story Canada benches its two top players against the US rather than risk tiring them for later games??? I suppose one one level this might be considered strategy as the US was virtually assured a win here anyway...but to throw the game because you don't think you'll win?? (and to remove your top player when you had the lead??). Gutless. And shameful. What do you think? Would you applaud the Rockets if they threw a game against a tough opponent to rest them for a later game against a lesser opponent? Again...probably good strategy...but I don't like it.
great winning attitude canadians! how the hell could those players even stand for that? i would be flat out pissed if i was nash and barrett. i can't believe they actually let their coach take that kind of strategy. i'm not all for subordinating coach's orders and stuff, but this is flat out stupid. here are my favorite quotes from the article.. All I have to say is....WTF? and another WTF?? that coach should be fired on the spot for that kind of attitude.
One more thing....it's not good strategy. It tells your team that they don't have a chance so why even try. Sends a terrible message and the idea that he is conserving energy so they can perform better later is stupid. If the Canadian team under the leadership of Nash and Barrett is able to compete with the Americans or even pull an upset then I think that would serve them a hell of a lot better than just assuming they will lose and taking the attitude of why even try. It would give them a hell of a lot more confidence if they knew they could compete and were given the chance to compete with the Americans.
Robbie: I agree with you 100% I looked up the box score this morning to see if my team (the Canadians) had kept it respectable. The score was embarrassing. The write-up was worse.
What was team Canada thinking? It is shamefull! Today I watched the match between Argentina and the U.S. It was an exciting match. Team Argentina did not pull back at all.
well it paid off: Canada had a HUGE win over Brazil last night led by Nash. Canada's goal in this tourny is not to beat the US but to qualify for the Olympics and that is what they are in position to do. http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030827/SBKSAN/TPSports/TopStories Key win powered by Nash By ROBERT MacLEOD BASKETBALL REPORTER Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - Page S1 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO -- There was no sitting down on the job for Steve Nash and his road-weary Canadian teammates at the Americas Olympic qualification tournament last night. After the star player was rested for most of Monday's loss to the United States, Nash was back to his normal full-tilt pace against Brazil. And the end result was an edgy 101-97 victory before a small, but appreciative, gathering of about 1,000 at Roberto Clemente Coliseum. After logging only 10 minutes of playing time in the game against the Americans, Nash was on the court last night for just under 33 minutes. Brazil was led by the outstanding offensive performance of Marcelo Machado who struck for 39 points, 29 of them in the opening half, but it was not enough. The score was 85-83 in Canada's favour heading into the fourth quarter of a scrappy game in which neither team was prepared to give an inch. After a basket by Brazilian forward Nene, who plays with the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets, moved his team in front 94-91, Nash answered for Canada. The Dallas Mavericks point guard hit a big three-point shot that tied the score at 94-94 and then he put Canada ahead for good when he scored two free throws with 1:55 left. With Canada ahead 98-94, Machado was sent to the free-throw line for three shots after being fouled by Canadian forward Jesse Young while in the process of taking a three-point shot. Machado made all three to bring Brazil back to within one with about 31 seconds left. He was five of 13 from the floor and 12 of 12 from the free-throw line. But Nash, who finished with 24 points, iced the game with 18 seconds left when he hit two in a row from the free-throw line to give Canada a 100-97 advantage. Canada's Rowan Barrett played a solid game, finishing with 20 points. The win improved Canada's record to 3-2 and puts the team in a favourable position to move into the semi-finals on Saturday. Brazil dropped to 2-3. There was no questioning Canada's desire to go all out for the win last night. In Monday's 111-71 loss to the United States, Canada came under considerable fire -- mainly from the U.S. media -- for coach Jay Triano's decision to keep Nash on the bench after the first quarter. Even though Canada, with Nash in, led the powerful U.S. squad 28-21 after the opening quarter, Triano viewed the game as unwinnable and wanted to give his ace as much rest as possible for the arduous schedule ahead. "There's no moral victories here," Nash said, supporting Triano's decision to sit him down. "It's foolish to go out there and blow yourself out when you know you're not going to win. You've got to use experience and wisdom. "When I was a younger player I would have been pissed to come out of the game. Now that I'm a little older and wiser, I realize that it was for the best." Last night's contest was the sixth in as many days for the Canadians, and there is little time for any postgame reflection. Canada will play this afternoon against the Dominican Republic before winding up the second round tomorrow against Venezuela. The teams with the top four records will move to Saturday's semi-finals with the final, and the game for third place, being held on Sunday. The tournament's top three teams will receive entry into next summer's Olympic Games in Greece. Last night's first quarter was fast-paced, with the Brazilians relying on the offensive prowess of Machado, who scored 14 points to help give Brazil a 33-29 lead. In the second quarter, back-to-back three-point shots by forwards Prosper Karangwa and forward Andrew Kwiatkowski quickly erased the Brazilian lead. The Canadians would then move on to secure a six-point advantage on a rare five-point play. It all unfolded with 7:21 left in the quarter with Canada in front 40-39 when Kwiatkowski hit his second three-pointer of the quarter. As the shot was falling in, Canada's Peter Guarasci was fouled underneath the basket by Brazilian forward Nene. Guarasci made both his free throws to move Canada ahead 45-39. With Machado continuing his shooting mastery -- he scored another 15 points in the second quarter -- the Brazilians went in front 63-56 with 1:20 remaining. But in a stunning, not to mention sudden, reversal, Canada outscored Brazil 8-0 the rest of the way, including two free throws by Nash with less than a second left on the clock, to capture a 64-63 lead by halftime. Machado was eight of 13 from the floor in the opening half, including six of eight from three-point territory. The fast tempo continued into the third quarter and the three-balls continued to fall. Barrett nailed one for Canada, while Machado had two more for Brazil -- giving him eight on the game -- as Brazil jumped in front 75-72. Brazil would extend its lead to 79-74 before Canada roared back with an 11-0 run on the strength of three consecutive three-point shots by Karangwa, Nash and then Barrett to give Canada an 85-79 lead with 1:47 to go. Canada would cling to an 85-83 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
