I don't like a team that loses it's last game automatically gets the silver, let them play for it like the consolation games. Congrats to Team USA and Kevin Durant named Tournament MVP, and boo for the Turkey fans for being sore losers during the US national anthem.
This team doesn't have much ego on it which is a great thing when it comes to a turnament like the world chamionship. Well deserved victory. Props to team USA and coach K.
Congrats to Team USA. They may have already proven they had the best players and the best athletes. Today and throughout this tournament they've proven, despite what anyone else thinks, they are the best TEAM.
Congrats to the US squad. I hope the same 12 guys play in the 2012 games. Also, anyone else thing Danny Granger should have gotten some more PT?
Kevin Durant and Granger play the same position, Kevin played like an MVP (as he was named), therefore Granger sat.
I hope so also. What I really like is they recognized their scorer in durant. When the us has these super teams, they all kinda want to take turns and do their thing. These young guys kinda defferred and spoted their scorer. I also like the versitility and mix. I've told people many times that the best players aren't always the best fit when you don't get extensive practice time.
I can't agree on taking all of these same guys to London in 2012. Some of them have no business being on the national team, especially Chandler & Granger. Billups will be too old (and his performance was in serious decline the last couple of games). Unless Rudy Gay improves a lot, leave him behind. KD is a definite. Rose and Westbrook probably belong. All of the other guys are very iffy. If KD hadn't played at a level above, this team would have crashed and burned.
I agree with your premise. I think the competition should be open for spots in London, but I don't agree that Tyson Chandler has no place on the team. He is a premier defensive center and with the FIBA rule about being able to touch the ball on the rim, he becomes even more valuable.
Chandler is sorry, despite your hypothetical points. The fact he was glued to the bench behind Lamar Odom proved it. He just isn't good enough. The guy is a huge liability on offense and his defense doesn't come close to making up for it.
If the Miami LeBosh Wade trio take their South Beach act to the Olympics, that might be enough natural chemistry already in place. Douchy as they are, tough to leave those guys out. For being one of the few true centers on the team, Chandler is replaceable. Dwight Howard, Lamarcus Aldridge, Amare Stoudamire, Brook Lopez, Kendrick Perkins, David Lee possibly, Greg Oden if he ever stays healthy, all of them are ahead or comparable to Chandler at center and they're already on the national roster. Heck if you're into the advanced stats, Kevin Love was SEVERELY UNDER-played. Through last week 7 games in, his rebounding rate was off the charts. 25 boards per 40 minutes He literally equaled all of Lamar Odom's totals in HALF the time. Though he averaged the LEAST minutes on the team Yes its a Kevin Love plug. I think he should be on the next team. http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=7336 Keepers for Olympics are: Durant Rose Westbrook Iguodala Love Curry (designated outside gunner) Though if the same exact team went to the Olympics I wouldnt mind. Every single guy on the team except Odom and Billups will be an improved player or the same.
It's never too early to look forward to what the USA starting line-up might look like for the Olympics. This is considering everyone is willing to play in the Olympics ofcourse. Except Kobe as I think he will be too old to participate. PG: D. Williams SG: D. Wade SF: K. Durant PF: L. James C: D. Howard That is scary good.
Like he wiped it with Linus Kleiza, going 5-16? The US has beaten Argentina something like 5 times in a row since losing to them in 2004, with none of the games really even being close. Argentina is the team that has given the NBA-era Team USA the most trouble, however, having won 2 out of 13 matchups. The bar for success is pretty high for the US.
this wouldn't make sense matchup-wise. the two teams in the Gold Medal game earned their way there by beating all the remaining teams.
I would tend to agree that Love was underplayed. It seemed that every time he was in the game, he was all over the boards. My guess is that Coach K felt the minutes he was getting was maximizing his output and that any more PT would give him diminished returns. Another thing to consider is that Love was nursing an injury during Team USA training camp and he may not have wanted to push him if he didn't have to.
it would also add games after the gold game, so yeah I realize the predicament. Just my opinion though.
