Kleeman's Last Word: The Olympics, Artest and a Puzzling Three-Way

This hoops hodge podge will probably work about as well as Homer Simpson building a barbecue grill. Then again, Homer parlayed his ragefest, which stemmed from his brick, cement and umbrella disaster, into a short-lived art career.

 

There is hope for me. Maybe.

 

United States Hammers Overrated Greeks, 92-69

It's funny reading Fox Sports basketball columnist Charley Rosen's latest piece "USA Looks Golden."

"In retrospect, Greece was not as good as advertised." Rosen should know as he was one of the culprits in primping Greece as a medal contender.

The two squads that met Thursday evening in Beijing are not the same ones that clashed in 2006 World Championship. I was amused at how many people, including coach and analyst Fran Fraschilla, thought Greece would find extra jets against a superior American team that it had not displayed since 2006. 

I watched Greece clang seven consecutive three pointers against a Spain team that was shooting in the low 40s. What sane person was expecting a Greek team that spent five minutes searching for a field goal against the Spaniards to beat the United States?

Normally, I would pick Greece in a rematch, since it won the last championship bout. However, these two teams met two years ago and Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and Michael Redd were not on that U.S. squad. Even if stinky shooting has infected Redd and Bryant, the Greeks still had to guard them as did China and Angola.

Kidd isn't shooting much, but no stat sheet can illustrate the experience and headiness he contributes to a once young squad.

Bryant rebounded from two hideous 37 percent shooting outings with a 7-14, 18-point performance. Chris Bosh poured in another 18 and LeBron James added 13.

The player who continues to impress me most, though, is oft-injured guard Dwyane Wade. He looks better than the young star that hacked up the Dallas Mavericks defense in the 2006 NBA Finals.

Late in the second quarter, with the Greeks threatening to cut a 17-point lead to a manageable deficit, Wade spun past two defenders and finished an off-balance lay-in with hard contact. He sealed the three-point play by sinking the ensuing free throw stripe.

The team's putrid 13-for-23 mark from the charity stripe is still a concern. Missing 13 of 20 trey attempts also disconcerts me.

You can eyeball a list of the United State's other flaws if you like:

·           Dwight Howard lost the opening tip to Andreas Glyniadakis and ended with two points and six rebounds. The front line trio has under performed as a unit, though Chris Bosh is shooting a ridiculous .80 plus percent from the field.

·           LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have tabulated more minutes at the four position than Carlos Boozer.

·           Did I mention atrocious shooting beyond the arc? How about fishy free throw shooting?

·           The would-be high scoring United States scored 18 points or less in fourth quarters against Greece and Angola.

Consider that the U.S. displayed all of the above flaws in full force and still pistol whipped the Greeks by 23 points.

We learned the important lesson of the 2004 and 2006 losses long before Beijing. You cannot splice together a collection of All-Stars with a blindfold on and expect to cruise through world competition. OK, we got it. Loud and clear.

Spain will test the United States, and the upcoming match this morning looks increasingly like the gold medal game preview. Argentina recuperated from an early loss to Lithuania by slamming Australia and Croatia. They will factor into the gold medal equation, too.

I do not see either terrific squad besting the U.S. in any game, though. No one can beat this American team. Pau and Marc Gasol, a big duo on a stellar defensive unit, will not allow the U.S. to rough them up by a 20-point margin.

The game will stay in the 10-point range, but the U.S. will pull away from the Spaniards in the fourth period, remaining unbeaten in pool play.

I agree with Lithuania forward Linas Kleiza that any team is beatable in one game. Except the U.S.

Don't give them the medal yet, as the biggest test yet awaits them Saturday night, but perhaps it's time to quit counting them out because of a few losses that hang in the past.

On second thought, keep the cynicism and the "I'm not convinced" arguments coming. It has proven an effective tactic thus far.

China's Basketball Program Lacks Maturity, Adequate Guard Play and a Competitive Yi

Yao Ming cannot be operating at 100 percent during these Olympics--he estimated 75 percent when a reporter asked him--and the one player who can help China compete with the elite squads is giving less than 40 percent. That player, Yi Jianlian, needs to learn that 'showing up' means doing more than entering the arena and putting on a jersey.

