Who knows? If we could keep these scrappers together for four years, we just might challenge for silver in Beijing. With the proper training and motivation, we might even beat Argentina someday.

"We're never going to have a cakewalk," coach Larry Brown said. No, probably not. "I still think we play the best basketball. But we don't play by international rules enough."

Nor do we guard the shooter enough or practice shooting enough or care enough to care about any of it. But we're walking our Nikes through old ground. The men played hard and together Saturday night and still had the fight of their lives. Brown called it "the toughest game I've been associated with."

If that doesn't open some eyes, what will?

American basketball has been remade and repackaged. It's still sport, but more than that, it's entertainment. Kids don't learn fundamentals. Coaches don't teach them. It's an ESPN world now. The playground is nothing more than a big TV screen. If we want to beat the rest of the world at the Olympics, we have to play the way they do. Does anyone see that happening?

Given the experience of this crew, which NBA millionaire in 2008 will be eager to go to Beijing? The U.S. won the gold in 1992 and 1996 because of overwhelming talent. Brown recalls the '96 team having Shaq, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson as post players, and Charles Barkley and Karl Malone playing power forward.

Other than Tim Duncan, there wasn't one big man in that league on this year's team.

There is also the matter of who gets picked for the team, and who picks them. Brown had some say, but not a lot. The American team that blitzed its way through the Olympic qualifying tournament included Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Ray Allen. None turned out for the Olympics.

This team was a hastily assembled clot of individuals, asked on short notice to play as one, and to do it in the international style. Fat chance. "We're going to have to re-examine the kind of team we send," said Brown.

You can pick a better blend of inside and outside scorers, defense and rebounding. But unless it's the best of the best, you'll still be running uphill against countries with teams who play together for years.

"It's important the team doesn't change every four years," said Australian forward Trish Fallon. The American women beat the Aussies earlier Saturday for their third consecutive Olympic gold.

The U.S. ladies were charming and gracious in victory. But their patronizing support of the men is starting to grate. If you hadn't heard already, the women are champs because they're unselfish, wise to the ways of international ball and are the best of friends.

"It's a selfless environment," explained Dawn Staley, now a three-time gold medalist. "It's also a different kind of basketball in the Olympics. If you don't have everybody used to playing that way, it's going to be very, very difficult."

What Staley failed to mention was it's a great help when your competition pretty much stinks. Unlike the men, the women around the globe have not caught up to the Americans. Other than the Australians and the Russians, they're not even in the same gym. Even the silver-winning Aussies had starters shooting two-hand set shots.

When you beat almost everyone you play by 30 points, it's not always because you make the extra pass and send each other birthday cards.

But back to the men. "When you're playing for third, it hurts," admitted Shawn Marion. "We all had to dig deep. At least we're going home with something."

Said Brown: "To come back after that loss," in the semis to Argentina, "this was very good for American basketball." Which makes you worry for American basketball.

The NBA always will be No. 1 in marketing. It can still sell the lifestyle, the culture and the shoes. What it can't sell is the game. At least not at the Olympics. At the Olympics, the NBA is strictly a buyer.

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E-mail pdaugherty@enquirer.com