USA vs Greece Basketball Semifinals!

[Thraxen]

Seriously, the NBA is going to have to stop calling their finals a "world championship".

 

[L1FE]

This really isn't a surprise to anyone, is it? Basketball teams are not elite just because they have the best individual players on them. Chemistry takes a long time to build, which is why during the regular NBA season, teams usually don't hit their stride until a couple months before the playoffs. The European teams have been playing together for many years, whereas the American team was formed just a couple months ago. Do you honestly think teams like the Heat, Spurs, Mavs, Pistons, etc would have played so poorly together?

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Having Lebron and Carmelo on the same team kills any chances the US has against any of the world's power.

If this tournament proved anything, its:

Carmelo > *

Seriously, he got them to this point and did what he could to carry them. He played all out on both ends and took a lot of pride in the tournament. I've definitely become a believer in melo, his level of play was unbelievable.

James on the other hand...wtf, is it too much to ask to guard someone and switch on pick and rolls when the guy is going right by you? If he isn't in position to make a steal, block, or rebound, he was 100% useless on the defensive end. What a tragedy, because we know he can play excellent defense if he tries.

 

[m2kewl]

LOLOLOL!

schooled by our own sport....we suck yo!

 

[buck]

LMAO, I love it!

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: jjsole

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Having Lebron and Carmelo on the same team kills any chances the US has against any of the world's power.

If this tournament proved anything, its:

Carmelo > *

Seriously, he got them to this point and did what he could to carry them. He played all out on both ends and took a lot of pride in the tournament. I've definitely become a believer in melo, his level of play was unbelievable.

James on the other hand...wtf, is it too much to ask to guard someone and switch on pick and rolls when the guy is going right by you? If he isn't in position to make a steal, block, or rebound, he was 100% useless on the defensive end. What a tragedy, because we know he can play excellent defense if he tries.

What I think it is is that Lebron does not know how to play when players on his team are just as good or better than he is. He's never done it before in his life, and if he's not the man, he won't give 100% effort, period.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: jjsole

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Having Lebron and Carmelo on the same team kills any chances the US has against any of the world's power.

If this tournament proved anything, its:

Carmelo > *

Seriously, he got them to this point and did what he could to carry them. He played all out on both ends and took a lot of pride in the tournament. I've definitely become a believer in melo, his level of play was unbelievable.

James on the other hand...wtf, is it too much to ask to guard someone and switch on pick and rolls when the guy is going right by you? If he isn't in position to make a steal, block, or rebound, he was 100% useless on the defensive end. What a tragedy, because we know he can play excellent defense if he tries.

What I think it is is that Lebron does not know how to play when players on his team are just as good or better than he is. He's never done it before in his life, and if he's not the man, he won't give 100% effort, period.

I think you nailed it. :thumbsup: He seems like a content spectator instead of taking responsibility for the game. If he would play both ends in attack mode like anthony and wade did, we would be playing on sunday and not saturday. Anthony conceeded nothing the entire game (muchless tournament) yet I never had the impression he was playing me-first bball. James on the otherhand seemed content playing me-last. :frown:

 

[BlancoNino]

The problem with the NBA? Our NBA players play razzle-dazzle...while the rest of the world players the basic fundamentals. We can win because we have much better talent...but a team that plays the fundamentals can sometimes make up for talent...

Just ask coach Wooden how well the basics work.

 

[dethman]

 

[ManSnake]

USA sucks! Go Afghanistan!!!

 

[EKKC]

i think in the FIBA tournament they should change the format from 1 game to best of 3 series for semis and finals

its hardbreaking, but they'll learn from this and win it all in 2008 Beijing. I think Melo, Lebron and Wade can bring USA basketball back to its dream team days

 

[EKKC]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: chuckywang
Oh yeah, why the hell did Argentina foul at the end?

definitely a gamble that didn't pay off.

like i said in previous threads, a sick part of me wanted to see the USA team lose.

for all the attention/fame/money/fawning they receive here in the US, i kind of like watching them get humbled by "lesser talented" international teams. i love the team game overseas, but i also love the individual athleticism of the NBA. how awesome would a mix of a true team game and crazy athleticism be?

Team USA has become the New York Knicks of the international basketball scene :laugh:

you shut up about my knicks!
oh what the hell they suck, i cant believe i have to endure another year of steve francis - and to top it off coached by Thomas
he'll coach Francis and then later beat himself in the back for picking him

 

[Svnla]

I remember when we didn't win the gold, the excuse was "because of college players, we need to get the NBA players".

