blakeback

Every team I've watched so far has at least one nba player.

mook

don't know if people were aware, but there is a pretty interesting board here on the subject of the World Championships:
http://www.basketballboards.net/foru...aysprune=&f=56

deanwoof

that stat is misleading because the USA team averages well over 100ppg and there's a lot of fast breaking.

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mook

I find it kind of depressing how little press the US team is getting. NBA players who play in the summer are statistically more likely to have injuries during the regular season. These guys are risking million dollar careers, and for what? So people can criticize them every time they don't blow out a team by 30?

I'm pretty proud of this team. They're playing the scrappiest defense I can ever remember from a US team, despite what the statistics show. They almost never give up a transition basket, and they have nice ball pressure for the length of the court on nearly every posession. The steal, assist and turnover numbers are phenominal. They seem to be accepting their roles and they aren't coming across as obnoxious to the international press.

The biggest flaw I've seen so far is that they've tended to gamble too much on passing lanes instead of just forcing bad shots. But that just says to me they are trying too hard at times. The rebounding hasn't been as dominant as I'd hoped, but a lot of that is just that there are a ton of long rebounds from perimeter shooters.

I'm a little puzzled by the poor free throw shooting, but maybe a little of that has to do with the different ball size. Good free throw shooting is all about routine, and maybe the slightly different ball size is throwing off the routine or something. It's not like Wade, LeBron or Anthony are normally bad free throw shooters.

Will they win the gold? Maybe, maybe not. I'm just happy to watch some quality players go up against some great international competition. And it's cool to think we'll be watching many of these guys play for the next 4-6 years on this team in future Olympics and World Championships.

mook

I can see how you could argue that rebounding stats are misleading, but assists? Isn't the point of assists to give you a measure of how your team is scoring and sharing the ball?

It's kind of like saying, "Yeah, Carmello dropped 35 points, but that's misleading. The team scores a lot of points, so of course he'll have a lot of points." The reason they scored a lot of points is because Carmello scored a lot of points. The reason they have an effective fast-paced team is because they pass well.

It's pretty tough to win the argument that the team leading the field in assists (while having the fewest turnovers) is a poor passing team, regardless of tempo.

bball2223

He wasn't exactly saying they were bad at passing the basketball, but he has a great point. Those stats are very misleading because its easier to get an assist on a fast break than in the half court. He also is complementing the USA's defense because they force so many turnovers and get easy baskets off of them. The reason the team is so effective on the break isn't because of their passing it's because of their overwhelming athleticism and great pressure D. This team isn't great at passing the ball in a half court setting, but because all of them are unselfish they are great at passing on the break. Also those stats are misleading because they are in one of the weakest groups at the championships. They aren't a poor passing team in the fast break setting but they aren't very good in the half court at passing the ball.


Also you said the USA scored a lot of points because Carmelo scored a lot of points. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. The USA scored a lot yesterday because of their presure Defense and Athleticism, although Carmelo had a great game. Italy doesn't have the strongest guard play in the world and neither does any of the other teams we have faced so far. Unless we run up against Spain, France, Argentina, or Turkey we are going to run over every team on are pressure D and Athleticism alone. The four teams I listed all have strong guard play and if we face them they will give us troubles because we will get very few fast break buckets and less overall scoring. Thats when are true colors will show when it comes to passing the ball and scoring the ball. Those teams are also the best defensively and they will give us even less chances in the half-court to score. Thats why the Assists and scoring stats are misleading.

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TM setting the standard for Duke Basketball in '08-'09.

Fork

This thread will become relevant if team USA loses a game.

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When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. -- Sinclair Lewis, 1935

If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by. -- Japanese proverb

Utherhimo

what need to be done is a unified rules like fiba ceo and stern were talking about during the euro club championships.

nba court
3 point line in between the euro and nba lines
6 fouls
trapizod Key
international traveling rules
nba lengeth of game

thats sounds good to me.

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00 this season is for YOU!!!! RIP!

deanwoof

i dont like 6 fouls just because just because it's one of those little things that distinguish between Team Ball and One-On-One Ball.

and lol @ international travelling rules. if only the nba would call travelling. even on a breakout fast break.

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mook

it's stupid to say that the guy who scored a third of all the points on the team wasn't a reason the team scored a lot of points?

ok.

dudleysghost

Oh there's no need to beat up on Yega. The team doesn't really suck, but it is a little disturbing that a team of mostly NBA all-stars has to come back to beat Italy. Still, I'm not so worried about it. Team USA might even lose a game in Japan during the medal rounds this year, but this summer is the start of a process. Like everyone said, the Euro teams play together annually, and have for a long time. Team USA will play together annually, but this is just the first year, so we can't expect them to be as cohesive as the other teams just yet.

I defy anyone to bet money against Team USA winning the Beijing Olympics in 2008 though. As long as they can successfully incorporate Kobe Bryant into the team framework (and that should be an interesting process), they should be familiar with each other and absolutely waste Spain, Argentina, France or whoever else they come across.

Yega1979

If I see a 300 pound man who can bench press 600 pounds barely beat a 105 pound man from Taiwan in 9 rounds, I say the 300 pound man SUCKS and the guy from Taiwan is good.

This is how it is with team USA. Any one player would completly obliterate the competition if they played in Europe, but as a group, they can barely get by.

I'm tired of seeing all of these stupid excuses people keep coming up with for team USA. We can barely beat team Italy, a team with no NBA players??

1 Penny

that 1992 usa team will never be topped.

Today you have NBA all-stars and superstars, super athletes, flashy players, young guns... but back in 1992.. the usa team consisted of MVPs... MVP candidates, Defensive player of the year candidates,.. winners... champions.... and HOF shoe ins.. everyone will be in the HOF except maybe Laettner.. even Mullin should eventually make it.. I hope anyways.. he had a tremendous career.

as you can see...or get a hint on what Im trying to say... the 1992 team isnt just superior atheletically and physically... every player on that team are the TOP minds in the world.. players who know the game inside out that they fit in with each other because they just know how to play successfully in a team.
Today, you have a bunch of talented players without great accolades as team leaders.. or leaders, players who can bve effective if athletism is handicapped so that its strictly basketball versus basketball...

dont get me wrong.. there are more factors... like the world learning the game better.. duh.. but its also that the usa team simply hasnt played enough together that players accept roles...


but look they are winning... based on talent and physical advantage alone.. so..

but they are still beatable....