Official 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Thread

[scott]

Curious the way the brackets shaped up with both Semifinals featuring face offs of teams who already played in the group stage.

Would have loved to have seen Wemby v Jokic, but it looks like a bronze medal game might be the only way (which I'm rooting against, because I want Wemby to make the final).

[Pauleta14]

Mamu isn't a center.

I meant another big

[Pauleta14]

Glad France won, just don't particularly like such a huge free throw advantage and attempts. Hopefully everything was legit and it was simply Canada fouling like crazy.

Canada has no big and lack athleticism

Yabusele and Lessort bullied them + Canada over the foul limit with 6min to play which France took advantage of.

Almost an obvious game plan

[ismael-robert]

Victor will be a top 10 NBA player and DPOTY next season. Saying he's not ready to lead a contending team and spurs should wait another few years so he "develop" is pure nonsense. Not only can he keep on developing in a compe ive, contending spurs team but that would be better for him.

OKC was contending last year in Chet rookie year, who gained and will keep on gaining precious and early PO experience (as a team too), and Vic was better than Chet last year. Put Wemby in OKC next year and they're among le favorites. They wouldn't have to wait another 3 years before he "develop".

Zero point waiting to give Wemby help now, and depraving him from compe ive/PO experience, playing both with and against the best, giving the guy bad habbits, having to force stuff and do it all in a dysfunctional environment. Paul hopefully will bring a bit of order but won't make move the neddle that much nor make team that much more compe ive.

You're just losing time.

Poor context, okc has built a solid core n chet was probably the third wheel. Wemby needs help

[ace3g]

[KingKev]

Patriotism aside; holy Canada flamed out. As a Canadian there are parts of Manifest Destiny I wish were executed on.

[CGD]

Patriotism aside; holy Canada flamed out. As a Canadian there are parts of Manifest Destiny I wish were executed on.

Did Jamal Murray play these Olympics? I know they were down Wiggins and Eddy

[Barfunk]

Canada has no big and lack athleticism

Yabusele and Lessort bullied them + Canada over the foul limit with 6min to play which France took advantage of.

Almost an obvious game plan

That's a relief. I didn't get to watch the game, but yeah, the mainstream fans on social media are really letting France have it about the 42 free-throws. Naturally, France will get even more hate for this since Wemby is a Spur and mainstream fans don't like the Spurs because the whole media brainwashing i.e. "Spurs not cool/boring" etc. when they were winning chips.

With that said, I don't care if you're the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs, a foul is a foul and it should be called regardless. If Canada was fouling much more than France, then that should reflect on the stat-sheet.

[KingKev]

Did Jamal Murray play these Olympics? I know they were down Wiggins and Eddy

He looked like what we can expect from Keldon/Vassell/Sochan as a 6th man when it matters but with actual talent.

[ambchang]

Canada lacking size and France taking advantage was certainly a reason, but let’s not act like France got 42 FTs because Canada was fouling more. The reffing was absolutely terrible especially in the second and third quarters. Shooting 33/42 on fts in an 82 point game is insane however you put it.

[baseline bum]

Patriotism aside; holy Canada flamed out. As a Canadian there are parts of Manifest Destiny I wish were executed on.

I'll trade our olympic bball team for the much cheaper and better universal healthcare you guys have any day.

[Barfunk]

Canada lacking size and France taking advantage was certainly a reason, but let’s not act like France got 42 FTs because Canada was fouling more. The reffing was absolutely terrible especially in the second and third quarters. Shooting 33/42 on fts in an 82 point game is insane however you put it.

Yeah, that sux.

[Limguogolo]

Canada lacking size and France taking advantage was certainly a reason, but let’s not act like France got 42 FTs because Canada was fouling more. The reffing was absolutely terrible especially in the second and third quarters. Shooting 33/42 on fts in an 82 point game is insane however you put it.

Stop looking only at stats. The referees are FIBA ​​referees, they have always been lousy. Bad whistles went to both sides.

To understand why there are so many mistakes, you just have to watch the game again. The French game plan was clear and inevitable. Their unique strength is their interiors, while this is precisely the weak sector among Canadians. Cordinier, Yabusele and Lessort (not Victor, not Batum) harassed the Canadians with the Canadian forwards placed inside. They were caught at their own game.

The Canadians with Dort and Brooks traditionally have a physical advantage over their opponents. Against Yabusele and Lessort, they were simply no match. On both sides, there were a lot of fouls not called, you have to adapt, this is sometimes part of the FIBA ​​game with very permissive referees. How have Canadians adapted? By shooting from afar. Only Shai caused fouls, as he knows how to do.

If the Victor Rudy pair made people fantasize, we saw that they lacked hardness. The FIBA ​​game is not the NBA game. And Collet finally understood that the two interiors who were fighting in the paint, both sides, were the two major Euroleague players: Yabusele and Lessort. Frank came out for 5 fouls, further proof that France was also sanctioned.

