OK, I was thiking about Yao, the Olympics, and how the rest of the world is catching up to the USA in basketball. I think the best way to find out is to have a USA vs World allstar game . So, it would look something like this. World Yao Dirk Gasol Peja AK47 Tony Parker Ginobili Nene USA Shaq Duncan KG Kobe TMac Kidd RipHamilton and whoever else I think that the world is a better team. So the answer is yes!!!! The world has caught up to the USA in basketball, surpassed the USA in the fundamentals of team basketball (shooting, passing, smart playing). However, just because the USA is more athletic, we would always be a threat.
eh? Shaq is better than Yao, Duncan is better than Dirk, KG is better than Gasol, Kobe is better than Peja, TMac is better than Kirilenko, and Kidd is better than Parker. Ginobli is probably better than Hamilton (though not other guys, like Iverson). In most of those cases, it's not even close.
well, depends on whether or not we're playing internation rules and style or american ball. Cuz Duncan would nulled by Nowitzki cuz of the 3pt line and the wider lanes. On top of that, International refs would foul out shaq and duncan before the 2nd quarter. Plus with the packed paint it kinda of nulls kobe's driving and ginobili is not a bad defender by any means.
I don't know...but if a game like this was part of the all-star festivities, then I guess they would play. It's much less effort than going to the Olympics.
I didn't like when the NHL did the whole USA vs. World, and I won't like it if the NBA does it. You have an Eastern Confrence and a Western Conference...it should be the best from the East vs. the best from the West. And would it kill guys to compete in the Slam Dunk contest?
I forgot which forum I read this in, but they were talking about a All-High School Team vs. All-Foreign Team: Lebron Kobe TMac Garnett M. Malone or JO vs. Nash Peja Dirk Duncan Yao Foreign team would shoot the lights out, but the high schoolers would run circles around the foreign team.
If playing under international rules and using international referees, the World team wins by double figures. If playing under NBA rules and the NBA referees blowing the whistle, the US team wins easily and beats out the international team on the FT line.
Not necessarily. The incentive for the "world" players to beat the US team while playing for a generic "world" team is a lot less than if they are playing for their respective national teams. You think Yao would bring the same fire to an all star game as part of the "world" as he did when he put China on his back to take them ot the medal round? I don't think so. When diagnosing the ills of the US in international play, people rarely take this into account. Look at the US' two games over Lithuania -- once hte novelty of beating the US wears off , like it did for Lithuania in the second game, they don't get up for the game as much and don't play as well.
