Comments on: Mike Krzyzewski runs a tight ship, but negates Team USA's greatest strength in the process

By: Buffalo Braves

Buffalo Braves — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:46:04 +0000

Luke is the one player Phil can count on to consistently run the offense. That being said the Lakers haven’t reached the point where they wish to buy out his contract, especially since his back is still suspect. Perhaps next year after Phil completes his 4rth 3-peat and fades into the sunset.

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:31:10 +0000

It appears ‘Geo’ has gone to hide under a ‘rock’…

By: BWN

BWN — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:39:18 +0000

@geo59: Guess Gilbert Arenas/Richard Jefferson/Luke Walton don’t count from the 2001 Arizona team that Duke beat in the title game?

By: nivek

nivek — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:27:47 +0000

Maybe the Lakers can trade Lamor Odam and Luke Walton for Carmelo Anthony. Why do the Lakers hold on to Luke it’s clear to see he’s dead weight!!

By: chris

chris — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:18:38 +0000

Mahoney: “Forget about the starters’ endurance. This is about Team USA having the best lineups on the floor to give them the best chance to win every game.”
Wrong. This is about building the best team, for eventual Olympic gold.
Coach K knows how to do that.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:58:57 +0000

geo – you’re saying that Coach K only has success when there are no teams that have multiple NBA guys… It’s a little early to tell from this year but the Butler squad Duke beat did have two guys who will be NBA players (Hayward is there now, Mack will be there next year)
The last time they made the Final Four they lost in the semi-finals by one point to a UConn team that put Gordon, Okafur, Boone, Villanueva, and Armstrong into the NBA.
In 2001 they won it all, beating an Arizona team that had Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton, and Loren Woods all of whom are playing or played in the NBA. In the semis they beat a Maryland squad that had Steve Blake, Juan Dixon, Chris Wilcox, and Lonny Baxter… all guys who have played in the NBA. Along the way they beat UCLA and Dan Gadzuric, Earl Watson, and Matt Barnes.
In 1992 they won it all, beating a Michigan team that put Eric Riley, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, and Jalen Rose in the league. In the semis they beat Indiana with Alan Henderson, Calbert Chaney, Greg Graham, and Eric Anderson.
In 1991 they beat UNLV with Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson, and Elmore Spencer.
In 1990 they beat a UConn team with Tate George, Chris Smith, and Scott Burrell and Arkansas with Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller.
In 1989 they went to the Final Four after beating Georgetown with Alonzo, Mutombo and Charles Smith.
Want me to go on???
In fact, K’s record in that regard is exceptional given that: a) there aren’t many teams out there with “multiple NBA guys” each year and; b) beating those teams is no small accomplishment.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:40:33 +0000

Rob,
This article shows why you are a two bit hack and Coach K is the coach. How many games have you won? Thought so. Kindly shut up.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:54:53 +0000

What hype about love? He simply said Love is a more accomplished rebounder and smoother scorer than Odom has shown? That’s hardly hype? Is one not allowed to say a white player does something better than a white player? That’s ridiculous!!

By: tc

tc — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:28:40 +0000

when splitter gets to the NBA this year …he’ll be an ok player good skills sets but nothing compared to top NBA PF and centers …he’ll put in a few 15 point games for about 3 -4 years and then make a humble return back to his original stomping grounds….not hating just dont over think what he did to Lamar Odom …its not the best test …although Odom isnt bad he’s just not a great defender

By: eugene

eugene — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:18:04 +0000

I’m sick of Coach K, can we use some other good college coaches? Why does he keep getting the job? He’s not the only good coach in the country.

By: Uptown

Uptown — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:07:42 +0000

The problem isn’t so much the rotations (although why not use your depth?) – but more of what the rotations don’t do on offense or defense. Team USA only guards if it has to and on offense, 4 players stand around and watch the player with the ball dribble around (maybe toward the basket, but maybe not). Brazil played solid defense and had Team USA running around like chickens with their heads cut off on offense. They had great offensive movement and great passing – played like a team – imagine that.

