Official Eurobasket 2015 thread

[benefactor]

So you are telling me none of my teams have a QB?

fml

[SAGirl]

I just double checked and it's three.

His three year extension starts with 15-16.

Wow... three years.... That seems like a long time right now. If ever there was a moment Kawhi would turn a corner into an MVP caliber season I think this is it, or he really might not have it. He either raises the bar for himself and carries this team perimeter play or the Spurs will really, really look done this year and after that, its retool mode again. TBH, no one brings up Manu right now, except to say how he was able to outlast Tony in productivity per his age, but he really, really had moments last season when he looked done as well. He took a whole long time to say he was returning for another season and that was far from a sure thing. With badTony and an even older Manu than last year, this is Kawhi's opportunity to seize the spotlight.

TBH whoever was saying the bunch of young roleplayers we have in the bench were not going to play is wrong. We will also need some of those guys to give us some good games as well, but I have said that all along.

3 years... wow. Spurs saving grace was that rise in capspace. Team will be ok after all if Kawhi raises his bar and maybe some of the roleplayers have a good season.

[Kawhitstorm]

BTW, Parker should just focus solely on shooting 3's now ala Jason Kidd. That's probably the only way he can reinvent himself after losing his speed.

Please don't even compare Tony to Kidd. Kidd could have averaged 5 point a game & would have still be a starting point guard for the Mavs. Sure he lost his turbo speed but Kidd was still an excellent defender/rebounder & still had an elite floor vision along w/ being a good post-up player. He ADDED spot-up shooting to his repertoire game b/c the Mavs ran a half-court offense centered around Dirk thus he had to find a way to play off Dirk which was by being a spot-up shooter. Tony on the other hand is needing to be a spotup shooter just to stay on the floor b/c he doesn't give the team much of anything.

A better comparison is Iverson at the same age as Tony....meaning he isn't going to reinvent himself but play himself out of the league (at least he could play in France rather than Turkey). Kidd at 40 led the Knicks to 55 wins then they became a lottery team when he retired.

[Kawhitstorm]

3 years... wow. Spurs saving grace was that rise in capspace. Team will be ok after all if Kawhi raises his bar and maybe some of the roleplayers have a good season.

Kawhi/LMA have the keys to the offense & just need to carry the team to an 8th seed. Tim/Kawhi/LMA/DWest/Diaw frontline will own any frontline in a postseason series & you have the ultimate wildcard in Danny. Patty is going to consistently produce, Manu might win/lose you a couple of games & whatever Tony gives you is a bonus. Pop has realized a backcourt that relies on Manu/Tony isn't going to win any backcourt battle in the western conference & has put all his chip on building a frontline that will maul every front-line in a postseason series while the rest of the league is currently infatuated w/ the "small ball" lineup. Pop is always one step ahead of the rest of the league.

[SuperCam]

Kawhi/LMA have the keys to the offense & just need to carry the team to an 8th seed. Tim/Kawhi/LMA/DWest/Diaw frontline will own any frontline in a postseason series & you have the ultimate wildcard in Danny. Patty is going to consistently produce, Manu might win/lose you a couple of games & whatever Tony gives you is a bonus. Pop has realized a backcourt that relies on Manu/Tony isn't going to win any backcourt battle in the western conference & has put all his chip on building a frontline that will maul every front-line in a postseason series while the rest of the league is currently infatuated w/ the "small ball" lineup. Pop is always one step ahead of the rest of the league.

That frontline is only inferior to Cleveland, tbh, but ting on smallball is just typical spursfan

[Kawhitstorm]

That frontline is only inferior to Cleveland, tbh, but ting on smallball is just typical spursfan

I said ANY frontline. They can matchup w/ any type of frontline whether it be Draymond/Iggy or Mozgov/Tristan. Besides, the Cavs frontline isn't as versatile since K-Love is a terrible defender & Tristan can't postup.

[SuperCam]

I said ANY frontline. They can matchup w/ any type of frontline whether it be Draymond/Iggy or Mozgov/Tristan. Besides, the Cavs frontline isn't as versatile since K-Love is a terrible defender & Tristan can't postup.

