Usa basketball won the gold
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nwwarrior09
Well-known member
This loss was so bad you can't seem to find a full box score for it yet lol. The Americans were a 30 point favorite. This has to be one of the biggest upsets ever in international competition.
It may just have been an exhibition after a few days of practice and they still don't have a few players, but man this was bad. They still had Durant, Lillard, Beal, Tatum, Adebayo, Lavine, etc. and lost to a team that had 7-8 guys that are NBA bench players. The Nigerians shot 20-42 from 3 and were led by a guy that averaged about 2.5 PPG for the Heat this year.
It may just have been an exhibition after a few days of practice and they still don't have a few players, but man this was bad. They still had Durant, Lillard, Beal, Tatum, Adebayo, Lavine, etc. and lost to a team that had 7-8 guys that are NBA bench players. The Nigerians shot 20-42 from 3 and were led by a guy that averaged about 2.5 PPG for the Heat this year.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
It's incredible how much better the rest of the world has gotten since Barcelona in '92. First in Europe, then in countries like Argentina and Brazil, and now Africa. This has to be the first time the US national team has ever lost to an African country in basketball.
A good reminder that FIBA competition is a different beast. Yes the US has the best talent by far even if some headliners are sitting out, but in international play they risk close games if not losses against teams of NBA benchwarmers, G-Leaguers, and European pros if they don't play hard and with at least some semblance of a team concept. Hopefully this is a good pre-Olympics wake-up call.
A good reminder that FIBA competition is a different beast. Yes the US has the best talent by far even if some headliners are sitting out, but in international play they risk close games if not losses against teams of NBA benchwarmers, G-Leaguers, and European pros if they don't play hard and with at least some semblance of a team concept. Hopefully this is a good pre-Olympics wake-up call.
Raider6309
Well-known member
Yeah pretty weak team
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
Watched some of the game on YouTube. Our guys repeatedly got bodied and outhustled around the rim and on the glass. Nigeria had several extra opportunities when they weren't bombing 3s. Have to have better role identified lineup combinations in the Olympics instead of just mashing 3-4 iso scorers together.
Have to chalk up Nigeria as being a major game outreach success via NBA and other efforts over the last 20 years. Last year there were 7-8 Nigerian heritage guys drafted including Okoro and Okongwu early in the first round and there's now around 20 in the NBA including Adebayo who plays for team USA along with Giannis who might appear for Greece. If they start getting a few more of these Nigerian diaspora guys to play for them they'll start being medal contenders every Olympics cycle.
Have to chalk up Nigeria as being a major game outreach success via NBA and other efforts over the last 20 years. Last year there were 7-8 Nigerian heritage guys drafted including Okoro and Okongwu early in the first round and there's now around 20 in the NBA including Adebayo who plays for team USA along with Giannis who might appear for Greece. If they start getting a few more of these Nigerian diaspora guys to play for them they'll start being medal contenders every Olympics cycle.
OldSoulon
Well-known member
Hyman Roth, most likely
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
I wouldn't at all be surprised if Pop "let" this happen. They needed a wake up and this was the easiest way to get it.
14Red
Well-known member
First of all, this is an exibition game. That's all that needs to be said. It's the super bowl for Nigeria. They may as well turn in the unis and call it a season. They will not be as high as they are right now. That said, this is a mid February NBA game that half the players are going half speed.
The biggest change we've seen in sports over the last 50 years is the day to day "love" of competing. These guys make so much money, they are all buddies on and off the floor and they simply don't "compete" unless it's the championship.
Remember the 1970 baseball all star game. Pete Rose, playing for the host Cincinnati Reds, in an exibition game - which is what the all star game is...RAN OVER the American league catcher Ray Fosse to win the game for the national league. Fosse was out of action for a few months and never was really the same player again. That game meant NOTHING! But for Pete and the players back then, it was bragging rights for their leagues. Sadly we've lost that competition aspect in today's sports.
