Don't let the 91-76 score fool you.  Team USA's win over Argentina on Thursday wasn't that close.  Refusing to be distracted by Argentina's oddly hypnotic jerseys, the Americans made their way into the semi-finals of the Tournament of the Americas, and now need only a win Saturday over Puerto Rico (you lovely island) to clinch a slot in Beijing.  I'm willing to pencil that one in early, if nobody minds.  Kobe Bryant, who hadn't really gone off yet in the TOA, went off in a big way -- 15 points in the first quarter, 27 overall.  Some see a not-so-random happening.  Others see a highly competitive, and very valuable, dude.  I see a lot of people trying to assign deeper meaning than happenings in an Olympic qualifying tournament against the JV teams of North and South America probably deserve.   

-- BK

LeBron James was a perfect 11-11 from the floor, good for 26 points in only 14 minutes of play as the United States stayed unbeaten in the Tournament of the Americas, defeating Uruguay 118-79.  Kobe Bryant, who is getting along swimmingly with Coach K, added 13 points along with four boards, three dimes and two steals in 14 minutes of his own.   I know what you're thinking:  "C'mon, BK.  Show some enthusiasm.  This is Uruguay we just took down!  The same Uruguay featuring Hawks supersub Esteban Batista, who poured in 1.5 ppg in 13 games with Atlanta last season, and lit up the Wizards for four points in only three minutes last April!  The same Uruguay that produced renowned mathematician Jorge Lewowicz, whose research has helped demystify the classification of discrete expansive systems on surfaces!  Why so blase?"

Guess I'm just jaded.  Still, the U.S. should receive a much stiffer test, relatively speaking, when it faces Luis Scola and undefeated Argentina tonight.

-- BK

What it doesn't have, however, is lingering bragging rights over the U.S.  Not after Team USA took it down 117-78 in a semifinals-clinching victory.  2004 saw the Red, White and Blue fall in stunning fashion to the Carlos Arroyo Gang, but a balanced American attack, topped with 21 points from Average Joe LeBron James, was enough to turn 3-year-old tables.  Next up, Uruguay, which has been no slouch at 3-1.

For Kobe Bryant, the Tourney O' the Americas has served as a platform to reassure any doubters that "leadership" can be added to his already impressive resume.  He's not a team captain (which shouldn't be taken as a diss, since nobody is), but he's showing  teammates the way via example and humility.  And he's sharing his thoughts on what this experience means to him.  Hopefully, the summer spent balling won't leave him too tuckered out to be a thrilla in Manila.

-- AK

And, finally, Lakersblog sends a message to Rafer Alston: Dude, settle down!

Still, the challenge Team USA didn't get from Brazil arrived yesterday in the form of Nolan Richardson's  Mexican national team.  Sort of, at least.  The U.S. still won by nearly 30 (127-100), but unlike every other game in the tournament, the blowout portion of the program didn't come until later in the second half.  At least if you define "blowout" by the standards set by the Tournament of the Americas.  The U.S. led by 22 after one quarter, 14 at the half and 23 after three.  This was only a close game in relative terms.  But the Mexicans deserve some credit for hard, scrappy and occasionally effective play against an often lax U.S. defense (although Kobe's has gotten plenty o' props, all in all).  And if you're the type who likes to worry, this game gave you the room to do it.  Personally, I think you can only keep a team sporting former Laker camp invite Adam Parada (go Anteaters!) down for so long. 

Kobe had 21/4/3 on 5-13 from the field and 9-10 from the line.

-- BK 

If there was a team in the Tournament of the Americas that was supposed to be capable of giving the U.S. a tough run, it was Brazil.  That's a big if, considering no team, from Brazil to Argentina, is playing at full capacity, nor can any team in the tournament come close to matching the U.S. in talent.  Still, anyone who saw Sunday's 113-76 U.S. win clearly saw that "if" didn't pan out.  One big reason was Kobe Bryant's defense on Leandro Barbosa.  10 (it was hard enough to remember 24, right?) teamed with Chauncey Billups and locked up the high-scoring guard all night.  Barbosa came into the game as the tourney's leading scorer with 27 a game.  Team USA held him to just under that ... if by "just" you mean "four."  With Barbosa in lockdown all night, Brazil used its size to keep the game close long enough for folks, at least the ultra-pessimistic and paranoid, to gas up their Doomsday Machines.  But by the time the tanks were maybe half-full, the U.S. had hit the gas themselves.  Game over. 

