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As previously said, I would also be shocked if Brad Miller gets cut.
LeBron had 22, Melo 18, Miller 14
The box score should be out shortly.
The game is on tonight on ESPN2 at 9:30pm ET and replayed tomorrow on NBATV.
As previously said, I would also be shocked if Brad Miller gets cut.
Jamison doesn't offer much defensively. He is the best junk bucket player in the NBA. Tips and clean-up are his specialty. Sometimes you wonder how he got his 18 or 20 pts. Is that what team USA needs?
I still think Bruce will be needed for the good outside shooting teams. Team USA sagged and played a half-court press, doubling the ball with the offside wing dropping down against Puerto Rico. They didn't need Bruce for that. When Team USA faces a team with hot perimeter shooters, they'd benefit having Bowen.
GUANGZHOU, China (August 7, 2006)--LeBron James(Cleveland Cavaliers) andCarmelo Anthony(Denver Nuggets), playing one separate units, poured in 22 and 18 points, respectively, as the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team posted its second consecutive convincing exhibition game victory after recording a 119-73 rout of China in the opening game of the China Basketball Challenge held Monday night in Guangzhou, China.
The USA continues its play in Guangzhou and will conclude action in the China Basketball Challenge facing Brazil on Tuesday evening.
Houston Rockets star Yao Ming, who is still recovering from foot surgery, did not play, and former NBA player Wang Zhizhi also missed the game because of a minor knee injury.
"We came prepared to play and played unselfishly tonight," stated USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "This is a tremendous opportunity for us to grow as a team and get acclimated to playing in this time zone. To play in front of this crowd was excellent. I was happy in that we played very hard every second and we played unselfishly. As long as we do those two things, we'll continue to improve,"
"In the first quarter, they really played us tough and we had to give our best effort to extend the lead even without some of their key players," stated Elton Brand. "We respect all of our opponents and we know we have to give our best effort. We're not taking any team lightly."
The U.S. started fast. Putting up a 14-0 run to grab a 14-3 lead halfway through the first quarter, China battled back behind a 7-0 run of its own to cut the gap to 17-13. The two teams stayed close the remainder of the quarter and James, who had 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the quarter, scored the final five points as the Americans stretched their lead to 24-19 after one quarter of play.
"We just had to settle down. They were riding high off the fans. We wore them down the second half. It's not how you start the game but how you finish," said James.
Outscoring China 36-18 in the second quarter, Anthony hit back to back 3-pointers to help propel the U.S. on a 11-0 run that saw the USA balloon its advantage to 45-25. Finishing the quarter strong, Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers) accounted for eight of the USA's final 13 points in the second quarter and by halftime the United States was fully in charge leading 60-37.
The USA's in-your-face defense forced China into 14 turnovers in the first half and 42.3 percent overall shooting, including a chilly 3-of-11 from 3-point.
The third quarter started with an 18-2 run by the U.S., as China did not score its second field goal of the quarter until 4:58 was left in the third, and at the end of three quarters of action the USA had built its lead to 40 points, 93-53.
In addition to James and Anthony's scoring, the U.S. offense was fueled by 14 points fromBrad Miller(Sacramento Kings) who shot 5-of-5 overall and made all three of his 3-point tries;Dwyane Wade(Miami Heat) tossed in 13 points while adding six rebounds, six assists and five steals; Brand capped the evening with 13 points and six rebounds; andChris Bosh(Toronto Raptors) finished with 10 points.
The U.S. forced China into 34 turnovers, and the Americans were credited with 21 steals. Outrebounding China 30-22, with 15 of the USA's boards coming at the offensive end, the U.S. shot 58.6 percent from the field.
He still didn't score?I know he's a great part of this team with his defense but he could at least make one shot.
He only took one shot. It's not that tragic.He still didn't score?
Wow, i'm very undecided whether or not I think Bruce Bowen will make the U.S. team. Here's what's going through my mind...
Pros:
-Bowen has great leadership and is the veteren of team
-His defense will be very valuable to stop a hot shooter on the opposing team
Cons:
-Coach K isn't going to start him, and Bruce is least effective if he doesn't get bigger minutes.
-It will come down to Miller, Battier, Hinrich, Jamison, and Bowen as to who will get cut. I believe Hinrich will be very valuable for his shooting ability, as with Miller who's game fit perfectly for the international game (especially when he's a big. Remember, we only have on other 7 footer in Bosh). Further, Battier has pretty good defense and can do more on the offensive end than Bowen.
