Team USA basketball
- Thread starter elijawon
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Thank you for the in-depth analysis and valuable contribution. You are such an asset to the board. Haha.
Yeah, I'm disappointed that you weren't booted and you're still here to add nothing of substance, only to troll and derail conversations.
Your entire team AND Cal were kneeling for the national anthem. They are a national embarrassment.
It matters, just in demonstrating that the US team is flawed, but I think this is pool play so has no bearing other than you have to finish well enough to advance, and then losses matter in the medal round. I think the main lesson, and one you'd have thought they'd have learned by now, is that you just can't throw a team together, roll out the ball and win games. I thought the plan was to keep a core group together playing international tournaments in the off years leading up to Olympics, but the roster has changed so much, that hasn't happened. A couple guys just joined from the playoffs and then a couple of subs added late for covid scratches, which means about a third of the team has just joined them in the last week or so.
I want to look more into different rules and game time lengths compared to the NBA. The score seemed pretty low for professional basketball. I don’t pay much attention to either, so maybe there is something to learn.
VanPastorMan
Hall of Famer
I know what you are thinking. "If only they had an entire team of former UK players they would have won".
10 minute quarters. I don’t know if that “helps” anyone as much as it diminishes an advantage US will nearly always have, which is depth of talent. The longer the games the more depth becomes a factor.
I think their struggles are a measure of 3 things. First, as as been mentioned here, they haven’t had a lot of time together. Hurts badly with things like team defense. Not having reliable go to plays for when they need a bucket, etc…. Also tough for Pop to have a good feel on rotations.
2…the competition is better. France bad 3 really good NBA players starting for them. With the shorter games, any team they play that has multiple NBA players will be a threat.
3…international games are MUCH more physical than NBA games, in general. The NBA has went to great lengths to open the game up, and take physical play out of the game. FIBA has not. One of the announcers in the France game, Vince Carter maybe??…said these games will resemble 90s NBA games with their physicality. I think that’s probably true. The USA team could become dominant if they embrace that. But it takes a while to adjust to that. And they might not ever make that adjustment? If they don’t, they’re obviously vulnerable.
They need someone like Booker or KD to step up on the DEFENSIVE end and set the tone. Coach K relied on Kobe, and even Carmelo to play that role when he come in and got the US back on track in the 2000s. It has to be one of the Alphas. Someone that will go out and lock down the other teams top player…but also be able to score on the other end. It can’t be only Draymond.
Repeating the same question a thousand times is exactly what a little brother would do. growup.
A couple things related to #3. For a long time the international game was more perimeter/3pt focused, way ahead of analytics driving the NBA and college game that way, and when they did or almost upset the US it was usually on the back of better 3 pt shooting. Also mobil big men who could shoot 3s. But whereas the NBA has moved away from much post presence on offense and mostly use posts as rim-runners, rebounders, rim protectors and screeners, the international teams generally, and France specifically, did a great job of using the spread out floor to create opportunities inside for their posts and traditionall back to the basket opps. This is something I keep thinking NBA teams will begin to utilize. It's why I thought Garza could find a place in the NBA, he's really a very classic international post: can move out and shoot the 3, but also is solid in the paint. Still think he's going to latch on with an NBA team and have a good long career in that sort of role.
I didn't see the game, but looked at the roster. There were 2 players from the Bucks and one from the Suns, who had just completed their Championship Series and had no time to practice with the Group. I haven't paid a lot of attention to the NBA over the past several years, but I barely recognized several of the names.
I believe one of the things that has affected play is the philosophy of the NBA in recent years. Don't worry about one loss, just win enough to make the playoffs. Sit healthy guys from time to time so they don't get over used. Don't worry about tonight We will come back and win the next one.
I believe that 1992 was the first year Pros were allowed to compete in the Olympics. You had guys like Jordan, Pippen, Stockton, Malone, Shaq, Issiah Thomas. Those guys hated to lose whether it was the first Exhibition Game or a Playoff Game. I can't imagine Phil Jackson telling Jordan He was a healthy scratch and would be sitting out tonight. I don't see that type of attitude from today's players.