Although his D got most of the attention, Kobe finished with 20/2/2. 

-- BK 

I didn't actually see it happen, but I heard/read that the U.S. D'd up big time on our neighbors to the north Saturday, leading to a 113-63 win over Canada in the Tournament of the Americas.  Kobe, on the odd chance some of you might be curious, had 15 points, two boards and a steal in 20 minutes of work.  So this incarnation of Team USA remains undefeated in its quest to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.  Very nice.  Although I have to say, the exuberance with which Charley Rosen applauds our squad's defense is a little silly.  Take a look at the box.  Team Canada isn't exactly filled with a bunch of high-flyin', bucket-fillin' types.  Our league's best guys can shut down the equivalent of, at least in professional terms, a rec league squad?  I'd hope so.  But it's worth noting (and applauding) that the U.S. is bringing it hard from the opening tip to the final buzzer.   That sort of intensity, unity and organization should help avoid any of the embarrassing losses that have plagued the program over the last few years.  It's what you'd expect to see out of our country's best hoops stars. 

Brazil is next. 

-- BK

Apparently, the strength of knowing Tim Duncan is from your native land isn't enough to compete with Team USA.  In a stunning non-upset, Team USA dismantled the Virgin Islands (the basketball team, not the actual landmass) 123-59 on Thursday night.  Kobe, who picked up his second foul only four minutes in, spent most of the game watching Michael Redd bury threes over a weak V.I. zone.  Bryant finished with nine points and four dimes, and saw folks at Thomas and Mack sing him "Happy Birthday" while taking free throws.  It was either that or Applebee's gift cards. 

Things may get a little harder for Team USA down the road, but if the two hoops festivals we've seen thus far were college football tussles, they'd be next week's USC/Idaho and Texas/Arkansas State games.  Fun enough for the home team, but not all that revealing.

-- BK 

With a 112-69 thrashing of Venezuela in the books, Team USA has officially entered competitive battle.  Tonight, they square off against the Virgin Islands, all part of a quest to take home the 2008 gold and imitate a certain squad of the past.   The Battle for America tourney also marks Kobe Bryant's maiden voyage into Olympic hoops, and judging by his energy on both sides of the ball, dude's pretty geeked to be on board.  My question for y'all is, do you get geeked by the whole Olympic hoops thing?  And does Kobe's involvement automatically raise the "geeked" factor even more?

We asked a couple of days back for some suggestions for blog topics, having spent a fair amount of time on Kobe Bryant this summer.  One of my favorites was the suggestion for an all-time Lakers roster.  Not just a starting lineup, but a full 15-man squad (including three for the inactive list) that would go up, at least theoretically, against every other franchise's ultimate team.  Kind of a fun exercise.  It's not just about coming up with the 15 best Lakers, but the combination that you think would actually produce the best on-court product.  Fortunately, you'll have a lot of choices.  Unfortunately, you'll have a lot of choices (what do you do with all the great centers the franchise has seen?), though I'm certain this guy will make everyone's roster.  However you construct your 15, it should make for quality debate.

Me?  I'm trying to figure out how to squeeze Sedale Threatt onto my team.   

-- BK

UPDATE: Excellent point made by exhelodrvr:  "I assume that the selections should be made based on how someone performed with the Lakers, not over their entire career.  Based on that, Wilt should not be on the team, nor should McAdoo."  Argue about the specifics, but it seems like a pretty good rule to add to the selection process, though those of you with Karl Malone at PF may have to rethink it.

So I know people have been looking for a new thread, and I've been looking around for some news ... but really, there isn't any.  At least nothing I can find.  So anyone have any ideas?  Places to take this one?   There's always Kobe (haha).  You got your USA Basketball, trade ideas, hypothetical mascot ideas.  Anything.  I'll accept solicitations, and then perhaps start a new, new thread.

UPDATE:  Well, there is something new to talk about.  Sort of.  More on the Kobe situation, courtesy of ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan.  Bryant continues to be vague about his status, leading Sheridan to say something that basically summarizes how I've felt for a while, given the current state of the roster and prospects for quick improvement:  "Around the league, most people seem to think it boils down to this: Kobe still wants out, but the Lakers won't trade him -- at least that's the impression being left by Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, who was unavailable for comment because he is not due back from a European vacation until Friday."

Of course, there's no way to know for sure, but it's the feeling I get as well.

-- BK