USA Basketball...embarassing

[bluehenbillk]

Greece?

[AppGuy04]

You notice that this is the first thread about this topic, wonder why?

[TexasTerror]

You notice that this is the first thread about this topic, wonder why?

No one cares....

Nice to see the future Rocket Vassilis Spanoulis getting his fair shake of points though throughout this tournament...

[AppGuy04]

But losing to a team that has no NBA players is sad

[LacesOut]

This is why they lost (stating the obvious here, I know).

Continuously burning the Americans' poor defense against the pick-and-roll, the Greeks shot 63 percent (35-of-56) from the field and made 31 of 44 shots over the final three periods.

A team that shoots 63% from the field should not lose a basketball game, IMO, and well, Greece didn't.


/Still don't care though.....

[TexasTerror]

But losing to a team that has no NBA players is sad

There's one NBA player...Vassilis Spanoulis. Granted he's never played in the Association, but the Rockets drafted him what, two years ago?

[AppGuy04]

There's one NBA player...Vassilis Spanoulis. Granted he's never played in the Association, but the Rockets drafted him what, two years ago?
Thats what I mean, nobody that has ever played in an NBA game

[jstate83]

Thats what I mean, nobody that has ever played in an NBA game

But Greece and every other international BB Team has been playing TOGETHER for years.

That's the difference.:nod:

Face it.................The day's of opposing teams posing for group pictures with team USA are ova.
Micheal, Magic, and Larry ain't running out the tunnel anymore.

This USA team showed a hella of a lot better team play than any of the last.
By the time the Olympics come around 2 years from mow, these 24 players will be meshed together like any other team. They willl be alright by then. They should have set USA Basketball up like this years ago. You can't just throw a ball out on the court and expect any team from the U.S. outside of sending the NBA Champions or Runner UP to the olympics as a TEAM and expect to beat the International teams that play together year round.

Funny how when they lose..............this thread pops up with the usual embarrasment.

Wonder how the OTHER USA sport's have faired in international play?xlolx
Guess all the other won gold.xlolx

[GannonFan]

By the time the Olympics come around 2 years from mow, these 24 players will be meshed together like any other team. They willl be alright by then. They should have set USA Basketball up like this years ago. You can't just throw a ball out on the court and expect any team from the U.S. outside of sending the NBA Champions or Runner UP to the olympics as a TEAM and expect to beat the International teams that play together year round.

Funny how when they lose..............this thread pops up with the usual embarrasment.

Wonder how the OTHER USA sport's have faired in international play?xlolx
Guess all the other won gold.xlolx


Agreed, I think they are on the right page and in 2 years this team will be better - heck, you could make the argument that it was better to not win the WC so that we have to play in the qualifyer next year, giving the team even more opportunity to play as a team. Plus you figure they get Kobe on the team for that tournament (sat out due to injury in this one) and the team will be better defensively and shooting with him in there. Things are so bad, although it's certainly not great.

As for the other teams in other sports, both baseball and to a lesser extent, hockey, get the same treatment when we lose so basketball's not being singled out here. Of course, it wasn't so long ago that US basketball was supremely dominant so it does sting a bit more in that sport than others seeing how far it has fallen/how much ground other countries have made up.

[bluehenbillk]

I think the key to this outcome has been said 2 or 3 times already - the NBA. The NBA has over the past 20 or so years been the downfall of American basketball as it has triumphed marketing over the actual rules & fundamentals of a game. Whether it's travelling calls, lack of superstars getting their normal calls, the plain inability to shoot a jump shot, the absence of "team" basketball in sacrifice to the highlight-film drive & dunk &/or move that'll get you on SportsCenter, or whatever, this country hasn't advanced or may have even regressed in hoops over the past 20 years.

Plus, other countries have just got better & learned how to play the game right.

[jstate83]

Agreed, I think they are on the right page and in 2 years this team will be better - heck, you could make the argument that it was better to not win the WC so that we have to play in the qualifyer next year, giving the team even more opportunity to play as a team. Plus you figure they get Kobe on the team for that tournament (sat out due to injury in this one) and the team will be better defensively and shooting with him in there. Things are so bad, although it's certainly not great.

As for the other teams in other sports, both baseball and to a lesser extent, hockey, get the same treatment when we lose so basketball's not being singled out here. Of course, it wasn't so long ago that US basketball was supremely dominant so it does sting a bit more in that sport than others seeing how far it has fallen/how much ground other countries have made up.