By: blackout1020

blackout1020 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:57:53 +0000

I’m pretty sure he wasn’t hyping up Kevin Love. The point he’s making is that they are interchangeable. Kevin Love as well as the other bench players are more than capable of coming in and providing fresh legs when the starters are becoming winded and struggling. That’s all.

By: SidJ2002

SidJ2002 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:43:54 +0000

It’s clear that Coach K is an excellent coach for this style event.
1. He has many young players on the roster that need teaching.
2. He is the best coach in the nation at instilling confidence and cohesion in young players.
3. He has plenty of experience winning with 3-guard lineups (see the makeup of his Blue Devils teams for the last five years). His current team USA roster is packed with guards and small forwards.
I believe that he is hoping that Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom can provide a veteran presence for this team, and he will ride them in close matchups. He is hoping that they will know how to draw fouls when the team has key offensive possessions, and that they will bring a heady presence and a possession-control style when the outcome of the game is in doubt.
Can’t blame him for that…

By: 4seahawks

4seahawks — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:30:45 +0000

Who even cares about the NBA or I should say “I got to get mine” league. Overpaid and pathetic excuse for a game. I do like the NCAA level but the pro’s, please!! The NBA will not get any air time in my house until it is brought back to the time of Magic, Byrd and Jordan.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:17:01 +0000

Like 1991 against UNLV? Take a look at their roster and see how many NBA players were on that team.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:14:21 +0000

Someone above said it correctly when they said the NBA players aren’t “used” to the refs. The NBA is a joke when it comes to calling fouls. If your name starts with KOB, LEB or your last name contains JOR or WAD then you can’t foul out a game and any hint of contact near you is a foul on the opponent. The same thing use to happen with Shaq. Coach K is used to teaching the game of basketball to players willing to learn and players willing to play within a system in order to obtain a better result than individual results would have been. Minimal NBA players understand or would work under such a premise.
The USA will win and should win and I will be rooting for them to rout everyone they play, but the struggles have more to do with the players than the coaches.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:12:17 +0000

He is playing these guys together alot to build chemistry. Most of these guys have trouble playing team basketball. This isn’t the nba where the rules are bent to minimize teamwork and to help guys who can run and jump but don’t have good “functional athleticism” (can’t shoot, can’t see plays unfold, can do things other than charging to the hoop with head down). In the international game where more teamwork is allowed and players aren’t rushed with the shot clock, these guys look clumsy and need work. If a true zone defense were allowed guys like Lebron James would be pumping gas somewhere.
K Love is a much smarter player than Odom, is able to play within a system while Odom is more of a street ball type of player. An organized defense makes him look like a big goof ball.

By: MobTown

MobTown — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:01:06 +0000

Love is known for his outlet passes after collecting rebounds.

By: dean

dean — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:51:05 +0000

What is this guy watching? Billups scored in double figures and I believed he scored what turned out to be the winning basket. Rose has been unguardable during this tournament. Chandler is a liability on offense. Had it not been for several missed layups in the last quarter, this would have been a 10 point game. I guess you are going to blame Coach K for players missing stone dead layups. George Karl finished 6th with just a good a roster. Larry Brown struggled to get a bronze. This author wouldn’t know a basketball if I threw him one.
To answer someone’s comment above, I guess UNLV didn’t have NBA talent in 1991 or Arizona didn’t in 2001. Duke can’t help it if Butler upset three so-called better teams. Baylor has several nba type athletes as did West Virginia. Get over it haters. Coach K is the best there is.

By: Joey

Joey — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:47:50 +0000

Ridiculous article.
Spain and Brazil are two excellent teams.
There is most certainly separation between the players on this team in terms of skill level and personal strengths, and K knows this. (It is ludicrous to say it’s Durant and The Rest…yeah right)
Sample size is wayyy too small to say that the minutes differential has any meaning whatsoever. Typical journalist using statistical trolling.
Perhaps use this stat:
Durant’s Mins/Final Game Scoring Margin
21 / +28
23 / +22
39 / +2
Oh Boy! We need to play Durant less! The more he plays the tighter the game gets!!!
…Give me a break. By the way, we won.

