Olympic basketball

[Tigermike 3,035]

Personally I think the US should send college players to the Olympic games. I think the college players would play harder and play more as a team.

What do you think.

Olympic Basketball / Puerto Rico gives Dream Team an alarming 92-73 wake-up call

By The Associated Press

Puerto Rico beat the United States 92-73 last night to hand the Dream Team its third Olympic defeat ever, and its first since profesionals have been allowed to play, in a game that was alarming for the Americans not only because of its significance but also because of its decisiveness.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/465056.html

[Weagle98 119]

I think the US should send NBA stars. If they don't all the other NBA stars playing for another country would overpower them, IMO. However it would be better to say that the NBA champ team should go to the olympics. How do you think the Pistons would do? Unfortunately there are so many players that play for for other countries in the olympics.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

I'd be willing to bet that if you took the defending national champs (UConn) with their coach, Jim Calhoun, they'd do a lot better and probably win gold. They had a great combination of outside shooting and inside play, great team chemistry and coaching, and are more accustomed to a half-court/zone defense kind of game. Our problem is not one of lack of talent. It's lack of teamwork and chemistry, not to mention desire.

[Tigermike 3,035]

If a college team went and was defeated there would then be the defense that they were truly armatures. As it is now, the NBA is not sending their best. Or their best is choosing not to go.

I think college players would benefit and would at the least play harder than the team the US sent this year.

[Guest AuNuma1]

I'm kind of glad that the US team is getting embarrased right now...kind of puts them in their place if you will. Eventhough they make millions playing basketball, they know they aren't the best in the world. It also makes you question the NBA finals with their "World Championship"...how exactly is that a "world" championship?

But yeah, I'd be in favor of sending the amateures instead of the pros.

[tiger88 934]

Come on numa, tell me you really don't believe that.

Our bb is unquestionably #1 in the world. These guys started playing together approximately last week while the majority of other teams have spent YEARS playing together.

On top of that this is our b team and everyone elses A teams.

[Tigermike 3,035]

Come on numa, tell me you really don't believe that.

Our bb is unquestionably #1 in the world. These guys started playing together approximately last week while the majority of other teams have spent YEARS playing together.

On top of that this is our b team and everyone elses A teams.

Why is our A team not there?

[Weagle98 119]

Come on numa, tell me you really don't believe that.

Our bb is unquestionably #1 in the world. These guys started playing together approximately last week while the majority of other teams have spent YEARS playing together.

On top of that this is our b team and everyone elses A teams.

Why is our A team not there?

The A team is all about number 1.

[autigger 0]

Come on numa, tell me you really don't believe that.

Our bb is unquestionably #1 in the world. These guys started playing together approximately last week while the majority of other teams have spent YEARS playing together.

On top of that this is our b team and everyone elses A teams.

Why is our A team not there?

The A team is all about number 1.

The B team is too why do you think they are losing????? Our guys are playing to make themself look good. Our opponents are playing to make their team and country look good. Too much selfishness on this team...

[tiger88 934]

Come on numa, tell me you really don't believe that.

Our bb is unquestionably #1 in the world. These guys started playing together approximately last week while the majority of other teams have spent YEARS playing together.

On top of that this is our b team and everyone elses A teams.

Why is our A team not there?

Just about the entire a team backed out. Most were just too big a pu$$ie$ to go citing security concerns or some other bs. Kobe has his legal issues.

I think it's really about being lazy too. Shaq and many of the others already have gold medals so they don't give a rats rear about the US now that they have their medal.

[BamaGrad03 0]

It all boils down to the fact that the olympics doesnt mean anything for these whining crybabies. Theyd rather kick it with their 'boys' and show of the house for MTV cribs during the offseason than represent their COUNTRY in the biggest sporting arena on the planet.

When you name Allen Freaking Iverson your team captain...you got more than an image problem. These guys dont want to do anything but dunk and shoot threes.

I bet ya if we paid them 5 million a piece for a gold...theyd all want to go.

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

Here's how much they care about the "TEAM", in a postgame interview, Carmelo Anthony was asked (or axed for those who only speak ebonics) by a reporter what happened to cause such a one sided loss; he actually replied as follows.... "don't ask me I wasn't even on the floor". This statement referring to the fact that he only played a little over 3 minutes, and strongly implying that the results would have been different had he been on the floor. I for one say bring them home now, and avoid any future embarrassment, and teach these idiots a lesson.

THESE GUYS ARE TRUELY AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CCTAU 3,327]

Come on numa, tell me you really don't believe that.

Our bb is unquestionably #1 in the world. These guys started playing together approximately last week while the majority of other teams have spent YEARS playing together.

On top of that this is our b team and everyone elses A teams.

I believe in this situation that you have truly hit on the main cause. Basketball teams must have some kind of chemistry in order to play well against tough competition. Make no mistake, the competition is years ahead of where it was in 92. In 92, the talent level of the US was just sooooo much better. That demonstration kicked off a world revival in basketball.

But I still don't see how they have different rules. That's like having NASCAR Europe and driving around clockwise.

[tiger88 934]

Here's how much they care about the "TEAM", in a postgame interview, Carmelo Anthony was asked (or axed for those who only speak ebonics) by a reporter what happened to cause such a one sided loss; he actually replied as follows.... "don't ask me I wasn't even on the floor". This statement referring to the fact that he only played a little over 3 minutes, and strongly implying that the results would have been different had he been on the floor. I for one say bring them home now, and avoid any future embarrassment, and teach these idiots a lesson.

THESE GUYS ARE TRUELY AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whats wrong with that statement. The guy is p.o.'d because he didn't get a shot. if he wasn't on the floor he didn't have a feel for what went wrong. Alot of people were saying he shoulda been in more because he can shoot the outside shot.

No big deal, I just don't see anything wrong with that statement.

[AUesquire 1]

I think the best solution I've heard discussed is to have your international team named year round, whether it's all professional, a combination of college and pro, etc. Gear your talent to the international game and have them play and practice some in the summer and other off times to keep them all on the same page.

Another issue is coaching. The style of basketball is very different internationally and it would be to our benefit to have coaches on staff that are familiar with that style of play. I think Utah has a staff that has coached internationally. The NBA is all about dunking and showtime and drafting kids right out of high school(8 in the first round) that will put fannies in the stands. We can no longer high fly over everyone else and they actually have a plan to defend us. Our talent is still better athletically, so we need to put guys on the team that can match up in the international game. Players that can actually defend, who can play against a zone, and can shoot something besides a slam dunk.

[tiger88 934]

Well they lost one they shoulda won to lithuania. they have improved tremendously since the 1st game. It is far from a lock, but I can definitely see this team winning the gold. They SHOULD get better every game. They are just getting used to playing together.

It seemed like they let up a little in the 2nd half and no "dream team" can afford to do this anymore. The other countries aren't as good as the U.S.,but they are getting much closer in quality than when the U.S. pro's entered the olympics. Couple that with a team that was put together immediately beforethe olympics with very little practice time, and you have this olympics so far.

I have to ask one question. How in the world do you put together any kind of international bball team without a single true outside shooter? I would gladly sacrifice two athletes for two slow moving shooters in this tournament. The line is shorter than the nba line. Surely there was one or two guys in the nba or college who would have went if asked that can really shoot a good 3.