Exactly.

There are players that didn't even make this squad because of injuries.
Kobe and Staudimire? from the Suns sat this one out.

Agan.............they will be alright.

The other sports should do the same.
Once you beat someone for the first time and they find out how good YOU really are, they are going to work like heck to get good enough to beat you.

Add in the International rules, the size of that screwed up lane, and smaller court.........They need time to get used to this.

International BB has has improved light years since DREAM TEAM 1.
Maybe the NBA was a little TOO GOOD at marketing itself to the world.xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[goasu984Life]

I bet coach K was whining about the refs the entire game. That's his M-O. (sorry, Carolina fan here. Had to get a shot at Ratface in there somewhere)

http://truthaboutduke.com/shop_10.jpg

[LacesOut]

I think the key to this outcome has been said 2 or 3 times already - the NBA. The NBA has over the past 20 or so years been the downfall of American basketball as it has triumphed marketing over the actual rules & fundamentals of a game. Whether it's travelling calls, lack of superstars getting their normal calls, the plain inability to shoot a jump shot, the absence of "team" basketball in sacrifice to the highlight-film drive & dunk &/or move that'll get you on SportsCenter, or whatever, this country hasn't advanced or may have even regressed in hoops over the past 20 years.

Plus, other countries have just got better & learned how to play the game right.

A most awesome post!!

[GannonFan]

I think the key to this outcome has been said 2 or 3 times already - the NBA. The NBA has over the past 20 or so years been the downfall of American basketball as it has triumphed marketing over the actual rules & fundamentals of a game. Whether it's travelling calls, lack of superstars getting their normal calls, the plain inability to shoot a jump shot, the absence of "team" basketball in sacrifice to the highlight-film drive & dunk &/or move that'll get you on SportsCenter, or whatever, this country hasn't advanced or may have even regressed in hoops over the past 20 years.

Plus, other countries have just got better & learned how to play the game right.

Hey, don't forget that "And-1" garbage that for some reason does very well touring around the country. Horrible, horrible mockery of basketball there, yet it's not that different than what goes on sometimes in the NBA. Still, with that said, I stick with my original idea - this team is aimed for the Olympics in 2008, not right now. Hopefully these guys get a little hungry, hopefully somebody develops a jump shot or they get someone who can shoot, and hopefully Kobe is healthy and ready to go - if that happens, they win in Bejing in 2008.

[GeauxLions94]

Hey, don't forget that "And-1" garbage that for some reason does very well touring around the country. Horrible, horrible mockery of basketball there, yet it's not that different than what goes on sometimes in the NBA. Still, with that said, I stick with my original idea - this team is aimed for the Olympics in 2008, not right now. Hopefully these guys get a little hungry, hopefully somebody develops a jump shot or they get someone who can shoot, and hopefully Kobe is healthy and ready to go - if that happens, they win in Bejing in 2008.

Good post Gannon (especially with the "And-1" BS). Face it, the US slipped but it's more important IMO to win in '08.

[LacesOut]

With Argentina losing, now the US faces them. Jeez, the US may not even medal. Not a huge deal, just a little surprising.

[jstate83]

Hey, don't forget that "And-1" garbage that for some reason does very well touring around the country. Horrible, horrible mockery of basketball there, yet it's not that different than what goes on sometimes in the NBA. Still, with that said, I stick with my original idea - this team is aimed for the Olympics in 2008, not right now. Hopefully these guys get a little hungry, hopefully somebody develops a jump shot or they get someone who can shoot, and hopefully Kobe is healthy and ready to go - if that happens, they win in Bejing in 2008.


Now that's just silly to compare And1 with the NBA.

And1 is nothing more than the Hip Hop version of the Harlem Globetratters.
Trick shot's, stunt's, skit's...............It's a show..............ENTERTAINMENT.
That's why it's doing VERY WELL..................MIllion dollar well.

Believe me......................NOBODY see's that as the NBA.
The guy's playing in this will tell you this themselves.
I'm yet to talk with one of these guy's that even remotely thinks AND1 translate into the NBA.

You reaching for negatives now.