The other thing that struck Me, is I don't see a Glue guy on the roster. Nobody jumps out at Me as the guy Who knows how to play the game is willing to sacrifice and do the things his teammates can't or don't want to do, and makes everybody on the floor better just by being present. Like Quinn Buckner was on the 1976 Team and throughout his College and Pro Career.
I believe one of the things that has affected play is the philosophy of the NBA in recent years. Don't worry about one loss, just win enough to make the playoffs. Sit healthy guys from time to time so they don't get over used. Don't worry about tonight We will come back and win the next one.
I believe that 1992 was the first year Pros were allowed to compete in the Olympics. You had guys like Jordan, Pippen, Stockton, Malone, Shaq, Issiah Thomas. Those guys hated to lose whether it was the first Exhibition Game or a Playoff Game. I can't imagine Phil Jackson telling Jordan He was a healthy scratch and would be sitting out tonight. I don't see that type of attitude from today's players.
The other thing that struck Me, is I don't see a Glue guy on the roster. Nobody jumps out at Me as the guy Who knows how to play the game is willing to sacrifice and do the things his teammates can't or don't want to do, and makes everybody on the floor better just by being present. Like Quinn Buckner was on the 1976 Team and throughout his College and Pro Career.
Yea, not going to happen because they already utilize the same things France was doing.
I don't know what you think you were seeing but it wasn't any different .. bigger sure but they still aren't posting up ... they generally cut to scoring positions off of dribble and pass action just like they do in the NBA.
The back to the basket post up is a dinosaur.
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I have no feelings either way. The loss was no different than the Pacers losing to the Bulls. International players in the NBA go home and have made their national trams better. I saw a more disciplined team play fundamentally sound against the USA with KD throwing up shots like it was the 4th quarter of the All Star game. The talent advantage we had is shrinking while other countries have gotten smarter.
Actually only Stockton Malone and Jordan from that group on the 1992 team. That team obviously taking all in playing days and Bird was at the very end would stand up against any team any time any where
Yes, he was kept off. Jordan and Pippen looked at Isiah as the ring leader of the Bad Boy Pistons and believed he ordered their goons to rough them up when they played. Also, it was rumored that Isiah questioned Magic’s sexuality after he acquired HIV, so Magic hated him at that time, too.
Jordan denies he kept him off, but somebody did, because he was arguably the best PG at the time and the Dream Team even had Pistons coach Chuck Daly as their coach.
What about Stockton and Bird, you know the awesome white players on the team that are in another stratosphere?
I read a quote where MJ asked Rod Thorn who was playing and his answer was "the guy you are worried about isn't playing" so, while it may have been because of MJ, sounded like the decision was already made recognizing it might be a problem. They still had Magic and Stockton at PG, so not hacks.
Sorry... I know we've had our arguments here... but that was truly just an attempt at a lighthearted joke... in light of the Kevin Love controversy..
I stand corrected, I thought he was only on 96 team . Someone needed to be on the bench
I think the pendulum in the NBA has swung too far being perimeter oriented and there are tons of post players now who are either wings or strictly rim protectors/rebounders/screeners without much offensive game. I thought France's posts were opportunistic and effective at the end of the shot clock at creating better scoring opps. If you're not shooting a 3, common sense tells me a decent shot from 3-10' is better than an off-balance, contested one from 11-22'. I think there's an opportunity there for NBA teams to be more effective by having posts who still have back to the basket moves. Garza to me is a guy who some team will find a place for and stash him on the bench, but can find a way to help them in 15-20 minutes a game. Phoenix would be a great landing spot for him backing up Ayton for instance and playing with Chris Paul. You and I have had this argument all year, but I still think someone will find a use for Garza. I guess we'll see soon enough.
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