USA Basketball thread

[gunnar hendershow]

Wow. I'm now convinced that the U.S. can win Gold if they play like that for the rest of the tournament.

EDIT- I don't see why everyone's doing all this talk about Carmelo and LeBron and forgetting Dwayne Wade. If anybody's underraterd out the Rookie Class it's Wade. I rarely see people talking about him.

Edited August 26, 2004 by damshow

[Guest bukkake bandit]

The two coaches almost going at it. That's the Olympic spirit for ya. Over a timeout, which because of the overwhelmingly retarded international rules, was taken a great deal after it was "registered" with the scorer's table.

[sahyder1]

I don't think it really has anything to do with the timeout. I'm not a big fan of Larry Brown, but Spain's coach is just a bitch.

[Guest bukkake bandit]

He refused Larry Brown's apology and basically insulted him at the press conference. It obviously isn't just about the timeout, the Spain coach is a flat out asshole.

[sahyder1]

He refused Larry Brown's apology and basically insulted him at the press conference. It obviously isn't just about the timeout, the Spain coach is a flat out asshole.

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Edited August 26, 2004 by sahyder1

[Guest bukkake bandit]

ok....so he's pissed because of the timeout.....but it isn't about the timeout? Yeah, go figure that one out.

It's called the heat of the moment. He's still pissed at the time of the press conference. That's just minutes after it happened. Brown should've walked away from the incident.....him getting in the guy's face is gonna make look like a bad guy in this. The coach said "He had respect for Brown and someoneline like Dean Smith would never pull something like this" for those who didn't see the quote.

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Edited August 26, 2004 by bukkake bandit

[EWRFan]

Shit...Puerto Rico lost 83-70 to Italy and that takes us out of the medal round. Still, if we beat China and take the 5th seed, it will be our best position in the Olympics since we won 4th place more than 40 years ago. I say that's improvement...and with the next core of young players like Jose Juan Barea and Jesus Verdejo and hoping that Peter John Ramos develops into something, I say we can comeback in 2008 for another run. The bad thing is that Jose Ortiz and Eddie Casiano announced their retirement from International Competition after this event ends, but I suppose it's time for the new blood to step up.

[Iain76er]

Bizarre officiating...

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[naiwf]

***SPOILERS***

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Three losses in one tournament surpasses their total of ALL of the Olympics prior to this one combined. I hate to say I told you so....but I told you so. I can't wait to hear what SAS has to say when he ripped Manu on SportsCenter last night for being a scrub who can't get off the Spurs bench.

The Americans will next get to play a team that recently beat them, regardless of the outcome of Lithuania/Italy, so that should be interesting to see if they can at least come home with the bronze. I'm not counting on it.

[Maxx]

Stupid quote was the announcer claiming that there is a new era in olympic basketball. Thats bullshit, if the first team that had been invited had went, we'd be in gold medal contention easily

We should just send the NBA champions, devoid of foreign players as the Pistons would be butchering these teams

[Guest Bluesman]

Anyone know why the start to the game was delayed in the states? It wasn't on t.v. until it was well underway (about an hour or so).

[naiwf]

Anyone know why the start to the game was delayed in the states? It wasn't on t.v. until it was well underway (about an hour or so).

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[Slimg]

Wow, I normally stay away from this thread but that game pissed me off.

Dwyane Wade was playing horrible... absolutly horrible. Everytime he tried to do something on offense he didn't pass the ball. Right there Larry Brown needs to see that and put LeBron James in. James doesn't hog the ball like Wade was. Wade didn't even play that great of defense either. One run he played Manu well but that was it. If they are going to play a rookie at least play LeBron. Bron played so well in the little time that he was in. Don't get me wrong, I like Wade but today and yesterday he just didn't play with his head.

Then you have Lamar Odom. Odom didn't play as bad as Wade, but it was mediocre at best. Okafor is sitting on the bench. I know he's only a rookie but if Brown really needed defensive then Okafor is a great player to have in. Okafor can block shots and he plays on either side of the court. Again I do think Odom is a talented player but he didn't play as well as he should. If you give Okafor the chance to see what he can do in a game situation.

