My expectations of the “ dream teams” has always been, we can send our ball boys there and we will still win the gold . We invented Basketball, they are just catching up to us OR our NBA superstars just don’t care much for international plays to get involved more often so the quality of the team drops.
Team makesup is huge: Jrue Holiday was freakin huge last Team USA run. Lillard sucked and was getting torched on defense and then Jrue came in locked down guys on the perimeter and played like a true point guard settling the offense down. Holiday obviously a very good player but he's not normally a guy you think of as a superstar.
tough list, right? i forgot mobley--he's not ready yet but i think could be the next big thing. i actually don't like mitchell robinson for international competition. i intentionally named carter because lack of footspeed isn't as big a deal in the international game, imo. i've wondered what would happen if tim duncan was a senior at wake forest in 2023. would he be the obvious #1 pick and generational talent? would teams have to adjust to him? or would he be sorta ok, like a smarter ayton or something? i honestly have no idea because i don't think i've seen anyone come out like him. could say the same for shaq--i suppose zion is maybe the closest of the modern comps there, and he can't stay on the floor long enough to support any theory. anyway, it is interesting that just going small doesn't work in the international game like it does in the nba. though i could (and have) argue that that's only a formula for moderate success. and to bring that back to the lakers, maybe AD is right that to beat everyone, you need to have another guy bigger than him who you trust to play. imo, the best version of the warriors featured bogut at center (yes, yes, i know the durant squad...but that wasn't a real thing, tbh). i'm rambling again.
Like I said during the exhibition games, it's an underwhelming roster for US. Size, defense, shot creation... And, forever, JJJ is a joke.
i've never been a huge JJJ fan. he's a theoretical superstar. annoys me to no end that the poor man's AD gets 10x the respect of actual AD.
Well the fat shaming might get forgiven if your background is brought into it. What’s mean and not acceptable now is suggesting he’s also NOT the sharpest tool in the shed.
The pendulum swings. After seeing what Jokic did to the league last year, Duncan would easily go number 1I nteresting wasn't Duncan underwhelming on Team USA? Going into the Olympics man I think they have to put the full court press to get AD back into the fold. Outside of him, you have what Ayton as the only true Center? That is depressing as AD is more like the Duncan PF/C mold
JJJ has been solid as a PF , he's not very good at C . Kerr could have tried him next to Kessler but he's obsessed with small ball ( watch him start CP3-Curry-Klay at the 3 next season ) . The roster was poorly constructed but it what it is you can't force players who don't want to play to play ... would be interesting to know if specialists such as Caruso , KCP and Looney were considered in the "recruiting process" though Kerr was poor in his lineups choices and should have changed his switching defense strategy after Lithuania badly exposed it . The team was lacking defenders and rebounders ( don't forget the good USA teams DID dominate opponents on the offensive glass too) and its best player can't playmake for others yet . Despite the lack of talent , Kerr was exposed , his team had too many poor starts and don't forget he wanted Ant to come off the bench !
Anyone else worrying about Brooks cheap shotting Reaves tomorrow? The HIM thing against his team in their 1st round exit and all.
Anyone that has regular cable or satellite channels .... do you see USA vs Canada in the slot prior to Germany vs Serbia? ESPN 2 typically, on DirecTV for me, but my record the series request for Team USA is only showing 5:30AM Pacific that title game and nothing in the slot leading up??
Good point about Looney: US could have really used him. Doesn't get backed down, excellent rebounder, bruising screens
Can’t find the game to record on DirecTV. Search says 1:30AM Pacific ESPN 2 but Sportcenter and football on. Crap
Brooks, the US killer? He gets the MVP chants mixed with boos, 32pts at the moment. Edwards is a ballhog, a big one at that. Big block on AR, this might be game Holy f***, what a play by Bridges
f***ing Brooks played best game of his career ,Kerr trying to lose game with his stupid small ball,but it's OT.And Reaves with 18 points .
