Guess who beats the US at Basketball...

[CaramonLS]

http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/news_story.asp?...ubName=olympics (http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/news_story.asp?ID=94987&hubName=olympics)

No comment... absolutely crazy.

[monty_]

I know, I watched the game, I couldn't believe it. While down 22 points it looked like the Dream Team wasn't even trying. Sloppy passes, dummy mistakes, turnovers, couldn't drain a 3-pointer for their lives. It's the first time a US basketball team has lost an Olympic game since NBA players were allowed to participate. It always amazes me when you gather so many star-callabre athletes and they perform so poorly.

[I_H8_Crawford]

What I found funny is the commentators were getting so upset at the end of the game.
"This 3 point line isn't even as far as the NBA 3 point line, and we're only shooting 3 for 24?"
:lol:

I don't like this version of the "dream" team, so I love it whenever they lose!!!

[greerb]

I like this Dream Team better than any other years they look human. Why did all of the stars that they invited declined to play Carter, Bryant (well the court case), McGrady ect. ?

I know damb sure if I was an athlete of that callibre I would be estatic to play for my country at the Olympics.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally posted by greerb@Aug 15 2004, 10:15 PM
I like this Dream Team better than any other years they look human. Why did all of the stars that they invited declined to play Carter, Bryant (well the court case), McGrady ect. ?

I know damb sure if I was an athlete of that callibre I would be estatic to play for my country at the Olympics.
They were afraid for their safety b/c of all the terrorist threats.
It was a big controversy at the time.

[CaramonLS]

Maybe Toronto should just sign an entire International team like Italy. Might play better than the crap they have now

[transplant99]

No surprise here.

Italy handled these guys in exhibition and Germany lost only on a last second shot from about midcourt.

This aint your USA dream team of years past.

[CaramonLS]

Originally posted by transplant99@Aug 16 2004, 12:12 AM
No surprise here.

Italy handled these guys in exhibition and Germany lost only on a last second shot from about midcourt.

This aint your USA dream team of years past.
Yeah but lets be honest, the Clippers SHOULD be able to handle most of the International teams with non-NBA quality players.

[JiriHrdina]

What I find interesting is how these teams are beating the US - simply by outshooting them - particularly from 3 point range.

The NBA has become too focused on the inside game - dunks, rebounds - everything in the paint. Too many young guys come up do not have a strong jump shot. You see this team going up against these international teams and it reminds of watching the NBA 10-15 years ago when the league was full of guys that could just plain shoot.

Perhaps this will be a wake up call to the NBA to get back to the fundamentals of the game - being able to hit the open J.

[TheCommodoreAfro]

Jiri - great post and a dead on assessment. Even more stunning is the number of young guys on this team almost all with a decidedly power/inside game. The most well-rounded shooter and inside player on the team is Duncan, and the rest of them look like they're running around out there. Long gone are the days where you had guys like Stockton and Marjlege who could pot the ball from anywhere on the court, let alone the three point line.

But as Canada said after they lost their opening match badly to Sweden in Salt Lake 2002, maybe this controversy is what they need. Otherwise they will be on the other end of an alternate universe Miracle on the Court. In any event, the tournament actually looks watchable this time around.

[icarus]

http://www.dahlblom.com/pics/salo2002.png

[Table 5]

Originally posted by TheCommodoreAfro@Aug 16 2004, 01:54 PM
But as Canada said after they lost their opening match badly to Sweden in Salt Lake 2002, maybe this controversy is what they need.
the only problem is that the US got their wakeup call against the Italians....and the Germans. They should have gotten the point by the time the Puerto Ricans rolled around. That game was over in the first 10 minutes.....unfortunately for the US, they were the ones already out of it.

[octothorp]

Scary thing for the US is that they're already putting themselves into a situation where they need to start winning just to make the medal round; in a six-team round robin with four advancing, three losses is deadly. If the US losses to Greece and Lithuania combined with Australia beating Angola and stealing a game against Puerto Rico (or Angola beating Australia and stealing a game against Puerto Rico) the US could be in a dangerous situation. Basically, the US is in a situation where they need to win three of their next four to guarantee advancing.

And to think that the US got seeded in the 'easy' pool. They should be thanking their lucky stars that they don't play Argentina, Italy, Serbia/Montenegro and Spain until the medal round.

[Crazy Flamer]

Originally posted by Table 5+Aug 16 2004, 10:17 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Table 5 @ Aug 16 2004, 10:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-TheCommodoreAfro@Aug 16 2004, 01:54 PM
But as Canada said after they lost their opening match badly to Sweden in Salt Lake 2002, maybe this controversy is what they need.
the only problem is that the US got their wakeup call against the Italians....and the Germans. They should have gotten the point by the time the Puerto Ricans rolled around. That game was over in the first 10 minutes.....unfortunately for the US, they were the ones already out of it. [/b][/quote]
Agreed 100%. They still haven't learned their lesson. To tell you the truth I'm not sure if they will. ITs like coach Brown said. You can coach skill but you shouldn't have to coach effort.

[Prototype]

Note to GM of Calgary's ABA team. Sign all available Porto Rico players. If they can beat an NBA all star team, they should be able to beat anyone in the ABA!

[Super-Rye]

The US just got so cocky they didn't see the rest of the world catching up to them as fast as they did. Even Canada is starting to produce more of quality guys. Same with Baseball.