US may have inside position
SAITAMA, Japan -- The USA fun might not start until Sunday.
In the wonderful world of international sport, bracketing is merely everything, and it must be said that Team USA has aced Bracketology 101 here at the World Basketball Championships, which, for reasons not fathomable to most observers, have been awarded to the country of Japan, which is not exactly Indiana, or Lithuania, you know what I'm saying?
It is fairly evident that the three best teams in this 24-team tournament were, and are, in some order, Olympic champion Argentina, Spain, and the United States. But Argentina and Spain have been placed in the same bracket. They will meet in one of the Friday semifinals, and thus one of them may not even get a medal. The United States, with only Germany (i.e. Dirk & Friends) and, most likely, Greece in its path, will be there waiting for the survivor of what ought to be an extremely emotional and high-level Argentina-Spain game.
Fair? No. But that's the ongoing reality of these tournaments, whatever the sport.
Since you asked, no, the United States, despite its string of blowout victories (Italy excepted) is not a lock. In fact, many observers doubt the Americans will defeat either Argentina or Spain. But the United States is pretty much a lock to get to the finals, and that does represent an improvement over its showing in the last two big international gatherings, in which the United States, cradle of basketball civilization, finished sixth (2002 Worlds) and third (2004 Olympics).
That led to a reexamination of just how the Americans should go about the business of international basketball competition. Jerry Colangelo was given charge of the program, and here they are, three games away from restoring American prestige in the game we invented. You must say they're off to a decent start.
``Best USA team since '92," says one FIBA official. ``Nothing will ever top that team, but this is a good team, and they've also been great for us to deal with." That's welcome news on both counts.
Doubts about Team USA's ability to finish the deal center on (the usual) spotty outside shooting, plus a question about just what this group will do in moments of true peril. Yes, they were 12 down in the third quarter against Italy before restoring order (thanks to Carmelo Anthony's 19-point third-quarter outburst), but how good was Italy? The Italians didn't even advance to the round of 16 in the expanded tournament (a bloated 24 teams for the first time). Argentina and Spain are a cut above Italy.
Germany is not expected to test the Americans. ``Definitely the weakest team of the quarterfinalists," says my mole. Nowitzki remains far and away the best German (and probably the best European, period), ever, but he really doesn't have much help.
The other quarterfinal in Team USA's side of the bracket will pit Greece against France, and the undefeated Greeks are substantially favored. Coached by the indomitable Panagiotis ``Pano" Yannakis, a.k.a. the Pride of Hellenic College, the Greeks have impressed one and all with their swarming, pressing, physical defense. If only France had the services of Tony Parker, this might not be that much of an issue. But they do not. He's nursing a broken finger, and unless Boris Diaw comes up with a superhuman game, France will not be advancing.
First Spain and then Argentina took turns dazzling the spectators at the gleaming Saitama Super Arena (Saitama being a northern Tokyo suburb) with convincing dispatches of Lithuania and Turkey, respectively, yesterday. Spain's marquee player is, of course, NBA All-Star Pau Gasol, and he checked in with 25 points and 9 rebounds. But he was not the story of that game, since all he did was feed off the superb play of the Spanish backcourt, which continually set him up for dunks and/or layups.
The names are Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Calderon, and Rudy Fernandez, and they are a handful. Calderon is a name known to NBA fans, since he plays for the Toronto Raptors. But Navarro is an even better player. The reason he's not in the NBA is an onerous contract he signed with Barcelona of the Spanish League, a document that calls for a prohibitive buyout. Fernandez is an extremely athletic 6-foot-5-inch shooting guard whose backhand throwdown of a Navarro alley-oop pass was very serious highlight-film material.
Spain was all over the curiously lethargic Lithuanians from the outset. With a ridiculous 28 turnovers, Lithuania never gave itself a remote chance to win. The final score was 89-67, and, as we scribes like to say, it was not really that close.
People were still buzzing about the Spanish performance when Argentina came out and trumped it with a demoralizing 83-58 destruction of a Turkish team that actually looked good in spots. But the Turks were no match for the efficient Argentines, who still have that excellent frontcourt rotation of Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni, Fabricio Oberto, and Walter Hermann, and who were so much in control that NBA All-Star Manu Ginobili was practically given the night off (16 minutes).
In case you haven't been paying close attention, be advised that things are very different with the US team than they were in the past several international competitions. The head coach is Duke's renowned maestro Mike Krzyzewski, and he is ably assisted by Phoenix Suns mentor Mike D'Antoni, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, and Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan, each of whom has a specific area of expertise.
D'Antoni is an expert in the international game, having both played and coached in Italy. Boeheim knows his way about zones, both setting them up and attacking them. McMillan brings an overall NBA touch. That leaves Coach K to tie it all together, and, frankly, there is none better at sizing up any individual situation and finding a course of action. He has no Coach K ``style." He takes what he's given and then devises a scheme.
The players have all made three-year commitments. If they don't win here, the hierarchy will not treat this as the end of the world, because the real goal is regaining the Olympic gold two years hence in Beijing. All this planning and preparation is necessary because we've done our job too well. The world is not just catching up. The world has caught up.
What I'm trying to say is that winning the gold here will be a big deal. Be ready for some big trouble on Sunday, no matter who shows up on the other side of the floor.
Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is ryan@globe.com. 
