Forget Argentina US, does Argentina even beat Greece?

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

It's gonna be a close, unflashy, tough, low scoring, 1980's Eastern Conference Playoffs kind of game.

I predict:

- Free throws, lots of them, but not in the Mavs vs. Spurs 2006 style. No one will get an easy basket.

- A lot of technical fouls. And a lot more uncalled depending who the refs are and who is winning.

- Prigioni choking like a little . He has always struggled against Greek teams when playing for TAU, so I don't see this trend changing. He has improved as games went by in this Olympics, but he's still the biggest question mark in the Argentina starting five.

- A lot of missed shots and missed second and third chances.

I expect:

- Argentina moving the ball more. If the Greeks throw full court press on Prigioni or double teams on Manu and Scola, we need to move the ball very well and find the open player. Hopefully Oberto, Nocioni and (gasp!)Delfino are ready.

- Prigioni finally having a clutch performance on both ends of the court with the national team.

- More balanced scoring and better use of the bench. Hernandez has kept rotations very short, even in a meaningless game like the one against the Russians. Manu has tournament MVP numbers, and Scola is one of the leaders in scoring. If this team is going anywhere, Nocioni, Oberto, Delfino, Prigioni and the bench have to contribute more.

- Go to the paint early with Scola and Oberto. Penetrations by Manu and Prigioni. Tell Nocioni to post whoever is guarding him. Force the Greeks into a collapsed zone, move the ball, hit the open three.

- MORE MAN TO MAN PLEASE! The reason we slapped a shooting team like Croatia. The reason we won gold in Athens 2004. If we can switch successfully between man and different kinds of zone, most teams would have to play near perfect when executing their offense.

Prediction:

Argentina 62
Greece 59

[Ronaldo McDonald]

I won't be cheering for any team with a wife beater or Kobe.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

I'm going for Argentina.

[Kori Ellis]

I always root for team USA...

That said I am rooting 100% against Argentina simply because of all the bandwaggoning Argie basketball "experts" to infect the forum since 2004, all of them having little or no knowledge about the game, and all of them thinking they do since one of their national teams won a medal over Team USA in a sport they had never followed prior to 2004.

Plus...in addition to that, lots of Euros take credit for Argentina's success and now consider Europe to actually be superior to USA in basketball becuase of this one incident...and no team from Europe has come close to beating a dream team for a medal.


....to smeagol, athenea, danyel and Fizzzar and all those that were here before then and wonder why I turned into such an anti-argie...sorry guys, ya'll were here then and so you know I was one of the biggest Argie supporters on the forum...but that was then and this is now, and sadly the knowledgable true Argie hoop fans like yourselves are few and far between... and I want to see some of the head Argies get owned like the basketball novices they are for the weak and uninsightful takes they have dumped on this forum, both concerning basketball in general and their own team...It's for their own good and they will be more knolwledgable fans after this is over.


I am rooting for Team USA first...
I am rooting for whoever plays Argentina second.

The funniest thing about this post is mentioning Athenea who I'm not sure has ever posted anything about basketball, but has definitely posted a lot of hate - mainly directed to timvp and I. I get it that you think she's hot, but please .. she has no business being mentioned in this post as being knowledgable or a good contributor to SpursTalk.

[Kori Ellis]

I won't be cheering for any team with a wife beater or Kobe.

Did you check the background of the Argentinean players to make sure none of them have ever beat their wives?

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

I don't know if Roman Gonzalez has ever beaten his wife, but surely he has eaten his fair share of cows, pigs, chickens, goats, fishes, turkeys and rabbits. If it ever mooed, breathed or moved, it was on his menu!

[mrspurs]

if your born in america, have american parents, go to american schools, they why on earth would you root for any other country then america? i understand if your a teenager and have those rebel lifestyles(ive got 3 of them), but one day you will grow up and im betting many Olympics from now, you will be rooting for team usa. anything else is just plain unacceptable and unamerican. im starting to realize this place(spurstalk) is filled with kids. im guessing alot of these mickey mouse comments will end next week when they go back to school. i know many parents who cant wait for school to start.

[whottt]

There's a guy that served prison time for rape playing for Lithuania...

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

we have almost the same shcedule as in 2004... quarter finals Greece for the winner to meet the US in semi's... we'll see if it ends the same way... there's no one without another...

Get off

[timvp]

I always root for team USA...

That said I am rooting 100% against Argentina simply because of all the bandwaggoning Argie basketball "experts" to infect the forum since 2004, all of them having little or no knowledge about the game, and all of them thinking they do since one of their national teams won a medal over Team USA in a sport they had never followed prior to 2004.

Plus...in addition to that, lots of Euros take credit for Argentina's success and now consider Europe to actually be superior to USA in basketball becuase of this one incident...and no team from Europe has come close to beating a dream team for a medal.


....to smeagol, athenea, danyel and Fizzzar and all those that were here before then and wonder why I turned into such an anti-argie...sorry guys, ya'll were here then and so you know I was one of the biggest Argie supporters on the forum...but that was then and this is now, and sadly elnono owned me... and I want to see some of the head Argies get owned like the basketball novices they are for the weak and uninsightful takes they have dumped on this forum, both concerning basketball in general and their own team...It's for their own good and they will be more knolwledgable fans after this is over.


