Preview of the USA Men's Basketball Team

The USA basketball team hasn't faired well in the last three global tournaments. Hopefully, this year will be different.

Strengths: As always, the U.S. is the most talented and athletic squad in the Olympics. This year's team has done an effective job pressuring the ball in the back court, which has led to easy baskets. Transition offense is where the U.S. shines and as long as they're creating turnovers or missed shots, it will be a tough team to stop. This version features much improved perimeter shooting.

Weaknesses: Despite the improved outside shooting, the U.S. team still struggles in a half court game. Other teams will clog the middle defensively and there still isn't a dominant post up player on the U.S. roster, particularly up front. One of those centers from yesteryear would be a perfect fit for this year's bunch, but unfortunately, there isn't an American player who fits the bill. It's an unselfish team, but when they struggle, they revert to NBA-style isolation offense. The U.S. is still not good at defending the perimeter. They don't do an inspiring job at accounting for three point shooters or stopping penetration, though the latter is less frequent in international play.

Kobe Bryant is the biggest addition to the U.S. squad. He is the team's best defender. Within the last two years, he has grasped how to make his teammates better. He's also one of the best shooters in the world. If America recaptures the gold, it will be because of all of the little things Kobe does.

Chris Paul and Jason Kidd concern me. It sounds silly to say, because both are so good in the NBA. But Paul fits the mold of the players that were chosen for international competition in the recent past. He's very flashy, but doesn't possess the style of play compatible with the international game. He's not a consistent shooter (yet). He isn't a good defender on the perimeter and even if he was in position every time, opponents can just rise over his short stature and sink threes in his face. He often wants to penetrate, which works well in the NBA, but in the Olympics, opponents will simply crowd the paint and Paul will be rendered ineffective. Kidd is simply a shadow of his former self. He's clearly lost a step. Chauncey Billups should've been on the team as he was in the Tournament of the Americas last year.

This is a really good team with a bunch of very good players. But I fear that if the team's shooting goes south, or the opponent is able to handle the ball confidently, the U.S. will struggle to score in the half court set. That's especially bad because offensive efficiency determines the level of defensive play for a number of these guys. Personally, I think Tayshaun Prince needs a lot of playing time. It's nice to have Michael Redd to nail a few threes if needed. The key player might be Deron Williams because of the critiques I wrote about the other two point guards above. The U.S. needs to refrain from overconfidence, knock down its free throws, and a gold medal should return to the red, white, and blue.