K-love's defense grades out similar to LMA's... he just gets more because he's white. Almost identical DBPM, better Drb%, on/off team DRTG of -3.0. Meanwhile LMA's blazers were better defensively with him off the floor.

You can't talk about Kawhi in spurs frontline without bringing in King James... checkmate.

[Kawhitstorm]

K-love's defense grades out similar to LMA's... he just gets more because he's white. Almost identical DBPM, better Drb%, on/off team DRTG of -3.0. Meanwhile LMA's blazers were better defensively with him off the floor.

You can't talk about Kawhi in spurs frontline without bringing in King James... checkmate.

LoL @ bringing up a single en y such as DBPM without bring up the fact that he plays in an inferior conference & he is a terrible rim protector (which is VERY important).

Tim/Diaw took turns busting his ass last season

Oh, LMA nutted all over his face last season too:

As far as LeBron, everyone knows he doesn't want any part of Kawhi & D-West used to abuse LeBron on the block in those ECF series.

Checkmate:

[SuperCam]

Damn I thought we could have a reasonable discussion but you're just another kiwi nuthugger.


any got who puts kawhi in the same universe as lebron should choke on

[Kawhitstorm]

Damn I thought we could have a reasonable discussion but you're just another kiwi nuthugger.


any got who puts kawhi in the same universe as lebron should choke on

Basically, you couldn't handle the FACTS!?!! It must burn you every time you see the LeBron/Kawhi screenshot which is why you keep throwing fits like a little . Kawhi is a TWO way player which is something LeBron can't claim for the past 2 seasons & Kawhi is only getting better while LeBron is on a decline. Kawhi already has a better post-up game/jumpshot & also happens to be a better defender.

Although LeBron is one of the best point-forwards to ever play the game, Kawhi doesn't need to be a point-forward. Kawhi has already proven he can match LeBron while playing within the flow of an offense (totally different than being dared to shoot like Iggy) thus it doesn't matter if LeBron is a better isolation player/point-forward. John Stockton wasn't the greatest 1-on-1 player but he sure damn was one of the best system players to ever play the game.

[Fireball]

Parker really was horrible in that game. No way to sugarcoat that with any "det leadership" nonsense. At least he looked fit and healthy, so continuity and less injuries should be a positive in the upcoming season. And he should be fired up after that chokejob in front of his home crowd.

Regarding Gasol, it sad to realize that 3-4 years of his career were wasted by Kobe and the ing Lakers. Just thinking about the Spurs were in the race to sign him last year ... wow.

Overall it was the great semi-final I expected ... although with a surprising ending.

[Kawhitstorm]

Parker really was horrible in that game. No way to sugarcoat that with any "det leadership" nonsense. At least he looked fit and healthy, so continuity and less injuries should be a positive in the upcoming season. And he should be fired up after that chokejob in front of his home crowd.

Regarding Gasol, it sad to realize that 3-4 years of his career were wasted by Kobe and the ing Lakers. Just thinking about the Spurs were in the race to sign him last year ... wow.

Overall it was the great semi-final I expected ... although with a surprising ending.

I'm glad that Tony looked miserable in front of his home crowd just for the sake it deflating his ego. There was no surprise about a team led by Tony pulling a chokejob.

As far as Pau, the Lakers decline coincidences w/ Gasol's decline but yet Kobestans want to claim Pau was a 2nd tier star. It funny how Pau is having renaissance while Kobe is tarnishing his legacy while toiling in mediocrity. In any case, LMA is better than Pau:

[Fireball]

of course I prefer LMA over Gasol because of age .... but I think there was no drastic decline with Gasol, but he just did not give a whatsoever playing for the Lakers and who can blame him.

[Ice009]

of course I prefer LMA over Gasol because of age .... but I think there was no drastic decline with Gasol, but he just did not give a whatsoever playing for the Lakers and who can blame him.

I thought he was also carrying injuries and having some knee problems towards the end of his tenure there with the Lakers?

[Fireball]

I thought he was also carrying injuries and having some knee problems towards the end of his tenure there with the Lakers?

Might be ... but smaller injuries also come when you play without great motivation and less intensity. So this could be related as well. I think he sat out many games he normally would have played ... but there was just no significance to it.

