The U.S. Olympic team and Jason faced their first real challenge to date on Tuesday morning, holding on for a 87-76 win over Australia.

In 15 minutes, Jason did not take a shot, instead continuing to play the role of facilitator. He ended the game with two rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.

UNNECESSARILY CLOSE
One of the benefits of Jason’s experience is that he can put team tendencies into perspective, much as a coach can. Based on what he saw Tuesday, the U.S. would have been better served with a little more patience on offense.

As he explained to the Associated Press:

“The last two games the ball has been sticking a little bit, so we have to get back to looking like the first game where everybody was touching the ball and we were playing like we should…We’re too talented of a team to take tough shots because there’s always going to be someone open.”

PRAISE FROM SPORTING NEWS
Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News wrote an interesting piece Tuesday about Jason, and the criticism he has faced concerning his age (and the relative youth of teammates Chris Paul and Deron Williams).

There has been no shortage of criticism of Kidd’s presence in the starting five, as well as on the roster. In one online poll, 60 percent of respondents preferred either Chris Paul or Williams as the Americans’ starting point guard. A common refrain is that the ascent of Paul and Williams last season, coinciding with the decline by Kidd after he was traded to Dallas, indicate it’s time for someone fresh handling the ball.

The irony of this is after years of complaints from fans that the United States treats its Olympic team too much like an all-star competition, its coaches are being criticized for treating it like a team. The coaches judge Kidd to be the player who’ll bring a sense of order, direction and leadership to the starting group. _ they like that he’s 6-4, strong and tough–harder for some of the bigger international guards to muscle around. _ they like that he has never lost in senior international competition– he’s 38-0, including going 10-0 last summer at the FIBA Americas Championship event that qualified Team USA for Beijing–and that he is the one player who has experienced winning an Olympic gold medal, in Sydney in 2000.

As DeCourcy explained — with the help of Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski — J-Kidd brings a lot of intangibles to the table that only come with being a talented veteran.

"I’d liked to have coached him, if I was a pro coach, for his whole career. And I really love coaching him now," Krzyzewski says. "The fact is we need physicality at the guard spot, and experience.

"He has the respect of his teammates and his opponents. Jason Kidd is one of a kind. At this time in his career, to be with many of the elite players in the league, I would think it’s rejuvenating."

Jason, for one, has been nothing but team-oriented since being named to the Olympic team.

"As long as I can get up and down and help these guys with just sharing my experience–I thought that I could play at a high level now, even though I’m 35, that I could give something to the team. Knowing this could be my last time, I’m going to try to enjoy it."

RELATED STORIES
US survives toughest test, beats Aussies by 11 (Associated Press, Aug. 5, 2008)
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news?slug=ap-bko-usa-australia&prov=ap&type=lgns
Experienced Kidd is "Old Man" of Team USA (Sporting News, Aug. 5, 2008)
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=442364