Usa Basketball

[tskillz187 0]

I'm interested to see how Melo plays at the 4 and if he fits his role well. I personally don't like him and think he needs to be the go to guy on offense to fit in, which just isn't gonna happen with Kobe out there.I like our team though and am excited for next year when everyone comes to try out, could be a sick sick group talent wise.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

I'm interested to see how Melo plays at the 4 and if he fits his role well. I personally don't like him and think he needs to be the go to guy on offense to fit in, which just isn't gonna happen with Kobe out there.I like our team though and am excited for next year when everyone comes to try out, could be a sick sick group talent wise.

I think he'll be fine. All the guys there just want to win. I'm hoping they don't need a go to guy and play well enough to just get the best shot every time down. Pretty excited for the game tonight.

[taylorhb0 0]

I was surprised to find out that you have to actually qualify for the olympics.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

They looked good, kind of hurried on offense through much of the 1st half though. Love how Kobe wouldn't let their point guard cross half court in the 1st quarter, shut down their whole offense by himself.

[Jadaki 0]

I was surprised to find out that you have to actually qualify for the olympics.

For major team sports like basketball and soccer you do. Otherwise it becomes really difficult to hold a 300 team tournament in a matter of days when the Olympics are going on.

[tskillz187 0]

They looked good, kind of hurried on offense through much of the 1st half though. Love how Kobe wouldn't let their point guard cross half court in the 1st quarter, shut down their whole offense by himself.

Kobe's D was pretty solid, a little reachy though. I don't trust the refs for a damn, so that scares me a bit. As usual the free throw shooting was bad and our 3pt shooting was bad. Obv Venezuela sucks and this tourney should be a walk through, but those are things we need to resolve.I thought Kobe, LeBron, Kidd looked great. Melo looked fine, needs to finish a little better though. Howard/Amare are both beasts. Chauncey didn't do much either way, I like Daren Williams a lot, though he played well. I like the idea of having Redd and Miller out at same time, I also like having Chauncey and Daren at the same time. I don't like having all 4 out at the same time though, they should put Miller at the 4 and keep a play maker/slasher like Kobe, Melo, or Lebron out there. It'll work better next yr with Dwade being that guy.So yeah, this tourney should be a walk through, Arg and Brazil should not get blown out in the first half, but that's about it.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

Kobe's D was pretty solid, a little reachy though. I don't trust the refs for a damn, so that scares me a bit. As usual the free throw shooting was bad and our 3pt shooting was bad. Obv Venezuela sucks and this tourney should be a walk through, but those are things we need to resolve.I thought Kobe, LeBron, Kidd looked great. Melo looked fine, needs to finish a little better though. Howard/Amare are both beasts. Chauncey didn't do much either way, I like Daren Williams a lot, though he played well. I like the idea of having Redd and Miller out at same time, I also like having Chauncey and Daren at the same time. I don't like having all 4 out at the same time though, they should put Miller at the 4 and keep a play maker/slasher like Kobe, Melo, or Lebron out there. It'll work better next yr with Dwade being that guy.So yeah, this tourney should be a walk through, Arg and Brazil should not get blown out in the first half, but that's about it.

He was reaching because he kept getting the ball. You're right, the international refs are horrible. 38% 3FG is not bad. Kobe and Kidd make such a huge difference this year, it's like night and day. I hope people realize Kobe is a great passer and teammate when the other players are capable of finishing plays, like he was in the 1999-2004 years. As far as Wade, I think he's highly overrated and don't see what he will bring to the table next year that we don't already have in Kobe, Anthony, LeBron.

[tskillz187 0]

He was reaching because he kept getting the ball. You're right, the international refs are horrible. 38% 3FG is not bad. Kobe and Kidd make such a huge difference this year, it's like night and day. I hope people realize Kobe is a great passer and teammate when the other players are capable of finishing plays, like he was in the 1999-2004 years. As far as Wade, I think he's highly overrated and don't see what he will bring to the table next year that we don't already have in Kobe, Anthony, LeBron.

