Team USA vs. Angola

Another game, another wipeout.   I will try to keep these recaps brief, and I should emphasize that the opinions contained here are solely mine and not those of ClipsNation as a whole or ClipperSteve.

Team looked strong again, sloppy at times, but that is to be expected when the quality gap is so great.  This team is a lot of fun to watch, perhaps more so than the '92 Dream Team, because, with the exception of Howard and Boozer, everyone can handle the ball very well. 

LeBron James is the most dominant player on the floor.  There is nobody out there tha can match up with him.  He seems to be able to get to the rim at will (as he does in the NBA), and he is doing a great job on the glass, which, with his passing ability, is leading to a bunch of points in transition.  His defense has also been quite impressive.

Carmelo got going early offensively, and is a very difficult cover for the Angolans.  He is also rebounding well.   Wade was perfect from the field again thru the first half.   His mid-range game looks great, and he and Kobe are very active on defense, another factor that is leading to points in transition.  DWade's hustle is evident by his reboundig numbers. 

Kidd is doing a great job of finding guys, especially Howard, who was a beast in this one.  A shame that they can't be teammates back home.   Bosh, Paul, Williams, Redd and Prince are all filling their roles nicely as well.  The only guy I don't get is Boozer.  Doesn't seem to be a great fit for this squad.

My chief complaint, though, lies with Kobe Bryant.  His defense has been very good, but he is so out of the flow on offense, shooting 4-13 from the field.  His shots are ill-timed, and way off.  Kobe was 0-8 from downtown, making him 1-15 so far in the tournament.  Taking threes in FIBA is good policy, but only if you are making them.  Otherwise, move the ball. 

Defending the three point line is an issue.  Angola got off 20 pretty good looks, but only hit on 6.  Spain and Argentina won't be so kind. 

On balance, I am impressed and encouraged by the performance.  Only 12 turnovers from a team that is throwing the ball all over the court, and 13 steals.   At any given time team USA has five outstanding players on the floor together.  It seems to be working well.

I saw that Greece wiped out Germany (bad game for CK) and that Spain struggled with China.  I see little reason why either of those teams should be able to beat a focused and defensive minded team USA.