Homework #12, Due Monday, September 22nd!

For Monday, read the article below about Jason Kidd and USA men's basketball team. Explain if you think it is a "good article" in 5-7 sentences. Remember to consider all of the elements of journalism we have discussed.

See you in class!

-Mr. Donohue


Kidd Guides U.S. Past Argentina and Into Final

By PETE THAMEL

BEIJING — In the United States basketball team’s Olympic waltz through Asia, Jason

Kidd has essentially been a ceremonial starter and spare part. The early insertions of the back-up Chris Paul have served as a metaphoric passing of the torch from one generation’s great point guard to the next.

But on Friday, with the United States finally finding itself in a competitive game, against Argentina in the Olympic semifinals, Kidd showed the value of having an old sage around.

The 101-81 American victory came only after the 35-year-old Kidd took control of the halftime locker room, then dissected Argentina’s zone in a 12-4 run to start the third quarter. Perhaps more important, in a game filled with loose elbows and lips, Kidd brought the poise needed to settle his teammates.

“This is why I’m here, to keep everyone’s composure,” Kidd said. “Those other games were dress rehearsals; these are the ones that count.”

The Americans will play Spain, which it beat by 37 points in pool play, for the gold medal on Sunday. Spain beat Lithuania, 91-86, in the other semifinal behind a scintillating fourth-quarter performance by the 17-year-old point guard Ricky Rubio.

In the first real drama this American team has seen this tournament, it was the older Kidd settling down his younger teammates.

Argentina played most of the game without the star guard Manu Ginóbili; he left in the first quarter with an apparent left ankle injury and did not return. But Kidd’s presence was needed because the veteran forward Luis Scola elbowed his way to a game-high 28 points, and the Americans led by just 9 at halftime. That is when Kidd told each starter exactly where he needed them to be for the start of the second half.

Argentina’s zone had lulled the United States into settling for too many 3-pointers, and the lead shrank from 18 points to 6 in the second quarter. But thanks to Kidd’s passing, Dwight Howard got two easy shots in the lane early in the third quarter, including a ferocious dunk.

Aside from spacing and spots, the other result of Kidd’s halftime speech was to encourage LeBron James to be a bit more selfish. James drove to the basket and buried a 3-pointer as the United States went on its run to start the second half.

Kidd might have only attempted six shots in the United States’ seven victories here, but his work has not been lost on Coach Mike Krzyzewski. He went directly to Kidd in the postgame locker room to congratulate him on his savvy performance.

“He played his best game,” Krzyzewski said. “That third quarter, especially the start of the second half, was critical for the win. I think Jason was the primary guy making that happen.”

Kidd’s presence transcended the stat sheet. After Carlos Delfino hit Howard in the post for an intentional foul at the 7:03 mark of the third quarter, Carmelo Anthony went to Howard’s defense. Kidd immediately intervened, pushing Anthony so hard he nearly drove him from the key to halfcourt.

“Their game plan was to try to get in our heads tonight,” Anthony said. He added: “I’m glad we kept our composure tonight. It could have got ugly out there.”

But Kidd would not let it happen. His role in Friday’s game highlighted how well constructed this team was. In 2004, when the Americans spiraled to a bronze, neither of the team’s starting guards, Stephon Marbury or Allen Iverson, had the ability to corral and regroup the team.

“If you would have put this game back in 2004, maybe it’s a different outcome just because of maturity level and what’s at stake,” Kidd said.

Throughout this run, Kidd has enjoyed his role as the wise old man among his young and supremely talented teammates. And when credit came his way, he deftly deflected it.

“I picked the right horses,” he said of his teammates. “It’s a great honor to be a part of this team. At 35, this is my last go-around. To say that I can play for a gold medal and play with this group of guys, it’s unbelievable.”

The moshing in the post and chatter on the perimeter gave this contest the intensity of a gold medal game. And it might be remembered as that because the Spanish looked impotent on offense against the American pressure in their first matchup.

“I feel sorry for them,” said guard Deron Williams, referring to the Spanish team.

“We’re going to be ready. If you think we’ve played hard these past seven games, wait until Sunday.”

Scola, who dominated in the interior, gave Spain a simple game plan against the Americans.

“They jump higher, they run faster and they’re stronger,” Scola said. “You’ve got to play ugly.”

And if it gets ugly for the Americans on Sunday, expect the crafty Kidd, whose skills are more cerebral than physical, to be there to bail them out.