Actually they weren't suppose to be. The difference was suppose to be just like the one between the US and the Fiba competition. Also Brazil had just beaten Argentina in their last match 4-0. You are inmenstly underrating the top Fiba teams. But i will agree that there is a big difference in competition between soccer and basketball. There is the big team. Then the top contenders, and the good teams. In soccer anybody could win any given night. In basketball the good teams have no chance against the contenders or the big team. The US basketball is the best for one reason, and one reason only. They can make three teams, one of which would be the favorite, and the other one contenders and the third one would be better than the rest of the Fiba field but the contenders. But think of the final 8 in the Olympics as march madness. An upset could happen any given night after that round.
Here are Scola's per-40 minute stats so far in the tournament: 218 MP 26.7 pts 11.2 reb 2.8 ast 55.8 FG% 78 FT% Not bad.
Good point. And it illustrates the point that there are finally international players good enough to beat Americans at basketball. Even Tim Duncan is from the Virgin Islands. But there aren't enough of them for the US to consider the Olympics a serious competition. There are maybe one or two or at best three NBA worthy players on any non-US team. The proof is in the pudding as, if there were more, they would come to the NBA and make millions of dollars. I hope the trend will continue and international teams will become good enough that the US will take the Olympics seriously, but they do not now. And so a victory against an all-star team that never practices together is hollow -- a shame after all that hard work. When the US takes these competitions seriously though, those other teams will have to face a team of incredibly superior talent that actually practices together. And that will set the clock back on competitive games by at least a decade. Imagine if American players actually cared about the Olympics... Imagine if they actually worked year round to win... I agree with your point about the Spurs. They're made up of international star players. But how bout we take any national team in the world and put them up against, let's say The Clippers -- not the Spurs, not the Cavs, the Clippers. You think Spain would be the best team then? Until the best basketball country in the world takes international competition seriously enough to field an actual team it's not a real competition. I hope it will be one day, but it's not now.
yeah it was insane how active he was. he just took it to another level against the US. he was the only player on argentina that could do that.
Which is why it made no sense to me that he would sit for half the game. The refs gave him a full quarter of rest in the first half. He should have played out the second.
Scola was much more impressive today than he was against Brazil. He handled the defense better and let the game come to him. His post game was decent against our bigs and his J was solid again (one confident shot). I saw him hustling for boards and getting in good defensive position. If he can replicate this kind of play on the rockets...watch out. His third foul was weird. Why would he foul someone on the fast break when he knew he already had two fouls? And I saw him go weak one time at who I think was Prince, throwing up a weak floater. Maybe I'm biased because Rafer's turned me off of floaters, but I think he could have taken it stronger. Other than that, he had a great game. I'm very impressed.
Scola has played 8 games in a row, (there wasn't a free day to rest), playing more than 27 minutes per game. If we beat Brazil, we reach the goal. If we lose, nothing we have done until now will matter. We need Scola at 100% on saturday. If we get to the final, then we will play vs. USA with everything we have.
Normally players like Scola don't go to the NBA, and he is top caliber player in any league in the world. The reason they don't go to the NBA is because they had long contracts and by the time they have the option to make the move they make the same amount of money in Europe, and sometimes even more. Also why become a rookie on another league when you can be the star on your team, specially when you are a veteran. Normally the NBA only brings big time foreign prospects to the NBA. Normally already formed players don't come int. Navarro and Scola are two exceptions.
Brazil defended much better, and didn't let Argentina make the pick and roll. Plus, Splitter is a very good defender and knows Scola better than anybody else, since he has been his teammate for several years.
Okay. Fair enough. I'm a believer even when a game seems to be far out of reach and when you're down 20 or so at halftime I still think it's in reach and think you should do everything you can to win it (I especially think you should at least play your best player). And I especially think that when you're playing your best competition and I have a hard time believing any game against any non-US team really matters for reasons cited in my posts above, but okay. I hope you win Saturday. I'm rooting for you.
You are comparing clubs with national teams. It is not the same thing at all. But last year's Philladelphia 76ers got killed by FC Barcelona. Tau ceramica can beat some Nab teams, specially one like the clippers. But anyways I would take Spain against almost any team in the NBA by international rules. By NBA rules, we all know Pau get no respect, and NBA refs hate rookies, and international even more if that is even possible.
Garbajosa, Calderon, Rebracca, Ginobili, Jasikevicious... Actually I think the European stars that don't go to the NBA are the exceptions... Bodiroga, Papaloukas, Vujcic...
All of them under 24 or at that age when they made the move. The exception really are Herman and Garbajosa last year. And Scola and Navarro this year. It may be the new trend in the NBA, but that has just been happening as of the last 5 years.
They do if they want to go to the big show. The do if they care about the game enough to play it at its highest level. Scola looks great to me and I'm glad he's going to be a Rocket, but he's not a "top caliber player in any league in the world" until he's a top caliber player in the NBA. And, as good as he looks, he doesn't look like a top caliber NBA player. I hope he will be, but he's not there yet. And I repeat that it is folly to consider any success that any player or team has outside of the NBA to anything that happens inside of it. Any "top caliber" player would kill to play in the NBA because that's where the top caliber talent is and that's where the top caliber money is.
Money not really. They are already on their prime and have to deal with first year contracts which are barely at the level they would get in Europe or even lower. Btw I think you are mistaken a top Caliber NBA player, with a top quality basketball player. Amare and Dwight are top caliber NBA players but average basketball players. In a league in which the emphasist is the highlight real and athletism, actualy basketball ability is undermind. ANother case i Dwane Wade, most overrated player in the NBA. Btw International players are about team first, and all the Euro stars have done well on their teams so far. Oberto, Herman, Garbajosa. And this year we have Navarro and Scola.
If I'm not wrong all the players I mentioned were older than 24 when they made the NBA. Maybe not Calderon... what was his age? 24, 23?
He doesn't have to be a top caliber player,He's a top caliber system player,a top caliber complinetary player. He isn't asked to be tim duncan,kevin garnett or lebron james. Scola is called upon for this team to fill in the holes. He is perfect for adelman's high post offense and quick offense sideline screen and roll game. He is ideal next to yao ming and perfect what the rockets want to do as a Team. Scola,battier,yao, mcgrady and whover is the point guard are going to be a dangerous next season for the first unit.Scola is the real and he will only get better playing with Yao and tracy.
