Spain proves to be no match for US as the path to gold grows clearer

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is bigger for the Redeem Team, Winning group B and getting a top seed in the knockout stage or proving to themselves that they can decisively trounce the second and third best teams in the tournament on consecutive nights.

Though the game was played at a high pace, the way both teams prefer it, the US notched a 119-82 win which ran their record to 4-0. LeBron James was all over the court, scoring, passing and forcing turnovers.

In the second quarter it became clear that Spain was just not that good at defense and not nearly judicious enough in terms of offensive turnovers. They gave the ball to the US 10 times in the first quarter and 28 times in the game.

Eight Americans scored in double figures, led by James with 18 and followed by D-Wade and Carmelo Anthony with 16 apiece.

It seems odd that the commentators were hyping the fact that the new Spanish coach made the team less Pau Gasol-centric and more balanced. The problem with this ploy is that Spain possesses one of the least turnover prone players in all of basketball, Jose Calderon. It might have been better to run the game through his steady hands.

One of the more underrated aspects of LeBron James in these Olympics and really in the NBA as well is his passing. He had eight assists against Spain and has showed some nice skills passing out of the post against the zone.

Team USA pretty much executed everything they wanted to. They shot 58 percent form the field, 48 percent from three and, for the first time, shot free throws well. They held the Spanish to horrendous percentages and kept them from having any offensive continuity. The only real flaw for the US was 28 fouls but with the team finally hitting on all cylinders, it just didn’t matter.

Now all that’s left is getting past Germany without any injuries and preparing for the real competition in the medal round.

Knockout round picture growing clearer

The eight teams which will advance to the medal round have been determined though the seeding has not yet been set.

Yao Ming scored 25 in a win for China over Germany that sent the host country on to the next stage. The loss eliminates the Germans, and means that Dirk Nowitzki has just one game left in his international career.

The addition of Chris Kamen was supposed to push Germany to another level, but the Michigan native failed to break 38 percent shooting in three of his team’s four games thus far. Dirk averages nearly 18 points per game but likewise was inefficient with his shooting.

Russia was also eliminated by an Australian team that battered them with superior size. The Russian’s will now have two watch as four teams that finished behind them in 2007 Eurobasket tournament will advance to the next round.

The Russian struggles may be linked to the sub-par play of their two leaders, J.R. Holden and Andrei Kirilenko, who both struggled in hitting their outside shots. Their play is one of the most disappointing aspects of the tournament thus far.

The top two teams in both pools are locked into their seeds but the bottom two in each could switch. Spain and the US will play Croatia and Australia who both have 2-2 records. Croatia’s last game is against 0-4 Iran while Australia will face 4-0 Lithuania. The better team will play Spain and Croatia holds the tiebreaker because of their win over Australia.

On the other side the Greece-China game will decide the match ups. The winner will draw reigning gold medalist Argentina while the loser gets the sharp-shooting Lithuanian squad.

There is some speculation that one team might tank in hopes of playing Lithuania rather than Argentina. The Greeks beat Lithuania in the 2006 World Basketball Championships while Argentina boasts an immensely talented six-man rotation but lacks any semblance of depth.

For the USthis will be the biggest challenge of the tournament. In 2004 two teams beat the Americans in pool play and neither medaled. All that stranded between the US and the birthright they badly want to reclaim is three games that they must win.

After Croatia or Australia the US will play the winner of Argentina and either Greece or China in the semifinals. Their potential gold medal opponent is anyone’s guess though the most likely candidates are Greece, Spain and Lithuania.

This stage has gotten Team USAin its last two tournaments. In 2004 neither team undefeated in pool play medaled so most of the work for the US is still undone.