QAT / IND – Qatar close campaign with a win

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): Qatar closed their campaign in the second FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup with an 82-47 win over India on Sunday.

Already out of contention for the title, having lost all their previous three outings, it was Qatar’s first win.

India, winless in the tournament after three games, take on Kazakhstan on Monday.

With Khalid Abdi confined to the sidelines, his ankle in bandage, Omer Salem led the Qatari barrage with 19 points. Ali Ali chipped in with 17 points.

“It’s always good to win,” said Qatar coach Kent Davison.

“What is really crucially about this win is that these players will now break off to play for their clubs. And they would come back to me only in December. So this victory is what will remain in our minds when we reassemble,” he said.

“Having said that, I reiterate that the boys showed tremendous character to even come back to the court after last night’s disappointment.”

“So in all respects, this win has more significance than the score-line,” the American said.

Robinson with 12 points was the leading scorer for India.

“Every game is a learning experience for my team,” said India coach Aleksandar Bucan.

USA - Team USA looking ahead

The Redeem Team brought the gold medal back where it belongs, but true redemption for US Basketball isn’t winning one gold medal; it’s returning to the Olympic Dynasty that we once were. The bad news is that anything less than gold in the World Championships two years from now is a failure, and Team USA is right back to where it was in 2002: searching for answers. The good news is that there is enough young talent in the NBA right now to field a team comparable (if not better) than the Redeem Team.

Let’s start with the holdovers. Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams have all expressed interest in returning and are great starting points to build around. In 2010, Paul and Williams will likely be the two best point guards on the planet and should have no problem handling themselves without the tutelage of Jason Kidd. Dwight Howard is already one of the top centers in the game and will only get better as he refines his offensive skill set. As good as these three were this past summer, they will be infinitely better with two more years experience under their belts.

It would be unbelievable if LeBron, Dwyane, and Bosh could be added to this list of holdovers, but is it realistic? They’ve been with the team since 2004 and will all be free agents in the summer of 2010, so their presence in Turkey is highly unlikely. The same goes for Kobe Bryant, who, at 32, might be unwilling to dedicate an entire summer to USA Basketball. The absence of those four leave glaring holes in this roster that need to be filled. Luckily, we have the talent to do it.

Prediction: Kevin Durant will be a superstar by the time the summer of 2010 rolls around. With his length, range, and handle (and three years experience playing against pros), he will be an impossible matchup for any international player. Like LeBron in 2008, Durant’s versatility will enable him to be the do-it-all guy for Team USA.

Brandon Roy will be going into his fifth season in the League and, at 26, might be one of the leaders of this team. Already one of the best young all-around players in the NBA, his size and efficiency in the backcourt will make it seem like Wade never left.

Finally, Chris Bosh made a living off of putbacks and easy dunks off penetration from the American guards. Greg Oden will be more than capable of that in 2010. Bigger and more athletic than Bosh, Oden will also provide Team USA with more defense, rebounding, and shot-blocking than his predecessor.

The additions of those three players to Team USA seem inevitable, but after that, how will the USA decision-makers round out the roster? Here are the players that they’ll be considering:

Post Players

Team USA was weakest up front, with only two natural post players getting any minutes. Fortunately, LeBron can play any position, and Howard and Bosh were able to avoid foul trouble and stay on the floor. Adding depth down low for 2010 would be a smart move.

Amare Stoudemire: If he can be talked into playing for this team his nastiness and toughness would be a valued asset. Stoudamire's nearly impossible to guard one-on-one ability to knock down mid-range jumpers makes him that much more effective in International ball than Howard.
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Michael Beasley: The committee might be hesitant to consider B-Easy because of perceived character issues, but once he puts those concerns to rest, his versatility and post game will be too much to ignore.

Tyson Chandler: Brings much of the same things that Howard and Oden will. Nevertheless, American fans won’t mind seeing Chandler catch lobs from CP3 on the international stage.

Andrew Bynum: Bynum is a traditional center, bigger than Aldridge and more refined than Oden and Howard. He’s on his way to being one of the best centers in the game, but 2012 seems more realistic than 2010. Team USA will wait to see if he can stay healthy.

LaMarcus Aldridge: In Oden’s absence, Aldridge showed that he is capable of being a number one option in the paint. He played with the Select Team this past summer, and, but 2010, will have developed a chemistry with Oden in Portland that could be valuable for the US in Turkey.

Back Court

With Paul and Williams the veterans of the team, they will need a young protégé or two to mentor just as Jason Kidd did for them.

Derrick Rose: A no-brainer, he combines the speed and unselfishness of Paul with the strength and explosiveness of Williams. He is the total package, the prototypical point guard of the future.

Rodney Stuckey: Though more of a combo guard, Stuckey can run a team like a true point. He showed great poise and determination in the playoffs for Detroit and will only get better. The height and strength to match up with bigger European guards is also a plus.