[seantaylor]

USA has no shooters on the team. For the life of me I can't figure out why they cut Adam Morrison. He just knows how to score and would stretch the defense out to 25 feet. Ray Allen should be on the team as well. Argentina is the favorite. Ginobli and Nocioni are tearing it up, plus about 5 other NBA guys on that squad. And as I write this, Spain upsets Argentina by a point.

[GannonFan]

Now that's just silly to compare And1 with the NBA.

And1 is nothing more than the Hip Hop version of the Harlem Globetratters.
Trick shot's, stunt's, skit's...............It's a show..............ENTERTAINMENT.
That's why it's doing VERY WELL..................MIllion dollar well.

Believe me......................NOBODY see's that as the NBA.
The guy's playing in this will tell you this themselves.
I'm yet to talk with one of these guy's that even remotely thinks AND1 translate into the NBA.

You reaching for negatives now.

I'm going to have to disagree here. Of course And1 is entertainment, but that's the crux of my point. My point being that there is too much of of an element of entertainment in our basketball today, including the NBA, and not enough actual gamesmanship and anything else that helps to win on the international level. You go to an NBA game these days and it's shockingly hard to even determine where the game is what with all the distractions around the arena that go on even during play. Fans want the entertainment (again why And1 is so successful) and ultimately they want that even in the NBA version of basketball. SportsCenter isn't showing all the fancy dunks and big scores for no reason - they show it because that's what fans look for. No one wants to see highlights of a good defense of a pick and roll - they want to see the breakaway jam and the playing to the crowd.

There's clearly enough players who still do the other things that they don't show on SportsCenter or in And1 exhibitions - but it's certainly less than it was not even just 20 years ago. Too many times we play highlight basketball and not good basketball - it's too much entertainment, IMO.

[blukeys]

USA has no shooters on the team. For the life of me I can't figure out why they cut Adam Morrison. He just knows how to score and would stretch the defense out to 25 feet. Ray Allen should be on the team as well. Argentina is the favorite. Ginobli and Nocioni are tearing it up, plus about 5 other NBA guys on that squad. And as I write this, Spain upsets Argentina by a point.
I'm with you. We shot under 30% from 3 point land which is closer in International ball then the NBA. We had zip in terms of catch and shoot jump shooters on this team. There are plenty in the NBA and the U.S. if Coach K was willing to dump some big names to get someone who could actually help us in this competition.

Before the recriminations reach a crescendo, we must realize that we have to put together a team for the INTERNATIONAL Game This would recognize that the closer 3 pint line changes the game and changes the make up of the team on the floor. So far we haven't done that. It's time we did or we can face another 4th place finish in 2008.

[mikebigg]

But losing to a team that has no NBA players is sad

Actually, this was to Greece's advantage. Not making excuses, but the fact that this team plays together helped them in their offensive execution. The teamwork and offensive execution on the screen and roll was obvious that they were a cohesive unit.

This may sound like an excuse but the reality is that the world has closed the gap in terms of talent...so much that we can't expect a team to be assembled in a few months and go undefeated against the best European teams in the league. We are capable of winning, but this shows that on an off shooting night a "team" can beat our All-stars.

The last time, folk blamed the "attitudes" of several players... None of these current players were "attitude" guys and we still lost. Why? Because the rest of the world has improved to the point that we are no longer guaranteed Gold.

[mikebigg]

I'm going to have to disagree here. Of course And1 is entertainment, but that's the crux of my point. My point being that there is too much of of an element of entertainment in our basketball today, including the NBA, and not enough actual gamesmanship and anything else that helps to win on the international level. You go to an NBA game these days and it's shockingly hard to even determine where the game is what with all the distractions around the arena that go on even during play. Fans want the entertainment (again why And1 is so successful) and ultimately they want that even in the NBA version of basketball. SportsCenter isn't showing all the fancy dunks and big scores for no reason - they show it because that's what fans look for. No one wants to see highlights of a good defense of a pick and roll - they want to see the breakaway jam and the playing to the crowd.

There's clearly enough players who still do the other things that they don't show on SportsCenter or in And1 exhibitions - but it's certainly less than it was not even just 20 years ago. Too many times we play highlight basketball and not good basketball - it's too much entertainment, IMO.

Imma sorta agree with you on this one... I see kids working on their "trick" dribble more than they work on their shooting. But I can't condemn "And 1" style Basketball completely. At least it keeps them interested in the game on off the video games all day.