We have all NBA players in the last few years and IIRC, we barely won the bronze at the last Olympic.

We didn't get any worse, the rest of the world just getting better and better. Don't underestimate your adversary.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: Svnla
I remember when we didn't win the gold, the excuse was "because of college players, we need to get the NBA players".

We have all NBA players in the last few years and IIRC, we barely won the bronze at the last Olympic.

We didn't get any worse, the rest of the world just getting better and better. Don't underestimate your adversary.

well, we better choose players that can defend against the pick and roll

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Svnla
I remember when we didn't win the gold, the excuse was "because of college players, we need to get the NBA players".

We have all NBA players in the last few years and IIRC, we barely won the bronze at the last Olympic.

We didn't get any worse, the rest of the world just getting better and better. Don't underestimate your adversary.

Uh...when the USA did use NBA players, they started an 8 year period of dominance.

It is without doubt that the USA still has the most talented players, but a few countries of the world has reached a high enough level of talent such that their team cohesiveness makes up for that difference in talent between them and the USA.

 

[Svnla]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Svnla
I remember when we didn't win the gold, the excuse was "because of college players, we need to get the NBA players".

We have all NBA players in the last few years and IIRC, we barely won the bronze at the last Olympic.

We didn't get any worse, the rest of the world just getting better and better. Don't underestimate your adversary.

Uh...when the USA did use NBA players, they started an 8 year period of dominance.

It is without doubt that the USA still has the most talented players, but a few countries of the world has reached a high enough level of talent such that their team cohesiveness makes up for that difference in talent between them and the USA.

After DreamTeams 1 and 2 won the golds, how did we do after that? Not too well, right?

You can make all the excuses that you want to, such as "our players didn't play together as long as theirs...better defense vs. pick and roll...and on and on". The bottom line is...we get beat, pure and simple. They didn't do anything magical but outhusle, outshoot, outplay us...period. We have a bunch of dazzle and tricks <shock and awe anyone"> but at the end, they just play better overall <offense and defense> and it wasn't luck. <they didn't just beat us by 1 or 2 points>.

 

[Svnla]

Found an article about why the US got beat.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5925616

Reasons:

An abundance of missed free throws.
Inept 3-point shooting
An over-reliance on one-on-one play against man-to-man defenses.
Heads turned on defense.
A marked impatience on defense.
An inability to contain dribble-penetration.
Poor offense-to-defense transitions.
Nothing short of helplessness in trying to defend screen/rolls.

 

[Lyfer]

Originally posted by: Thraxen
Seriously, the NBA is going to have to stop calling their finals a "world championship".

QFT x 1,000,000,000,000.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Svnla
Found an article about why the US got beat.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5925616

Reasons:

An abundance of missed free throws.
Inept 3-point shooting
An over-reliance on one-on-one play against man-to-man defenses.
Heads turned on defense.
A marked impatience on defense.
An inability to contain dribble-penetration.
Poor offense-to-defense transitions.
Nothing short of helplessness in trying to defend screen/rolls.

so basically, a bunch of hyper-athletic basketball players with low basketball IQ?

 

[StinkyPinky]

What's the excuse this year?

 

[chuckywang]

USA v. Argentina for the bronze is gonna be on in 30 min.

 

[chuckywang]

USA, down as much as 9 points, leads 50-49 going into the half.

 

[Xyclone]

Watching the USA ARG game right now. I'm kind of late, but... WOOOOOO!!!!!!! GREECE WONNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SIKISETO, TO TIMIMENO, THEN BORO, THEN BORO NA PERIMENO!!!!!!! To Hellas tha pari to timimeno!!!! GO GREEEEEECEEE!!!!! (and Argentina)

 

[Xyclone]

Originally posted by: Lyfer

Originally posted by: Thraxen
Seriously, the NBA is going to have to stop calling their finals a "world championship".

QFT x 1,000,000,000,000.

Hell. Yes. They can't even beat Greece, aahahhahahahaha. :laugh: Go Greece!!! Hellas > *

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: Xyclone
Watching the USA ARG game right now. I'm kind of late, but... WOOOOOO!!!!!!! GREECE WONNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SIKISETO, TO TIMIMENO, THEN BORO, THEN BORO NA PERIMENO!!!!!!! To Hellas tha pari to timimeno!!!! GO GREEEEEECEEE!!!!! (and Argentina)

Eh. You live in Cali. Are you some Aregentinian Greek?