If you know who was still...the coach...we all know Mr. Scola would probably sitting near the end bench in favor of Hayes or old time Knicker.
Team's get progessively better if they keep the same squad. See US team 2004 Lebron, Melo and Wade. Also the first team you mention have three players with defense, second team only 1/3 can pay any at all. Lebron and Melo still don;t understand that concept.
Fair enough. All I know is I love your namesake and can't wait to see him play for the Rockets. And, even though the Argentinian team apparently wasn't having their best night, I thought they were very impressive. I wish they'd played with their missing players and I wish they'd given the US all-star squad all they had -- including playing Scola til he fouled out. I'd love it if international basketball was competitive enough for America to take it seriously. As it stands, it isn't. But the trend is good. And I think that if the trend continues American ball players will take international competition more seriously in time.
Pound for pound, player for player, the USA have the best, that is no issue. But basketball is a team game. It takes 5. And the bench. And coach. And heart and spirit. It takes lots of things. Heck, even the Cavaliers beat the Pistons. Unbelievable right? Don't forget... in any game, the ball is round. Unbeliveable things can happen.
In 2000 you almost lost to Lithuania in semis. Jasikevicious missed the last second three. Dominance at its best. The bbl world map has changed. Now USA is the favorite, but beatable.
Wade should stay at home, no range, no defense, above average passing, and slashing. Kinda repetitive. The US needs more bigs, Boozer would be a great choice. Right now they are too small.
That's what some just can't figure out....this is why USA has lost the last few tournaments...? This is why the Lakers can't beat the Suns? this is why teams like the Mavs and Suns can't beat the Spurs? This is why NE won three out of four Super Bowls... That team concept has to be their on both sides of the ball for four quarters...playing unselfishly and finding the right times to let their superstars/go to players take over.
My money is on France to win it. Just because it would be the biggest payout, that has a chance at all to win.
I love how you conveniently ignore the fact that I never mention anything about a 2004 victory over Spain. Hmm. As for defense, so far, the stats are doing the talking. If you think LeBron can't D-up, you are sorely mistaken. Melo, I'll give you that. And you also have to take into account that D-Wade is returning. I'd like to see the USA struggle with foreign guards. As for the Lithuania comment, you're right, that one game we only won by 3. However, we sure had no problem with any of the others, and if I am not mistaken, we took home the gold.
True. USA will be (kind of) beatable until they take international competition seriously enough to field their best team - the NBA Finals champs. But then, if that ever happens, international basketball will be a total joke. As it stands, you've got teams around the world training and practicing together year round, year after year, to play a squad of all-stars that never play together. And, every once in a while, you'll score an upset that way. Try that against a team of American basketball players and you'll never try it again.
Scola is such a nice pickup for the Rockets. But remember that the Spurs will be bringing Thiago Splitter in next year. The guy is young and a monster. That monster next to Duncan with Oberto and Mahini as backups. And Udoka as the understudy for Bowen. This is the year to dethrone the Spurs, because they will be better on the 2008-2009 season. Carlos - El que no es un Gaucho
Put Marion first somewhere; he's better than either Battier or Scola. It doesn't screw up their match-ups at all, it was their starting lineup almost all of last season and they had the 2nd best record in the league. Terry plays the point, Harris plays the off-guard. Don't switch up their positions just to make MJ look better. That he's even better than Harris is debatable. I don't know what you're trying to prove here. We have the talent to compete, that should be enough. Being more talented on paper didn't help the mavs against the warriors. Teams have to execute to be elite. The mavs, spurs, and suns have been doing it for a long time now. We haven't even started.
Have you watched Team USA in the FIBA Americas Tournament? They are playing excellent team basketball. Both offensively and defensively.
You won by 2, not three. And that shows that you are not unbeatable. And haven't won anything ever since. You are favorites to win the Gold in Beijing. But you are not the best until you make it happen. And in bbl anything can happen.
This is the year for the Spurs to hold their farewell tour, cause by 08-09 Yao's gonna make Duncan look like Pryzbilla.
