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by "Grande" David Leister
Coach K for Strikeout
Coach Mike Krzyewski had been swinging the proverbial bat with swagger and punch from the get go. He had compiled a credible coaching staff, had preached the corporate team lingo, and his iconic presence had instilled belief in previously individualistic star players. Then, when finalizing his roster to represent the United States in the World Championships in Japan, he hit nothing but air. At the time, Coach K’s miss was really only felt by a few diehards confined to or near inner Loop 1604 in San Antonio, but it would come back to haunt him about midway through the second quarter of the semifinal match against Greece. Sure, nobody deserves to be held to the .1000 batting standard, but some misses are so dynamic that while they initially draw no ire, gradually they echo their way into every knowledgeable fan’s living room.
If there’s one thing Bruce Bowen does as well, if not better, than anyone in the world right now, it is guard perimeter basketball players. Kobe Bryant told John Salley during an interview on The Best Damn Sports Show Period that Bruce Bowen is his toughest matchup and nobody guards him better. Three times Bowen has been the runner-up in the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year balloting. While Bowen may be 35, his conditioning is far superior to many professional athletes of any age.
But mysteriously, and revealing a degree of incompetence in evaluating NBA talent and the FIBA style of play, Coack K didn’t seem to give Bowen much of a chance from the first exhibition game against Puerto Rico. Playing against China, Germany, Senegal and Australia, Team USA would not require a fearless perimeter lockdown defender. However, real competition would eventually come knocking in the form of experienced defending European champion Greece.
As Greece ran an uninterrupted lay-up line throughout the second and third quarters, a presumably stunned Coach K for the most part appeared to remain seated and quiet, obviously smarting at having been the chief architect of such a tornado of defensive irresponsibility.
Its hard to imagine Bowen allowing Greece’s guards to gingerly pass the half court line with over ten feet of roaming space. Bowen would have been all over the moment’s hottest shooter and passer like flypaper. To the non-believers, the argument that Bowen brings limited offense is a disgraceful copout. With seasoned scorers in Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony, Bowen never had a chance to shoot in the first place. But had push come to shove and Bowen were to have been left alone in the corner, he would have done what he has during two championship campaigns with the San Antonio Spurs- bury daggers and scrap his way to the rim.
Coach K claimed that he preferred Brad Miller on the roster instead of Bowen due to size and shooting dynamics. Miller got a DNP for that fateful game against Greece, but probably wouldn’t have been able to defend the Greeks anyway.
What’s done is done, and it is unethical to kick a man with his back turned. Indeed, Coach K is not exactly down since Team USA did roll over Argentina in the consolation game, but his aura of invincible judgment has taken a solid hit. And while the last intention of this column is to discredit Coach K’s untouchable legacy in the college game, it is only fair to call into question his coaching and evaluating of NBA and international talent. Nobody in sports is legendary enough to surpass reproach.
Meanwhile, one can only imagine how bittersweet it must have been for Bowen to watch that pathetic defensive effort which doomed Team USA to only a bronze medal. Bitter in the sense of knowing that he could have had a positive impact against Greece, and sweet that he can always play the “I told you so” card to Coach Strikeout.
2003 
