Reality check...

I'm going to reply before someone says this needs to be in another forum. I've been thinking about this since the first couple of Olympic bball games. I see all of your points, and I agree with them, but those points are not what I'm worried about.

I've always been a fan of Rudy T, and I've always stuck up for him. The players love and respect him, and I think he's been a "draw" for new talent, but even if we come away with the gold, people are going to question the fact that we've come so close to giving it all up. Someone has to be blamed when you have all that talent at your disposal, and you almost choke.

Players want a coach they can get along with, but more than that, they want to win.

My question is this: Is new talent going to question possible moves to Houston if there is a perception that Rudy can't get it done?

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stop posting my damn signature

 

There's a lot of truth to this. Players are
coming out too soon, forgoing their learning
years in college. I can't blame them - money
talks! But then they have to learn how to
play the game as an NBA player.



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rudy can get it done this team hasnt been together for that long and I dont think we need to worry about RT so much in relation to the olympics vs. NBA..

Plain and simply these guy are not really trying because they dont want to get hurt..I cant blame them for that to be honest..

also these are not the best players out there No shaq, no duncan..etc...

I am not too worried about international play and the US dominating yet there will be a breakthrough team because they will always be worried about getting injured so naturally they will not try their hardest...one day one of these teams will breakthrough but it will be more a result of the NBAers losing it vs the internationals winning it...

in the end they still won screamingjet and i think thats all they were trying to do...at least it was interesting...you throw down some cash on the olympics and i guarantee they would try harder and they would beat lithunia 99 times out of a 100..there is such a thing as playing down to your competition i saw the russia game and clearly thats what was happening and i can assure you thats what happened with lithuania..

i have no problem saying that because I believe that...

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I think people are forgetting that we are the rockets...

WE DONT REBUILD...WE RELOAD....remember that..

 

Pole, I wouldn't worry about that and really don't understand why anyone would even think that. No one said anything about the coaching when the last dream team almost lost to Lithuania.

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Too often, we lose sight of life's simple pleasures.

Remember, when someone annoys you it takes 42 muscles in your face to frown, but it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and pimp-slap the mother****** upside the head!

 

You are right about many American players and the NBA sacrificing fundamentals and giving preferential treatment to the "stars" of the NBA. That is common knowledge and has been for years. I think however that the problem the current players have is that they are believing too much of their own press. They are young and really don't think that they can be beat and it shows in the lack of intensity when they play. It comes in spurts only when needed. They show a serious lack of respect for the other teams IMO. Add to that the fact that Rudy really doesn't seem to have a set rotation so it is has mainly been raw athleticism vs team play.

That aside I think the IOC would really like to see USA basketball lose. It won't happen or rather I would be really shocked if it did. USA basketball is still years ahead of the rest of the world, especially in talent. I would rather see a team of college players as the Olympic team. If the USA won the gold then it would be meaningful. Now it only really matters to the other national teams. There is nothing for the USA team to gain other than to avoid the embarassment of losing a game. Ultimately an NBA championship means more to the USA players than the olympic gold. It shouldn't be that way.

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What is going on in the NBA? We don't allow 3 defenders to camp out in the lane, we have a longer 3 point shot, and we try not to allow grabbing.

Come on, your points are meaningless. Payton and Kidd are the smartest players you are going to find anywhere, and Garnett can play any defense or offense you ask of him.

The gold medal...means nothing to your claim. Payton and Kidd see the game better than anyone. Technically/fundamentally sound can be taught. But it has nothing on sight and reflexes, which requires repetitive ball playing at high speed. You are way wrong about them not being basketball players. An upset means nothing to how well these guys know the game, and how well they can execute game plans because of having to play against fast athletes all their life.

Don't extrapolate a near upset into even thinking Payton, Garnett and Kidd don't know the game, or foreigners could execute better than them. Find a game you know, before you make such a ludicrous statement.

[This message has been edited by heypartner (edited September 29, 2000).]

 

Why will nobody admit the obvious?
Sure, this dream team is nothing in comparison to the original. And, yes, some fundamentals have disappeared. But has the quality of play in the NBA decreased at all. NO. What is the difference then. Its the quality of international players. BAsketball is still a growing sport worldwide and more and more countries have better players. Anyone else remember when Petrovic was one of the only good foreign NBA players. Now, every year, one or two of them take a top 20 draft spot and there are more playing in the NBA. Why is it such a given that the USA has to be sooo much better then the rest of the world and thus if we amost lose it must be our talent level that is decreasing and not everyone elses that is increasing.

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Remember.... You are not really drunk until you must hold on to the grass to keep from falling off the earth.

 

It's true that people are underestimating the talent level overseas. Dirk Nowitski and his band a merry high schoolers whooped up on Rashard Lewis, Al Harrington, and the rest of the top high school players in the country two years ago. So talent is obviously there.

Plus you can in no way discount the fact that these teams have played together for years, while the Dream Team practices for a few months. And also, there is always a new starting lineup and new combinations on the floor all the time, which doesn't help with the continuity.

