U.S. basketball team - ouch

[The Greatest]

several of the pistons were asked before they won (billups,rip,wallace) and said no thanks.

Let's say the Lakers win, O'neil says he's too old, Kobe has a trail. So those two don't go, now what?

There in lies the problem with selecting a team, cannot force players to go.

We just need to realize with out our top tier guys, we can be beat, other countries have gotten very good.

 

[Dial_tone]

Larry Brown & Allen Iverson couldn't win an NBA championship; why expect them to win a Gold medal? Iverson is The Problem...not The Answer.

 

[Dieharder]

Larry Brown & Allen Iverson couldn't win an NBA championship; why expect them to win a Gold medal? Iverson is The Problem...not The Answer.

that is a completely ludicrous comparison

 

[mylife]

I don't understand how the NBA Champions wouldn't have a chance to defend their NBA title. They're just going to another country for two weeks to play together and the next season doesn't even start another month. It wouldn't be like they were spending two weeks fishing and not practicing.

Whoever wins the title is already playing two months longer than most NBA teams. Maybe 20 extra games and 40 extra practices.

Since NBA ends in late June and practice begins again in October, they have 3 1/2 months of rest. You can typically expect at least 3 players to need this time to rest injuries.

If we sent the NBA champions, they'd only have a few weeks to recover before olympic practices begin. Yeah, the actual Olympic games only last two weeks but they have international exhibitions, scrimmages, and practices the 3 weeks before the games start.

All the travel, extra practices, and games are too taxing to withstand another 82 game schedule. They might be sharp for the 1st half of the season, but come playoff time they'll be mentally and physically drained.

I've also read nearly every Olympic players statistics have dropped remarkably in the latter half of the following season when compared to the previous.

 

[manny78]

im sick of hearing this shit. "i hope they lose" fucking bullshit from Americans. If you watched the game today you will see its not like they were a bunch of idiots not giving a shit about the game. how the hell can you expect to field a team that plays an entirely different style of basketball, throw them together, give them a month to prepare, and make them play international rules against teams used to it. PURE bullshit. We didnt send any shooters because half of the best players in the NBA turned down an invitation to play. WE taught Iverson and co. how to play the game of basketball, and thats exactly the way they are playing right now. Look at Tim Duncan, one of the most dominant players in basketball, hes been NOTHING in this tournament, because of international teams packing in a zone and making us shoot. There is no fucking way we should blame these players for not trying, not caring blah blah. Blame the committee who selected the team, blame those who decided they didnt want to play, and blame the American basketball game for the style of play we are seeing. OK my rant is over.

As far as I know, the 1992 Dream team was playing international rules too foe the first time and crushed every country on their way. Either the wrong players were sent or the NBA couldnt provide shit to play at the same level.

 

[big4life]

Go back to sending college players, and maybe young NBA players. I could find myself being interested in the outcome then, the way it is now I don't really care if they win.

 

[string_bean00]

I like the idea of sending the current NBA champions. Sure, they'd have the option to decline, but I doubt many would if their championship team is going.

 

[Dieharder]

As far as I know, the 1992 Dream team was playing international rules too foe the first time and crushed every country on their way. Either the wrong players were sent or the NBA couldnt provide shit to play at the same level.

yeah and the 1992 dream team was mostly future hall of famers who were still playing a brand of basketball, not streetball. Its all about culture i think in basketball more so than any other sport in America, how many members of this years team attended more than a year or two of college? How many grew up in the inner city practicing taking people one on one because this is what gets the respect from the crowd?

 

[ssmythe33]

mike miller, michael redd, ray allen, sam cassell, fred hoiberg, ron artest where are you? most of these guys can stick an open 20 footer. artest even plays defense. this was a case of poor scouting, preparation and execution. with a lineup that includes duncan, shaq, kobe, bibby and mcgrady along with a few of the guys named above the results would have been different. duncan is the only guy on this team who made first, second or third team all-nba. the and one athens run is over and it was lame.

 

[gjohnson5]

They need to go back to sending college kids with less ego involved.

Unfortunately , some college kids probably would have done better. I've played BBall all my life , and I would love to play for a gold medal

I'm far too fat now...