OJ Mayo: Could be a superstar by 2010 due to his ability to flat-out score. But, on a team surrounded by older, more experienced players, he’ll have the opportunity to show off his skills as a playmaker as well.

These three have all played with the Select Team and are familiar with the US system. Furthermore, they’ve gotten to know the other Select and Senior players, so any combination of these three will fit in seamlessly in 2010.

Wings

This is where Team USA sets itself apart from the rest of the world, with versatile wings that can do anything and everything on a basketball court.

Rudy Gay: Gay broke out last year, averaging over 20 points per game. He’s athletic with improving range on his jump shot and will be more than ready to back up Durant on this team in two years.

Kevin Martin: My early favorite for “3-Point Specialist/ Cheerleader,” he has a chance to get more time than Michael Redd thanks to his athleticism and willingness to play defense.

Josh Smith: Questions about his attitude and jump shot could keep him from consideration, but he’s gotten better every year and will be an asset at both ends of the floor with his world-class athleticism.

Jeff Green: His playmaking skills and unselfishness at the four get him consideration. He plays like a European and could make a serious push for London in four years if he continues to show promise with the Select Team as well as in Oklahoma City.

2010 Projected Depth Chart

PG: Chris Paul/ Deron Williams/ Derrick Rose
SG: Brandon Roy/ Rodney Stuckey/ OJ Mayo
SF: Kevin Durant/ Rudy Gay
PF: Amare Stoudemire/ Michael Beasley
C: Dwight Howard/ Greg Oden

*Look for Bynum, Stuckey, and someone like Jerryd Bayless or Russell Westbrook to replace Howard, Paul, and Williams should they decide to change their minds after the before 2012.

Coach:

Jim Boeheim – Coach K has said repeatedly that his experience as an assistant in ’92 was extremely important to his success as head coach in 2008. Boeheim was Coach K’s assistant this summer, so it makes sense. A college coach, preaching the team over the individual, is the best fit for this team. We saw how successful Coach K was in motivating this group of superstars and getting them to play unselfish basketball. Boeheim should have no problem duplicating that success after witnessing it firsthand.

Nate McMillan or Mike D'Antoni would be solid choices as well.

Planning for 2010 needs to begin now if the United States is to maintain its place of prominence in international basketball. 2008 was a great start, but there is still a lot of work to be done, a lot of decisions to be made. Thankfully, the abundance of young talent in the NBA will make this process that much easier.

Great Britain - Game ready for lift-off in Britain

Basketball in Britain, which has long struggled for headlines because of soccer's dominance and the lack of a unified national team, is finally primed for exposure at Europe's highest level.

For the first time in the 73-year existence of the European Basketball Championships a Britain team, rather than England or Scotland who have qualified before, will rub shoulders with Europe's best sides.

After six home and away qualifiers last month Britain topped their group containing Israel, Bosnia and the Czech Republic to go through to EuroBasket in Poland next September.

The team came out of a 14-year hibernation in 2006. British teams assembled before 1992 had nothing like the talent now available, such as Chicago Bulls leading player Luol Deng.

Since January 2007, it has been run by British Performance Basketball (BPB), a UK Sport-funded body responsible for elite players, set up in the wake of London winning the 2012 Olympics to ensure Britain would actually have a team there.

Deng feels the game in Britain is now on an upward curve.

"From the years before, there was an improvement in the attendance and fanbase in Britain, plus it was great being able to step out in London for the first time," he told Reuters by e-mail from Bosnia.

Add to the equation a burgeoning number of participants, a national league gathering strength again after years in the doldrums and the NBA's decision to move its European headquarters to London in 2007, and it is easy to see why leading figures in the British game are excited.

GREAT FUTURE
"The future is so great for the sport in Great Britain," Ron Wuotila, performance manager at BPB, told Reuters by telephone from Bosnia.

"In all honesty I hope people in Britain would spend more of their time talking about what's possible and not why we're not playing in front of 18,000 people. What we achieved just helps all of that," he added.

Coach Chris Finch, who has been involved since the team's rebirth in 2006, was thrilled by last month's campaign.

"Looking from where we came it is an amazing achievement by everyone who has been involved in some capacity, and it's nice for the British public to have something to rally around," he said in an e-mail.

Officials hope this exposure for basketball will help the sport to overcome the barriers that have held it back.

For instance, during the home qualifiers none of the venues were basketball specific and Wuotila says this needs to change.

"When I travel through Europe I encounter multiple facilities built for basketball. We suffer from that. The O2 arena in London is a perfect venue but you have to dress it up, you can't just turn the key and walk in," he said.

"Across Britain we need more places that clubs and schools can call home."

John Amaechi, a 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist with England, told Reuters that the British team's success was outstanding given the lack of facilities.