Those who suggest the games are rigged are on the same level as those who claimed Victor's draft was rigged. For some, it is simply impossible that France can win. We have heard it in every home compe ion since the football victory in 1998. “Home advantage”, “fair play”, it's always for the Anglo-Saxons --- Latins are always dirt, corrupted, thieves, and fakers. We know the music.

[Pauleta14]

That's a relief. I didn't get to watch the game, but yeah, the mainstream fans on social media are really letting France have it about the 42 free-throws. Naturally, France will get even more hate for this since Wemby is a Spur and mainstream fans don't like the Spurs because the whole media brainwashing i.e. "Spurs not cool/boring" etc. when they were winning chips.

With that said, I don't care if you're the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs, a foul is a foul and it should be called regardless. If Canada was fouling much more than France, then that should reflect on the stat-sheet.

The refs have been fair, France also had some mis calls and Wemby has been buillied inside the whole compe ion. (especially against Germany)

The huge disparity in FT is mainly due to France being the agressor and Canada being over the limit and Yabusele or Lessort forcing their way and drawing (legit) calls.

tbf I recall one generous call on a 3pt foul towards the end of the 4th but the uk commentators confirmed it was a good call

[Pauleta14]

Canada lacking size and France taking advantage was certainly a reason, but let’s not act like France got 42 FTs because Canada was fouling more. The reffing was absolutely terrible especially in the second and third quarters. Shooting 33/42 on fts in an 82 point game is insane however you put it.

That's just not true, the gap happened in the 1st half, not the 2nd

France had 23 FT to Canada's 4FT in 1st half

France had 19 FT to Canada 21FT in the 2nd half

Murray 3/13 and Brooks 1/9 have more to do with Canada's loss as well as their lack of passing (their coach's quote)

[Pauleta14]

Those who suggest the games are rigged are on the same level as those who claimed Victor's draft was rigged. For some, it is simply impossible that France can win. We have heard it in every home compe ion since the football victory in 1998. “Home advantage”, “fair play”, it's always for the Anglo-Saxons --- Latins are always dirt, corrupted, thieves, and fakers. We know the music.

I've been reverse jynxing for weeks tbh ^^

France always has a shot when everybody (fans included) think they'll lose. The country's sports History is full of that type of events

I'm never less confident in my country than when they are favorite

[Ice009]

The French big men played with aggression. Lessort and Yabusele played physical. End of story. They got them in foul trouble and in the bonus. There may have been a couple of bad calls, but that happens almost every game.

More interestingly, do you guys who watched the game think some of these guys could play in the NBA? I think both Lessort and Yabusele could be solid role players in the NBA. Yabusele deserves another shot IMO as he's probably matured a lot since he last played in the NBA when he was younger.

[Pauleta14]

The French big men played with aggression. Lessort and Yabusele played physical. End of story. They got them in foul trouble and in the bonus. There may have been a couple of bad calls, but that happens almost every game.

More interestingly, do you guys who watched the game think some of these guys could play in the NBA? I think both Lessort and Yabusele could be solid role players in the NBA. Yabusele deserves another shot IMO as he's probably matured a lot since he last played in the NBA when he was younger.

Lessort might be a bit too undersized but I'd take Yabusele any day with the Spurs!

Can't find any info on his current salary but his deal with Real Madrid ends in 25'

[exstatic]

The French big men played with aggression. Lessort and Yabusele played physical. End of story. They got them in foul trouble and in the bonus. There may have been a couple of bad calls, but that happens almost every game.

More interestingly, do you guys who watched the game think some of these guys could play in the NBA? I think both Lessort and Yabusele could be solid role players in the NBA. Yabusele deserves another shot IMO as he's probably matured a lot since he last played in the NBA when he was younger.

https://www.basketball-reference.com...yabusgu01.html

Former FRP, didn’t even make it to year 3 option.

[Limguogolo]

To be frank, there are plenty of players, not just interiors (and not just French, including Americans), who would have their place in the NBA.

It's never a question of level, but of opportunity, contract (Yabusele and Lessort are probably among the best European salaries) and desire. Most of these experienced players will refuse to go to the NBA to only be role players. It seems to me that it was Poirier who said that there was no question of returning to the NBA when he is in the best club in Europe (the same as Yabusele).

And recent history proves them right: all the good confirmed European players who moved to the NBA after their 23rd years old were bench players (Micic, Vezenkov). The NBA can only attract young prospect and real role players --- for stars (like Ginobili in the past), it will undoubtedly be more and more complicated.

