Team USA 98
Venezuela 69
SAN JUAN – They also serve who only watch and wait. And play in garbage time.
But the end-of-the-bench role he has been assigned on the U.S. Olympic qualifying team is fine with the Nets’ young star forward, Richard Jefferson. It’s unfamiliar definitely, but understandable and acceptable absolutely.
“You have to start wherever if you’re put in the category that you’re one of the up and comers,” said Jefferson, whose history is filled with nothing but glowing success: a Final Four at Arizona, two trips to the finals in two NBA seasons with the Nets. “Myself, Nick Collison, hopefully we’ll be among the leaders for the 2008 Olympics. That just shows the NBA thinks you have potential and you’re done a lot of things in a short amount of time.”
Last night, garbage time came early. The U.S. raced to an early lead and then survived boredom and some slop, finishing with a hardly impressive 98-69 victory over Venezuela to run its record to 3-0 here. Only today’s game against the Virgin Islands remains for the U.S. before second round play starts Monday.
Jefferson entered with 5:00 left in the first half and the U.S. up 15; he returned with 7:02 left in the game and the lead at 18. He finished with five points in 12 minutes. Not quite the 16 put up by Tracy McGrady or the 14 by Allen Iverson, but it was fine for Jefferson, who collected a total of eight points, in 17 minutes over the first two games.
No matter when his time comes or how much he gets, Jefferson is happy to be here. Honest. Maybe it can lead to something better – a spot on the Olympic team. He is one of four players on this team – Collison, Elton Brand and Vince Carter are the others – who are not guaranteed Olympic spots. With the excused Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone assured spots, there are three Olympic positions remaining. Kevin Garnett is expected to land one. Shaquille O’Neal may want to play. That would leave one spot.
“It just takes a little getting used to. Sitting on the bench for an hour and a half and then going in for the last seven minutes, I have no problem with that at all,” Jefferson said. “This is a great experience. One thing I want to do is play well, even as the 12th man [or] the 11th man . . . .”
In keeping with the “team” concept that has swept this group through the urging and insistence of coach Larry Brown, plus the memory of a stinging sixth-place finish in Indianapolis at the Worlds last summer, Jefferson sees a benefit for his first team, the Nets, down the line, from his practicing and working with a team of All-Stars.
“It’s great it’s only going to help the Nets. The more familiar I get defending Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, playing them, the better it’s going to make our team,” said Jefferson.