US loses to Greece

I don't think so.

Other nations send a team with an NBA player if their nation has one. We send a collection of all-stars that we try to mold into a team in a short period of time.

I think if any of the top 10 teams in the NBA was sent to these international competitions that they would mop the floor with these teams from other nations.

 

They would have to play with only their USA players to be fair. All international NBA players would be ineligible.

Face it folks - its been a long time since the USA were number 1 in basketball (last world championship was 1994) and it is probably gone forever.

 

And very thankfully so. Basketball is disgusting. All the class left with Magic, & Bird. All the world championships as well, evidently.

 

With the "Dream Team" we sent our very best professionals to prove that we have the best basketball players in the world. Once that was proven the motivation was gone.

The USA is still the best in basketball in the world by a large margin. If we once again sent our 12 best basketball players and gave them a month to work together before the competition began they would mop the floor with any other nation's team.

 

I think you are "dreaming" Ken .

 

Since the USA keeps losing in international play, I don't know how you can possibly say the USA is still the best in basketball.

This U.S. team had Wade, Carmelo and Lebron, the 3 best players in the league right now and couldn't get the job done. I thought this was the strongest national team we've had in several years, and this team wasn't good enough.

#1, because the international play is different than NBA play. For example, just because Shaq is good in the NBA doesn't mean he would be anything but a liability in international play.

#2, Carmelo Anthony wouldn't have played, and he's one of the best forwards in the game right now.

#3, Lebron James wouldn't have played, and he's a better player than everybody on the Heat not named Dwyane Wade.

 

Sound basics will nearly always defeat athleticism.

The USA does not always do well in teaching the basics and our coaches from youth leagues and up are afraid to tell a player that unless they want to play the coaches way they are not going to play at all.

Great players of the past had great skills not great athleticism, the MJ's were few and far between but the NBA was filled with players who relied on their brains, personal discipline and team work and not on their ability to dunk or blow by someone by carrying the ball and calling it a crossover dribble.

In all fairness to team USA and coach K the Greece team could not duplicate their effort again if they had to. 28-39 shoots in the second half for a 71% field goal percentage, wow, give me a break. Who put the flubber on Greece's shoes? :tongue3:


thjplgvp

 

But that stat only underscores the problem. The U.S. didn't play the kind of defense necessary to stop Greece from shooting 71%.

 

Because sending three of our better players does not equal sending our twelve best players with a month to practice together.

This U.S. bashing is ridiculous.

USA! USA! USA! USA!

 

Being objective about the state of USA basketball against the world is not U.S. bashing

 

USA bashing?

I suppose next we all must agree that that the USA is best in baseball even though they couldn't even qualify for the final round of the baseball world championship.

Well, at least there is one sport still left where the USA can win - American football.

Course, no one else in the world plays that.

 

Bashing? That was hardly bashing.

USA basketball has lost the last 3 international competitions. That is an objective fact. You need to get your head out of the sand and realize that USA basketball isn't the best in the world.

Sending the best players, ala an NBA All-Star team, isn't the answer. Putting together the right players with the right skills to play well in international competition is the right answer. A 15 point win over Argentina to win the bronze shows that this team can win. A tweak of the lineup here or there will make the difference for the 08 Olympics.

 

It goes back to fundamentals. I fear the USA show-boats can run and dunk, and block shots - all the exciting stuff, but am not sure they can play good fundamental basketball on the world stage.

 

Amen C4K

But I believe they have the right coach to rectify that unfortunate lack of teaching. I am quite confident that the 08 belongs to the USA as long as they keep this team together and don't panic and cave in to public pressure.

thjplgvp

 

That thumping sound you hear is Roger hitting the nail on the head

 

Is this coaching staff staying on thru the '08 Olympics?
I don't know if it will matter. The fundamentals aren't going to be corrected in a 3 or 4 week camp when they're so ingrained.

 

Tom,

From my understanding they are indeed to stay together through the olympics including the 2007 FIBA Olympic qualifying Tournament next summer. So by the time they play the olympics they will have practiced about 90 days together and played various countries to size up the competition. Men like Howard, Stoudamire and Bosh will have much more to say about the outcome of those coming games than they did this time.

James, Anthony and Wade are great players but on the international scene interior basketball keeps the zones from being extended past the 3 pnt line. We need someone who understands the post and knows how to play in the post against a zone defense.

thjplgvp

 

Help-side defense and FT shooting wouldn't hurt, either. I think they shot less than 60% from the charity stripe.