Jump to content

So much for athleticism....


slu72

Recommended Posts

as witnessed by the USA's miserable performance against Puerto Rico. Now who wouldn't be drooling over a recruiting class of these athletes? Yet, they can't beat Puerto Rico? I'll take smart team oriented players over "the world's greatest athletes" any day of the week. US basketball is so much into the highlight reel player these days we've forgot how to play the game. This game was a total embarassment. Feel bad for Larry Brown ,he's a hell of a coach, who obviously can't get through to his stars the importance of defending, passing, and having a mid range jump shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

brown was a horrible coach for this team. i bet watching these practices are like going to the dentist. he isnt going to change these knuckleheads attitudes and work habits overnight, so as much as it pains me to say it, let them play to their strengths. to try to harness the likes of odom, iverson, marbury, etc in such a short time frame and get them to play team ball is impossible. trying to ever get iverson to play that way is impossible. they would have been better off letting pat kennedy coach the team and just letting them run.

disclaimer: brown did a marvelous job with the pistons and finally after years of brown hating, won me over. the difference is he found all the right role players to make his model work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... how about taking players that understand the basics and team concepts. We used to b*tch about college players going over and getting their butts wiped .... what are Carmelo and LeBron? Sure, they played in the pros but they're still, what, 19?

I would argue that you can't take a bunch of spoiled egomaniacs and ask them to forsake their reinforced patterns of basketball behavior and play TEAM ball for the Red, White and Blue TEAM. These guys don't understand the team role, don't usually play defense, and don't really care. The ultimate photo, to me, was the shot of disbelief on the faces of Iveson and Duncan as they sat on the bench in that PR game. Duncan doesn't deserve the criticism but its guilt by association. I understand that the guys that didn't come were supposed to be the shooters .... Ray Allen, Mike Bibby .... but the current team has no one to counter the shooting game that exists in the international sector.

I would offer that it would be better to take the guys from lower down on the pro benches ..... guys named Madsen, Walton, Sczerbiak, Etan Thomas, Hughes .... and let them play like it means something. Of course, as Mike Wilbon pointed out, USA Basketball wouldn't be able to sell those jerseys for their inflated prices at mall stores like Champs.

Money talks. Team walks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the nba championship team is exhausted. just got done playing. agents and owners would be screaming.

my suggestion is create a national team that is always playing and practicing. it would be made up of previous nba players that are no longer in the nba but can still play (bonner for instance) or players that just quite cant make the nba but maybe play overseas and are very good players (justin love for example). i am sure we as created foundation and with sponsors could afford to pay them comparable money to what they earn in china or italy. the team might be ever changing, but still the overall affect would be more continuity and team play than a throw together all-star team.

one thing about this olympic team. it sure makes you appreciate the original dream team even more. special guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reports are that Puerto Rico packed it inside with a zone defense and dared the USA team to shoot 3s. We willing obliged and threw up bricks (3-for-24, Iverson was 1-10). Might not it have occurred to the USA braintrust that we need a true zone buster on the squad, a real shooter? Here is an article making that point:

http://sports.excite.com/news/08172004/v0157.html

I think the committe that picks the team makes the mistake of selecting all-stars / best athlete types rather than the components of a true team. Alan Iverson and Stephon Marbury on the same team? How can there be enough balls to go around? These may be the two best players on the planet at destroying offensive team play.

Here is a box score from the game if anyone is interested:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/results/5038516/detail.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have not watche alot of international play ... but I liked it alot. The game was so much more open ... guards being able to cut to the basket without getting hammered and even make some nice interior passes. Also I like the closer 3 pt line ... if a team wants to pack it in like PR did then you have to be able to shoot the 3 and open them back up again. I saw basketball skills I haven't seen in a while. The PR pg Arroya was fantastic in that game ... if the USA would have had some shooters to bring PR out and stretch their defense a little ... a lot of pg's could have done the same as Arroya.

Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For years I've argued that the "skill" level in the NBA has gone down. Everything is "SportsCenter" highlight reels and what gets you on that? The in-your-face dunk with requisite facial contortion and scream at the guy faking the defensive efforts. No wonder they can't shoot.

