Men's US Basketball Team

[Weedmage Princess]

To quote someone on ESPN:

"It's a sad day when the US Basketball Team needs Angola's help to get to the quarter finals."

..very disappointing, this team. Your thoughts?

[Hanksbane]

Makes you miss the 90's when Basketball had players with character and heart. Today its all about "gettin mine". Hopefully this will wake up todays NBA players and make em all realize, they are "not all that". You need more thans skills to be a great player.

[Mistomeer]

If half the players they asked hadn't bailed out and they had focused on building a team rather than get the biggest stars they could, we'd be in alot better shape.

[Weedmage Princess]

Totally agree, Hanksbane. That's why we're getting smoked. Did you see the game against Lithuania? Not to take anything away from their team, they played an outstanding game of basketball but...we weren't doing anything. Their star player (I forget his name, something with a J) he was water...everything he put up went in. And they just left him open to shoot. WTF? They double and triple teamed Tim Duncan and that was all she wrote for us basically, although Richard Jefferson did okay.

Like you said, a lot of the NBA players today are not interested in the team game, they're just interested in what their numbers look like so when contract time comes around, they can ask for all kinds of money.

*edited to remove an uneccessary AI dig. I still like him but he pisses me right off..heh.

[Edited on 8-22-2004 by Weedmage Princess]

[DeV]

European basketball is all about fundementals. American basketball is about showboating. That's the biggest problem i see with the way they're playing right now.

[Mistomeer]

That's not the problem. The problem is that there isn't a shooter on the team and they can just pack the zone in low and take away almost every advantage that the team has. All of the guards on the team are the kind of players that drive the lane, and when there's 4 guys in the lane, the only way to beat that is with outside shooting which this team isn't very good at. If this team just had a few good shooters, like either of the Barry's, Reggie Miller, Wesley Person, Ray Allen, etc. then we could spread the defense.

Also, I don't understand why Marbury is seeing so much PT and Anthony, Wade and James are seeing so little. I also don't understand why we don't press them hard all game long since our bench is alot deeper.

[DeV]

This is a debate i have been having with some friends for the past year or so. With the influx of European basketball players being drafted over here to NBA teams and why, because they are good shooters and have learned the fundementals of basketball. They are not looking for that awesome dunk, or to drive the lane on 80% of their shots, they know they can nail a shot.

Outside shooting is a key fundemental. Something more players are showing an inability to do consistently.

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by Hanksbane
You need more thans skills to be a great player.

who on the team has skills?

the only skill they have is the ability to jump.

here is FG percentages

Anthony .426
Odom .430
Wade .465
Iverson lifetime .452

[Hanksbane]

Originally posted by theotherjohn

Originally posted by Hanksbane
You need more thans skills to be a great player.

who on the team has skills?

the only skill they have is the ability to jump.

here is FG percentages

Anthony .426
Odom .430
Wade .465
Iverson lifetime .452

Oh, I agree. I was just makin a generalized statement about attitude.

I think the main problem is more that their numbers. Its that they aren't a team, and they don't know how to play on a team. You can get all the best players today on one team and I with the calibre of players today I think they would still blow.

[Wezas]

Are we the only country who uses our professional players in the Olympics (for basketball)?

[Mistomeer]

But you can't bring them together a couple weeks before the Games and expect them to just gel as a team with a few games and a few practices. The European teams have been playing together for years, our guys for a month, maybe. They would be fine if they had someone that could shoot to spread the defense.

[Hanksbane]

Originally posted by Mistomeer
But you can't bring them together a couple weeks before the Games and expect them to just gel as a team with a few games and a few practices. The European teams have been playing together for years, our guys for a month, maybe. They would be fine if they had someone that could shoot to spread the defense.

It was done in '92, '96 and '00

[Mistomeer]

It was barely done in '00. We barely beat Lithuania. That team also had some shooters - Ray Allen, Allan Houston, Tim Hardaway. This team doesn't really have one guy that you can point to that can flat out shoot. If Ray Allan and Allan Houston were on this team, then teams would have to respect the outside shot. Look how Lithuania played defense. They didn't even defend 3's because they didn't have to.

[Weedmage Princess]

I don't think so, Wezas. I could be wrong, but I thought I heard one of the commentators say that the star player on Lithuania's team played for a professional team in Europe.

Also, Dirk Nowinski (in the NBA) is playing for Germany in the Olympics.

[Weedmage Princess]

I hope that was a joke about Allan Houston.

That guy is pathetic. Worst thing the Knicks could have done was sign that piece of crap to an extensive contract. He's trash.