Then you got Carmelo Anthony, For the 5-6 minutes he played for them he has been great to say the least. Last game he really only got in for one play of defense and one on offense and on offense he nailed a 3.

I heard someone say on ESPNews yesterday that the reason USA won was because Larry Brown threw repuations out and played who was playing well on that day. He didn't do that today and that hurt them... hurt them in a bad bad way.

That's just my 2 cents.

[gunnar hendershow]

Anyone know why the start to the game was delayed in the states? It wasn't on t.v. until it was well underway (about an hour or so).

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NBC doesn't really know how to include live games in their coverage windows. They're a bunch of idiots.

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I can only imagine 2008 in Beijing.

And U.S. deserved to lose that game, bunch of ball hogs they are.

[VerbalPuke]

We should just send the NBA champions, devoid of foreign players as the Pistons would be butchering these teams

I have to agree, in reality, the Pistons would only be missing Memo and Darko, and neither were too significant during the playoffs anyway. Although another thing to consider is that Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace were both offered spots on the U.S. team, but both declined. Those two could have made a big difference on the current team had they accepted. Michael Redd and Chauncey Billups should have been invited for their three point game.

Speaking of the Pistons, did Carlos Delfino play well against Team USA? Delfino's joining the Pistons this year, and is expected to be a key part of our bench this season.

[naiwf]

Well Ben Wallace had an emergency appendectomy recently, so he wouldn't have helped them win anything today, but I see your point.

EDIT

B. Wallace doing well after emergency appendectomy

Aug. 26, 2004

SportsLine.com wire reports   

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace had an emergency appendectomy and was recovering Thursday.

Wallace underwent surgery Wednesday night for acute appendicitis at Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital in Richmond, Va. Team doctor Ben Paolucci said Wallace is doing well and is expected to be discharged Friday or Saturday.

The 6-foot-9 center for the NBA champions is expected to return for the beginning of training camp on Oct. 4.

Wallace is a two-time defensive player of the year. He was on the All-NBA second team and Eastern Conference All-Star team for a second straight time last season. Wallace averaged 10.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks for the Pistons in the postseason.

AP NEWS

The Associated Press News Service

Edited August 27, 2004 by naiwf

[jonnycomelately]

Delfino hasnt played at all for Argentina, and played sparingly in his time in Euroleague. But he's young and his reputation as a shooter/slasher got out at last year's pre-draft camps and the Pistons drafted him knowing full well he wouldn't play this past year. So he's gotta be decent.

As for Okafor, Duncan picks up his ticky tack third foul, put him in. Lamar Odom should not be playing center ever. Okafor could provide the one thing that USA lacks DEFENSE! But interior defense is the least of their problems. How can you not get around a simple high screen 12 TIMES! It's one of the most basic fundamental sequences in basketball and our Nightmare team can't figure it out. It's just sad and I hope they lose to Italy again.

[sahyder1]

Anyone know why the start to the game was delayed in the states? It wasn't on t.v. until it was well underway (about an hour or so).

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Edited August 27, 2004 by sahyder1

[Guest Bluesman]

Minnesota. Central time.

I read a bit of Whitlock's column. While there is some truth to it, I also think it's mostly bullshit. The people I know are upset because they think the team sucks, or because of the team's attitude (not sharing the ball, playing defense, taking it seriously, etc.). For attitudes like Whitlock and Hill's to hold up, you have to completely ignore the support previous American national teams had. Or the fact that the way the team has approached the games (late to meetings, not being upset after losses, talking shit about Softball players), along with their losing, has nothing to do with the attitude of many fans.

[Maxx]

Sheed was invited as well, so were Bibby, Shaq and a slew of others who would have done better.

Hell if we had Shaq on the current team we wouldn't be out of gold contention.

Emeka should have played cause Duncan was playing terrible and has been for most of the tourney