USA Basketball thread

[Guest Bluesman]

Shaq isn't going to help with the perimeter shooting, and damn sure isn't going to improve the shooting at the free throw line. Not only that, but given the way the refs have called Team USA so far, what makes you think they'd let Shaq get away with the shit in the NBA the refs do?

The problem with the make up of the team is they really are a bunch of 2/3's. They have no distributor at point guard, outside shooting, and size down low. When Lamar Odom is your backup center, you're going to be in trouble.

[Karizma]

Argentina will pay back Italy and win the Gold Medal game, especially with the way Manu's playing right now, he can shoot whenever he wants from the games I've seen.

Boy did Lit's PG (Jasca-whatever) sucked down the stretch in the Semi, when they needed some production, he missed 3 after three, while Basile, fuck, was he on fire.7/11 from the arc...

US win, Lit are wounded now, and upset over missing the Gold Medal game again, So Argentina for the gold, Italy Silver, US Bronze.

and taking the Pistons IMO wouldn't have guaranteed a Gold like people think, It would have been interesting to see how they go though.

[Jerichoholic23]

There is no way the US is going to get the bronze. I think Lithuania is going to beat them. The US team seems like they really don't want to be there anyway.

[Guest Bluesman]

Are you fucking kidding me? They told both teams to wear their away jerseys? Ugh. Wouldn't it be quicker to ask the other team to wear their home jersey?

[EWRFan]

So...the US won the bronze medal in a great contest, I was rooting for Lithuania simply because I wanted the USA Basketball comitee to get a big message and do some work for 2008.

Argentina took the gold and Italy the silver(duh)

Puerto Rico lost by 10 points to Grece and ended up as the 6th best team, not bad , a 4 game improvement from their last olympics(10th place in Atlanta 1996, DNP in 2000)

The US females won the gold again to no surprise, even when the game was more contested than I expected.

[naiwf]

I was surprised they came back to take the bronze, but I don't see them doing any better in Beijing as every other team will be deeper, and more cohesive by then, while I still don't believe USA basketball will choose a better squad.

[Karizma]

There is no way the US is going to get the bronze. I think Lithuania is going to beat them. The US team seems like they really don't want to be there anyway.

[sahyder1]

The NBA needs to adapt to the international game. Frankly that's a better brand of basketball right now. Like Naiwf, I did not believe that this team had it in them to put a strong effort today but obviously they proved me wrong. 2008 is gonna be a mess (if it isn't already one by the 2006 World Championships). If the NBA doesn't adapt to the international style the embarassments will only continue to mount. American Basketball players have something against passing and jump shots for some odd reason and that needs to change fast at every level(HS, college included). Until that changes there is gonna be no success at the international level for this team. Lithuania go the bronze in the last 3 olympics. I think they could've beaten Argentina if Italy hadn't upsetted them in the semis. As for the jerseys.....aren't both American jerseys dark ones.....does it make a difference which one they wear?

Edited August 29, 2004 by sahyder1

[Karizma]

A commentator in NZ said, after seeing the US lose, that the US are doing one thing wrong, "Relying on natural talent to get by", which is what they did really.They picked the best palyers available at the time, and hoped they did well, without really trying to make them into team players.

Other countries have players that have played together for years, and have a strong chemistry, US just tries to assemble the best, and hope for the best, this time it didn't happen, though.

[Guest bukkake bandit]

They chose who would come, after all of those who declined invites. Throw in Kidd and Michael Redd and the US wins gold. International players are improving, but not THAT dramatically...proof of that is that the US had zero shooters and still nearly wiped the floor with them.

[Guest Hurricane]

Meh, the USA Team got what they had coming to them. I knew they werent going to win gold. They didnt play like a team. They played like the 'Carmelo Show' or the 'LeBron Show'.