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So does Krzyzewski, but sometimes he feels as if he's in the minority. He's been around international basketball for much of his coaching life and was an assistant 20 years ago on the Dream Team, so he's watched opponents go from fearful to fearless when they play against the United States.
"How many of them are NBA players? Why wouldn't they be?" Krzyzewski said. "I mean, you're out there with (Manu) Ginobili and (Luis) Scola, they play against these guys all the time. They're not intimidated by anybody and the other thing is, if a team does not have as many NBA players, what do they have to lose? So they're playing with free money. In other words, there are different things that you're defending besides an opponent's offense: their egos, their opinion of you.
"That's just the way it is and it's been that way -- I don't know why people don't understand this it's been that way for a long time. It's been that way for a decade and we understand that."
Australia has been a frequent elimination-round opponent for the Americans in recent years and another that won't be in awe. The teams went at it hard in an exhibition game four years ago and the U.S. players who were on that team expect more of the same as the competition moves to the North Greenwich Arena -- or the O2 to the NBA players who have already had games there.
"They're definitely another aggressive team, another physical team, a team that likes to scrap," Carmelo Anthony said. "Everybody likes to scrap out there, so it'll be another one of them games."
Speedy point guard Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs led the Aussies to a 3-2 record in Group B, including an 82-80 victory over top-seeded Russia on Monday. Mills won it on a 3-pointer at the buzzer and is averaging 20.2 points, just off Pau Gasol's tournament-best 20.6 per game. But the Americans will likely swarm him defensively, and there isn't enough firepower around him.
"We understand the level of talent we'll be up against," Australia coach Brett Brown said. "Our focus will be on playing prideful Australian basketball. The players are looking forward to playing them and will use it as a measuring stick to see what level they are on now."
The Americans will be expected to crush them from the start, and perhaps Krzyzewski is right about that being unfair and unrealistic. Nobody remembers during his victory laps if sprinter Usain Bolt was slow out of the blocks.
The only thing that matters is the finish, and the U.S. is on track for the one it wants.
"I think now our focus level is to start the game off extremely aggressive within the game plan and within the way that the game is being called," Anthony said. "I don't think we will come out as far as being lackadaisical, anything like on the defensive end or waiting to see what they're going to do to make our adjustment. Our adjustment will be from the tipoff."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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