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[quote name='skangles' timestamp='1342495258' post='38487']
Just got back from the games, I will try to upload pictures tomorrow but for now here are my thoughts.
1) You can't teach height
2)I'd like to see a proper lineup fielded before Coach K starts his positionless, utopian, 1984 bull shit. Thus, I'd go with Paul (or Williams), Durant, LeBron, Love, Chandler. Bring Kobe and Carmelo off the bench but allow the US to field a proper 1-5 and take advantage of OUR size for once.
3) Despite his poor start Kobe played a few minutes of absolutely superb defensive tenacity in the second quarter. This was the highlight of the game for me.
4) Iguodala is a tremendous defender and I'm liking him on this team more than I thought I would even if he doesn't make his free throws. With that said, putting Iguodala on guys like Nene and Varejao was irresponsible coaching.
6) If this US team wins gold it will be because of their defense. They might be better defensively than they are offensively which is fun to watch.
7) Credit Brazil for a great effort. This was text book as to how you play the US, get out to an early lead and control the pace. To be honest, Brazil played at a faster tempo than I thought you could against the US and still have success.
8) Just as the game was about to tip off it was delayed as "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen blasted through the loudspeakers and Mr. Obama made his triumphant entrance shaking hands and hugging babies. Obama later failed to kiss Michelle on the "Kiss Cam" to resounding boos throughout the arena.
[/quote]
1)True USA is missing Howard and Bosh.
2)You're right Chandler ant center and Love at PF would be perfect. After that Deron Williams or Paul at PG. The other two spots could go to LeBron, Kobe or Durant. Something like that would be the best starting line up. Very traditional, very strong line up.
3)Kobe always shows up when needed. LeBron did have 30pts.
4)I told you! Iggy wil become one of the most valible players of this team. He is Mr. Intagible. He has also become a solid shooter 39% from 3. His free throws are atrocious.
6)I agree 100%! The USA defense is what will set them apart. We(USA) no longer have huge advantage in athlecism over the other elite teams. Which is a big part of what this smaller line up is counting on to win gold. We do however have an advatage in our style of defense. "...Defense wins championships" that old addage rings true.
7)I'll say it again. Brazil may be the most underrated team in the Olympics.
[quote name='ZEUS' timestamp='1342527064' post='38490']
Lack of passion is what I've noticed when watching games in the US, be that NBA, NHL, or 'soccer' <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rofl3.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
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Seems like you guys need your hooligans <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rofl3.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
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Soccer, from now on called Football, fans are some of the most passionate sports fans in the US despite football being only the fifth most popular sport in the country. They aren't huge in numbers but they do well to support their teams even when they're displaying an inferior product. I like the MLS but I'll be damned if I'm going to display that in public so good for them.
The only scene with passionate fans in strong numbers is NCAA games, mainly American Football but also basketball. It is really just a reason to drink and student led but the cameron crazies add a quality dimension to Duke home games for example.
People go nuts for the NFL and I cannot fault the dedication it just seems that the love for the team manifests itself in bizarre ways. Why do we need to see fat guys with their shirts off in sub 30 degree weather? Why can't they just sing and chant like the rest of the world?
NBA fans are the second worst only to baseball fans. What is the difference between going to an NBA game and the movies to most Americans? Nothing really. You eat your giant popcorn, laugh during the funny parts and cry at the end.
Andrew Bogut tried to change the NBA game when he was in Milwaukee. He bought 100 tickets for each home game and gave them away to Bucks fans with only catch being that they had to sing and chant throughout the games. It was a good idea and the fans did a good job with it but it felt a bit misplaced in an otherwise silent arena. Nobody joined in for they would have needed to put down their big gulp...
[quote name='Raze Lupin' timestamp='1342536963' post='38496']
1)True USA is missing Howard and Bosh.
2)You're right Chandler ant center and Love at PF would be perfect. After that Deron Williams or Paul at PG. The other two spots could go to LeBron, Kobe or Durant. Something like that would be the best starting line up. Very traditional, very strong line up.
3)Kobe always shows up when needed. LeBron did have 30pts.
4)I told you! Iggy wil become one of the most valible players of this team. He is Mr. Intagible. He has also become a solid shooter 39% from 3. His free throws are atrocious.
6)I agree 100%! The USA defense is what will set them apart. We(USA) no longer have huge advantage in athlecism over the other elite teams. Which is a big part of what this smaller line up is counting on to win gold. We do however have an advatage in our style of defense. "...Defense wins championships" that old addage rings true.
7)I'll say it again. Brazil may be the most underrated team in the Olympics.
[/quote]
You were spot on about Iguodala, he knows his role and he does it well. A solid glue guy. With that said it is increasingly obvious that Harden really doesn't have a place on this team. I mean he's a heck of a talent to have on the bench and should the injury bug bite he would be more than sufficient to step it up but I'm not seeing what he brings that you don't already get from the rest of the roster. He'll have is time in 2014.
Brazil has been good for years and I always thought that they were on the cusp of something really good great but they never got it together. In a lot of ways they remind me of the Spanish football team of the 90s and early 2000s and we know how that worked out for Spain.
Harden's addition makes no sense. I just don't see where he is needed.
Raze, I thought you posted the Sheridan story about the US being in trouble earlier today but I cannot find it anywhere. I'm sure that I read this on this site and I could have sworn that it was you who posted it.
http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2012/07/17/...n-trouble/
Anyways, I agree with that article as it pretty much echos what we've been saying. I loved his ideal starting lineup, looks like he reads the Talkbasket forum. <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
He made a really interesting point about Group A that I hadn't really thought of, while I think that Lithuania, France and Argentina are all strong teams, most of the nasty big men are playing in Group B.
