Watching this team for the first time, wow they are not good. This couldn't of been the best we could of assembled.
USA basketball
- Thread starter BBG
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Surprised but not shocked.....I actually agree with some of Barkley's criticism, which focused on too many one-on-one type offensive threats (though very talented).
Agree about Lebron and Westbrook....with those two on the team, a loss would be much more of an upset even with the NBA players on other foreign teams.
Personally, I don't enjoy Olympic basketball nearly as much anymore.....the "Dream Team" ('92, '96) was unique, but once all/most of the professionals started playing.....it's become a different type of event to me. I get why USA Basketball "unleashed the hounds" after the 1988 debacle to the Soviet Union (which was basically a professional team). The genie is out of the bottle so-to-speak, but I'd love to see this back as an amateur event.......meaning the other nations would have to do the same......and that isn't happening.
Also, although I respect all of their commitments to play for the USA team.....I found it interesting that Jordan made mention of the fact that a gold medal meant more him and was more difficult than an NBA championship. Carmelo Anthony had a different take, but sort of implied that he was ok with his career with gold medals.....
It is a unique opportunity, regardless.
You don't enjoy it now that it's actually competitive?
I think the roster makeup is fine. With green and Thompson you have a defensive guru and zone buster. George and Jordan aren't isolation players. I can't rip Kyrie or Carmelo for being ball dominant with how they've carried us so far.
I mostly think it's something to complain about. Like I said, it'd be different if the 3 best players in the world didn't opt out.
I think the roster makeup is fine. With green and Thompson you have a defensive guru and zone buster. George and Jordan aren't isolation players. I can't rip Kyrie or Carmelo for being ball dominant with how they've carried us so far.
I mostly think it's something to complain about. Like I said, it'd be different if the 3 best players in the world didn't opt out.
I admit that my "national pride" got the better of me when I originally posted this. At that time I was afraid we wouldn't win the gold and still am because it seems like it takes a bit for this team to get going.
But like you said, things would be different most likley if LeBron and curry were playing.
Having competitive games is better, but I just preferred it when no NBA players played.....that's just me......a minority opinion I know. The advent of international professional players and leagues changed the landscape of who would play, I realize that.
I find myself enjoying the play of our opponents. The actually pass and cut, P&R, block out......you know....play real basketball.
Professional basketball, for the most part, is ugly in the USA. Great athletes that have forgotten how the game is played.
I don't know that I "hope" that they lose, but, I would not be shocked...nor incredibly disappointed...if it were to happen.
The sense of entitlement that they have collectively...the refusal to listen to their coach(es)...the selfish play...their "style" of play opposed to the international style...all things that play in to why they are not easy to love and root for.
I can not help it and have to add a rhetorical comment. You mention they don't listen to their coaches. I had the same impression. But I also think some fault lies with the head coach. He has not adjusted. He has kept his mouth shut, but I think this is a tremendously humbling experience for him. I think he is the wrong coach for this team at this time with this group of players. As I said this is rhetorical, but I am sure some of you will "correct" me on this.
I don't know why it isn't happening to the same degree with the men, but it is really impressive how cohesive the women's team is. They look like a team, rather than an all-star team.
A couple of reasons, at least in my mind.
First, unlike the men, the women's game is not solely based on athleticism and playing above the rim (or trying to)...it is much more of a fundamental game (and similar to international style of play), and in that they have more athleticism than their competition and play the same style, opposed to the men who simply rely on their athleticism, they USA Women are simply the best team...most talented, unselfish and know how to play against international competition (and more so in that so many of them play with and against their competition on a regular basis).
In addition, many of the players have previously played for Geno, so he knows them and they know him (and how he is, what he expects and how he coaches)...much easier in that case opposed to Coach K's where I don't know if there is anyone that played for him (maybe Irving in a very limited instance).
Finally, the USA Women do not have that same sense of entitlement that plague their male counterparts...they are constantly trying to promote their game...and, they legitimately see it as the greatest honor to play for Team USA and pursue winning a gold medal...that is not the case for the USA Men.
I don't disagree in that it likely is a bit humbling (and no doubt frustrating) for Coach K...that said, there are a handful of characters on that team that don't listen to their respective coach anyway for the team that they play on, and would not listen regardless of who the coach was for Team USA...so while humbling (and frustrating and disappointing certainly), I think it says far more about the players than it does the coach(es).
It was touched on above already, and is true...if the legitimate best players were playing, the team is much better...their is some genuine leadership...and things look a lot different from what they have.
It was touched on above already, and is true...if the legitimate best players were playing, the team is much better...their is some genuine leadership...and things look a lot different from what they have.
