<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qDWTjuO_JGo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t84yDKB_SMg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I respect it. He's entertaining the people In Philly and doing a favor for Marcus Morris. Harden will have the respect of his peers and that may mean more to him than proving something to the media.
Team USA could send out a 23 and under squad and still win easily. I'd rather he spend time working out with his Rocket teammates.
Harden def. slimmed down in the off-season so far. Got some real good conditioning out there. Looks really healthy out there. Let's hope he looks like that physically once the season starts.
Some of those teams he's playing may be more talented than some of the national teams in the Olympics. Also there are a lot of athletes that chose not to go due to the risk involved. Brazil hasn't exactly had a smooth Olympics thus far. Some media outlets are already calling this Olympics the worst one yet due to the poor planning. Also don't judge. If you're saying that then one might ask you, why are you posting here when you could be fighting for our country or doing something more profound elsewhere? All I'm saying is to each his own.
Win easily? Maybe not since they will still be boys compared to the grown men. Add to the fact that the guys who are 18- 23 right now are a lot weaker compared to the guys who were 18-23 4 or 8 years ago. 18-23 year olds Victor Olapido-D'angelo Russell Rodney Hood-Devin Booker Harrison Barnes-Justise Winslow Jabari Parker-Tobias Harris Andre Drummond-Jahlil Okafor 18-23 year olds in 2012 Russell Westbrook-Stephen Curry (replacing Rose) James Harden-Paul George Kevin Durant-Kawhi Leonard Blake Griffin-Kevin Love Greg Monroe-Brook Lopez (if healthy?) 18-23 year olds in 2008 Chris Paul-Deron Williams Brandon Roy Lebron James Carmelo Anthony-Chris Bosh Dwight Howard-Al Jefferson 2008 to 2012 was probably the best for 18-23 year olds because the depth and a lot of those guys were already past their rookie seasons. Think about it. James and Monroe were the worse players in that starting line up. Harden ended up having 26/6/5 season with us and Moose put up 16/10 with Detroit. Add in to the fact that PG24 and K. Love were special players in Minny and Indiana. Brook, Kawhi, and Curry aren't bad reserves either because Brook was a legit 20-10 guy just with injury concerns. Steph has always been on pace with James only making the huge jump this past season, but same with injury concerns. Obviously Kawhi was the young one at 20 years of age and a coming off a solid rookie season, but he was still an athletic defensive guard. I don't think our 18-23 year olds of today could get us a Bronze medal. The 2008 squad would for sure get Silver or Bronze, but I don't see them beating Spain for Gold. Could happen, but it'd be hard. But the 2012 squad I can see them getting Gold with ease.
I respect your point but a few players you forgot Kat Kyrie Beal Smart Otto Crabbe So let me find a lineup now Kyrie/oladipo/smart Beal/hood Barnes/crabbe/tobias Davis/parker Drummond/kat I think this lineup could easily win gold. Kyrie likely doesn't play tho but even if you remove him for another guard I still see an easy win.
Kyrie is 24 so he doesn't make the under-23 criteria unfortunately. Towns is Dominican-American so I left him off because I don't know whether he'd choose to play the the DR or with the US. I'm assuming but I think he may have dual-citizenship. Or sit out all together since DR didn't make it. Actually, I really doubt he plays for team USA because he wasn't part of the 2016 select or 30 man selections for this year. I went with Smart originally for a back up guard spot, but I think Russell is a lot better than what he was allowed to be last season. I did miss Bradley Beal though so good job pointing him out. I thought about Crabbe and Otto, but I wanted to add our fellow Houstonian into the mix. Anthony Davis is recovering/healing so he chose to sit out this year's Olympics. I chose to do the same thing for him in our little hypothetical since other countries don't have some of their guys due to injuries or players sitting out. I don't believe winning gold is as easy as you may believe. 2004 Iverson, Allen 29 years old Marbury, Stephon 27 years old Wade, Dwyane 22 years old Boozer, Carlos 22 years old Anthony, Carmelo 20 years old James, LeBron 19 years old Marion, Shawn 26 years old Stoudemire, Amar'e 21 years old Duncan, Tim (C) 28 years old Odom, Lamar 24 years old Jefferson, Richard 24 years old This team won Bronze in Greece. Freaking Bronze. Saying that a team led by Anthony Davis (if healthy), Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, and Andre Drummond would win gold easily is just much too optimistic. A team led by Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Shawn Marion, and Richard Jefferson with LBJ, Wade, Melo, and STAT coming off as the new guys won not gold or silver.. but Bronze. First, we have to get to the idea that some of those guys just aren't at that level yet. Then you have to add in the fact that these are all guys 23 and younger who are still filling out their bodies. They would get pushed around by the old men who go to the Olympics. For the under-23 year olds Brazil and Spain are both tough. Argentina and Croatia are tough. Lithuania, Nigeria, and even Australia are tough. These teams even have some of their best players sitting out. Third, we have to mention that upsets do happen. Look at what happened to France the other day. 21 point ass whooping from Australia because they didn't come prepared and started off bad. You don't think that players who are under-23 won't have that same experience? Tony Parker, Rudy Gobert, Boris Diaw, and Nic Batum losing to Ingles, Bogut, Delly, and Mills? Because they came into the game undisciplined? You don't think 'Dipo, Barnes, Drummond, and Parker won't commit the same mistakes? I just don't think winning a gold medal is as easy as advertised if you're sending out 23-and-under year olds. To say we would win gold easily is total disrespect to the competition. Yeah, with the roster we really did send out Gold is easy. But with the hypothetical roster? We could win gold, but easily? Nah. I just don't see that type of confidence. Remember in London 2012 when people said that the roster we sent out would lose to Spain and get a Silver? That roster was so much better than this hypothetical roster. That roster got doubts. Why wouldn't this be the same?
Actually, just remembered: Bradley Beal chose to sit out the Olympics as well so he wouldn't be on the 23-and-younger roster as well. I could even say that Andre Drummond wouldn't be considered either because he also chose to sit out..
I definitely don't think that lineup could easily win gold especially when facing the better teams. you're severely underestimating the competition just because they're going against some higher tier talent right now. That roster above you posted is clearly notches below what usa is fielding right now and those games would be a lot closer than you may think.
I just have a hard time understanding how someone could take a pass on the Olympics. I admit that I enjoy the Olympic Games, and would love to participate. Last night I was watching the Olympic swimming competition, and in the audience was Durant and DeAndre Jordan. It looked like those guys were having the time of their lives. I'm just surprised when someone says no to the Olympics. And as far as risks involved to going to the Olympics, I think it is way overblown. It's not a big deal. I still like Harden, and he's free to choose to do what he wants to do.
Does Harden's team win every amateur trophy? I feel like every summer, he's always on the winning side. I guess he loves that feeling and he knows he will never win one in Houston so might as well enjoy getting paid to pad stats for his career averages and then join a contender later on to win rings. I think more and more players will start recognizing this as a better path for their legacy. Pad your stats on losing teams and get paid til you're 28-30 years old and then take pay cuts and join forces with other 28-30 year old superstars who did the same exact thing on losing teams.
Olympics are worthless garbage that prey on the false sense of pride in country. The players assume all the risks while FIBA rakes in all the money. Remember what happened to PG? Remember the disease going on in the area? Remember all the people that recently resigned or were indicted for various acts of corruption? Yeah... screw the Olympics.
the incident that happened with PG could have happened in any gym he plays off or in season. that was a freak accident and not at any fault of the olympics.
