Howard really got untracked today. It seemed like it was almost easier in a way for him to go up against guys he was used to seeing like Dirk & Kaman than going up against unfamiliar players despite the fact that Dirk & Kaman might be the best big-man lineup in the tourney outside of the US.
The don'y play Australia for a while yet. The team that finishes first in group A plays the team that finishes fourth in group B. Team USA is first in there group of Australia either third or second, after they beat Russia and Lithuania today. Also if Australia' centers continue to shoot so well form long range, I thin USA might have there hands full. Bogut and Anstey shoot 6/6 from the three point line.
Agreed. I'm not concerned until the semis. I was disappointed by Germany's effort. They had no chance to win but they didn't even try hard. That may have been their last Olympic basketball game in quite some time and it was shameful. You may as well go out fighting hard and leave it all on the court. It isn't like they needed to save energy for the next game since they are done.
Perfect timing with Australia & Bogut coming for Howard to have his Olympics breakout game. Total domination. I actually kind of felt bad for Dirk the same way I did for Yao. Both players are clearly better than the box scores indicate. Both teams just had no prayer of competing with Team USA as a whole so it didn't matter if Yao or Dirk went nuts.
the german team was still down because of the stupid loss vs. china. after that game dirk announced that this probably was it for him in the german national team. and because kaman only wants to play for germany if dirk plays that means that germany now is done as one of the better teams in the world. that's probably in the heads of the players now and that's why they didn't give their best effort. so the coaches let some of the younger players like tim ohlbrecht (who maybe has borderline nba potential) get some experience against competition they won't face again in the near future.
/\ Germany can still hope for Donte Greene and Herbert Hill (drafted last year but has now signed for a euro team)
while it shouldn't matter if we keep playing like this, what kind of crappy draw did team USA get? we have to play australia, the team that has played us best this summer (w/o bogut although team USA wasn't really trying), a team that can hit 3's and has a big guy and some D, then we get greece/argentina in the semi's if we win. meanwhile, spain gets croatia, china, and lithuania (a team we beat by 36 in the pre-olympic games). they should cruise. man, after being so impressive in these 5 games, especially the last 3, it'll be so devastating if we don't get gold. there just shouldn't be a way that teams you beat by 23 and 37 should be able to beat you the next time you play, but you never know. i really hope greece beats argentina b/c ginobili scares me more than anyone in this tourney. he won't be fazed by our pressure and he knows hot to come up big, and they still have a lot of talent, even if they've struggled. greece and spain's more conventional, less 3 point shooting styles are good for our defense.
yeah, somebody should tell donte about it. but germany isn't just done because dirk and kaman don't want to play anymore. most of our best players are in their 30s as well. we don't have too many young talents that will be able to play on a high level internationally right now. maybe the 2012 olympics might be a goal. dirk and kaman can take a break from the national team until then and let the younger players get some experience. and maybe within those 4 years there will be some new talents as well.
Don't sweat it. Australia has absolutely no chance against us on Wednesday. In the semis, we obviously have to play a good team like Argentina unless they blow it against Greece. If Team USA keeps playing defense like they are, nobody will beat them.
USA have an easy finals draw. They avoid Argentina and Lithuania in the quarters and semis. IMO those are USA's top two challengers.
Team USA beatable. I'm not a TEM USA hater. If Australia doens't win, I want you guys to win, because I hate the way the European players play. Everyone on our team can shoot the open three. Do you feel comfortable with Howard or Bosh following Anstey at the top of the key, away form the paint? Good thing TEAM USA doesn't have the walkover mentatlity its fans do. That mentatlity is the reason you got Bronze four years ago.
Lithuanian and Argentina are only antagonists for USA,but silver is their best finally,because ripe LBJ is too powerful.
