It took their weakest two quarters of the tournament, but it became crystal clear that this team isn’t the perfect representation of Mike Krzrzrzrzrzski’s basketball dream, let alone Bob Knight’s.

It’s Don Nelson’s.

And as such, the Warriors could do much worse than to examine what the U.S. team is doing in the Olympics and try to embody as much of that they can next season.

This isn’t a Coach K team. He’s had the opportunity to select the best athletes in the country for years in Durham, but he’s been hurt before by the super athlete. Corey Maggette left after only one season, and I defy anyone to name a Dukie since who could run and jump with anyone on Memphis’ starting five from last year. The buzz-phrase nowadays is “comfort zone,” and Coach K’s zone includes academically eligible freshman he can bench, that will play a full four years of ball before becoming really tall lawyers.

Team USA is a Don Nelson team — nobody over seven feet tall, point guards who like to push the ball, and speed and length as far as the eyes can see.

Sure, the fact that no Warrior was even in contention to make America’s roster kind of prohibits them from playing as well as the soon-to-be Gold Medal winners, but they can surprise every Chad Ford and Stephen A. Smith out there if they adhere to the principles shown over the last week and a half by Team Nike:

1. Tough defense leads to running and other sorts of fun

I don’t want to sound like Rick Barry here (OK, maybe a little, although I probably wouldn’t shower if a radio station was stupid enough to ever give me a radio show), but if you like to run, you better force turnovers. The U.S. isn’t Duke, where half-court offense and long threes in front of perpetually hopping Cameron Crazies is occasionally interrupted by a nice layup off the glass (remember to shield the ball). The U.S. superstars have bought into pressuring the ball as if their lives depend on it for three reasons. First, they know it works. Second, Kobe and LeBron (the two true Alpha Dogs on this team) can either go all-out for 24 minutes or half-assed for 38 it’s an easy decision when higher scoring averages don’t lead to higher paychecks. Third (and most important), steals mean running and dunking.

The Warriors under Nelson love to run too if you haven’t noticed, and if Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph (Anybody else excited about the Randolph Era? I’ve never been so excited over somebody I’ve seen for a grand total of ten minutes in my life…gotta love the Internet) get minutes this team is going to be freakishly long and mighty quick. However, it’s tough to get fast breaks when you’re taking the ball out from the baseline to start every possession.

2. Threes are great…sometimes

This is where today’s odd game against Argentina comes into play. The United States roared out to a 30-11 lead at the end of the first quarter in part because of threes. They forced so many turnovers and moved the ball so crisply on offense, it seemed like Carmelo Anthony was wide open on every possession.

Then Manu Ginobili got injured, and the U.S. fell back on a famous NBA habit, chilling out when the game is seemingly in the proverbial bag. They knew Andres Nocioni was hobbling around on a bad knee, and it’s not like Luis Scola or Carlos Delfino have garnered a lot of respect among the NBA’s elite. Among Ford and Jeff Van Gundy, maybe. But not KoBron.

But the U.S. backed off, and Argentina went to a zone designed to tempt the Americans into shooting easy threes instead of working the shot clock by moving the ball. Soon Kobe and LeBron were throwing up 24-foot bricks and the Argentineans got within six near the end of the half.

This was a common issue with the W’s last year, as they were wont to catch their breath when they got tired by chucking threes and backpedaling. This is one of the best things about Baron Davis’ departure. Threes are an important part of any Nellie offense, as long as they’re taken in rhythm by good three-point shooters. Not as lazy attempts to score without running and/or passing.

3. Everybody rebounds, not just Andris

Team U.S.A.’s defense has gotten most the attention during the Olympics, and rightfully so, but the rebounding of the U.S. guards has been almost as important.

When the U.S. roster was announced, the first question was: where are the centers? All we got is Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh? What if a whole team of Arvydas Sabonis’s shows up from Russia and blocks all of Kobe’s shots? What will we ever do then?

First off, there are no good international centers besides Yao Ming (and he shouldn’t even be playing right now, so it doesn’t matter). But it helps that Howard and Bosh (especially Bosh) have grabbed every rebound available, and the ones they couldn’t have usually gone into the hands of Anthony, Dwyane Wade, LeBron or Kobe.

I’m not bringing up anything new here, but that was the beauty of Jason Richardson — that he was probably the best rebounding two-guard in the league when he was with the Warriors. That’s why unless Stephen Jackson makes a new commitment to hitting the boards, Maggette must prove he’s a better rebounder than he was as a Clipper if the Warriors want to make the playoffs.

I guess in a way I’m sort of hoping Team U.S.A. is Don Nelson’s dream, but I’m not really sure. I, like him, see visions of teams flying up and down the court, scoring points in bunches through unselfish play, where the energy of the team and the crowd can come together as it did for the Warriors in April and May of 2006. But it takes sacrifice to have so much fun. Like the U.S. showed today against Argentina, even a mediocre opponent can take advantage of lazy basketball. Luckily for the Americans they had the talent to coast through the second and third quarters before closing out the game late. The Warriors won’t have that luxury next season. The Western Conference is fairly deep, but no better than any of the last five years. The Warriors have a chance to break into the top half of the league if they play in the same vein as Coach K’s crew, if Nelson can convince his team to do so.

(And for those looking for a prediction on Sunday’s Gold Medal game, is it necessary? I guess I’m glad Spain defeated Lithuania, because watching a team with two Gasols is always better than watching a team with one Jasikevicius, but didn’t we already watch Spain pack it in before the end of the first half last Saturday? Sure, they’ll try harder, but Jose Calderon is hurt and Chris Paul is going to put a hurt on Ricky “Spanish Chocolate” Rubio for Rubio’s general foolishness and tomfoolery. U.S. 112, Spain 90)

Shaq, stalker, tell me how my links taste

No surprise – J.T. O’Sullivan was officially named the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers today. I never thought I’d say the words, “Man, how good with this team be with Jon Kitna?” (Niners Nation)

An Atlanta-area woman named Alexis Miller recently placed a restraining order against Shaquille O’Neal, claiming he was stalking her after their six-to-eight month long “intimate” relationship ended about a month ago (around the same time he talked about reconciling with his wife Shaunie). Apparently Shaq isn’t just a stalker, he’s also a crappy speller:

“The court affidavit quotes an e-mail from O’Neal as saying, “I dnt no who the [expletive] u think u dealin wit u will neva be heard from one phone call is I gotta make now try me. Sho me.”’ (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Atlanta is a busy place. Da Brat just got sent to jail for three years for cracking a Falcons cheerleader in the head with a bottle of rum at a nightclub. (AJC)

Michael Phelps has found a younger, hotter swimmer to make out with. In your but-her-face, Amanda Beard! (New York Post)

The IOC is going to examine whether one of China’s gymnasts (He Kexin) was actually 14 during last week’s Olympic competition, instead of 16 as is stated on her passport. (The Merc)

Is Darius Miles Boston bound? First the Notorious P.O.B. (Patrick O’Bryant), now Miles replaces James Posey? The Celtics are just getting cocky now. Oh, and if Miles makes the team he’ll be suspended for ten games for taking phentermine, some sort of diet pill. (Celticsblog)

Meet Marc Gasol, a character reminiscent of Nick Swardson’s character (Jeff) in “Grandma’s Boy.” (Straight Bangin)

Remember Drew Henson? He just signed with the Detroit Lions although he has no chance of making the final roster. (MLive)

Pablo Sandoval got the start at third base tonight for the Giants. Finally, a young player the Giants are finding creative ways to keep in the lineup instead of coming up with creative reasons to keep him out. (SF Giants)