting and the medal round of these games is shaping up to be great!
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