38% from a college 3 pt line when we get wide open looks is bad. That number should consistently flirt with 45% because we never need to take a 3, it's always swing to the other side and wide open jumper.Wade isn't overrated his game is just not the best for international play. He's small and it's tough to get to the rim against the best teams that pack it in on us, he's also a streak shooter and people just don't get rhythm shots in international play. That being said he's a tenacious defender and adds depth, he better make the team.Let's not get too happy about crushing Venezuela, I like what Kidd and especially Kobe bring to the table. I'm a little worried about Kidd for the Olympics in close games if teams force him to beat them with the 3 ball. I guess that's what Billups and Williams are there for. I like the way Kidd runs the team just wish his jumper was more consistent.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

That being said he's a tenacious defender

Wait...What? Must be very disguised sarcasm.

[tskillz187 0]

Wait...What? Must be very disguised sarcasm.

It's what got him time in the 04 Olympics over Melo and LeBron....

[tskillz187 0]

I mean honestly LeBron doesn't fit well in the international game either. They play very similarly IMO, Bron is just bigger and therefore more useful.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

I mean honestly LeBron doesn't fit well in the international game either. They play very similarly IMO, Bron is just bigger and therefore more useful.

LeBron is a tremendous passer, I don't care what league or whatever you're playing in you can always flourish with guys like LeBron on your team. I just hope one day he can have his James Worthy so they can afford to let him handle the ball and distribute, because that's where his greatest strengths are. Dwyane Wade is a below average defender. Just because you get steals doesn't mean you can guard people. In fact with Smush Parker and Antoine Walker, Miami might have the worst perimeter defense in the league.

[tskillz187 0]

LeBron is a tremendous passer, I don't care what league or whatever you're playing in you can always flourish with guys like LeBron on your team. I just hope one day he can have his James Worthy so they can afford to let him handle the ball and distribute, because that's where his greatest strengths are. Dwyane Wade is a below average defender. Just because you get steals doesn't mean you can guard people. In fact with Smush Parker and Antoine Walker, Miami might have the worst perimeter defense in the league.

I don't think we are going to agree on this. I just flat out disagree with you on all points except for the worst perimeter defense, that might be true. Even if your argument is that Wade isn't a good one on one defender but is better at helping and rotating and playing passing lanes, that's exactly what we need on the US. It's not like one guy is killing us, it's slow rotation and lack of team defense. Also, they were playing too balls out last yr, in half court pressure mode and whatnot. We are bigger, quicker, and better, no reason to negate all of those defensive advantages by getting as close as possible to the offensive player. They get their size used against them and speed and quickness don't help much against crafty players that switch speed well. /rant

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

I don't think we are going to agree on this. I just flat out disagree with you on all points except for the worst perimeter defense, that might be true. Even if your argument is that Wade isn't a good one on one defender but is better at helping and rotating and playing passing lanes, that's exactly what we need on the US. It's not like one guy is killing us, it's slow rotation and lack of team defense. Also, they were playing too balls out last yr, in half court pressure mode and whatnot. We are bigger, quicker, and better, no reason to negate all of those defensive advantages by getting as close as possible to the offensive player. They get their size used against them and speed and quickness don't help much against crafty players that switch speed well. /rant

You don't agree that LeBron is a great passer? How can you not?I agree with you about the overplaying defensively last year. That's all on Coach K and that damn college mentality where you can just overpower the other teams with your McDonalds All-Americans. Hopefully he learned his lesson for the Olympics. They should be able to dominate these teams in this tournament defensively, but they will probably run into Spain, Greece, Argentina or Brazil in the Olympics with their full teams and won't be able to do that.

[tskillz187 0]

but they will probably run into Spain, Greece, Argentina or Brazil in the Olympics with their full teams and won't be able to do that.

Greece was a fluke, Brazil is a great individual team but doesn't have nearly the chemistry that Spain and Arg do. I feel that Spain and Arg will give us trouble forever. When we play a team that isn't intimidated and can play with us athletically it puts a mountain of pressure on us to hit jumpers. Plus, as stated earlier the refs suck.Sure Lebron is a good passer, so is Kidd. I worry that against these elite teams if both of them are out there that Spain/Arg will force those two players specifically to beat us with jumpers. That scares me.

[princeof56k 0]

38% from a college 3 pt line when we get wide open looks is bad. That number should consistently flirt with 45% because we never need to take a 3, it's always swing to the other side and wide open jumper.

