10-9 USA right now
Russia going to the line for the and1, they make the FT; Russia up 1; 21-20
Russia will get mauled in the second half.....way too much early energy
tied at 25 end of the 1st quarter
USA might want to make more than 33% of their shots.
USA up 44-39 at halftime
The U.S. team would be in HUGE trouble without Durant. This guy is literally carrying the team on his shoulders.
FIBA referees
- Yup, thats whats up with Kevin.He is an amazing player.I think he will be better than Lebron James and Kobe Bryant when everything is done and said.
- What I also noticed Westbrook making a big change, every time he came in.Causing little things like turnovers,fastbreaks,good defense, breakign down there triangle defence etc.
- With all this Oklohoma is gonna be dangerous.
Durant was all up in everyone's business.
Outside of a scary first quarter, the U.S. never seemed to be near the dire straits. While Durant is a scoring beast and the obvious heavy hitter on the team, all the guys are doing a good job of hustling, rotating really quickly and really trying to push it deep. They don't have a good offensive scheme (obviously) but they're all chipping in. There's no single one of them that's a big scorer outside of Durant but when used as a team they're all bringing the numbers.
Usa will finally face the 2 toughest tests. A Turkey and Lithuania who both became gradually monsters.
Both Lithuania and Turkey have been eating their opponents for breakfast.
It means a lot more to Turkey and Lithuania than it does to us. Let them have their breakfasts. When it's all said and done, it's just exhibition season for our players. It's fun to watch the matchups, but it really doesn't make a rat's ass who wins.
Basketball season starts in November.
If Rose and Iggy can stop making those -ass faces every time a call goes against them, I might actually be able to root for team USA.
Personally, I think it's about damn time the USA was able to claim another World Championship Gold. We can't pretend like we are the dominant basketball force if we aren't even showing up for the WCs, which is really more what the global community cares about anyways.
I think sending pro players proves how much US fans care about the outcome, and all the bluster about it not mattering is sour grapes. I'd actually prefer they send a team of young guys that are proud to be there, represent the country and play as a team, even if they don't win.
I don't really give a damn about proving that we are the dominant basketball force - pretend or otherwise. I want the Spurs to win another NBA Championship.
All the chest-beating and "my country is better than yours" arguments are really getting old. I prefer NBA ball. I don't deny that there are some damned good players from all over the world, playing in the NBA. I'm gald they're here - it makes the league better. But I don't want to blow my vuvuzela, and get into bar fights over which international team is best.
FIBA fans are en led to their opinions. Unfortunately, many of them are too small-minded to give the same respect in return. And whether they like it or not, NBA players are multi-million dollar businessmen, whose top priority is winning a le. Anything that happens in international compe ion is a bonus. That's not sour grapes. And you can't even call it that unless the USA loses. Why does the winner need an excuse?
What you said.
Last edited by GSH; 09-09-2010 at 07:01 PM.
Whether they like or not, international players will spend a few years in the US,
get vastly overpayed,
winning nothing,
and actually not caring much about winning anything,
bring all that money home,
where they will spend the rest of their lives, surrounded by people that will only remember what they did for their NT.
I want to win as much as the next one but you can't honestly tell me that the team that wins the worlds is automatically the best team. If you really want to decide that then they need to play best of 5 series to determine who the real best team is. Anyone can win in one game, the best team will always win a series.
I don't think winning the world automatically determines anything, but I like to see the USA Team putting in the effort and getting in the mix. I feel like it's disrespectful to the FIBA game to focus primarily on the Olympics and discount the WCs. Why was it such a big surprise to lose the gold in 2004 when the US hasn't been able to bring in a WC Gold in sixteen years?
A lot of credit should be given to this "B Team" for being able to bring things together as quickly as they have, and I like the continuity that Team USA is attempting to build. Personally, I just think it's kind of pompous to show up every other tournament, but still act like big brother.
Heh... weird that you're actually harder on the international players than I am. When I look around the league, I see a bunch of very damned good international players. Our colleges put out a lot of guys who show off their athleticism well, but have surprisingly bad fundamentals. (Not all, but a lot of them.) I think the European players, as a group, are much more sound in the fundamentals. The ones that make the grade here are as worthy of multi-million dollar contracts as any of the domestic players.
But you're dead on about their play for their respective NT's being what they are remembered for when they go back home. International ball is a really big deal in the rest of the world. There's nothing wrong with that. But I'm always intrigued with the ones (and there are many of them) who actually believe that somehow the NBA doesn't count.
If international ball was taken that seriously here, and we were really into the nationalistic pride over it things would look a lot different. We would always field the best team possible, and the guys on the team would spend a lot more time playing together as a unit. It just doesn't carry the same level of importance here. They guys work hard, and put on a good show. But it's more like the All Star game than Game 7 of the NBA Championships.
Think back to that Championship series between the Spurs and the Pistons. There's never been an international team that could have beaten either one of those squads - nor the 08-09 Lakers for that matter. (My opinion, anyway.) Because in addition to the talent, those guys played together as a team very well. Our international teams are constantly changing.
Who cares? Enjoy the Worlds, enjoy the Euroleagues if that's your cup of tea. If an international team beats Team USA, good for them. But it proves that they won a game. All the rest of the nationalistic stuff is nonsense.
Manu was the guy I thought about to when I saw "doesn't care about winning"
me too and i'm glad you don't use the "world" championship.
Coming from an another culture, we don't share the same opinion but I respect yours and I trully understand what you mean. As for me there is nothing better than seeing your country winning a big compe ion, seeing France winning the soccer WC in 98 is a huge souvenir for me, the big difference between clubs and NT is that all the country is celebrating, it's a unique moment when everybody is rooting for the same thing. For the rest bar fights for a club or a country is stupid in both case.
Mostly NBA players are multi-million dollar businessmen whose don't give a about winning. For instance I hate the "he is in his contract year behaviour" wtf ? I mean what stupidity is that ? does that mean the guy is playing 80% when he is not in his contract year ?
This is what makes Emanuel Ginobili so special.
I spotted this fire burning in him the very first game I watched, back in 2000.
Emanuel Ginobili is one of the reasons I am watching NBA basketball.
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