China Daily 0803 C3.Indd

CHINA DAILY FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 olympics 3 Tough questions need to be asked Spain 97, China 81 Russia 73, China 54 Australia 81, China 61 ny way you look at them, be it upside down, A back to front or standing on your head, the Chi- nese men’s results in the Olympic TYM GLASER basketball tournament are enough to make a fan’s eyes bleed. China, with games against Brazil when China has the ball and and host Britain, is all but relegated becomes a two-trick pony. now to the inglorious battle for Th e simple to read Chinese places eight to 16 aft er progressively off ensive policy is to chuck the ball worse losses to arguably progressive- around the perimeter until someone ly weaker opponents. Spain is widely can get an open shot for a three or tipped to play the United States in pass it to the team’s one world-class the fi nal, the Russians have reason- player, Yi Jianlian, and let him weave ably strong semifi nal prospects and a little of his NBA-style magic. the Boomers are not a team to be Against Australia on Th ursday, taken lightly, but to lose by an aver- almost half of the team’s points (27 age of more than 18 points a game is and all from Wang Shipeng) came alarming, bordering on disgraceful. from three-point land. Anybody Th e burden of these horrid who follows basketball knows that defeats falls upon the shoulders of place outside the arched line is fi ck- head coach Bob Donewald Jr, who le territory and can grow mighty ERIC GAY / ASSOCIATED PRESS vowed before these Games that cold. Th e Aussies just bided their Blood runs down the face of China’s Zhu Fangyu after he collided with another player during a basketball game against Australia on Thursday. Australia won China’s opponents would know time knowing when the big chill 81-61. China has failed to claim a single victory in its ﬁ rst three group matches, all but killing its hopes of advancing to the ﬁ nal eight. they had been in a game because came that China and Donewald Jr this was “the best” defensive team had no Plan B. the nation had ever produced. Now, with its Olympic campaign Glad to see I never saw the worst. all but in tatters, the Chinese basket- Great big hole in the middle exposed To be fair, you can only paint with ball authorities must decide what to the colors you have been given and do to move the team forward and, the American is pretty much using more importantly, ask itself if the By CHEN XIANGFENG with the Houston Rockets, inciden- terfi nals, will be nearly impossible. black, white and gray (I know they oft -times bristly Donewald is the In London tally — had 17 points and seven “Physical play is our weakness,” are hues, but stick with me here), but man for the task. [email protected] rebounds. Donewald said. “We were worn out this ugly picture is still of his design. Th e simple questions they must “Yi had a great game and he gave in the latter half of the game every He is now lamenting the ask are: Yao Ming was right to be worried. what he could against such physical time we played against physical teams. retirement of Yao Ming, but, 1) Does Donewald have the tacti- Th e retired NBA center, now serv- Yes, we miss Yao Ming.” opponents. Wang tried to give him Brazil has three NBA players and is an hey Bobby, the Aussie don’t have cal nous to improve the side? ing as a TV commentator at the Lon- BOB DONEWALD JR some help, but he just could not get even tougher opponent. But we will their big man Andrew Bogut, the 2) Does his in-your-face style don Games, voiced his concerns about CHIHA’S BASKETBALL COACH the ball,” Donewald said. give what we can and learn from these US Dwight Howard and almost motivate or discourage the players? China’s lack of dominance in the paint ‘‘ Yi was the MVP at last year’s Asian experiences. every other team at the event as 3) Have we seen improvement in before the team’s game against Austra- Championships, where he helped China “I know these guys are down aft er key component of their perfect the squad? lia on Th ursday. have to accept the reality and hopefully earn Asia’s only ticket to the Games. three losses. I will help them pick their squad, so cry me a river. Aft er the fi rst three games at the Sure enough, China was completely we can have more guys on this team “It’s not the Asian Championships,” heads up and let them know it’s not the Donewald’s vaunted defense is Olympics it’s impossible to tick any overwhelmed in the middle, losing come up to help Yi (Jianlian).” Donewald said. “It’s the Olympic end. We have two more games and we relatively slow and generally under- of those boxes. 81-61 and casting serious doubt on Yi, now the only Chinese player in Games and the highest level. We cannot just cannot give it up.” sized. When China puts on a press its ability to advance to the fi nal eight. the NBA, was double-teamed con- have just one Yi on the team. We need Making things worse, Yi appeared it seems halfh earted and its zone in Tym Glaser is a senior sports copy China was outscored 30-13 in the stantly, scoring only 13 points, while more great guys like him in the future.” to injure his knee, and was helped off penetrated or shot over with alarm- editor who did dunk once (honest- paint and out-rebounded 51-36. fellow big men Wang Zhizhi and Zhang China will have to play medal-con- the court by his teammates. ing regularity. ly!!!)), but nobody saw it. He can be “Yes, we miss Yao Ming,” said head Zhaoxu combined for just three points. tender Brazil and host Britain in the “We will see how he is doing aft er But that’s not the robust Ameri- contacted at tymglaser@chinadaily. coach Bob Donewald Jr. “We need Australian power forward David remaining two group matches. Win- treatment. Hopefully, he will be OK,” can’s greatest concern; that comes com.cn more diff erent styles of players. But we Andersen — Yao’s former teammate ning both, and admission to the quar- Donewald said..

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