Originally posted by GwinnettNole:
Does Russia have any NBA players?
They must.
I heard somebody mention that Tunesia was the only team w/o an NBA player.
But, I kinda believe the NBA-stuff is a bit overrated. There could be plenty of foreign players capable of playing in the NBA but just decide to play in their home country.
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Originally posted by PJD3883:
But, I kinda believe the NBA-stuff is a bit overrated. There could be plenty of foreign players capable of playing in the NBA but just decide to play in their home country.
I agree. And frankly its a good thing if other leagues get on the same level as the NBA. Good for the game....Soccer is the model in the world for this.
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Originally posted by GwinnettNole:
Originally posted by PJD3883:
But, I kinda believe the NBA-stuff is a bit overrated. There could be plenty of foreign players capable of playing in the NBA but just decide to play in their home country.
I agree. And frankly its a good thing if other leagues get on the same level as the NBA. Good for the game....Soccer is the model in the world for this.
Agree...100%.
Nationally, we could look at Boise State. Piss-Poor conference...Piss-Poor competition...BUT, when they square off against the big-boys. They win.
What we see internationally in basketball and soccer is the reason why the BCS-level schools is fighting to control a playoff over the NCAA. The NCAA will allow every conf champ a spot in the field, and if some of those teams get wins, prestige and recruiting is affected.
There is zero doubt that America plays the best basketball, has the best players and awesome depth. BUT, we still have to prove it by winning the games.
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Let's see .... at this rate the US should score 196 points against Nigeria. Somehow I don't think that will happen.
8/2 5:40 PM | IP: Logged |
That was just your average everyday shoot around today.
8/2 6:56 PM | IP: Logged |
Holy crap.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/2 7:21 PM | IP: Logged
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Well...let's look at it this way.
The term..."Beat Down"...has just been defined for all of us.
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And they canceled baseball at the olympics because we were too dominant? Good grief....
Look at these numbers--- never seen anything like it:
USA
TOTAL FG% Game: 59-83 71.1%
3-Pt. FG% Game: 29-46 63.0%
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The competition should be a tad better once we get out of pool play.
I was a little surprised Brazil lost to Russia yesterday.
8/3 7:52 AM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by GwinnettNole:
Does Russia have any NBA players?
If you count the two who play for the T-wolves, they have three:
Mozgov (C, Nuggets), Shved (G, Twolves), Kirilenko (F, Twolves); all three start for them.
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Originally posted by GwinnettNole:
And they canceled baseball at the olympics because we were too dominant? Good grief....
Look at these numbers--- never seen anything like it:
USA
TOTAL FG% Game: 59-83 71.1%
3-Pt. FG% Game: 29-46 63.0%
Add this stat... 2-Pt FG% Game: 30-37 81.1%
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Spain is really not looking like our biggest competition. They have no movement on offense and they aren't good 3 point shooters do there is no spacing. On defense they don't move laterally well. I could see Brazil beating them too after Russia and England gave then the play book.
France squeaks it out over Tunisia who knew.
USA looks like it will get Spain Vs Brazil winner it it's semi if winner gets by Argentina in quarters.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/4 8:21 AM | IP: Logged
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US really struggling to defend the pick and roll from the right elbow.
8/4 10:12 AM | IP: Logged |
And the US with five guys standing around offense. That was a horrible offensive set with 33 sec left in the half. Only thing that went well was the foul on Lithuania (of course Love was just 1 of 2).
8/4 10:15 AM | IP: Logged |
Spain is really not looking like our biggest competition.
Spain really let that one get away after getting out to such a big lead early on.
8/4 10:25 AM | IP: Logged |
Did Dulkys play for Lithuania?
8/4 12:55 PM | IP: Logged |
Yikes I expected an offensive let down by USA but not a defensive no show. 69% fg by Lithuania how did they lose? It was shooting practice for them drive and dish weak side all night.
Coach K was badly out coached. He can not play Chris Paul that much when he's getting embarrassed repeatedly on defense. Paul's lack of size and strength played right into their hands and Paul never took advantage going the other way. Lithuania looked for Paul before running the offense it was hard to watch.
Only difference was we had Lebron last 4 minutes they didn't.
Our PGs have got to get Lebron and our slashers some easy early buckets attacking and put the pressure on the paint. Too much standing and lack of penetrating by our PGs, the longer each possession the more likely we settle for a 3. Lithuania was borderline illegal D all night but not the issue.
USA better focus against Argentina Monday they'll play the same way against us. Hopefully this was for the better long run.
Posted from wireless.rivals.com
This post was edited on 8/4 2:04 PM by kooterridesagain
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Wow just saw a box score stat that sums up our lack of offensive movement and poor shooting.
Lebron 0 assists in 35 minutes.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/4 2:07 PM | IP: Logged
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It was a horrible display of Team USA basketball IMO.
Standing around on offense. No ball movement. Just jacking up three
point shots that they could not make. No attack the basket. Inability to
hit FTs. Only b/c of James and Paul at the end and a key offensive
rebound by Kobe did the US escape with that win.