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ScreamingRocketJet,
I previously lived in England, Korea, Japan and Spain so I know quite a lot about this countries not only in terms of culture but also basketball as well(By the way, I have also lived in America as well).

We must draw the clear line between shooting and fundamentals. There are many European players who can shoot but lacks court vision. Also if you notice, European plays very predictable and repetitive game. Most of the times, they just pass the ball around the arc and then throws middle range jumper. Now would you call that a good fundamental?
Not only that Luc Longley, who is a mediocre player at best in NBA, is abusing other big men in the post. First thing coach expects from the big men is positioning. Therefore by not being strong, competetive in the post, European centers have failed to play up to the fundamentals.


The reality is the NBA is a 'show'...and I love it as much as anyone...but man have you guys dropped off the fundamentals of the game in creating it as it stands now.

There are many exciting moves apart from Francis dunking over 7footers, Vince Carter flying all over the place and Allen Iverson showing off his cross over.
Besides, many so called shows are based on "Fundametals" as the the player must know how to dribble before advancing it upto crossover stage.
Many NBA players might not have gone through proper training, but they have learnt fundamentals from their own enviroment and by themselves.
Let's pressume there is a person who went to Harvard without going through high school. You wouldn't exactly call him for lacking 'Fundamentals' would you?




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Hack a Shaq you'll be winning
Hack-him you'll be dreaming.

 

You have a few good points but are missing some very basic ones also.

1. Shaq, Duncan, Grant Hill
2. Americans have spent less time getting acquainted to the guys they're playing with than most any other country
3. NBA guys are in pre-season shape and their jumpers aren't nearly as honed as they will be come playoff time


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"That's two years, Two rings, and I'm thinkin' about going for another one...YEAH!!" --S. Cassel

 

Alls I got to say after seeing this win is Vince Carter is a PUNK.

I cannot believe the arrogance of this guy. That interview after the game just shows that this guy has NO CLASS. He can't even acknowledge that the Lithuanians played a great game.

Otherwise, I did see a lot of hustle out of the Americans. You could tell they wanted to win and they fought hard.

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I am the thread killer

 

I'm totally with JayZ- the level of talent is getting higher worldwide. The first Dream Team was not only the most amazing team in basketball history, the attitude at that first "pros allowed to play" olympics was completely different. The european players would be just as happy to have an autograph from Jordan or Bird as to be scored on by them. They'll be telling their grandchildren: "Jordan dunked on me once! And he was really nice!"

The rest of the world has gotten very tired of the expectation on everyone's part that the Americans will completely dominate. There is no way that any of the teams played with the physicality and constant fouling with Dream Team number one as they are now. Every other team is going in to play very tough, very physical and make a point. No more of this hero worship crap. At-ti-tude. World records are broken every olympics. Every team now wants to be the first to make sports history.

But the most glaring point that must be emphasized is that these guys do not play well as a team. I firmly believe that you could take any of the NBA teams with the top 15 regular season records and they could challenge or even dominate the Dream Team. Why? They have played together all year, they have a system, they have a rhythm, they have a style. Dream Teamers are busy turning over the ball for the fourth time in a row while deciding whether or not to pass it a third time or just dunk the damn thing. Who goes to the All-Star game to see fundamentals? Nobody. And this is an All-Star team trying to play legit basketball. I think that whatever team wins the NBA championship the year of the olympics should be the olympic team. Come on- the Lakers, Portland, Indiana, Jazz, New York, all these guys would be eating international competition alive. They wouldn't be botching games like the Dream Teamers. They would have a very specific game plan, one they've always had, and would have 4th quarter-last-play scenarios, all that.

Jet, I really think the majority of lacking fundamentals you're seeing is lacking of team play.

 

Vince Carter did overact a little bit, toward the Italian, but as I thought about it later, I realised how many little things happen between players during a game which are not seen on camera. Who knows what that grease ball might have done to provoke Vince.

If the Aussies want to boo, then the hell with 'em. Do they not know their booing the greatest coach in the world? Now, who's the wankers?

Anyways, if Team USA loses it's Larry Browns fault, not Rudy T.'s.

ScreamingRocketJet, you are a true Wanker.



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[This message has been edited by ROCKETBOOSTER (edited September 29, 2000).]

 

Jet,

I'm not here to argue about why we could have done this or that...I'm here to say you are so wrong about the NBA not showing fundamentals of basketball.

I don't know what you are saying.

 

Oh,,, and to your comment

"Great athletes are now the key to an NBA team...not technically great players."

Explain to me how the San Antonio Spurs were not technically great players when they won it all in 1999.

You know nothing about this game mate.

you see Jet, I grew up in basketball country in the USA, where the game was invented. Your comments about technical fundamentals of basketball not being represented in the NBA are just not right. It is like me saying the USA soccer team is near winning the World Cup because of our showing in the Olympics. That Brazil is just all dribble and show. Please!

[This message has been edited by heypartner (edited September 29, 2000).]

 

I agree with Jay Z. It is the quality of international talent improving, not the decreasing of US talent. These days, even Indians play basketball. Vince Carter is a big punk for not acknowledging the good game that the Lithuanians played.

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