Team USA Heads to D.C.

Team USA capped a scintillating week at the Gooding Arena last night with the same robust display of hard-nosed American basketball that we’ve learned to expect from them. The local mercenaries came back for a third consecutive night, but left looking more like Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s sparring partner than Executive Outcomes. G/F Shan Foster delivered haymakers in groves, knocking down eight three’s in less than thirty minutes of action. He and PF D.J. White combined as a formidable 1-2 punch on offense. When the D stretched to account for Foster’s hot hand, White assaulted Jason Fraser with an array of hook shots and drop steps inside. D.J.’s hook is a throw-back to an earlier era with a contemporary influence. Both the traditional sky hook and White’s “power hook” are released with one hand with the off-arm pointed directly at the basket. The sky hook circa 1976 was a finesse shot, taken from a slight running start. But White doesn’t need the momentum or the leg kick often associated with the move to pour in his points. By dropping his beefy shoulder into his defender’s chest, he adds a powerful component to the high release point in order to hit this shot from the low post.

In addition to this offensive barrage, Coach Wright’s 1-2-2 full court press sapped the energy and the shot clock from the visitors. Unlike many other trapping presses, this one is not designed to steal passes. Instead, it forces teams to patiently bring the ball up the floor and thus milks the shot clock from a full 24 seconds to around 12-14 seconds for a half-court possession. During yesterday’s run, twelve seconds of boisterous defense routinely forced low-percentage shots. The zone press paid even greater dividends for the Team USA big men, as they reaped the benefits of the work sowed by the guards at the front end of the press. The big men largely sat back and waited for the ball to traverse half-court before “jumping up” into Jay Wright’s “ball-you-man” lockdown D. Hopefully this can buy minutes for bigs like C Roy Hibbert, who slows down considerably as the game wears on.

As last night’s run wore on and the final minutes of USA Basketball in the Gooding Arena came to a close, the Duke dagger gave the crowd one last thing to cheer about. In a tie game with under five seconds to play, PG Eric Maynor took two dribbles and elevated for a shot from nineteen feet. Forget the guy draped all over him, he kissed his J off the glass and in for the win. What is all that Cris Carter did? Catch touchdowns. What is all that Eric Maynor does? Beat buzzers.

To fully celebrate the week that was, we wanted to recap some of the week’s “best of…”

Best Crossover

Eric Maynor – Maynor’s steady, composed pace makes this move all the more dangerous. It should be classified in the same genus as Timmy Hardaway’s ‘killer cross,’ which has claimed many an NBA ankle brace with two weight-shifting dribbles. Maynor also pounds the rock twice, but prefers to cross twice in front of his body as opposed to Hardaway’s between-the-legs bounce before snapping the ball forward across his body. Last Thursday, G DeMarcus Nelson felt the pangs of Maynor’s deke firsthand. Maynor went right-left-right, but Nelson couldn’t stay with him for the second move to the right. He stumbled to the side, bracing his fall as Maynor sped up the floor.

Block of the Week

DeMarcus Nelson – Before Maynor’s crossover or Nelson’s injury, DeMarcus stamped his mark on the Trials with a ridiculous weak-side stuff of big man PF Richard Hendrix. Hendrix swatted a shot in the lane, and then was rewarded for running the floor with a bounce pass and a clean look at the rim. Poised to dunk mid-elevation, Nelson flew in to get his entire hand on the rock and toss it out of bounds.

Dunk of the Week

Shan Foster – On Tuesday night, Foster started his burn with a facial on Jason Fraser. Foster filled the lane and caught a pass right before springing up and posterizing Fraser. Thankfully, Haverford’s Dorothy Labe provided proof of the flush. (Also make sure to click on the picture so you can see PF Joey Dorsey's smile. He appreciates a man’s dunk.)

(Foster, #33, hanging on over #20, Fraser, who still looks stunned)

Most Ridiculous Shot

Roy Hibbert – Hibbert edges Shan Foster’s fadeaway buzzer-beater with two guys in his face and Derrick Low’s step through three-pointer off a head fake with time expiring. Yesterday, Hibbert couldn’t get to an offensive rebound careening off the left side of the rim. The 7-footer swam over the top of his defender, giving him enough time to get a hand on the ball. He smacked it with his big left paw up into the air like an underhanded volleyball serve. It bounced off the glass and fell right in.

Team USA travels to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. for a couple of days before heading to Rio. Game One versus Uruguay is on July 25th.