The Chinese love basketball and it has showed throughout the first week of hoops competition. Their national team has a long route to travel if it hopes to amount to more than ground chicken in a match against a medal contender. China showcased its worst flaws in squandering a 14-point, third quarter lead against the Spaniards.

What would have been the greatest basketball win in the country's history became further proof that China can host a world-class team but not beat one.

I love Yi's potential. So do the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Jersey Nets. Someone needs to trash this guy for playing like a lost wuss, so I'll do the honors. He began that contest with Spain by throwing down a monster dunk over the brothers Gasol. He checked out after that promising play and missed some key looks down the stretch that would have sealed a China victory.

On the list of things that should worry Yi, athleticism and talent are at the bottom. He can hang with any player in the world, including Kobe Bryant, but instead prefers to continue his disappearing act.

Consider these timeless quotes about talent.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent."

--former U.S. president Calvin Coolige

“Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.”

--unknown

 “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

--Stephen King

“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”

--H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Poor Angola

The Angolans deserve an award for never failing to produce a basketball team that's just happy to be there. This pathetic collection has proved a wonderful doormat for each of its preliminary round foes.

Maybe Spain or Greece will tell Kobe Bryant that Olimpio Cipriano and Eduardo Mingas are stuck to his shoes as a friendly gesture. Even when he is shooting 0-5 in a miserable first half, Bryant wouldn't notice if his shoes accidentally squashed one of these Angolan lightweights. Greece, fresh from a rousing loss to the United States, just pummeled Angola 102-61.

China should be thankful that it landed in the same Group B. That means Angola did indeed serve a noble purpose—to let the host country's most popular team walk away with at least one win.

Que Paso¢ Argentina?

Basketball’s defending gold medallists look oddly uncomfortable in these Games and began pool play with a puzzling 79-75 loss to Lithuania.

Leave it to the San Antonio Spurs to refuse any discussion about Manu Ginobili’s ankle. Team officials, including coach Gregg Popovich, knew his injury was aggravated enough to encourage him publicly to skip Beijing. Pop knows Ginobili, even at 65 percent, would never consider such a thing. Ginobili values the chance to represent his country in one of the few sports where Argentina has a medal shot.

Fraschilla said during the last United States friendly against Australia that Argentina losing veteran point guard Pepe Sanchez would crush the country’s medal hopes. Thus far, Sanchez’s absence has not been the problem. Argentina lost twice in the preliminary round in 2004 before emerging as a dominant team. Maybe the Argentines can do it again, but my early not Nostradamus instincts tell me the U.S. will meet the Gasol brothers in the gold medal match.

Among the problems Argentina must correct: sloppy pick and roll execution, soft cuts to the rim and a lack of scoring in trailers. If Argentina can thrash Iran and defeat Russia, it will likely not see the United States in the quarterfinals. I’m also not sure if Andres “chupa” Nocioni as the leading rebounder on a team with Fabricio Oberto and Luis Scola is a good thing.

Artest Trade Finalized: A Reason for Excitement

The Houston Chronicle first reported that the Rockets had acquired Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings in late July. I knew nothing would halt this deal and yet, I needed Thursday afternoon to happen so I could believe it.

Just after the Chronicle broke news of the trade, a pool of reporters in Beijing asked Yao Ming about his soon-to-be teammate. His comments, in which he questioned how the move might affect team chemistry, were blown out of proportion. Talk about CGI fireworks, huh?

Yao did not say that Artest would hurt the team. He never did. He spent most of that interview session praising what Artest can add to a Rockets team familiar with first round ousters.

The two teams could not complete the deal until 30 days after the Rockets had signed key piece Donte Greene, per NBA rules. I still think Rockets GM Daryl Morey fleeced Sacramento and pulled off a lopsided trade. Bobby Jackson is a solid backup point guard on a veteran team, but I doubt he will earn the starting spot or average more than 10 points per game. Donte Greene and NBA-level defense do not get along. I see him as a future rotation player but not a star.

The Rockets will likely pick lower than 26 in next year’s draft so good luck getting me to care about losing that. Artest is potentially one of the 20 best two-way players in league history. The Rockets will give him a chance to make that potential a reality.

