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Senior National Team Focuses On Defense, Shooting Friday In Practice
LAS VEGAS - Friday was the third day of practice for the USA Senior Men's National Team, who is here preparing for the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship that will determine which two teams will qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Duke and USA coach Mike Krzyzewski ran the players through more drills and less scrimmaging a lighter physical practice Friday. While the players didn’t get up and down the court as much in the third practice, the staff put Team USA through a rigorous mental practice focusing on defense and halfcourt offense. The team also closed practice with a series of shooting drills.
"We practiced hard but it was all half court," Krzyzewski said. "We haven't been able to get a lot of shooting in. We wanted to go fairly hard in the half court, but we wanted to get some good shooting in."
The half court drills early in practice focused a lot on the defense with court coaches Johnny Dawkins and Chris Collins working with the players on getting in passing lanes and understanding help side defensive responsibilities.
The team then broke into a lengthy session which focused on halfcourt offense and attacking zone defenses. Assistant coach Mike D’Antoni took the team through several offensive sets. The highlight of this session was a thunderous dunk by Carmelo Anthony off a lob from Jason Kidd.
Following the halfcourt 5-on-5 action, the team broke into groups of three for an extensive shooting routine. Several players, including Michael Redd, Mike Miller, Anthony and Chauncy Billups, were extremely hot from behind the international three-point line. Redd topped Kidd, LeBron James and Deron Williams in a three-point contest in which each player had to knock down 10 treys from five spots on the floor. Miller should range from well beyond the NBA three-point arc, while Amare Stoudemire also showed a nice touch out to the international three-point line.
After practice, Coach K answered questions on getting from 14 to 12 players before the start of the tournament.
“It will be tough,” Krzyzewski said. “Nobody is going to be cut, they will always be a part of this team. They may not be selected. Whoever isn't selected, everybody will feel bad about it. All 14 of these guys have a great attitude, they all get along. I'm not surprised they get along, I'm surprised at the level that they get along.”
Coach K also talked about how Team USA is progressing this summer and some of the added shooting abilities with the addition of Redd, Billups, Mike Miller and Kobe Bryant.
“We have some guys on the team who when they shoot you expect it to go in,” Krzyzewski said. “We have a few guys like that. I think in this tournament we're going to see even more zone. I’d be surprised if we didn’t see more zone, so that will be important. We’ve been able to do a lot more X’s and O’s because we all know each other better. It think we're further along now than we were all of last summer.”
