The Success Of Team U.S.A
As is always the case when a group of talented players are thrown together with little preparation, the ability to find each other and share unselfishly was a major concern for some as Team USA entered the 2010 FIBA Championship.
Although much has been made of their offensive stagnation, I would point out that they have accumulated 133 assists on 244 made field goals. Keep in mind that FIBA statisticians are much less generous doling out assists than in the NBA. In addition, Team USA has been to the line 142 times in seven games, which is always a sign of effective offense.
Chauncey Billups and Stephen Curry lead the team in assists, but the commitment to sacrifice goes much deeper than that.
Consider the selflessness of Danny Granger, who has drawn two DNP-CD's and trails all players on the team in minutes played. This is a guy who, during the regular season, is largely considered as a franchise player and one of the more versatile performers in the NBA. His willingness to defer to players younger than him for the good of the team speaks volumes to his character.
Andre Iguodala is another Team USA player who has accepted a diminished role on this team. Taking less than four attempts a game, Iguodala leads the team in steals (along with Kevin Durant) at twelve and has thirteen offensive rebounds.
Every USA player has worked to accept their roles and play to each other's strengths.
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