Team USA hopes to win a Gold Medal at next summer's Olympics.
Tough defense and teamwork helped earned the most recent version of Team USA first place in the FIBA USA tournament held in Las Vegas this summer. Team USA trounced every opponent to go undefeated.
However, the players still have their eyes on the ultimate prize of winning a Gold Medal in next summer's Olympic Games. Though they had an impressive summer, there are still some concerns.
They seem to have answered the issue of outside shooting with the addition of sharp-shooter Michael Redd, but some now question the team's interior defense. Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler are charged with defending the paint, though none of the three have a whole lot of experience. Howard is a top-notch rebounder and as strong as they come, but his offense is limited to dunking when he gets a wide open look underneath. Stoudemire is a tremendous finisher, is extremely athletic and his jump shot looked much better this summer, but his defense is questionable sometimes and he has a very limited back-to-the-basket post game. Tyson Chandler is a long, defensive-minded shot blocker and rebounder, but sometimes gets pushed around and has no offensive game. All three could use some maturation, despite their talent.
Still, the strength of team USA is its ability to pressure the ball and attack the basket. The additions of Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant give the team veteran leaders they didn't necessarily have last summer at the FIBA worlds. With recent disappointments against international competition in recent years, Team USA shouldn't be considered the team to beat next year, but they will be a handful for any opponent.
