So guys... How much crap is Harden currently getting from the other players for getting shook that bad?
The dribbler pushed his foot. He's got a legit excuse. International competition has improved a lot. Nigeria couldn't even field a team back then. If this team's margin of victory is the closest to the 92 team, that's huge for their side of the argument, considering the improvement in competition.
No, this game today only proves Nigeria has come a long away but still has a long way to go. Margin of victory and better competition only answers who had a better run throughout their respective Olympics, both teams are/were expected to win big. Who's the better team still has to be answered, and matching up player for player has to be entered into the equation.
I can agree with entering it, but in that case everything should matter, including what they did today. They completely shattered records and something like that doesn't happen without great chemistry, leadership and talent.
Something negative has happened to Nigeria's team the last couple of weeks. In the qualifying tournament in early July, they beat Lithuania & Greece, played Russia close and beat the Dominican Republic to earn a berth. It looked like they were coming together at just the right time and were capable of playing under enough control to compete with the good teams. I didn't even see the game today but after barely beating sorry Tunisia, the wheels came off against Lithuania. It was hard to watch. They've completely lost their edge. Of course Nigeria had no chance at a medal, but this is disappointing.
Dude are you Harden's mum? Seriously stop making excuses for him. He got shook. It happens in Basketball. I doubt Harden is making excuses to his teammates about it. It happens. He got shook. Ankle got broke. Etcetera etc.
Nothing negative happened to them in the past few weeks. They were never good enough to beat Lithuania twice. Keep in mind this is a Nigerian team that in all honesty doesn't have as solid a squad called in for the Olympics as they could have put together.(Agents, team-insurance stuff, player ego's, etc) If you didn't see the game today all you need to know is that it was the perfect storm for a thrashing on a basketball court. As Doug Collin so eloquently put it, Nigeria plays pickup basketball out there. Barely run any sets and perimeter defending is awful. The U.S. came in looking to get it's shooting form back on point and with a few made 3's, the rim looked like a soccer goalpost to the U.S. players. Nigeria didn't help themselves-unforced turnovers were akin to a soccer team playing Spain and getting sloppy with the ball. It was a disaster. Regardless, those following the Nigerian team knew the only game that would be won most likely would be the Tunisia game. Tunisia aren't a better team than Nigeria (despite the point differential in their loss to the USA and in Nigeria's loss to the USA).
The dribbler tries to fake him right and harden falls going left, yeah the dribbler got him It is what it is. I'm sure Harden couldn't care less either way, but i'm not going to gush over a play that wasn't.
Guy dribbles right. Harden goes right. Guy pulls back. Harden tries to follow and falls. It's a clear ankle breaking. I dunno what else you wanna see. You don't just fall when you're guarding someone. Did he slip a little? Probably. But to see the pull back wasn't part of it is ridiculous.
the guy dribbles hard right and harden goes right, the guy is going forward, about to pull back, but harden steps up first, Then the guy pulls back. Harden never opened up his stance to go right in response to the pull back move. He was already going forward, probably to try and reach in. There was some contact, since they were going towards each other, and Harden slipped. Here's some stills rodman23 uploaded earlier: Look at harden's left leg. He never opens up to follow the fake. His stance is actually closing as the guy does the pull back move. They get in each other's way and Harden slips trying to adjust to that, not the pull back move.
I didn't know ankle breaking was this technical, lol... An ankle break is an ankle break, pure and simple and let's move the FFFFFoooock on!!!!!
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The most important topic in Olympic basketball right now, is Harden getting his ankles broken? That's really sad.
