Hasten slowly12/14/2023 No Tony Parker, Joakim Noah, Alexi Ajinca, Nando De Colo and now Ian Mahinmi for this tournament. Things have crashed back to earth for the French after last year’s triumph. If both teams hasten slowly, pushing the ball but picking when to be aggressive at the rim and when to move the ball with caution, their multi-faceted players will be tough to guard. If Australia pick the right moments to trap aggressively and others to just slow the ball down, their disruptive defence becomes more difficult to deal with. But he didn't do it in a day, and neither the Boomers nor Tall Blacks will win big games in a play. The downside of this attacking style, of course, is turnovers, and that is the dirtiest of words in cut-throat international games.Īugustus Caesar is considered by some as the man who built Rome. At times they have forced opposition teams into uncomfortable situations and speeds, at others they look like a team still getting to know each other.īoth line-ups have looked tough to guard when they use their angled ball-screens in transition and/or or get early post-catches, making the defence play from the first second of the shot clock and moving the ball until an open look appears. The Tall Blacks have been consistent, shot at an impressive rate and successfully kept opponents off the offensive boards. Both teams have impressed in lead-up games. In the Boomers camp, coach Andrej Lemanis came to the job with a clear vision, but his faster game starts more from smart aggression at the defensive end, followed by aggressive run-out in transition. This year though, he has pushed his team to take more risks to get the ball moving early and often to keep less mobile defences off balance. The ultra-astute Vucinic recognised the type of young players New Zealand is developing and worked hard to marry their instinctive style with his disciplined approach. It's that time, just hours from the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, to quote poets and try to become a prophet.Īfter a dismal attempt at picking winners in 2010, the London Olympics provided me a greater return, so here I am once again guessing how it will all end.įirstly though, a quick look at the two teams from Downunder and how they have built towards Saturday's massive openers - the Aussies against Slovenia and Tall Blacks v Turkey.Ī win in those games will open the door for a top two pool finish.īoth teams have adopted a fast-paced style that is consistent with how basketball is played in this part of the world.įor New Zealand coach Nenad Vucinic it was by necessity given the withdrawals of centres Steve Adams and Alex Pledger, but in truth he has been heading in that direction. Whichever the Australian Boomers and New Zealand Tall Blacks choose to hang on their locker room wall, that message will hold the key to their success. It was reportedly the Tibetan poet Milarepa who expanded that to 'Hasten slowly and ye shall soon arrive'. GRAN CANARIA ( Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - It is Augustus Caesar who is attributed with the timeless quote 'Hasten slowly'.
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