Why the 2012 USA Basketball Olympic Team will lose & won’t get the gold medal

If you listen to the radio, you will know that we have another “dream” team heading out to the Olympics to represent the United States. The 2012 version has a lot of flash, but it lacks the substance of other national teams. When you think back to the original version of the Dream Team, you think about a dominant force in 1992 that ran through the competition. The 2012 version will not repeat that feat. Instead, they will fall just short of gold, claiming some other medal in the process.

Lacking big things down low

So why won’t the 2012 version win gold? The answer is multi-faceted. First, the 2012 team does not have the chops down low to make it happen. With some of the injuries that the team has suffered, they are left with some undesirable guys playing down low. The injury to Anthony Davis makes things even worse, as he would have at least provided some defensive presence for the club to lean on. They will lose because of bad interior defense and a lack of rebounding. This might not bite them in the early rounds, but it will eventually cost them an important game at some point in the process.

Beware the Spanish strength

Another reason why the 2012 team won’t win the gold has to do with the strength of the Spanish club. The Spanish team has the strength to pick on the US where it is weak. Think about the Gasol brothers doing big things down low. There is a lot of good stuff going on with a Spanish team that seems to have a lot of chemistry. This is the primary reason why the US will fail to win the big medal. They are going to run into a legitimate NBA team in the Spanish, and they will not be able to overcome some of their weaknesses in that game.

A problem with chemistry

The problem for the US is that the team’s sum is less than the parts would indicate. When you look at the roster, you see a lot of individual talent. You see guys who dominate NBA games with regularity. The problem is that they do not mesh together all that well. This team was not put together with complimentary pieces. Instead, they will clash to a certain extent. This is why the sum of the US team will be less than the parts. The chemistry issue is one that should afflict them as they face clubs that have been together for much longer. The Spanish, in particular, will be able to take advantage of this significant weakness.

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Posted by Wunderdog’s trusty sidekick ” Wundercat “