Now what?

American basketball must cure fundamental flaws

INDIANAPOLIS -- Now what?

That’s the question the U.S. faces now that it has been knocked off its hoops throne. Yugoslavia’s 81-78 triumph Thursday night at the FIBA World Championships does more than send the Americans home without a medal for the first time since it began using NBA players. It also raises profound questions about the future of basketball in this country.

Are U.S. players learning to play the game the right way? Are international kids more fundamentally sound? Do we need to rethink the way the game is being taught at the youth level?

Watching the Yugoslavians and Argentinians slice and dice the U.S. en route to victories, the answer seems to be yes on all accounts. While the U.S. team lived off fast breaks (when they could get them) and 3-point shooting, the Yugos and Argentines relied on pick-and-rolls, backdoor cuts, box-outs, put-backs and consistent foul shooting.

In short, they dominated with fundamentals.

"I hope the outcome will show [that] the [other] countries around the world are getting better," U.S. forward Antonio Davis said after Thursday’s loss. "Our coaches of today have to go out and teach the game of basketball the right way."

For many scouts and general managers, this year’s U.S. debacle had been in the cards for years. While European kids practice for hours on basics, they say, our kids spend far too much time playing AAU tournaments.

Then when they do get on the practice court, they concentrate too much on dunks and 3-pointers. Even as far back as 1996, Timberwolves director of player personnel Rob Babcock was voicing concerns about the declining quality of U.S. play.

"Players can dribble through their legs, but can't make an entry pass to the post," he wrote in a paper calling for a new outlook among U.S. youth coaches. "Players can run and dunk better than ever, but they can't finish a break. Players can drive and make fancy no-look passes, but they can't run a team. Players can pull up and shoot the 3-pointer, but they can't hit an open 15-foot jumper. Players have improved their strength and athletic ability, but they can't guard anyone one-on-one."

Much of the blame for the decline, talent evaluators such as Babcock say, can be placed at the feet of the nation’s AAU programs. These programs, awash in sneaker money, often involve unqualified coaches more concerned with recruiting all-star teams than teaching proper skills to our nation's best prospects. "They shower the kids with gifts and free trips," says another longtime NBA birddog who wished to remain anonymous, "but they don’t really teach them anything."

Ultimately, it will be up to parents and kids themselves to fix the broken system. AAU programs won’t be reformed unless parents stop selling out their kids in search of some longshot NBA dream. Fundamentals won’t be learned unless kids become willing to put the time and effort into practice. Maybe the loss of so many NBA jobs to foreigners will be enough to spark the necessary change in thinking.

Whatever the root causes, the quality of play must improve if the U.S. nation intends to return to hoops supremacy. It won’t be enough to simply get Shaq and Kobe and Tim Duncan to play next time. The Europeans have closed the gap in athletes.

Now it’s up to the U.S. to close the gap in fundamentals.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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