And then there was the defense or lack thereof. Reaching. Porous at best
defense vs the pick and roll (I will never understand why the US is so
bad at it and on offensively as well .... the US invented the dadgum
game). Lack of double team help defense as players just posted up and
back down the single defender for the easy hook shot in the lane.
Credit to Lithuania b/c they played an excellent game that they probably
should have won. But better talent won out at the end. It was a
disgusting display of basketball by Team USA though.
8/4 3:03 PM | IP: Logged |
Bill,
What do you think of the players post game comments about how Coach K told them not to run any plays on offense and just play with each other and worry about D?Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/4 3:27 PM | IP: Logged
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I did not hear those comments.
But my immediate reaction is they sure didn't worry too much about defense and there definitely was no offense. I can understand not running any plays b/c 1. they had not practiced in a day or two and 2. not giving the other teams anything to see. But they sure did not play with each other. I doubt we had much more than 10 assists if that many.
8/4 4:16 PM | IP: Logged |
My question is what are out coaches doing this whole trip if we aren't installing any plays to run and our defense still looks confused? they just weren't prepared todayPosted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/4 5:56 PM | IP: Logged
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Has Kobe had a dominating game yet?
FG: 1-7
3PT: 0-3
Total Points: 6
When I saw the score my initial question is what happened to our D today...
And no to the question above about Dulky's playing--- he was cut a few days before the olympics started.
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My question is what are out coaches doing this whole trip
if we aren't installing any plays to run and our defense still looks
confused? they just weren't prepared today
I question why K reportedly gave them two days off.
This post was edited on 8/5 2:39 PM by Bill From Tampa
8/5 2:38 PM | IP: Logged |
Well that explains why I've seen all the players at various events. Time to focus and stop the vacation.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/5 10:37 PM | IP: Logged
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I don't see it as anything but a let-down game.
I really don't see any need to panic. We played with very little emotion or focus. We won by 5, but were up by 9 with 30 seconds to play. We held the ball for the final 10 seconds.
When it was time to take the game over, we took it over.
We'll be on top of our game vs Argentina. May be a little ragged vs Australia, which just took out Russia. We'll be back on top of our game in the semi's vs Brazil, Spain or Argentina.
Expect the same vs Russia or France in the finals.
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What is the excuse for today's game? Argentina shooting something like 73% just in the 1st qtr and have scored 31 pts. This team is just not playing defense. And it's not even just the pick and roll play that is beating us. They are running everything and making them. I won't even get into the numerous threes we are jacking up. Thank goodness we have made 7 of them but that will not last. And all we got out of it was a two pt lead at the end of one.
8/6 5:40 PM | IP: Logged |
Argentina is going to wear down..but yes Bill, we look like doodoo.
8/6 5:57 PM | IP: Logged |
There's no excuses for horrific defense with the athletes we've got out there. What the heck is going on?Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/6 6:10 PM | IP: Logged
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Effort our team isn't giving it.. Iguodala should start for Kobe next game.
Those 4 fouls on lebron are atrocious, yet Scola the cheap shot artist has less? I like his after the ball swat at Carmelo to not let him inbound in Argentina are such clowns.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/6 6:38 PM | IP: Logged
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Well, I was wrong about the threes. Durant alone had four of them in the third qtr. But it all started with extremely better defense in that qtr. Guys staying in front of ball handlers. Strong close outs. Active players moving to stay with their man esp the cutters to the basket and down the lane. Maybe they have finally learned that if they play hard nosed defense their offense will open up even more. And if the shots don't go down the defense will still carry them.
8/6 7:04 PM | IP: Logged |
Let's hope they're awake now. Should be well rested and refocused for Australia.
Argentina Brazil might set a foul record.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/6 8:35 PM | IP: Logged
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Not to overlook Russia, but having them just Lithuania is a plus for us. The Lithuanians have always given us trouble, this Olympics included.
8/8 11:01 AM | IP: Logged |
Quite frankly Kobe needs to have his minutes cut. If he can't score points and even worse not play solid defense getting beaten constantly (as is the case in this game vs Australia) he is of little use on the floor.
8/8 5:56 PM | IP: Logged |
Bill,
I totally agree! Every post game is about Kobes heroic 3 point shooting in the fourth quarter today instead of his selfish abysmal play for 2.5 quarters yet again. He is so maddeningly unwilling to pass to wide open players I can't believe he wasn't benched to start the second half. And his defense I wont even get started on.
The more I watch Kobe the more impressed I am with Shaquille, Gasoline, Phil etc.....
Kobe plays basketball the way it's not suppose to be played, hate his game.
Kevin Love was tremendous, Lebron good, Paul solid, otherwise we can still play a lot better. We're still not getting the ball to our slashers wide open around the basket and taking too many 3's out of rhythm but better effort tonight.
This team should be excited for Argentina again, I expect our best effort so far.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/8 8:47 PM | IP: Logged
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Interesting that both runner-up teams in each group got beat.
Both Semi-Final games will be rematches.
Spain-Russia wil be interesting.
Personally...we're leap years ahead of all of them.
