Mike Monroe: Team USA pays for Coach K's idiotic decision

[picnroll]

Coach K is a dip .

[TheSanityAnnex]

Brad Miller is so important that the Kings were trying to figure out a way to unload him after the season, but could find no takers.

Link please.

[SequSpur]

Please tell me this is not a Bruce Bowen whiner topic?

[judaspriestess]

I did not watch one game, I for several reasons was just not interested.

I'm glad I did not watch the games, sounds to me like I would have been disappointed in the performances. Although I am not surprised at the results.

[Kings241]

Bowen wouldn't make a difference in this tournament. International Basketball is all about small ball and shooting. The Phoenix Suns would have been a perfect team to go out in the olympics and win the gold.

Brad Miller should have gotten more PT because he can go outside and hit threes all day against the opposing bigs.

[mabber]

Bowen wouldn't make a difference in this tournament. International Basketball is all about small ball and shooting. The Phoenix Suns would have been a perfect team to go out in the olympics and win the gold.

Brad Miller should have gotten more PT because he can go outside and hit threes all day against the opposing bigs.

I'm not sure if Bowen being on the team would have made a difference in the outcome but he surely could have helped those guys guard the pic 'n roll vs. Greece. That was ridiculous!

[ChumpDumper]

This talk about Brad Miller being great for the international game would be fine and dandy if we had actually run something resembling an international-type offense. Miller in the offense team USA actually ran would be a ing joke. They would have been better off picking Tony Battie for the team.

[TheSanityAnnex]

So coack K is to blame no?

[Dalhoop]

1) Third quarter of the Greece game : USA are -6 at the half and he wait to be at -16 to take a Timeout .

Waiting for a team to make a 10 point swing is standard, I have no problem with that. One of the reasons for waiting is to see if your players can figure something out on their own, and hang them out to dry if they don't.

2) As said before, he hasn't used Dwight Howard in the second half while he was playing great in the first half.

This is a problem, the coaches and other players need to know that the coach will stick with the hot hand. One of the weaknesses of bring a team of stars is that everyone feels they should get minutes, it is up to the coaches to let all the players know "the hot hand gets the minutes"

3) At the press conference, he has called Greek players by their jersey number and not by their name. Either he is lazy as or he thought that USA was way better than other countries but he hasn't really scouted Greece that was one of the best team in the world.

I would not want to embarace myself by trying some of those names either, there is a difference between not knowing a players name and not pronounsing it correctly on world T.V.

4) A defense based on steal and on cuting passing lanes . Maybe it works in NCAA against 20 years old players but if this guy had a clue about world BB, he would have known that there are some teams like Greece that take care of the ball with solid ballhandlers.

It is the "flashier" play and can be effective against most teams. He should have went Zone though

[Bruno]

Waiting for a team to make a 10 point swing is standard, I have no problem with that. One of the reasons for waiting is to see if your players can figure something out on their own, and hang them out to dry if they don't.

A 10 point swing isn't a big deal when it's from +5 to -5 but it was from -4 to -14 (I've checked with play by play). When you wait to be at -14, 15 min before the end of the game, to take a timeout, it's a mistake because the game is almost lost. USA has played together for one month, you had to coach them more and you can't expect that they find a tactical answer alone. You don't wait to take 22 points in 5 min (it makes 211 points in 48 min ) to make adjustements with your defense. And no need to keep timeouts for the end of the game like in NBA, timeout at the end of the game are less usefull with FIBA rules than with NBA rules.

This is a problem, the coaches and other players need to know that the coach will stick with the hot hand. One of the weaknesses of bring a team of stars is that everyone feels they should get minutes, it is up to the coaches to let all the players know "the hot hand gets the minutes"

Howard was the hot hand : 10 points, 7 rebounds and some good paint defense in 13 minutes.

I would not want to embarace myself by trying some of those names either, there is a difference between not knowing a players name and not pronounsing it correctly on world T.V.

When you scout a lot a player and discuss a lot with your assitants about him , you know how to pronounce his name. Spanoulis and Papaloukas aren't impossible to pronounce. The name story isn't a big deal by itself, the big deal is that he didn't know enough greek team. By seing this game, it was obvious that USA coach and players were clueless about Greeks strengh and weakness. He has been arrogant, clueless or lazy.

It is the "flashier" play and can be effective against most teams. He should have went Zone though

USA can't easily win and be flashy at the same time now. It's no more 1992 when the dream team won without taking a timeout duting the whole tournament. This defense isn't effective against good teams and it's either arrogance (as ChumpDumper said) or lack of international BB knowledge to think that all international teams aren't good enough to break a defense like that.

BTW, the 3 years deal is a good idea but I don't see the point if they don't work on offensive and defensive schemes.

[leemajors]

And you're surprised by his arrogance (called confidence when Manu talks like this about his Argentina team-lol)? This is why they still may not get it. The players probably think it was just a fluke that they lost.

manu's team has actually won some signifigant international compe ion lately, the US and namely teams with carmelo on them haven't. but i agree with you.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Waiting for a team to make a 10 point swing is standard, I have no problem with that. One of the reasons for waiting is to see if your players can figure something out on their own, and hang them out to dry if they don't.

You don't wait when you're already down 6 to start the run. For someone whose a Mavs fan, I don't get why you're on your knees for Coach K. Avery has pulled the trigger on timeouts when his team gave up 4-0 runs to start the second half.

This is a problem, the coaches and other players need to know that the coach will stick with the hot hand. One of the weaknesses of bring a team of stars is that everyone feels they should get minutes, it is up to the coaches to let all the players know "the hot hand gets the minutes"

So now the inmates were running the asylum? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Coach K the coach? This isn't little league, where everyone gets to play equal minutes.