[quote name='skangles' timestamp='1342661373' post='38527']
Raze, I thought you posted the Sheridan story about the US being in trouble earlier today but I cannot find it anywhere. I'm sure that I read this on this site and I could have sworn that it was you who posted it.
http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2012/07/17/...n-trouble/
Anyways, I agree with that article as it pretty much echos what we've been saying. I loved his ideal starting lineup, looks like he reads the Talkbasket forum. <img src='http://www.talkbasket.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
He made a really interesting point about Group A that I hadn't really thought of, while I think that Lithuania, France and Argentina are all strong teams, most of the nasty big men are playing in Group B.
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WHAT?!?!? You and I have been saying this for weeks. I don't agree with every thing he says BUT your right he could have been reading talkbasket.
USA vs Great Britian 50 - 37 halftime
USA looks better that the Brazil friendly but still sloppy
[quote name='Raze Lupin' timestamp='1342725316' post='38534']
USA vs Great Britian 50 - 37 halftime
USA looks better that the Brazil friendly but still sloppy
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Sloppy and slower than I'd like.
Carmelo looked great off the bench and I was happy that Coach K made the changes to the starting lineup but I don't like Durant as a makeshift big. Despite his height, I think that both LeBron and Melo do a better job of imitating an interior presence.
I'm really getting frustrated with Coach K not playing Love or Davis. These are exhibition games and even if Coach K thinks that he'll go small when it matters why not play a traditional lineup for a while to see how it works in these exhibitions? Love in particular will be needed in London and I'd like to see more out of Davis when it doesn't matter to know whether or not he should be part of our plans when it counts.
Deron Williams is on fire!
[quote name='skangles' timestamp='1342726337' post='38535']
Sloppy and slower than I'd like.
Carmelo looked great off the bench and I was happy that Coach K made the changes to the starting lineup but I don't like Durant as a makeshift big. Despite his height, I think that both LeBron and Melo do a better job of imitating an interior presence.
I'm really getting frustrated with Coach K not playing Love or Davis. These are exhibition games and even if Coach K thinks that he'll go small when it matters why not play a traditional lineup for a while to see how it works in these exhibitions? Love in particular will be needed in London and I'd like to see more out of Davis when it doesn't matter to know whether or not he should be part of our plans when it counts.
Deron Williams is on fire!
[/quote]
Love looked to play big minutes but he is in foul trouble.
K. Love with the reverse dunk(lay in)!!!
Anthony Davis can ball. Kid has crazy D!
USA118 GBR 78
It was absurd that Franschilla kept saying that Chandler is the only player who can block shots. Davis had 3 in limited minutes, he also ran the pick & roll better than anybody else today. Of course the game was already over and GB had emptied their bench but I liked what I saw from him and Love. Hopefully they'll get some meaningful playing time over the next two games.
Spain 105 Argentina 85. Spain is looking better than USA right now. Spain's shooting + inside presence + defense may be too much for USA.
[quote name='Raze Lupin' timestamp='1342823176' post='38547']
Spain 105 Argentina 85. Spain is looking better than USA right now. Spain's shooting + inside presence + defense may be too much for USA.
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Are you sure? I haven't watched Spain at all since the Eurobasket but they were just in a close game with Australia winning by just 6 points. The US has had their struggles but from the scorelines Spain doesn't appear to be at their finest either. Without seeing the games I could be mistaken.
Here is a thought that just came to mind about the Brazil game. Although that first quarter was pretty horrible it looks like Team USA reacted in the second quarter in part due to the lessons learned from the Greece game in 2006.
Seriously, there were a lot of similarities between the two games. Against Greece the US started out OK in the first quarter and then the second quarter vs. Greece was almost identical to the first quarter against Brazil where the US fell behind and looked completely out matched. The difference is that in 2006 they played way too cocky and took the attitude that there was no way that Greece could beat the US over the course of four periods so they just tried to weather the storm until it was too late for a comeback.
Against Brazil, despite it only being the second quarter the US pressed like it was the final minutes of the game played absolutely tenacious defense and held Brazil to 5 points in the quarter. I don't think this team would have played like that if the Brazil game would have occurred in 2006. Remember that James, Anthony, Paul and of course Coach K and his coaching staff were all part of that 2006 team. I think it is a very positive note that the US turned the page from the Greece game and while I think that they can definitely be defeated, they won't trip twice over the same stone.
The throwback 1992 jerseys are so bad ass. I wish these were our regular jerseys. Great to see Team USA looking classy!
31-16 after the first quarter. So much for the US' trend of getting out to a slow start, Kobe and Durant couldn't miss. This is a very positive sign with a few days to go before London. Hopefully they can keep up the pace throughout the remaining three quarters.
By the way, there are tons of seats available in Barcelona for this game. I know that Spain isn't playing but still, Argentina vs. USA is about as entertaining as it gets for basketball fans.
47-40 at half time. Argentina played a fantastic quarter and the US looked lost relying on jump shots that weren't going down. Interesting strategy by Coach K to keep Kobe on the bench. In London a player that had been playing as hot as Kobe was should stay on the court.
USA 47- Arg 40 halftime. USA looking inferior to the Spanish squad in the 1st Half. Arg is less talented but seem a better team than Arg that played Spain. USA is having shameful runs of no offense.
Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard are severely missed.
USA can't hit free throws...
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