I just want to spend a weekend on the ship the NBA players are staying on (tic).
I really don't care about Olympic basketball and haven't since right after the original dream team. Same for golf and tennis. Can't really accept them as Olympic sports. Just me, but I really don't care to watch sports that I can watch any other time.
I really don't care about Olympic basketball and haven't since right after the original dream team. Same for golf and tennis. Can't really accept them as Olympic sports. Just me, but I really don't care to watch sports that I can watch any other time.
The USA sent their b team and I we're still easily going to win gold. I really like watching Olympic basketball and hope it doesn't change. Sounds like a lot of old geezers in here who want it played the way it was "back in my day".
That's right Johnny.....in my day, they didn't just hand you a fancy schmancy medal......they threw a hunk of gold, silver, or bronze at you, and you had to forge your own medal.....just like the elves did.....and it was hot......damn hot......so hot you burned your hands......and there you were wearing a gold medal with a steel chain with all blistered hands.......
and.....we liked it!
That's right Johnny.....in my day, they didn't just hand you a fancy schmancy medal......they threw a hunk of gold, silver, or bronze at you, and you had to forge your own medal.....just like the elves did.....and it was hot......damn hot......so hot you burned your hands......and there you were wearing a gold medal with a steel chain with all blistered hands.......
and.....we liked it!
You forgot "GET OFF MY LAWN"!!!!....
The main reason the women are dominating is because
1. the rest of the world hasn't caught up yet to us in many female sports.
2. The best WNBA players agreed to pay.
Very little to do with any other grand theories trying to explain away the problems with NBA, men, or Olympic basketball.
I agree with your main two points, but give the women credit for playing great team basketball.
I think the "team" aspect helps, but I agree those two points are the main reason for the dominance.
Separately, though, the women are just better at playing the team/fundamental style. That doesn't make it better, more entertaining, or preferable (although some may prefer it), or that the men can't/won't do it......but like BDaddy, give em some credit for being disciplined to the team game.
The men finally figured it out. Once they started really playing team ball, it was over.
Yeah, second/third quarter blitz. Also, Durant made sure he was going to be a factor on offense.
I simply do not care. I haven't watched a second of the Olympics. I have actively avoided it. It panders to cheap national pride in people to pay attention to things they'd ordinarily never even watch so privileged, spoiled punks like those swimmers can spend their lives working towards something that shouldn't mean that much. But morons watch so it does. Don't be a moron. Don't watch.
Some are spoiled. Most bust their asses! Don't watch if you don't want but don't be a jackass and tell us what to do.
Don't disregard that many of these women who play in the WNBA also play in international leagues as well. They are much more familiar with the international game than NBA players are.
What if I like to watch though?
These are the most dedicated athletes in the world. As evidenced by the fact most aren't rolling in money during their years and years of training.
I think you just like being a contrarian a bit too much. It comes off very poorly.
Wouldn't the moron be the person who generalizes everyone who watches the Olympics as morons?
How can they afford to dedicate themselves to training full time to be world-class at whatever it is they do? My guess that most, not all, come from privileged families where their parents could afford to give them that type of lifestyle where they could train as a career. Nothing wrong with that. It's just not anything I find worthy of celebration and I refuse to give it my attention.
That's fine, but that's a much more level headed post than you had earlier. When I refuse to give things my attention, I LITERALLY refuse to give them my attention. Not post repeatedly on websites how others should not pay attention, and if they do, then they are morons.
To each their own. It's not like I came to the Purdue board to read Olympic discussion. Just so happened to be here so I decided to impart my wisdom and attempt to make the world a better place. If I can convince even one person to watch even a little less of the Olympics then it will have been 100% success.
You may want to do a little reading on Simone Briles before you accuse people of privelege!
Her story is one of struggle and ended with the top of the mountain due to hard work, a strong work ethic and athletic ability.
Also.....although there is a tendency these days to over-emphasize the most recent accomplishments....and the commentators feed in to that somewhat........ Simone Biles still provided one of the best individual gymnast performances in Olympic history (and that includes Nadia Comaneci), winning gold medal for team, individual all-around, vault, and floor exercise, with bronze for the balance beam......and some of the highest degree-of-difficulty in her routines among all competitors. Her floor exercise routines during the competition were spectacular by most accounts.
It is what it is. I've seen it evolve from when our college players were dominant to where every other country was using 30 year old pros. Now Badmitton where that Chineese guy had multiple tats looking all badass with his smacking and delivery of the shuttlecock...that was some riveting sports television.
If you actually read I said not all of them but many. I can see you're one of the suckers that feed right into the NBC dramatization of the events though.
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