What's the "go to" NBA play? A two-man game where the Shaq-like player posts and the Kobe-like player uses him as best as possible. If you defend the Shaq-like player, he depositis you in the third row does the jam described above and on we go. Of course, if the other team comes down and trade a three for your two, you're still losing. The guys in the NBA can't shoot.

The NBA Champs would never play. Too many contractual issues. Any whomever is USA Basketball, again, its all about following the money. You gonna buy a USA jersey with DUNCAN on it. Or one that says KEMPTON?

P.S. News flash to USA Basketball .... no one really cares! The old teams were icons ..... Jordan, Magic, Bird, Ewing. The new guys are thugs. Keep 'em!

I guess I'm unpatriotic if I tell you I'm rooting against them so I won't say that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

how can you put the likes of iverson in the same sentence with patriot? i.e. you wont get crap from me for not rooting for these losers. maybe david stern will finally wake up to the horrible presentation his "stars" are as represenatives not only for the nba but the united states. maybe it sends a message to all the little boys and girls that are right now thinking "i want to be like allen iverson". anything to push that image out of mainstream usa is fine with me and if it takes being an olympic goat so be it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the agents and attys would be having a field day. no way it (nba champs) could ever happen. i say again, give the opp to the men that are out of the nba. either those recently gone or those trying to make it and let them play together all the time. convince the ncaa they are the perfect early season exhibition team. and each year they prepare to play that fall exhibition schedule as well as represent us in the summer at the various international tourney's that are out there each year. then they are off till the next year but an understanding that they are expected back each year until the next olympics but at the discretion of the program coach so if a player is losing it or a better one comes along cuts and additions can be made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An NBA champion squad playing in the olympics .. two serious issues

1. what if the go-to-guy, or someone important on the squad isn't an american .. say the Spurs win next year .. you'd have no Tony Parker, Ginobli .. etc etc .. I think they're a good team because of those two players .. substituting in someone else might not work .. ginobli and parker are the energy of the Spurs.

the league is getting more and more international .. it'll be 50/50 soon enough .. this idea would have worked prior to 5 years ago

2. aren't the champs going to be tired? or is that BS.

I vote for picking .. "a team" .. I would have love having players like Tayshaun Prince or Michael Redd on the squad. Or how about a Brad Miller do be a pass first guy who will throw an elbow and clean house if needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to see college and then the NBA adapt the international lane. I think this could open the game up and take some of the thuggery?? out of the NBA.

I watch the Olympics to see sports that I rarely get to see on TV otherwise. Track & Field, ping pong, swimming, etc--anything that doesn't have a judge giving out scores. I don't want to see Olympic basketball, I can see basketball(college & NBA) about 9 months out of the year. I would much rather see the smaller sports only at the Olympics.

I would rather basketball start a World Cup competition like soccer & hockey. I think this would be a lot more exciting on its own than lumping basketball in with the Olympics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

won the championship? In a few years half the players in the NBA will be non-USA born so you are talking about replacing half the team. That just wouldn't work. Plus, with free-agency being what it is now what would have happened if the Lakers had won the championship? You think Kobe and Shaq would go? No, you'd have Rick Fox, Payton and Karl Malone over there. Now that thought makes me shudder.

Dickie V is crazy if he thinks that would work.

The team thing is true but the biggest thing ALL future USA teams should have is multiple shooters. The zone negates the superior athleticism of our guys and until we get some real zone busters on that team they will continue to lose. Where is Drew Diener when you need him?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with SLblue. The NBA has corrupted BB. My favorite sports to watch in Athens are volleyball (both in and outdoor) and ping pong. I saw a USA vs. Brazil olympic volleyball tuneup match to the 84 LA Olympics at the USF gym. It was incredible to see in person. Plus the Brazil fans kept a samba beat on their bongo drums the whole 5 games, so the place rocked much more than any basketball game. I first saw beach volleyball in LA at Manhatten Beach about 30 years ago and could not belive how hard it was to play ( a midwestern hooper like me was dead on the sand) My pp experience goes back to our basement with my 2 younger brothers. I can't figure out these olypmic serves, I'd love to see it in person someday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...