[Ice009]

Might be ... but smaller injuries also come when you play without great motivation and less intensity. So this could be related as well. I think he sat out many games he normally would have played ... but there was just no significance to it.

Yeah, I guess he could have played through some of those minor injuries if he gave a crap. I also do think that he just didn't care much after they started blaming him for D'antoni's system not working with him in it. I guess I am still upset with him for choosing the Bulls over the Spurs last off-season too. I still think it was the wrong decision to pick the Bulls over the Spurs, but that's on him now. He could have come here and I also think if he did the Spurs would have went after Marc Gasol during the off-season and tried to pair the two together. Either way, I think it still worked out OK for the Spurs as I'm happy to have gotten LMA.

[Kawhitstorm]

Yeah, I guess he could have played through some of those minor injuries if he gave a crap. I also do think that he just didn't care much after they started blaming him for D'antoni's system not working with him in it. I guess I am still upset with him for choosing the Bulls over the Spurs last off-season too. I still think it was the wrong decision to pick the Bulls over the Spurs, but that's on him now. He could have come here and I also think if he did the Spurs would have went after Marc Gasol during the off-season and tried to pair the two together. Either way, I think it still worked out OK for the Spurs as I'm happy to have gotten LMA.

2010-11: He was running on fumes from playing heavy minutes for 3 straight seasons including internationally & got destroyed by Dirk
2011-12: Still was running on fumes & struggled against Ibaka/Perkins
2012-13: Was injured (knee) & also couldn't figure out how to play alongside Dwight
2013-14: Was beefing w/ D'Antoni & had a vertigo issue

2014-15: Had a renaissance season offensive but was K-Love status defending PnRs. Eventually got injured in the postseason & that was all she wrote.

Basically, he isn't durable enough to survive a championship run if he has to play heavy minutes & has become a liability on defense otherwise he is an All-NBA forward. A Pau/Tim frontline would have been a disaster defending PnRs/stretch 4s (would have gotten shredded by CP3) & Pau wouldn't have been able to do much w/ Blake other than post him up on the other end. He would have been a better option than Baynes/injured Tiago but Diaw played well enough on offense that I'm not sure how much of a difference it would have made against he Clips when Tony was shooting the team out of the game.

[jyra]

Will there be a third place match?

Yes, it will be played on the same day as the finals. Even the losing teams of the quarter finals played another game afterwards even though nobody cares about that at all.

[MaNu4Tres]

Parker really was horrible in that game. No way to sugarcoat that with any "det leadership" nonsense. At least he looked fit and healthy, so continuity and less injuries should be a positive in the upcoming season. And he should be fired up after that chokejob in front of his home crowd.

Regarding Gasol, it sad to realize that 3-4 years of his career were wasted by Kobe and the ing Lakers. Just thinking about the Spurs were in the race to sign him last year ... wow.

Overall it was the great semi-final I expected ... although with a surprising ending.

He may look slightly more lean, but the guy was grabbing his knees on the court whenever he could. His legs/core and conditioning is still no where near it should be.

[kobyz]

I knew not having Heurtel will cost france this tournament, stupid full of himself coach not knowing how to bring together personals for the good of the team and instead choosing to take the easy way out and waive great talent, what, he didn't knew that Parker not the same and need someone to give another option to fill that role???

[kobyz]

The way france lose that game was very spursish, being weak mentality, too nonchalant, missing free throws, losing 11 points lead with like 4 minutes to go, if you didn't knew you would have thought Pop was coaching them... I can't stand this dynamic of losing that happened over and over again, it's have to be a curse...

[NikosChelsea7]

Bleus- Parker: "I put too much pressure"
Tony Parker made his mea culpa after the defeat of the Blues in the semifinal against Spain (75-80, ap). The leader of the team of France does not flee his responsibilities. http://www.sport365.fr/basketball/bl...-1268478.shtml (The video is in French).

[NASpurs]

Wow Srbija, wtf happened. Lithuania played like five gears above Srbija today. They wanted it more.

[jyra]

Serbia really missed Boban out there, none of their center's played well today.

[turkish spurs fan]

teodosic loses again