The Not-Quite-Dream Team

An embarrassment? Yes. But a surprise? Maybe not.

Okay, so the margin does fall into the surprise category. The U.S. Men's Basketball Team got run out of the gym Sunday in a 19-point opening-game loss to Puerto Rico, hardly an elite team in the world of international basketball.

But the mere fact that Team USA lost is not so shocking. It was bound to happen eventually.

Back in 1992, the real Dream Team took Barcelona by storm and turned in a dominant gold medal performance. The formula was simple: put all the best players in the world on one team and watch them fly. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and the rest of the Dream Teamers overwhelmed opposing teams with their talent and athleticism. They sped up the game. They played suffocating defense. They shot lights-out.

But one thing they never did was change their style.

International basketball is a much different animal than NBA basketball. A wider lane, different strategies, different officials, and a whole lot less one-on-one play combine to create a unique game.

That didn't matter in '92. Team USA had much more talent than any other team so style of play had virtually no impact. In fact, the Dream Team could control the game so completely that they could shift the style of play back toward the familiar NBA way of life.

Since then, none of the subsequent editions of the Dream Team have deviated from that plan. You play your game and your talent carries the day.

But now, 12 years after that first dominating performance, the rest of the world has caught up. The talent gap is not nearly as big.

Then, when you throw in the fact that many of the NBA's best players declined to be part of the 2004 national team, you've got a problem. And judging by the loss to Puerto Rico, it's a big problem.

Team USA still hasn't adapted to the international game. They still try to dictate tempo, try to play an individual game, and try to overwhelm teams with their talent.

It's not working quite so well anymore.

When Allen Iverson and company tried to play an up-and-down game, Puerto Rico slowed things down. When the Americans tried to penetrate through the lane, they found it clogged up and either forced up bad shots or made bad passes. And when referees called things looser inside and tighter on the perimeter, they complained. A lot. Every foul call drew protests and looks of disbelief.

Those looks of disbelief perfectly exemplify Team USA's first loss in the Olympics since it began using NBA players. The looks said it all. They said, in essence, "You mean we have to play their game?"

There are other reasons why the Americans lost. The Puerto Rican team played a great game, taking advantage of the U.S.' mistakes. The talent on Team USA is not where it used to be. The team lacks a shooting threat from outside and lacks cohesiveness thanks to little practice time together. And maybe the most disturbing of all is the fact that some of the players -- although they would never admit it -- lack the burning desire to win that you find on a team like Puerto Rico.

But ultimately, it comes down to the fact that, in the face of a changing talent level, Team USA refuses to change its approach.

Knowing that, anyone could have predicted a loss for the not-quite-Dream Team. But most people would have expected the loss to be nothing more than a speed bump on the road to a gold medal.

But if Team USA refuses to adapt and hopes talent will win out, then the speed bump might turn into a roadblock.