I am rooting for Team USA first...
I am rooting for whoever plays Argentina second.

Fixed.

[urunobili]

Get off

check my sig

[ElNono]

Fixed.

[MannyIsGod]

I don't see how you two guys can get on others about not rooting for the United States. One of you refuses to shop at quintessential American establishments such as Wal-Mart and the other one buys his carnival rides from Switzerland.

Instead of rooting for Kobe to prove your patriotism, shop at American stores and buy your carnival rides in the good ol' U S of A. Personally, I gladly shop at Wal-Mart and I purchase all of my carnival needs in the United States. In fact, if Wal-Mart ever has roll back pricing on a Tilt-a-Whirl, I'll be the first in line showing what kind of true patriot I am.

OMGLOLWTFROFL!

Dude I've been shopping at Wal-Mart for years. Where the have you been? Maybe if you didn't love Manu so damn much you'd have noticed. Traitor.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

check my sig

Lol, I don't like Gardel or Mate, and you can keep murga and candombe to yourselves

Now this is something actually worth stealing from you lot:

[urunobili]

Lol, I don't like Gardel or Mate, and you can keep murga and candombe to yourselves

well i've been with them since 2002 and i consider myself part of them... you like it... whatever other argie likes it or not? u feel me homie?

also your whottt like iness smells bad... i bet you have never seen them play... lame...

[MaNuMaNiAc]

@ whottt thinking any Argie here really gives a about his "approval".

Go ahead and turn anti-argie. Its not as if its going to make one bit of difference. You've always acted like an insecure little prick with an ego the size of Texas. Why should things be any different now?

[timvp]

Dude I've been shopping at Wal-Mart for years. Where the have you been? Maybe if you didn't love Manu so damn much you'd have noticed. Traitor.

Dammit, since when did Manny get off his Wal-Mart soapbox? Did they start hiring more minority women or whatever the issue was? Damn, that ruined my post.

T Park, my point to you still stands. Stop buying carnival rides in Switzerland. I'll figure out something else to bust Manny on but you need to stop sending money to Europe.

Thanks.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Lol, I don't like Gardel or Mate, and you can keep murga and candombe to yourselves

Now this is something actually worth stealing from you lot:

Here, here!

[MannyIsGod]

I am rooting for Greece in this matchup. For one - I want the US team to play them again. Kick their ass would be far more pleasing again than beating Argentina.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

well i've been with them since 2002 and i consider myself part of them... you like it... whatever other argie likes it or not? u feel me homie?

also your whottt like iness smells bad... i bet you have never seen them play... lame...

Teh Internets is serious business!

Lol, watch them play? Live? you don't wanna go there...lighten up

[Ronaldo McDonald]

Did you check the background of the Argentinean players to make sure none of them have ever beat their wives?

No, the real reason is I like underdogs.

[E20]

I am rooting for Greece in this matchup. For one - I want the US team to play them again. Kick their ass would be far more pleasing again than beating Argentina.

LOL, Why?

Argentina robbed US from an Olympic Gold Medal berth, whereas Greece beat them in a lesser worth/known World Championship game. Olympic Gold Medal > World Championship. Plus US has already got its revenge on them.

I'm going for Argentina against Greece, mainly because Manu plays for the Spurs and is badass as well as some other players I like.

[milkyway21]

what a disappointment this thread turned out to be...

I hope some of you realize that WE, from countries not Argentina or U.S.A. are rooting for BOTH of your teams because we believe that U.S. shld be the on top of the basketball because they introduce this sport to us and we believe the best players on this planet came from the NBA,

and we ALSO ROOT for Argentina to give them a scare and contend for the Gold because we love our Spurs & (ex-Spur) players named-Manu, Oberto, & Scola. You just don't know how happy we are everytime Argentina beat a team and make some good plays and the commentator recognizes they come from a championhip team San Antonio Spurs.

Chill!

and may the best team wins

[whottt]

@ whottt thinking any Argie here really gives a about his "approval".

Go ahead and turn anti-argie. Its not as if its going to make one bit of difference. You've always acted like an insecure little prick with an ego the size of Texas. Why should things be any different now?

Exhibit A:

Join Date : 01-23-2005

What do you mean turn anti-Argie? Like you were here before I turned.

You weren't here before I was anti-Argie and you know nothing of the debates, stances or at ude I had before I was.


There was this one point...I guess maybe 6 months after the Olympics...


I was in a chat with a group of Argies and I asked them what was the best thing about living in Argentina...

You know what an alarmingly large number of them told me, immediately?


No blacks...

True story.


Since that time I've been particularly pissed off any time I see one of you ignorant s talking about my country...and since you're one of the main ones that does it, and you also whine the loudest against any and all imagined slights against your country...let's just say that I don't any sleep what you think about me either...I really and truly don't.

And I want to see TEAM USA kick the ing out of your team.

[MannyIsGod]

Hmm - perhaps it would be better if the USA beat Argentina.