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Day 2
Bahamas vs. Canada
These two teams were evenly matched, although I can't believe that Canada beat Puerto Rico last night. Both Bahamas and Canada played sloppy the entire game and it was almost unwatchable. They seemed to be more concerned with fast breaks and throwing the ball up than actually following any kind of game plan. I honestly didn't see Bahamas running any kind of play! They would just run up the court as fast as they could and throw the ball at the basket. They throw mostly long passes up the court, which makes for a fast game, but nothing seemed to come of it. Canada wasn't much better, but they set up more plays while Bahamas basically flys by the seat of their pants.
All of that being said, Bahamas actually led for most of the game. The bright spots on their team are Darshtyn Baker, who played pretty good defense, and Devaughn Jackson. They both led the team in scoring and were the most consistent. In the end, Canada made a run in the 4th and won the game 77-70. They've got a 7-footer, Robert Sacré, who definitely has potential, and Kristopher Joseph, who really turned it on in crunch time and hit some big shots at the end.
One thing I have noticed these two days is Bahamas coach, Mario Bowleg. This guy is brutal. He spends the entire game yelling and screaming in anger at his team. Yes, I know that coaches yell and scream at players, but this guy doesn't offer any kind of encouragement and truly comes across as an asshole. I wouldn't want to play for him.
Puerto Rico vs. Argentina
This was definitely the best game of the tournament so far. These two teams match up well, but while Puerto Rico was relying on speed, ARG used their heads and it proved the right strategy.
It was a good turnout, a lot of Puerto Rico fans with flags. (I notice that they show Manu's Time Warner commercial on the big screen in the corner whenever Argentina plays.) PR came out with a lot of energy, going through some pre-game team rituals and such. The game started with Nico (ARG) making a quick basket in a play we've seen the Spurs run for Manu when they win the opening tip. There were some FIBA officials sitting behind me and we started talking about how much his game resembles Manu's and they said that they've talked to quite a few scouts that have noticed it too. They also said that the best pick in last night's draft was Rajon Rondo, calling him a "superstar".
I have to say that Argentina is the only team I've seen so far who professionally execute plays. Like the senior men, these kids look like they've been playing together forever. Puerto Rico definitely gave them a run for their money though. The game was close, even down to the last seconds. Puerto Rico's defense started causing ARG turnovers and they tried to keep the tempo up by constantly going for the fast break. ARG started to get caught up in the pace Puerto Rico was setting and started to get the better of them in the 3rd. They outweigh ARG by quite a bit and they were using that to muscle them under the basket. Things started to get really chippy and physical and both teams were getting away with some cheap shots. While Nico, once again, played fantastic, I pick Diego Gerbaudo (PG) as the stud of the game. He was able to calm his team down, showing a lot of poise and patience, bringing the tempo back to enable them to play their game. He also made a great steal in the final minutes which put them ahead by 1. Vega, Ruiz and Piñero were also a great supporting cast.
For Puerto Rico, I would keep an eye on Angel Garcia. He's 6'11" and very agile and athletic. He stepped up big time and provided a clutch 3 with two minutes left in the game. They're also a very good passing team. (I'm still trying to figure out how they lost to Canada.) Unfortunately for them, Puerto Rico choked at the free throw line at the end and it cost them the game. Both teams went to the charity stripe in the last two minutes and ARG one that battle, 79-77.
For tomorrow, I look for Puerto Rico to eat the Bahamas for lunch and Argentina will beat Canada and go 3-0. I'm really looking forward to see the U.S. play Brazil as well.
). If anyone here has the chance, you should definitely get out there tomorrow for the bronze and gold medal games. They should be a blast.