My prediction: Bowen and Jamison gets cut. Just because team U.S.'s defense is more team united than individual defense with the full court press. As for Jamison, his game is already taken care of by other players, so not unique over the others.
By the way, I hope im' wrong.
Everyone keeps mentioning Hinrich shooting ability ... his shooting sucks. He's a 40% shooter. If he's kept, it will be because he plays D and distributes not his shooting.
Hmmm...for some reason I always see him make his shots when I watch him play on WGN. But I rarely watch Bulls games. that's probably why.
If Bowen is kept on the team (I was told a week ago that it was already decided he was being kept, but we'll see) it will have more to do with LEADERSHIP than anything else. I understand he's been a huge influence on the team as far as focus, goals, etc. So I don't get why everyone is getting worked up if he doesn't score in these exhibition games.
If he makes it, he'll play limited minutes, have a lot of influence that we don't see, and play good D in his time on the floor.
Elton Brand mentioned him first when asked who he think has the greatest leadership quality.
I don't understand why everyone is upset Bruce isn't shooting for Team USA....
Bruce only shoots on the Spurs to keep the opposing team honest. Ideally, Bruce wouldn't take a shot for the Spurs. He only takes a shot if the other team leaves him wide open. Bruce is happy to give the scoring opportunities to Tim, Tony and Manu when they are not being swarmed. The same is true on Team USA to an even greater degree when you consider how many scorers are present on the roster.
Simply put, Bruce not taking shots for Team USA is a plus, not a minus.
Chris Paul only had one point today and Hinrich had zero.
By some people's logic in the forum, they should be cut along with Bruce.
Bowen had better be cut. He has no handle and a very limited offensive game. There is no need for a "supposed leader" who plays spot minutes in garbage time either.
Okay, now I'm feeling a little bit more uplifted regarding Bruce's situation now that some of you have chimed in. I will be watching this game, my first for this campaign, so I'm excited.
Look at Kori's sig and you'll see why he's gonna stay.
Is there a TV schedule for the USA exhibition and tourny games?
Don't most people expect Argentina to make it to the gold medal game?
If so, isn't Manu Ginobili probably their best player?
Who can guard Manu better than Bruce Bowen?
Answer: nobody.
He actually does his homework. While Manu can go right, he does prefer to go left. Bruce knows all of Manu's tendencies. A guy like Manu can't be stopped completely (if he is having one of his really good games), but he can be slowed down. Bruce can do that. Nobody knows Manu and his moves better than Bruce.
Good perimeter defense will help the USA in other games as well. Good leadership will help teamUSA all the time. Bruce provides that.
Moreover, it isn't like Bruce is an offensive liability. He is a great 3 point shooter (Bruce's spot and his shot) and can now make that in between jumper, go to the rim. In other words, a team can't ignore him when they are playing defense without consequences (unlike Ben Wallace for example).
Besides, it isn't like we need a lot more offense on our team (add up the scoring averages of Brand, Wade, LeBron, Carmelo, Arenas). So, we have all the offense we need (at any position for that matter).
Bruce will stay and he should stay.
Games on ESPN2
http://www.usabasketball.com/seniorm...mwc_espn2.html
Games on NBATV (some are replays of the ESPN2 games)
http://www.usabasketball.com/seniorm..._nba%20tv.html
I notice that tlongII has nothing to say about these points.
Too bad that his hatred for the Spurs overrides his support for his national team.
Does tlongII really believe either of the 2 players who will be cut could contribute as much as Bruce ?
What do they offer which the rest of the team lacks?
Bruce provides lockdown defense on Manu, the best player for the second best team. That will be key to our success against Argentina. No one else provides this nearly as well as Bruce.
What does Jamison provide which teamUSA lacks?
Heinrich has been playing tough d on other guards.
Battier has been making sure that nobody gets an uncontested dunk. He makes them earn it at the free throw line.
I like what they are bringing. But you must cut 2. I cut Jamison and either Battier or Heinrich.
Who do you cut tlongII? Bruce and who?
For my part, I say that Bruce offers more than Jamison and Heinrich and Battier and he only needs to offer more (than team USA does not have as much of and needs) than 2 players.
Jamison is a poor man's version of a lot of other players whom we already have.
The things Jamison does well are things that our other players do better.
Wade did do some denial at the rim.
Battier does not offer as much.
Perhaps I keep Heinrich.
Last edited by themanurules; 08-07-2006 at 05:36 PM.
Melo with another strong showing
Bowen will be cut. It's as simple as that. Did you notice that he played fewer minutes than any other member against China? Bowen is no more of a lockdown defender on Ginobili than D-Wade will be. There is no need for him.
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