If the NBA wants to make its market, it is in the French league (excluding Monaco) that you must look, where the salaries are ridiculous. Not in the best clubs in Europe. You have Hifi available for instance, in one or two years, his salary will probably be impossible to match. And his status in Europe will convince him to stay in Europe instead of accepting a lower salary in the NBA without certainty of having playing time.

I can see Zacharie Perrin being in the same situation in a few years: it's one of the best European youth interiors for years (far ahead of Sarr) and he will probably not be drafted. During the Los Angeles Olympics, we will have comments asking us why he is not in the NBA for being a 12th guy in the rotation of a bad team. Small and ugly, the NBA wouldn't want to make him a star.

[JPB]

Poor context, okc has built a solid core n chet was probably the third wheel. Wemby needs help

Well, yeah that's the whole point, building a solid core around Wemby. And no need to wait for that, as it shows in OKC who is compe ive with a young Chet, just like spurs could with a young Vic. Waiting another 2 years for Wemby to develop in a bottom team with guys who won't be there in 2 years before building that core doesn't make sense.

[exstatic]

Well, yeah that's the whole point, building a solid core around Wemby. And no need to wait for that, as it shows in OKC who is compe ive with a young Chet, just like spurs could with a young Vic. Waiting another 2 years for Wemby to develop in a bottom team with guys who won't be there in 2 years before building that core doesn't make sense.

Chet is a piece. Wemby is THE piece. You can’t compare the two builds, because they are two years ahead. Before Chet set foot on an NBA court, he had a teammate that was an All Star and All NBA player. We don’t have that guy,yet. No one will trade us that guy. We’ll have to draft that guy, and develop him.

[ambchang]

Stop looking only at stats. The referees are FIBA ​​referees, they have always been lousy. Bad whistles went to both sides.

To understand why there are so many mistakes, you just have to watch the game again. The French game plan was clear and inevitable. Their unique strength is their interiors, while this is precisely the weak sector among Canadians. Cordinier, Yabusele and Lessort (not Victor, not Batum) harassed the Canadians with the Canadian forwards placed inside. They were caught at their own game.

The Canadians with Dort and Brooks traditionally have a physical advantage over their opponents. Against Yabusele and Lessort, they were simply no match. On both sides, there were a lot of fouls not called, you have to adapt, this is sometimes part of the FIBA ​​game with very permissive referees. How have Canadians adapted? By shooting from afar. Only Shai caused fouls, as he knows how to do.

If the Victor Rudy pair made people fantasize, we saw that they lacked hardness. The FIBA ​​game is not the NBA game. And Collet finally understood that the two interiors who were fighting in the paint, both sides, were the two major Euroleague players: Yabusele and Lessort. Frank came out for 5 fouls, further proof that France was also sanctioned.

Those who suggest the games are rigged are on the same level as those who claimed Victor's draft was rigged. For some, it is simply impossible that France can win. We have heard it in every home compe ion since the football victory in 1998. “Home advantage”, “fair play”, it's always for the Anglo-Saxons --- Latins are always dirt, corrupted, thieves, and fakers. We know the music.

I watched the entire thing. It wasn’t because the French team found some magic potion, the reffing was terrible anyway you put it. The entire 2nd quarter was a parade to the ft line. I watched it right there and then and France made 8 straight FTs over a four minute span with no acts, then another 5 straight in the same quarter. Canada didn’t have any single b2b ft possessions. In fact, Canada got to the line once during thr 8 ft streak by France when Barrett drove and got clotheslined in the paint. During that period the ball also clearly went off of France when the refs, standing right there, gave possession to France. The level of reffing was so bad that it was just unexplainable, it’s like watching the lakers in the playoffs and just a giant joke.

Ntioikina scored 5 pts all on FTs, why was he even fouled on a three when he shot like the entire game? Oh maybe he wasn’t at all. Yabusle shot as many Cats as he did FGs. Fournier, hardly posting anyone up, got 4.

On canadas side, other than shai, nobody shot more than 4 Fts, France has 4 players who did that, while the team jacked up 28 threes.
And no, didn’t say it was rigged, although your Freudian slip probably gave it away if what you are really thinking about yourself

[ambchang]

That's just not true, the gap happened in the 1st half, not the 2nd

France had 23 FT to Canada's 4FT in 1st half

France had 19 FT to Canada 21FT in the 2nd half

Murray 3/13 and Brooks 1/9 have more to do with Canada's loss as well as their lack of passing (their coach's quote)

The 2nd quarter belongs to the 1st half. Also, funny how funny how the quarter where France has a giant FT advantage were the only quarters they outscored Canada. The. France just decide to not take it to the paint because, you know, why keep doing what works?

[Manu&Duncan fan]

It absolutely IS it. The reason guys over 7’3” flame out is that they can’t carry standard big man weight for long. They break down. He’s 20 ing years old. Let him learn and develop before you turn him into a body builder.

You're so correct!