I would not want to embarace myself by trying some of those names either, there is a difference between not knowing a players name and not pronounsing it correctly on world T.V.

Yeah, how could a coach who is responsible for scouting teams and players ever figure out their names when half the people on Spurstalk know how to pronounce them?

It is the "flashier" play and can be effective against most teams. He should have went Zone though

The only time that defense works is against poorly disciplined teams (like All-Star teams). Any structured offense rips it to shreds.

Dallas callled, they want their village idiot back - put down the keyboard and go home.

[Sway]

Here is a good article on Coach K's WC performance:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ina/index.html

[Solid D]

I am currently reading Sun Tsu's "The Art of War" again. It has excellent application in compe ive situations, whether in athletics or in business situations (or nation v. nation naturally).

I am reminded of Coach K and his staff when reading something from Chapter 3 in "The Art of War". The chapter comes to a close with the following:

"Therefore I say:

One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles.

One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose.

One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle."

These are certainly words to remember.

After Greece defeated Team USA in the WC Semifinals, Coach K had the following quote:

"I though number 4 was spectacular in the first half, number 7 was spectacular in the second half, and number 15 in the second half hit huge shots for them at the end of the clock. Their offense beat our defense. I will take responsibility for that."

These are also certainly words to remember.

[ShoogarBear]

Here is a good article on Coach K's WC performance:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ina/index.html

I saw that article before and thought it was the typical expected fluff piece on K that we've come to expect from the national media.

If Larry Brown had just laid that horrendous coaching egg on Greece, do you think anyone would be saying "he needs another chance"?

[Solid D]

Meanwhile, at least one US National Team can take care of business in the World Championships...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...l.1a1a578.html

Former Longhorn lifts U.S. to world softball le

04:18 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Associated Press


BEIJING – Former Texas standout Cat Osterman pitched two complete games Tuesday to lift the U.S. team to the gold medal at the world softball championships.

Jessica Mendoza and Crystl Bustos hit back-to-back homers as the U.S. beat Japan, 3-0, in the le game. The U.S. team beat Australia, 5-1, earlier Tuesday to reach the gold-medal game. The Americans avenged a 3-1 loss Monday to Japan, which ended the Americans' unbeaten streak at the world championships.

Mendoza hit a two-run homer in the sixth that was followed by a solo blast by Bustos, who also homered against Australia.

Osterman has 10 strikeouts against Australia and 14 in the final against Japan.

"Cat was the key," U.S. coach Mike Candrea said. "She got stronger as the days went on. And we knew that would be huge for us. She started up and Crystl Bustos was great."

The U.S. team finished 10-1 in the tournament. Softball has been dropped from the Olympics after the 2008 Beijing Games. The Americans have won all three gold medals since softball became an Olympic sport in 1996.

[Kamnik]

I am currently reading Sun Tsu's "The Art of War" again. It has excellent application in compe ive situations, whether in athletics or in business situations (or nation v. nation naturally).

I am reminded of Coach K and his staff when reading something from Chapter 3 in "The Art of War". The chapter comes to a close with the following:

"Therefore I say:

One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles.

One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose.

One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle."

These are certainly words to remember.

After Greece defeated Team USA in the WC Semifinals, Coach K had the following quote:

"I though number 4 was spectacular in the first half, number 7 was spectacular in the second half, and number 15 in the second half hit huge shots for them at the end of the clock. Their offense beat our defense. I will take responsibility for that."

These are also certainly words to remember.

i liked art of war a lot

nice comparisons

[gus]

Let me tell you something, after the losses Larry Brown´s Team was starting to play together. Look they beat Spain ( who was undeafeted like in Japan ) and loose to a super inspired Argentina.

I had the idea that US team in Greece with a couple more of games would habe been unbeatable.

Coach K's team looked to me at the end very beatable. I mean very beatable. After what I saw with Greece and 1st Q against a unmotivated, exhausted and Depressed Argentina I would say they would not beat Spain (contrary to my predictions before WC) , and I really doubt that they would beat Argentina in normal situations.

With regard to basketball the balance is inferior. With regard to class, this is a better team.

A single person (Bowen) would have not changed .-

Gus.

[bdictjames]

Bowen must be really proud of himself when U.S. lost.. He didn't want to contribute in the scoring he just does what he does best - man-to-man defense. Like the red guy down there

[ShoogarBear]

Let me tell you something, after the losses Larry Brown´s Team was starting to play together. Look they beat Spain ( who was undeafeted like in Japan ) and loose to a super inspired Argentina.

I had the idea that US team in Greece with a couple more of games would habe been unbeatable.

I agree with this.

The 04 team was playing a lot better at the end than when they started.

This 06 team was not.

I'm not saying that Brown did a better job than Krzyzewski. But there no way in you can say that K did a better job than Brown.

[gus]

I agree with this.

The 04 team was playing a lot better at the end than when they started.

This 06 team was not.

I'm not saying that Brown did a better job than Krzyzewski. But there no way in you can say that K did a better job than Brown.

The issue was that Larry Brown took the long way, that is a team playing with the fundamentals. Maybe Mr. Brown could have make his team play with a little faster pace and the problems in Preliminary rounds could have been avoided, but in the end when you face the tough guys ( Spain etc. ) he proved to be wiser. The problem is that Mr. Brown has some at ude problems. If Pop were the coach none of these at ude problems would have been ocurred.

I repeat the team in the Olympics beat the crap out Spain when they were playing at a similar level than this year.- I think now that if Coach K have faced Spain they would have loose for 30 points.

Let's see what coach K does in the Olympics.

Just a thought.-

Gus