"These people have had to work harder because there isn't a gym or a quality coach around every corner," he said.

In England alone between 80,000 and 100,000 children aged 11-15 play basketball, making it the second largest team sport for the age group.

The key area to address, however, is unity.

"WORK TOGETHER"
In December, an independent chairman will be appointed to head British Basketball, which will then be recognised as the nation's official body by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), simplifying the amalgamation of BPB and the British Basketball Federation which happened in January 2007.

Former BPB chairman Alistair Gray, who was named chairman of British Swimming last week, said last month that bolstering the national league should be a priority.

"The underlying challenge is to strengthen the league in Britain and it will take some years before we achieve that," he told Reuters by telephone.

Founded in 1987, the British Basketball League (BBL) is recovering from attendance and coverage losses following the management's decision in 2001 to leave Sky Sports and join ITV digital, which collapsed in 2002. However, games were televised on Setanta during the 2007-08 season.

BBL chairman Paul Blake told Reuters that working in partnership was the key if basketball was to take off in Britain, as it did in Spain after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"Sport England has looked at the sport in recent years and said it is fractious," he said by telephone from Newcastle.

"Right now they're looking at it and saying it is getting its act together, and anything that comes in now to upset that current position is going to hurt the sport," he added.

With talk of a nationwide grassroots tournament next May organised by the 20-month-old BBA (British Basketball Association), who in time also hope to start a national league to rival the BBL, Gray shares Blake's wish for unity.

"The last thing you want is people fighting and then producing two mediocre leagues. My plea to them all is 'Guys just work together would you?' Swallow your pride and your ego and just get on with developing athletes in winning teams."

ESP/ARG – Gutierrez carries Olympic confidence into new campaign

MADRID (ACB) – He did not make many headlines, but for a while in Argentina's Olympic semi-final against the United States, Juan Gutierrez was arguably the best player on the floor.

After the South Americans fell behind by 21 by the end of the first quarter, and with Manu Ginobili having been lost for the rest of the Olympics with an ankle injury, Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez looked at his reserves and 2.05m forward Gutierrez delivered big style.

He scored six points and pulled down three rebounds in eight second-quarter minutes as Argentina cut the deficit to just six late in the first half.

The Americans would go on to win the game and the gold medal, while Argentina bounced back to defeat Lithuania in the bronze-medal game.

Gutierrez is playing as if the Olympic experience has given him a huge shot of confidence.

He had 11 points and five rebounds in Granada’s season-opening triumph over Bruesa and against Real Madrid on Thursday, Gutierrez had 22 points and six boards but his team fell just short in their upset bid, losing 81-80.

Spain’s Real Madrid captain Felipe Reyes had 22 points as well for the winners.

In other ACB games on Thursday, Unicaja Malaga following up their 17-point trouncing of Real Madrid with a 91-60 thrashing of Cajasol in Seville, and defending ACB champions Tau Ceramica improved to 2-0 with an 80-67 win over Ricoh Manresa.

Reyes: 'This Is Not The End, Spain Ambitious'

Felipe Reyes has a message for anyone who thinks that Spain may be losing some of their hunger for success ahead of next year's EuroBasket in Poland.

The Spanish have settled for silver medals in each of the past two summers (EuroBasket 2007 and 2008 Olympics) after winning gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and after this year's Beijing Games, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Pau Gasol indicated he may not play next year although that is a decision he will make after the NBA season.

Reyes, the captain of Real Madrid and one of his team's star performers in China, said: "This is not the end because we are ambitious and we still haven´t conquered gold at a EuroBasket which is our next aim.

"People should be calm because we are young and we still have a lot to give to the national team until they (people) get tired of us."

Spain have some very important decisions coming up, with the most crucial being which man will take the reins of the national team.

The federation parted with Pepu Hernandez and replaced him with Aito Garcia Reneses, but he stepped down after Beijing to become coach of Unicaja Malaga.

Another big issue is the captaincy. Which player is best suited to replace Carlos Jimenez not only in the squad, but as captain. Reyes would appear to be a strong contender to lead the team, as well as Jose Calderon.

In terms of playing personnel, the Spanish are as deep and talented as ever, especially at the guard spots where Garcia Reneses had a difficult time finding playing time for each member of the backcourt.

A challenge that will face the new coach will be how to give the players enough playing time so they can show their worth.

This summer, Calderon, Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro, Rudy Fernandez, Raul Lopez and Berni Rodriguez were all in the squad and each had to play less than they are accustomed to with their clubs.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Sergio Rodriguez did not even make the team though he is almost certain to return to the fray and Pamesa Valencia's emerging star Victor Claver will make the senior team soon.

Reyes does not think that will be a problem because there is so much camaraderie in the group.

"In our national team everyone knows his role," Reyes said.