Are you serious?

[Jadaki 0]

He was reaching because he kept getting the ball. You're right, the international refs are horrible. 38% 3FG is not bad. Kobe and Kidd make such a huge difference this year, it's like night and day. I hope people realize Kobe is a great passer and teammate when the other players are capable of finishing plays, like he was in the 1999-2004 years. As far as Wade, I think he's highly overrated and don't see what he will bring to the table next year that we don't already have in Kobe, Anthony, LeBron.

Wade has more experience playing zone defenses than Kobe or LeBron, college experience does count for something, and he doesn't need to get all the way to the rim, he has an excellent mid range game something LeBron doesn't have. Anthony is still a black hole, you toss him the ball and it's getting put up and never coming out to another teammate.

[tskillz187 0]

Are you serious?

Of course I'm serious, it's a wide open college length three pointer. These guys shoot this shot at around 85% in warmups, it's literally just as wide open. Arg shot it at 41% last game, we shot it at 50% last game. You really think we can't maintain ~45% from 3pt land? These are not pressure cooker 3's. Against real teams we should shoot it at 40%. Good NBA teams shoot it at ~37% you would think with lesser competition (easier shots) and closer (easier shots) and America's best players (presumably better shooters) that we'd be flirting with 45%.

Wade has more experience playing zone defenses than Kobe or LeBron, college experience does count for something, and he doesn't need to get all the way to the rim, he has an excellent mid range game something LeBron doesn't have. Anthony is still a black hole, you toss him the ball and it's getting put up and never coming out to another teammate.

Thank you. Agree on all points.

[fleung22 1]

For major team sports like basketball and soccer you do. Otherwise it becomes really difficult to hold a 300 team tournament in a matter of days when the Olympics are going on.

lol, not even an sw?I'm cheering for the Yanks...olympic bball just seems wrong without the US there

[tskillz187 0]

lol, not even an sw?I'm cheering for the Yanks...olympic bball just seems wrong without the US there

We'll be there, even if things went ridiculous and we didn't qualify now the 3,4,5,6 teams in the comp play another tourney next yr to try and qualify. The Olympics I believe has 16 teams enter and it's pretty easy for us to qualify on this hemisphere. Some solid European countries don't qualify though.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

The Olympics I believe has 16 teams enter

12.

[princeof56k 0]

Of course I'm serious, it's a wide open college length three pointer. These guys shoot this shot at around 85% in warmups, it's literally just as wide open. Arg shot it at 41% last game, we shot it at 50% last game. You really think we can't maintain ~45% from 3pt land? These are not pressure cooker 3's. Against real teams we should shoot it at 40%. Good NBA teams shoot it at ~37% you would think with lesser competition (easier shots) and closer (easier shots) and America's best players (presumably better shooters) that we'd be flirting with 45%.

Can they? Sure. Anything is possible in a short tournament . Will they? Odds are against it.First, there is no comparison between warmup and game time shots. No matter the competition, shooting under game conditions is way more difficult for reasons that should be obvious. They arent that wide open. And its a shorter distance, but its still a deep shot.Here's why I have a problem with your 45% figure: hardly anyone can do that. Let's lower the figure to 40% and look at the last 2 international competitions. In the 2004 Olympics only 2 teams shot over 40% (Lithuania at 45 and Itlay at 42). In the 2006 Worlds only 3 teams shot over 40% (Puerto Rico at 51, Slovenia at 44, and Serbia at 40). Of those teams, I see a couple of anomolies and the others have the entire offense geared around the 3-pointer. Only 2 teams hit 45% or better. And how did the USA do? They shot 33% in 2004 and 37% in 2006.I would expect the USA to shoot around 36-38%. If this team shoots 40% from the arc, I'll be doing cartwheels. No one can beat us if we shoot like that.

[Poppy_Hillis 11]

This guy Famutimi from Canada is pretty good.

[tskillz187 0]

This guy Famutimi from Canada is pretty good.

Agreed. Looks kinda like Iguodala.

[CaneBrain 95]

what a beating. Easy buckets galore, great defense to boot.these guys are playing with a sense of purpose. awesome to watch.