[Soulpieced]

At least 1 or 2 players on every single international team has a player in the NBA. Many of the others are professionals in their respective leagues whether in European or elsewhere.

[Mistomeer]

Originally posted by Weedmage Princess
I hope that was a joke about Allan Houston.

That guy is pathetic. Worst thing the Knicks could have done was sign that piece of crap to an extensive contract. He's trash.

Houston is currently ranked 7th in the NBA in 3 Point % and shoots 40% from 3 Point Land for his career. He can shoot the ball which is something the 2004 Team needs.

[Skirmisher]

Originally posted by DarkelfVold
This is a debate i have been having with some friends for the past year or so. With the influx of European basketball players being drafted over here to NBA teams and why, because they are good shooters and have learned the fundementals of basketball. They are not looking for that awesome dunk, or to drive the lane on 80% of their shots, they know they can nail a shot.

Outside shooting is a key fundemental. Something more players are showing an inability to do consistently.

When I could put today's Steve Kerr on a team and have an immediate impact that tells you that team is sorely lacking something. :yes:

Plus of course as has been stated, the zone just clogs up things for the lane drivers and contact is not called like it is in the US.

A decent analogy came to my mind while thinking about this.

The NBA sells flash. The rules in the NBA favor it and helps the offense make that flash happen.

The NJ Devils played some amazingly effective hocky a few years back employing a strategy called trapping that while many found boring worked. They were nearly unbeatable. The international rules of basketball seem to work along similar lines, just wanting to allow the most effective means and the NBA players are having a hell of a time adjusting.

I still think they can win, I just dont think they will. :no:

[Blazing247]

There are three reasons we aren't kicking ass:

1) KG and Shaq aren't playing.
2) We just don't have Dream Team caliber players in the NBA today (MJ, Bird, Magic).
3) European players are really fucking good. Someone said it, but it needs mentioning again. They concentrate on important basketball skills like shooting and passing (oh my god what is passing? I'm not supposed to be a ball hog?). As examples of foreign born NBA superstars: Peja is arguably the best outside shooter in the league. Dirk is a fucking monster that can hit 3's but play Center if you need him.

If the NBA players would worry less about contracts, getting on Sportscenter, and doing drugs, we wouldn't suck so much.



Some of the best players we have in the NBA have come from European leagues. The NBA hasn't been about outside shooting since the late 90's. The European teams are outshooting us because...we don't have good shooters in the NBA.

[Soulpieced]

I think many people have the blame placed wrong. I think 99.9% of the problems are stemming from Larry Brown. Sure you can say there are no shooters, no heart on the team, etc. Fuck that, you have the team, deal with it. PUT THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE GAME. The starting lineup for the loss against Puerto Rico was Duncan, Iverson, Marbury, Jefferson, and Marion. Are you fucking kidding me?!? If everyone is complaining about heart, why the hell are these guys starting. Here is what my starting roster would be.

C - Duncan
F - Boozer
F - Odom/Anthony
G - Wade
G - Iverson/Jefferson

Not only can Brown not find a roster that someone with no brain could pick out, but stop trying to make them play like a team they fucking aren't. Get Boozer and Odom in the game who can rebound over the foreigners. Wade will keep the game uptempo, and Iverson and Jefferson can throw up 3's. Why the fuck did Shawn Marion and a heartless Marbury start? It's mind boggling. Put the damn young guys who want to go out and play in the damn game. Carmelo has more heart than anyone and gets very few minutes. And I haven't seen LeBron in at all.

[Blazing247]

<Why the fuck did Shawn Marion and a heartless Marbury start? It's mind boggling. Put the damn young guys who want to go out and play in the damn game. Carmelo has more heart than anyone and gets very few minutes. And I haven't seen LeBron in at all. >

You have to actually ask this question? It's the NBA. It isn't about desire, it's about ego. You think any seasoned pro would let a one year out rookie start over him? Hell no. Gotta lay off Starbury tho, he gets a crazy amount of assists and steals, and is a damn good scorer too. Yeah he's had a few rough spots, but he is a great guard and deserves the spot on the squad.

[Hulkein]

Put Tim Duncan on the St Joes Mens basketball team of last year and they would be undefeated. Tenacious defense and four guys who can drain jumpers from anywhere on the court.

[Tsa`ah]

I think the games are tarnished by allowing professional athletes to compete. Yet it was the only way to counter state sponsored athletes.

I haven't watched Olympic basketball since the first dream team. While it was fun to watch MJ and company school the world, it was also disheartening.

Start using college players again and get some respect back.

[AnticorRifling]

FYI Misty May has an incredible ass on her. I hope she gets gold just so I can see her shake her money maker on the podium.