"It´s easy to adapt to it because the players in the team are great individuals and that makes it easier for anyone to adapt. There´s a lot of unity and in that atmosphere you don´t complain about who plays more or less, that hasn´t happened so far. We all look forward to joining the national team to play with our friends, because it is two months of paid holiday!

"The great atmosphere comes from the past national teams and veteran players who were the ones that made it easier for all of us to adapt to the team. We were young in the EuroBasket in Turkey and thanks to them, we were able to adapt quickly and create a team. We have continued that tradition."

KAZ / QAT - Qatar let Kazakhstan off the hook

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): Kazakhstan posted a 77-76 win against Qatar in the opening game of the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup on Thursday.

Trailing 39-52, midway through the third quarter, Qatar fought back gallantly to go ahead 76-74, when Hammam Ismail struck from inside the paint with about three minutes left in the game.

But the rest of the duration saw Qatar falter in otherwise regulation attempts and go barren in the final three minutes of the game.

Vsevolod Fadeikin converted a free-throw and Alexander Tyutyunik struck from the wing to give Kazakhstan the win.

Qatar's Erfan Saeed led the scoring for the game with 27 points and was adjudged the MVP.

Anton Ponomarev scored four three-pointers in his team-high 21 points for Kazakhstan.

"I think beating an opposition like Qatar was very important for the confidence of my boys," Kazakhstan coach Vitaly Strebkov said.

Kazakhstan had lost 69-78 in the William Jones Cup 2008, the last time the two had met.

"I'm happy with the result, but definitely not happy with the way we let them fight back a big deficit," Strebkov said.

With little to choose between them - in terms of enthusiasm as well as efficiency - both Kazakhstan and Qatar went neck and neck for the entire first half.

Qatar led the first quarter 16-13, but Kazakhstan fought back with a 22-18 advantage to close the first half 35-34 ahead.

The tone of the game seemed to continue in the early stages of the third quarter.

But Tyutyunik, who last month spearheaded Kazakhstan to the silver medal in the FIBA Asia U18 Championship, scored 10 of his game's 17 points to give Kazakhstan a 52-39 lead. That was the largest difference for either team in the game.

"I think the boys got a little complacent at that stage," Strebkov said.

"Our defense began to slacken," he added.

"I'm glad they missed too many in the final minutes," Strebkov heaved a sigh of relief.

"I think I can be proud of the way the boys fought back from that deficit," Qatar coach Kent Davison said.

"But I think we made too many mistakes in the final moments and couldn't seal the issue," the American said.

"Defeats in tournaments like these only toughen out the team for the bigger battles," Davison said.

"Let's not forget we have come here without three of our experienced players. So it's time for those on the wing to get the experience. Such defeats are normal in the learning process.

Scores

Kazakhstan 77 (Anton Ponomarev 21, Alexander Tyutyunik 17, Rustam Yargaliev 14) bt Qatar 76 (Erfan Saeed 27, Mansour Elhadary 14). Quarterwise scores: 13-16, 35-34, 62-59.

KUW / IND - Kuwait rally to down India

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup) - Hosts Kuwait rode on Abdulaziz Mohammed's MVP performance to beat India 81-69 in the second FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup on Thursday.

Mohammed returned a game-high 23 points and got splendid support from Abdullah Alsarraf and Ahmad Almutairi.

Alsarraf succeeded three times from behind the arc for his 16 points to kick off Kuwait's rally in the second quarter. Almutairi accounted for 15 points, including four three-pointers, to seal the issue in the fourth.

Robinson, coming back to the National Team after a long gap, led the scoring for India with 14 points.

The 200cm center struggled initially to find his bearings, but came into his own in the second half, scoring 12 of his 14 points.

India began rather confidently, with Vijobi Vakkachan leading the scoring to take his team 20-10 ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Kuwait found their rhythm midway through the second quarter, began to narrow down the lead as Alsarraf led a 19-7 run to put the hosts ahead (29-27) for the first time in the game.

India managed to hold on to a 31-30 lead at the end of the first half, but Kuwait had regained their composure.

The two teams shared the honors in the third quarter, which ended locked at 53.

Kuwait found the much needed support from the partisan crowd at the Al Qadsia court to boost their chances, with Almutairi sinking two three pointers in the dying moments.

"Although we won, I'm really not satisfied with the way we played," Kuwait coach Zoran Kreckovic said.

"May be it was the first game nervousness. I hope they improve from here," he said.

"I think the final five minutes of the second quarter and the first five minutes of the third proved crucial in the end," India coach Aleksandar Bucan said.

"Once they got back into the game, they just rode on the home support," he said.

Scores

Kuwait 81 (Abdulaziz Mohammed 23, Abdullah Alsarraf 16, Ahmed Almutairi 15) bt India 69 (Robinson 14, Trideep Rai 14). Quarterwise Scores: 10-20, 30-31, 53-53.