The biggest change we've seen in sports over the last 50 years is the day to day "love" of competing. These guys make so much money, they are all buddies on and off the floor and they simply don't "compete" unless it's the championship.
Remember the 1970 baseball all star game. Pete Rose, playing for the host Cincinnati Reds, in an exibition game - which is what the all star game is...RAN OVER the American league catcher Ray Fosse to win the game for the national league. Fosse was out of action for a few months and never was really the same player again. That game meant NOTHING! But for Pete and the players back then, it was bragging rights for their leagues. Sadly we've lost that competition aspect in today's sports.
The Dock
Unaffiliated Poster
Bradley Beal played like hot butt, and bench contributions were almost non-existent.
It doesn't bother me to see Nigeria win. Good for them, and good for Mike Brown.
Basketball for the United States players has been brutal these last 18 months. That's greatly overlooked in this discussion.
It doesn't bother me to see Nigeria win. Good for them, and good for Mike Brown.
Basketball for the United States players has been brutal these last 18 months. That's greatly overlooked in this discussion.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
That roster was unbelievably bad. Definitely a changing of the guard of sorts as outside of Duncan and Iverson (who's game did not translate at all to international play), all of the big time talent in that group was 22 or younger that year. Those guys were too young.
Starting to see a roster turnover in this group, although there's not nearly as much youth as 2004 and a lot more prime age players. There is, however, a tremendous lack of size/physicality that got exposed some in this exhibition. A 6'9 Adebayo or a 6'7 Draymond will always be guarding the biggest/strongest guy on the other team.
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It's all Kevin Love's fault.
news.yahoo.com
Jalen Rose says US Basketball ‘scared to make all-Black team’ for Olympics
“Kevin Love is on the team because of tokenism.” ESPN host Jalen Rose is catching heat on social media after saying Kevin Love’s appearance on the Team USA Olympic roster was a form of “tokenism.” Rose made the comments during his “Jalen & Jacoby” show after reports that the US men’s...
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
This take is increasingly looking less bad even if the comments were bad. Total waste of a roster spot.It's all Kevin Love's fault.
Jalen Rose says US Basketball ‘scared to make all-Black team’ for Olympics
“Kevin Love is on the team because of tokenism.” ESPN host Jalen Rose is catching heat on social media after saying Kevin Love’s appearance on the Team USA Olympic roster was a form of “tokenism.” Rose made the comments during his “Jalen & Jacoby” show after reports that the US men’s...
As they are struggling again tonight against Australia, I think it's becoming evident that a lack of size/strength to rebound and protect the rim is a legitimate problem with this roster. In 2016 DeAndre Jordan and DeMarcus Cousins filled those roles. Adebayo for all of his talent and athleticism is pretty undersized at center, and the best this roster offers after him to protect the paint is Draymond Green.
Worst case scenario Love's roster spot should have been used on someone like fellow Cav Jarrett Allen to fill those specific interior defensive roles.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
Not many quality American centers currently in the league. Out of curiosity, I glanced and most top 10-15 lists are littered with foreigners. Ayton does not have American citizenship (apparently unbeknownst to screamin' Stephen A.) and Clint Capela is Swiss, apparently unbeknownst to me.
If neither Anthony Davis nor Karl Anthony-Towns wanted to play, the Love roster spot should have gone to either Allen or Christian Wood. I probably would have booted somebody like Jerami Grant and taken both of them.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
Lost again tonight to the Boomers from Australia. These are only exhibitions, but at this point I think Bam Adebayo is clearly the most important player on this USA team. If he's not really good defensively and rebounding they will have serious problems.
Still embarrassing however you splice it that a team with like 7-8 all-stars lost to a team who's best players are Patty Mills and Joe Ingles and another team who's best scorer is like the 10th or 11th guy on the Heat.