I initially expressed the same skepticism that befell everyone when the Chronicle reported this bombshell trade. However, no one wants this acquisition to work for the Rockets more than me. That has not changed. What has is that I can now believe with confidence that it will.

His comments during a conference call turned me from nervous skeptic to religious believer.

“When Adelman had me on the court in Sacramento he used me at every single position,” said Artest, who will wear No. 96 with the Rockets. “Sometimes he would play me at the two, when there was a dominant two such as a Kobe (Bryant) or a Dwyane Wade. Or Steve Nash was killing us one time in Phoenix. He put me at the one. He put me at the five.

“I work on my game every summer so I get better. I don’t make a big jump at one specific thing, but I make a good enough leap at everything to be able to play every position. I’ll be ready. That’s how I play my game.

“Whatever Adelman needs me to do, whether that’s come off the bench, sixth, seventh man, start, I don’t even care. Whatever he needs me to do, I’m 100 percent sure it’s going to work.”

I still detest the linebacker-esque forward’s bulky rap sheet, but if he will accept a bench role, and pushes the Rockets past the first round, I can forgive and forget. My vote of confidence in Artest does not condone his punching a fan or animal cruelty charges, but it should say that even the most questionable athletes deserve a second chance if they express a willingness to do something with it.

Artest, Morey and owner Leslie Alexander are beyond willing. Sure, it’s a press conference months before training camp and the regular season, but promises mean something. Artest ensured the marriage would be successful and Morey and Alexander used the c word with a new conviction. Championship?

Fellas, let’s win a first round series. Then we’ll talk.

Pointless threesome?

I seem to be the lone NBA aficionado who does not get the three-way deal between Cleveland, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City. At all.

The Bucks get:

G Damon Jones

G-F Adrian Griffin

G Luke Ridnour

The Oklahoma City Whatevers get:

F Desmond Mason

F Joe Smith

The Cavaliers get:

G Maurice Williams

Mo Williams can outplay any of the top five point guards in the NBA on a given night, if he wants to do so. His penetration prowess gives some teams fits. Other nights, he hoists a jump shot festival, and looks like one of the biggest underachievers in the league.

My take: LeBron James needs help but this ain’t it. Williams is much better than Delonte West, who emerged in the playoffs as a spot up scoring threat, but he does not play the pass-first game James needs to create easier baskets.

Charles Barkley harps on the Cavs’ stagnant offense anytime Cleveland plays on TNT.

“LeBron should not be starting a fast break and then finishing it. He should be finishing a fast break that someone else starts.”

Amen. If his previous tendencies stick around, Mo Williams will not allow James to do that. I cannot fault Cavs GM Danny Ferry for exhibiting a willingness to shake up the roster. However, am I the only one who sees this as a desperation move to appear relevant in a summer rife with monster trades?

I was anxious to see what rigorous coach Scott Skiles might do for Williams career in Milwaukee. He averaged 17 points and 6.3 assists last season, both terrific numbers, but his inconsistency stumped one of his biggest fans—me.

Jones can drill spot up treys at a respectable clip but will not change balance of the Eastern Conference, as he suggested he would before last season’s trade deadline. Griffin defends with tenacity and testicles. He shoots with stupidity, sometimes turning easy lay-ups into difficult shots that clang off the rim. Ridnour started for a playoff team and managed 11 points and seven assists per game. His defense is hard to spot and something tells me the Bucks will not exercise the patience required for him to find it.

Smith and Mason offer a young Oklahoma City team some veteran leadership, but they will not lift a lottery team to the playoffs.

I applaud Ferry for ridding the Cavs of Damon Jones’ frighteningly bad contract. Minnesota Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale dealt Marko Jaric in a draft night trade, one of the few role players with a worse contract than Jones. Shudder…the Jaric contract.

The Cavs best opportunity to upgrade the roster may come just before the trade deadline, just as the Rockets had planned to do before landing Artest. Surely a team with an All-Star will under perform in the season’s first half and seek to trade away a veteran to add some young talent.

For now, I don’t get this trade.