By: ACC B-ball rules

ACC B-ball rules — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:29:20 +0000

Wow! Guess that Coach K should find a new profession since he can’t coach a lick. Maybe he could go into the trophy business! Oh yeah, he has a few of those doesn’t he?!?!? Four National Championships, eleven Final Fours, and don’t forget a Gold medal in 2008. Not to mention that he actually has a roster of guys who can read and will graduate! His accomplishments are too many to list and some two-bit blog-o-journalist is hatin on the “K”? PLEASE!

By: jtdukefan12

jtdukefan12 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:05:22 +0000

hahahahahaha kevin can rebound and score with the best of them…. NO!

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:54:30 +0000

USA basketball just won the Olympic gold with Coach K at the helm. Multiple successful NBA coaches (including Larry Brown, who has won an NBA Championship) failed to win in international competition. Check your facts. Coach K is the best man for the job and he, along with Jerry Colangelo, have completely resuscitated our national program after years of underperformance.

By: Craig W.

Craig W. — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:44:34 +0000

Bluedevil99,
His philosophy might even work in the NBA, but FIBA is different. Since the game is more physical and the NBA players are not used to the officiating, the players will exert more physical and mental energy than they are used to. Add to that that the quarters are shorter, so the opposition will play “balls-to-the-wall” without worrying about getting tired, and the game begins to resemble a hockey game in its approach to line changes.
This is not an atmosphere in which keeping players in the game past their accustomed amount of time (Lamar Odom) will help our guys. If he can’t adjust to this pace, then we will be in very big trouble in the next round.

By: JCfollowah

JCfollowah — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:39:01 +0000

He did the same thing in 2008, Boozer, Michael Redd, and Tayshaun Prince barely played. Not a big deal.

By: Bluedevil99

Bluedevil99 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:28:52 +0000

Coach K has said in the past that saying “that team has great depth” is like saying “she’s got a great personality”. If you’ve watched Duke over the years, K has rarely gone more than 8 or 9 deep and often leans heavily on his starters, especially in big games. He’s coming off a championship season where he played 3 starters over 35 minutes a game and had only 8 players over 10mpg. Of course, what works in college is not necessarily going to work with pros in international competition. Then again, it’s worked so far.

By: Oldtimer

Oldtimer — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:29:32 +0000

All I know is the US team is playing Iran on Wed.. We had better win by sixty. Pour it on and rub it in US.

By: geo59

geo59 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:15:22 +0000

This article is fairly accurate. My concern is not with the starting lineup of the players. My concern is with the starting lineup of the coaches. Coach K is a successful NCAA coach. But he’s conservative in every aspect of the word. Even in the NCAA, Duke only has success in years when there are no teams that have multiple NBA level players. Whenever a team like that comes around Duke fades away. Coach K epitomizes the reason that most NCAA coaches can’t make it in the NBA. He’s too conservative, and he doesn’t know how to coach a team full of NBA level talent. He doesn’t know how to let em play. So, why is he the head coach? D’Antoni, McMillen, assistant coaches? The USA will struggle in FIBA with Krzyzewski at the helm.

By: Craig W.

Craig W. — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:20:44 +0000

As a veteran Laker fan, I can tell you that you should not be passing the ball to Lamar Odom down low or letting him bring the ball up the court when you are in a close game and there is a lot of pressure. He is not consistent and you can’t really count on him. Coach K should know this, by this time. If he didn’t, then the Brazil game certainly should have taught him that.
In watching the game I couldn’t help but agree with Fran F. that Lamar was tired in the 4th qtr. Nope, the coach left him in.
I certainly agree that sitting Gordon and Curry for the entire game didn’t make much sense when our other guards – who are poorer 3pt shooters – are chucking them up.
We seemed to be standing around a lot on offense, then going 1-on-1 against a zone. We didn’t play smart and we didn’t coach smart in this game.

By: Chrisss

Chrisss — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:11:04 +0000

Maybe Love can score and rebound with the best of them but he can’t pass, has little to no defense and can’t block shots. He only has part of the package.