Should Pacers Follow Spain’s Blueprint?
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Conrad Brunner
Tuesday, Sept. 5
Q. Living in Madrid, it is hard not to toot the horn today after Spain's victory (over the U.S. on the way to the World Basketball Championship). I followed Spain's and the United States' undefeated marches through the tournament and they were both indeed impressive. For Spain, a variety of factors stuck out: cohesiveness, mutual trust, aggression, confidence, speed, consistency, heart, control, and teamwork. Indeed, I am one of those strange people who sees basketball as a metaphor for life, and I must say I would love to live the way the Spaniards played.
Being a deep team, the rotations Spain used were indeed a revelation. They kept it moving, fresh, and it didn't matter really who was on the floor, as a unit they functioned always towards the same goal. Based on the merit of each player's play, they got the minutes. First, second and mixed units all meshed. They constantly pushed and consistently kept the energy up, offensively and defensively.
I believe there is something to be learned in Indy, especially as the Pacers "renovate" and change their style. Having "interchangeable basketball players" has been discussed at Conseco for years, and this year it seems that they have acted on this concept. Taking from the Spaniards, it seems to me that it doesn't matter in the least who starts. The idea is to push hard, all the time, no matter who is on the court, keeping fresh talent on the court.
All that said of course is quite easy to write as I am now. The much tougher challenge will be to unite the team to the level and quality the Spaniards enjoyed. That will depend on the management and coaching staff, as well as the quality of the character of each individual player. Let's hope that the Pacers players have got what it takes individually to give up themselves for the whole of the team and the franchise. And for now: ¡Viva España, Olé! (From Gregory in Madrid, Spain)
A. To be sure, the U.S. has been offered no shortage of lessons in winning basketball in recent years when it comes to international competition, primary among them: talent minus teamwork equals frustration. In the 2002 World Basketball Championship in Indianapolis, Argentina and Yugoslavia (among others) illustrated the importance of having players with a long-term commitment to the national program, allowing them to train together for an extended period of time. That fosters much more of team spirit, not to mention chemistry and cohesiveness. While there was little question the U.S. had the most talent four years ago, the fatal flaw was correctly perceived to be an absence of the team concept when the roster is comprised primarily of All-Star caliber players.
The plan for this year's World Championship was to assemble a more complete roster of not just stars but role-players, guys willing to make the requisite sacrifices to fuel a team. Another primary goal was to build the U.S. national team with younger stars that could comprise the core of the team for years to come and, in the process, develop some of the necessary chemistry. Nothing that happened in Japan should sway the U.S. from its chosen course, although there were some flaws in the execution of the plan. Aside from Shane Battier, there was an absence of true role-players on the roster. Every other U.S. player was a marquee talent. There was also a disproportionate focus on offensive ability. Using players like Bruce Bowen and Ben Wallace would balance the roster in both areas. The talented young nucleus should and likely will be maintained. For most of the tournament, the U.S. team played very well. A few tweaks here and there should help.
On a more personal scale, are there lessons for the Pacers, as well, in the play of the World Champions? Of course. Interchangeability, offensive flow, selflessness and opportunistic defense are winning characteristics and the Pacers, in particular, seem to be building toward those specific goals. But it's not entirely valid to compare a team built for the relatively short run of an international tournament with one constructed for the rigors of a six-month season. It's much easier for players to make sacrifices and swallow their egos for a couple of weeks, particularly with national pride at stake.
It would be very difficult to go through an NBA season without the structure of a rotation or the clear definition of roles. That not only helps with individual player preparation for the season, it enables the team to maintain a more even-keel chemistry for the balance of the marathon. This is not to say players don't need to make sacrifices for the good of the team; indeed they do. The goal is indeed to have a team that displays the traits you mentioned, particularly trust, heart, consistency and aggression.
Successful international teams are excellent models in a number of ways, but it should always be remembered that those teams are built for sprints. The Pacers have to be prepared for a marathon.