But...Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, France...If they played 3 tournaments within themselves, we'd have 3 different winners.
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We shot 86 field goals in todays game. A whopping 46 of them were 3pt's. We made 19 three pointers and 20 two point field goals. I remember watching the 2004 debacle with Iverson and others thinking Americans just can't shoot-- all we can do is dunk on fast breaks. LOL. Sheesh was I wrong.
8/8 9:47 PM | IP: Logged |
Even crazier is many of our guys are still shooting below their averages from a closer 3 point line. The one shooting the best from deep Durant, he can't make a 2 point shot.
I'd be curious what our percent is of wide open 3 vs rushed ones, it feels like 60% vs 10%.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/9 8:01 AM | IP: Logged
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Originally posted by kooterridesagain:
Even crazier is many of our guys are still shooting below their averages from a closer 3 point line. The one shooting the best from deep Durant, he can't make a 2 point shot.
I'd be curious what our percent is of wide open 3 vs rushed ones, it feels like 60% vs 10%.
Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Honestly, what's even crazier is how the US has thrown the European game back in their face.
During the 90's, the Europeans begin making a move with their drive-kick-out game. It seemed all their big men could shoot the three. We'd clog the lane and they would kick-out to an unguarded big-man for an open three.
That doesn't happen anymore. We are overwhelming them with quickness on defense. And we are raining threes down on them. LeBron drives on them and everybody sags back into the lane and we've got two players, each wide-open on the wing, dropping threes on them.
It is simply a matter of weapons...and we've got 'em all. These folks can't keep up with a 24 second clock.
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True and definitely interesting.
Can someone explain to me the illegal defense in Olympic ball, or maybe there isn't one? The amount of times I see Lebron drive and 3-4 defenders have had a foot in the lane for 4+ seconds is pretty much the norm. I get that's why our 3pt shooters are absurdly open. Some big men don't leave the paint is that because say Chandler just camps there on offense so that can stay next to him?
Not that it will be called differently but I'd like to know what I'm seeing. the officiating has been crazy, makes NBA calls seem consistent.
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During the 90's, the Europeans begin making a move
with their drive-kick-out game. It seemed all their big men could shoot
the three. We'd clog the lane and they would kick-out to an unguarded
big-man for an open three.
That doesn't happen anymore. We are overwhelming them with quickness on defense.What they are doing now is utilizing the pick and roll play constantly. And we just are not defending it well at all. The second half yesterday though was definitely much better than prior games. So apparently we can do it. It's just a matter can we do it consistently.
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I think Kobe has been saved for these medal games, because he looked like a totally different player out there.
8/9 3:04 PM | IP: Logged |
Repeatedly being benched was probably good for his legs and ego before the Australia.
8/10 9:30 AM | IP: Logged |
I wish somebody would write a book on Kobe at the Olympics.
I think it's all mental for him.
Individually, he knows his skills are being passed by with our younger players. If he hits his first couple of shots, he's somewhat okay. Had a good 4th quarter last game out, so he was able to pound his heart and wave his arms.
But, he has spent most of the Olympics, smiling, patting opponents on the rump, trying to give off an "it's no big deal mantra." Trying to be "cool" because he simply can't play up to his skills of the past.
Kinda sad in a way.
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Not much bad you can say about that game today vs Argentina.
Personally I don't think this Team USA is as quite as good as 2008 which IMO wa sa better defensive team. But I don't think Spain is quite as good as they were in 2008 either. But at any rate those are the two teams I expected to play for the gold medal.
8/10 5:40 PM | IP: Logged |
Bill I think this team is a better shooting team than 2008, granted this team is missing some bigs so they have to be.
Carmelo has been huge for Team USA all Olympics, he really thrives in this enviroment.
8/10 6:31 PM | IP: Logged |
Good effort today. Streaky as usual and I agree the D is still not great but they did enough. I still want to see more drives and less 3's but it's working.
Spain struggles from 3 which should really play into our hands. Lebron and Love and Durant are all going to have to play big and keep the boards in our favor. On the other way I expect Spain bigs to be in foul trouble as they chase faster players. They are really gonna try to play slow.
I would love to see a blowout from the start. Having handled them in Spain recently we should be sky high.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Posted on 8/10 6:34 PM | IP: Logged
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Bill I think this team is a better shooting team than 2008, granted this team is missing some bigs so they have to be.
We have weapons to be sure. When I think about the 2008 team, it's hard for me to say if we had shooters or not. We generally created so much offense off the defense we didn't set up half court all that much until we played Spain in the gold medal game.
8/10 8:12 PM | IP: Logged |
I would have liked to play Russia once....oh well.
The 2008 medal game against Spain was incredible-- I don't get the sense Spain is as good this time around. We'll see.
I think our team is better at scoring this time around but certainly not as good on the defensive end. Not having Howard have something to do with it?
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Absolutely not having Howard is a factor. No one could go into the middle b/c he would erase just about everything. Made it much easier to guard the three point line b/c we didn't have to collapse as much on dribble penetration.
8/11 10:31 AM | IP: Logged |
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