Greece (V-Span) vs. United States (Battier), 6:30 a.m, Friday, Sept. 1

I root for Greece this game but I think USA will head into finals.

Both played excellent press defense but USA gains the edge on the offensive end. I predict this will be a low score and close game.

I don't want to get into the "USA Team arrogance" debate here but I think the entire USA team did show respects to their opponents during this tournament, both on and off the court. However, if you believe USA Team could beat any team in this tournament simply because your players 'out-talent' other teams, you have to watch Spain and Argentina's games. And you have to realise that your team are playing under the international rules, not NBA's. Spain, in their game against Lithuania, has demonstrated to the world that world basketball has emerged into a new era. Their forms, their tactics and the power of a cohesive team just @ss-whopped Lithuania, the traditional European basketball powerhouse. Out of USA, the other three semi-finalists have also established significant superiority over the rest of the world. This is exciting and fun to watch.

I think USA will meet Spain in the finals.

 

lol you also consider anyone who says anything negative against a chinese to be racist.

so no one in america can be objective about another american? please give me more of your wisdom.

 

I don't know if English is your second language but if you reread my posts it clearly explains what you seem to have a problem understanding.

You see it is not about what I believe it's the new thought process that Team USA has and that's we have to play like a team and not individuals if we want to win. And if they do that they should win every game. That may sound arrogant but read Spanoulis's Blog he said the same thing more than once. VSPAN,"Greece is the better team if we play our game we should win or match against France". It doesn't mean team USA will win every game, anything can happen on any given night. But clearly Team USA is the most talented team in the tournament and if you don't agree with that than you know nothing about basketball.

This is not about nationalism, my country is better than your country. If Yao Ming, Nowitzki, Gasol, Diaw, Nash, Parker Etc. were on the same team playing against USA I would say they are just as talented if not more and should win. It doesn't mean they will the game is played on the court and not on paper.

Certainly there are other variables like how long a team has played together and how well they mesh together in terms of filling roles. But all things being equal the more talented team should and will win more times than not. I would even go on to say that if a team is significantly more talented than their opponent regardless of their time together or their meshing together they still could and should win most games. It's why the first Dream Team won all of their games by an average of 50+ points. They were just too superior and no matter that they didn't take practice so serious they were not going to lose. Let me be clear that is not what I think about this current Team USA. So while they are more talented than anyone else in this tournament they are not so far more talented that they can play without preparation and playing their game.

 

First of all, Old Man Rock, English is my second language so please bare with me if I cannot express myself well in my posts. But I do not believe I have misunderstood you from what you have written in you posts. What initiated my last post was this sentence:

I agree with you that USA players are still the most talented amongst other players in this tournament. What I disagree is individual talent (even as talented as your team players) is good enough to defeat other teams and win this WBC. Not after I witnessed the beauty and effectiveness of basketball team works from teams like Greece, Spain and Argentina. If you asked me this USA's team works are better than or as good as Spain and Argentina? Sorry I would have to say NO. If you asked me USA players' talent plus their current team works = guaranteed champion of this tournament? I might have said YES before the tournament but right now, I think Greece, Spain and Argentina do have a chance, even if their opponent is USA and USA players are in their best forms. This is just my opinion anyway.

You have brought this way too far, you can enjoy yourself discussing this topic in D&D but please leave me out of this.

You did mentioned that USA has to play like a team in order to win. I think we at least have some consensus here? Good luck to your team and enjoy the game.

 

to me arrogance is a negative characteristic, but that being said although we may have the most talent, we can on any given day lose to any team. ( as stated above.)

 

Oh but you have. Either your English comprehension is very poor or you are deliberately misinterpreting what I am saying. In case it is the former I will simplify it for you.

USA is the most talented team in the WC's and they are playing team basketball. Because of this they should win every game. It doesn't mean they will it only means they should.

That is my opinion. You don't have to agree with me but please don't respond anymore... I am not debating you and you are a free man hopefully living in a free country free to think however you please. Peace out Brother

 

Very very silly thing to say. You obviously have some issues.

"Obviously compucomp won't consider himself ignorant. As the old saying goes... "I am not ignorant, because ignorance is a flaw, and I am perfect."

 

Time correction: Game is at 2:30 in the AM, at least in Houston, Spain vs Argentina is the late game.

 

OK, that doesn't even make sense. If it went over your oblivious head, the saying I quoted is supposed to illustrate that in denying that one is arrogant, one demonstrated his arrogance. The change you made just makes the statement nonsensical, demonstrating your own ignorance.

 

you are correct, i checked on my DVR and it said 230, plus Time Warner's site said 230

 

are you really that blind? well we know the answer to that.

ok let's break it down....he is taking another negative trait and placing it into the quote you posted. "i am not (x negative thing), because (x negative thing) is a flaw. i am perfect." do you understand?

you deny your ignorance and act as if you are intelligent and always correct.

 

elton brand is a tough hardnosed player. one of my fav. non-rocket players. but he does occasionally say some dumb comments. such as "kaman is the best center right now (last season)". come on...Kaman!!!??? Yao can get Kaman like numbers with a broken foot bone, ingrown toe nail and playing 10 minutes a game. so im with you on E.B. comments.

 

i like the clippers
they have former rockets like mike dunleavy
and sam cassell
whom both shared the same number 10 when playing for the rockets
and lets not forget cuttino

 

Dude, that's enough trying to sound "proper" for you. Terrible effort.

On topic though, I don't think Team USA's cockiness is disputable or a problem. You've got a bunch of wildly successful multi-millionaires in their early twenties travelling around the world receiving a hero's welcome at every stop. It's only natural that they will be arrogant for a few years.

I don't know why you guys want to knock them for something so natural. I think people just want to find any flaw possible with Team USA.

 

if i were as rich and as good of a ball player as dwade, then all y'all need to bow down when i come to your town!

USA > every other country in the world

 

I just want to point out to you that I'm from Texas. I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm smarter then you(ohh noo's) so I won't use the big words when typing to you. Thats right man, instead of saying nonsensical I will just say "that makes no sense". Type so I can understand next time, it is a debate, so obvisoley you think your smarter, so since you obvisoley think your smarter you can argue with toned down words that I can understand since in your view im basically dumb and wouldnt be able to undertsand those big words. So why use them if you don't think I will be able to understand them?

Later

and if anyone ever came up to me and said nonsensical, I would hit them, and while they are lying on the ground I'll be all like "Yeh that made no sense did it, that was over the line, that was absurd"

and don't comeback at me with that smarty demeanor talking about how one hit wont throw someone to the ground because I'll have like pepper spray too, and be all like "Yeh that hurt? Now get on the ground or I'll spray you in the eyes, so I can say "Yeh that made no sense did it, that was over the line, that was absurd"


My whole post seems to be nonsensical

 

Here's an article I came across today. It's featured on the front of the website, which is nice to see.

http://www.hoopshype.com/interviews/spanoulis_sierra2.htm

VSpan sounds very intelligent with his answers. Not too confident, but not a pushover at all. Seems to have his priorities straight. Can't wait to see him play next season.

 

too bad its not a weekend game, or i'd stay up. But at least i can watch the replay friday late night.

 

I want Argentina in the Finals so they can get revenge for the 2004 Olympics.

 

I got the "arrogance" irony, but the "ignorant" one also works I guess. But I think compucomp's is better because the contrast of meaning between arrogance and perfection used together in an oxymoron makes more logical sense than ignorance and perfection. But still no reason to fight over silly grammar. Put it this way: if you think you're perfect then you're definitely ignorant of your flaws, but you're also definitely arrogant in thinking.