Pacers.com
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Conrad Brunner
Tuesday, Sept. 5
Q. Living in Madrid, it is hard not to toot the horn today after Spain's victory (over the U.S. on the way to the World Basketball Championship). I followed Spain's and the United States' undefeated marches through the tournament and they were both indeed impressive. For Spain, a variety of factors stuck out: cohesiveness, mutual trust, aggression, confidence, speed, consistency, heart, control, and teamwork. Indeed, I am one of those strange people who sees basketball as a metaphor for life, and I must say I would love to live the way the Spaniards played.
Being a deep team, the rotations Spain used were indeed a revelation. They kept it moving, fresh, and it didn't matter really who was on the floor, as a unit they functioned always towards the same goal. Based on the merit of each player's play, they got the minutes. First, second and mixed units all meshed. They constantly pushed and consistently kept the energy up, offensively and defensively.
I believe there is something to be learned in Indy, especially as the Pacers "renovate" and change their style. Having "interchangeable basketball players" has been discussed at Conseco for years, and this year it seems that they have acted on this concept. Taking from the Spaniards, it seems to me that it doesn't matter in the least who starts. The idea is to push hard, all the time, no matter who is on the court, keeping fresh talent on the court.
All that said of course is quite easy to write as I am now. The much tougher challenge will be to unite the team to the level and quality the Spaniards enjoyed. That will depend on the management and coaching staff, as well as the quality of the character of each individual player. Let's hope that the Pacers players have got what it takes individually to give up themselves for the whole of the team and the franchise. And for now: ¡Viva España, Olé! (From Gregory in Madrid, Spain)
A. To be sure, the U.S. has been offered no shortage of lessons in winning basketball in recent years when it comes to international competition, primary among them: talent minus teamwork equals frustration. In the 2002 World Basketball Championship in Indianapolis, Argentina and Yugoslavia (among others) illustrated the importance of having players with a long-term commitment to the national program, allowing them to train together for an extended period of time. That fosters much more of team spirit, not to mention chemistry and cohesiveness. While there was little question the U.S. had the most talent four years ago, the fatal flaw was correctly perceived to be an absence of the team concept when the roster is comprised primarily of All-Star caliber players.
The plan for this year's World Championship was to assemble a more complete roster of not just stars but role-players, guys willing to make the requisite sacrifices to fuel a team. Another primary goal was to build the U.S. national team with younger stars that could comprise the core of the team for years to come and, in the process, develop some of the necessary chemistry. Nothing that happened in Japan should sway the U.S. from its chosen course, although there were some flaws in the execution of the plan. Aside from Shane Battier, there was an absence of true role-players on the roster. Every other U.S. player was a marquee talent. There was also a disproportionate focus on offensive ability. Using players like Bruce Bowen and Ben Wallace would balance the roster in both areas. The talented young nucleus should and likely will be maintained. For most of the tournament, the U.S. team played very well. A few tweaks here and there should help.
On a more personal scale, are there lessons for the Pacers, as well, in the play of the World Champions? Of course. Interchangeability, offensive flow, selflessness and opportunistic defense are winning characteristics and the Pacers, in particular, seem to be building toward those specific goals. But it's not entirely valid to compare a team built for the relatively short run of an international tournament with one constructed for the rigors of a six-month season. It's much easier for players to make sacrifices and swallow their egos for a couple of weeks, particularly with national pride at stake.
It would be very difficult to go through an NBA season without the structure of a rotation or the clear definition of roles. That not only helps with individual player preparation for the season, it enables the team to maintain a more even-keel chemistry for the balance of the marathon. This is not to say players don't need to make sacrifices for the good of the team; indeed they do. The goal is indeed to have a team that displays the traits you mentioned, particularly trust, heart, consistency and aggression.
Successful international teams are excellent models in a number of ways, but it should always be remembered that those teams are built for sprints. The Pacers have to be prepared for a marathon.
Pacers.com
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