Okay, I finally found a boxscore! http://www.basketball-bund.de/dbb/pages/teams/herren_a/D-USA.html Nowitzki with 32 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks...not too bad, considering the fact that the US team could really focus their whole defense on him!
I'm not calling them the Dream Team anymore. That term should reserved for 1992 (and possibly 1996 which had 9 legit HOFs). They are simply Team USA. The cakewalk is over. Now it's time to go to work.
I think Femerling wouldn't be the most horrible solution at backup center for the Rockets...but he is one of those cases where they are probably better off just staying in Europe and starting here... Okulaja is a decent swingman who played quite successfully at UNC, I think. Steffen Hamann is a young guard who has the ability to hit clutch shots. I think all these three guys could be borderline NBA backup guys, not more than that...
Some of these international refs are either partially blind or have already decided to make a certain call before it happens. Many of the calls were very questionable, both ways.
damn damn damn crazy game too bad it was only exhibition...but damn one hell of an exhibition game, wat was up with stephon? it shoudnt have even been that close, bad chemisty, carmelo came up big.
o n btw, i love watching international ball, and all the german and italian tteams, because thats how basketball is suppose to be played, unlike now days in the us, where alot of players rely on their athleticism, worry abt cross overs, and mad hops, thats fine and all, but look which team won, the italian team. Eurpean players aint blessed with the genes of us americans, so imagine, if we combine our game with their game, get the best of both worlds, whoever can master that, is what you call a true allstar.
really? being tall and mobile like nowitki or peja or many of their big men over there isn't blessed? being great shooters isn't blessed (anyone who thinks they shoot better because they practice and doesn't think it's a natural skill set is kidding themselves). just because they don't have the same athleticism gene doesn't mean they don't have other advantages. maybe all these 7 footers we keep hearing about in china isn't genes either. maybe they grow so tall because they play the game the right way.
SJC, At least the host nation gets an automatic bid at the next world cup. We will get you this time. DD
a majority of US hoop fans, press and players suffer from the same sort hubris found in England and Italy(when it comes to soccer). They all (US hoops,English and Italian soccer) think their s**t smells better than everyone else's. US hoops will probably mirror both countries in the respect that they have lots of promise and hype,but end up crashing when it counts. Lord I hope not. They haven't lost yet!!!
I wouldn't say that at all. International play emphasises perimeter shooting over lowpost play. Italy was launching 3s like there was no tommorow. In fact I remember a couple of times when they got an offensive rebound and instead of going up for a layup, they kicked it out for a three ball. I don't consider relying on the homerun ball to be necessarily "how basketball is suppose to be played". I think the attraction comes from the fact that they are less talented than Team USA and would be considered the underdogs. Nobody roots for Goliath, unless you're a Goliathan. If that makes any sense.
I actually watched the USA/Germany game, and I have to say that if THAT is basketball, I'm not the biggest fan of it. I'm starting to understand a little better what a lot of posters have been saying--there's no point in having the most athletic guys in the world if you're playing in a system and under rules where you can't use that athleticism. Watching the game today, it was kind of sad how Germany just went to Nowitzki on every play. I mean, yes, he's your best player, but I don't know--pretty boring ball, IMO. If it wasn't a long perimter shot, it was give the ball to Nowitzki and hope something good happens. Sadly, for the States, we can't figure out a zone and we end up shooting jumpers with players who can't shoot jumpers. The US has GOT to change the way they're playing and make opponents adapt to OUR way of basketball. More exciting than the NBA? I'd have to say yes, if by exciting you mean more competitive. More entertaining than the NBA? Well, that's for everyone to decide personally, but this international rules basketball doesn't appeal to me. Give me the good ol' NBA any day. We get the three-point shootout once a year at the All-Star game, I don't need it to be the main focus point of every other game.
I guess you have to do that when you really only have one very good player...like the Rockets used to do it when they had Hakeem... With regards to Nowitzki, I think it does speak volumes about how good he really is if he can get 32/12 against Duncan, Marion, Boozer, etc...they KNEW he was going to shoot it all the time because there were no other options and could STILL not stop him. Damn, how I wish Dirk could be on the Rockets .
Lets not forget that the threepoint line is much closer in the international game and because of this there is much less spacing. The closer the threepoint line, the less spacing, and easier it is to zone up and collapse to take away an individual players strength. The goal for these guys is to get you to hoist up baby threepointers all game and the makeup of this USA team is not made for that. The international game is nothing more than an outside shooting contest. Any jack and harry with enough practice can run off a pick and shoot baby threepointers all day, thats why the NBA has the threepoint line moved back at a more manly distance so that type of thing can't happen.
a lot of 3's made in these games are from way behind the arc. They would have been 3's in NBA too. You can spin it however you want, but NBA emphasis too much on athletism, too little on shooting the ball well. They need to shoot the ball better.
And the international game puts too much emphasis on zone defenses and perimeter shooting. They're different, and I wouldn't say that either way is "better" or is played the way it "should be".
then why don't the american players do it? The USA knew that the line would be a bit closer, it is not like the fiba put the line closer to the basket, and asked everybody not to telll the americans. The 3 pt line has been there for years in international basketbal. If it is so easy just shooting "baby"threepointers then i want the usa do it. Why did the usa didn't bring any good shooters?? The usa is the best country in the world. I still think it. But they should beat Italy. and not get humiliated by them. italy ldidn't win of Holland i heard (not sure if it is true i thought SJC said it yesterday). But then it is really pathetic if there is one thing holland cannot do it is playing basketbal. If the usa doesn't win the olympics then i think they cannot say they are the best in the world. They should play harder and play with the best players. But if you do not win any of the last 2 big tournaments then you are not the best team in the world. Then even the excuse that your best players didn't play is not an good excuse any more.