Still embarrassing however you splice it that a team with like 7-8 all-stars lost to a team who's best players are Patty Mills and Joe Ingles and another team who's best scorer is like the 10th or 11th guy on the Heat.
US men's basketball loses again in Olympic tune-up, this time to Australia
These games don’t count. Right now, that is the only saving grace for USA Basketball, who lost again, this time to Australia, in an Olympic tune-up.
www.usatoday.com
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
They are just exhibitions and may not be indicative of how the Olympics will go, but they are indicative of the success of the international expansion of game as well as the decay of the American game.
Orin Swift
Well-known member
Not sure I agree necessarily with the decay of the American Game bit. Team USA is missing two of their better FIBA players in Booker and Middleton. Plus all of KAT, PG, Jimmy Butler, Zion, Chris Paul, LeBron, AD, Harden, Kawhi and Steph Curry all declined to play.
But I agree on the expansion of the international game. Even looking at the NBA you can make the case that 4 of the top 5 are foreign players, and easily 4 of the top 10, in Giannis, Jokic, Embiid and Luka.
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
My thought is that the international game is coming up with the American game coming down, but my perspective of the American game is likely influenced by being an old man. I think the skill of the players is at an all-time high but the style of play (no defense; iso basketball; etc.) has taken a step backwards.
OldSoulon
Well-known member
Trump, too.It's all Kevin Love's fault.
Jalen Rose says US Basketball ‘scared to make all-Black team’ for Olympics
“Kevin Love is on the team because of tokenism.” ESPN host Jalen Rose is catching heat on social media after saying Kevin Love’s appearance on the Team USA Olympic roster was a form of “tokenism.” Rose made the comments during his “Jalen & Jacoby” show after reports that the US men’s...
Auggie
Well-known member
This is what you get when US pro players could care less about the Olympics. The old roll the ball out and everything will sort its self out mentality you see in the all star game is what the US players are thinking while the rest of the world is developing a team that is looking to win a medal. .
I will disagree with part of your post. Athleticism is at an all-time high, due to better training and nutrition leading to bigger, stronger faster bodies. Skill is not at an all time high, IMO. Post play fundamentals are gone. So is the mid range game. Everyone wants to dunk or shoot the three. The ball handling that seems so great would be impossible in the days before they allowed carrying the ball and multiple steps without calling a travel.
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
I can't disagree with that. I think they are more athletic and better conditioned than ever but certainly some skills and fundamentals have dropped off in the modern game.
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nwwarrior09
Well-known member
There is a lot of truth to this. The way the international/FIBA game is played and officiated from a physicality standpoint is like the NBA of the 80s through the early 2000s.
It a grown man's game and USA basketball inexplicably created a roster that's almost entirely all guards and finesse front-court players without any bangers in the paint. This is up there (or worse) than the dud team in 2004 that was void of quality perimeter shooting and mobile bigger guys as the international game shifted towards spacing the floor and shooting a ton of 3s well before the NBA adjusted to that.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
All of that is by design IMO. It's a very different game than it was 20-30 years ago. Few to none value post play or the mid-range game at the highest levels of basketball anymore, even abroad. Almost all of the better foreign post players are guys that don't play under the basket offensively and are instead more skilled in the ball screen game and as offensive facilitators themselves in space. The skills that are the most valued and in demand offensively have changed substantially.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
The flood gates started to open about 7-10 years after the Barcelona Olympics as you started to see foreign born stars like Dirk, the Gasols, Tony Parker, Ginobili, Yao, etc. start to trickle in to the league. The Dream Team's greatest success was globalizing the game and making basketball increasingly popular in parts of the world previously dominated by soccer.
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
Remember Oscar the Brazilian player? That guy could fill it up.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
He was mostly before my time, but he was certainly a legendary scorer that had an absurdly long career in Brazil and Europe. That guy was like 45 when he retired and he was the leading scorer in Brazil's pro league that season.
He might be the only nameable foreign player from the pre-Dream Team era that never played in the NBA.
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