Does this even count as a win.

[jn]

A half court shot to win over GERMANY???

 :nonono:  :nonono:

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2638632

[Reality]

The rest of the teams must be very confident about their chances of ending the Olympic streak.

Any *auora* that was left is gonzo.

 

[spursfan101]

Were like the Lakers...just have to pull the switch.

You know...Bronze is a pretty color.

[Guest_Randy]

Were like the Lakers...just have to pull the switch.

You know...Bronze is a pretty color.

Bronze?  You think that at this point they are going to win the bronze medal?  Not if they don't start playing a LOT better basketball.

I think the team is already thinking about life on the cruise ship they will call home during the Olympic games!   :puke:  

[WayOutWest]

Did anyone read the articles about what a sex fest the olympic camps turn into?  Maybe that's the problem with the US team.

[westkoast]

No it doesnt.  Any team that has Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson together in the same uniform should not be winning by having to chuck up a half court shot.

You know Magic, Jordan, Bird, Pippen, Barkley, and the rest of the original dream team have to be laughing their rear ends off watching these guys.  All of em except Christian Lattner, who didnt deserve to be on the team in the first place.

[Lurker]

2 differences:

1) The original dream team was the best players that the NBA had at the time.  It was well balanced between post players & perimeter players.,  It had scorers and defenders.  After Duncan & Iverson (possibly Marbury) this year's team doesn't have another top 10 NBA player.  And any that you may consider top ten are 2nd or 3rd year players that skipped college.  In short they haven't had enough exposure to team concepts.  Besides the fact that against zones this team couldn't hit the broadside of a barn painted in day glo colors.

2) The international games has advanced considerably in the past 20 years.  Many of the top players in Europe leagues that have been playing for 10-15 years are MUCH better fundamentally  (shooting, passing, defending, rebounding) than over 75% of the US squad.


Until players like Shaq, McGrady, Kobe, Garnett, Kidd, Wallace, etc decide to play for their country then look for the US to stop bringing home medals.

[Derek Bodner]

NBA talent level has gotten worse (the top players today aren't as good as the magic, jordan, bird, barkley years), combine that with us sending our 2nd tier players (decreasing our talent even more) and with the international teams getting better and this is going to happen.

[WayOutWest]

NBA talent level has gotten worse (the top players today aren't as good as the magic, jordan, bird, barkley years), combine that with us sending our 2nd tier players (decreasing our talent even more) and with the international teams getting better and this is going to happen.

Disagree.

Put Shaq, KG, Kobe, R. Allen, Kidd and TD up against Magic, Jordan, Bird, Ewing, Barkley, Malone and Stockton and the outcome of the game is FAR from a foregone conclusion.

What the US is missing are shooters like R. Allen, M. Redd and A. Houston to bust up the zones.  Heck, throw R. Miller out there as well.

[WayOutWest]

Love this quote:

"For months and months, I assumed he was one of the guys who rejected Team USA because of the whole "I'm afraid of spending two weeks in Athens for security reasons, yet I'm perfectly fine going to clubs frequented by gangbangers and drug dealers" logic that makes the NBA so oddly enjoyable."  

[Joe Vancil]

This has nothing to do with us not sending our "top talent."  It has to do with the fact that our "top talent" can't play basketball when it's officiated with the strict travelling calls.  It has to do with the fact that our "top talent" has to dribble the ball before shooting.  It has to do with the fact that our "top talent" lacks fundamental team defensive skills.  It has to do with the fact that our "top talent" can't hit mid-range jumpers.  It has to do with the fact that our "top talent" can't adjust to the new goal-tending rules or lane size or zone defense.

Tim Duncan - Mr. Fundamental - shot his free-throws at a 59.9% clip this past season, for crying out loud.

Dream Team 1 had - as bona fide outside shooters - Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, and John Stockton - plus "very good" outside shooters like Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, and Michael Jordan - plus "could do it in a pinch" outside shooters like Malone and Barkley.  Did anyone else cringe when DUNCAN is shooting 3's?  What would we do if we saw Carlos Boozer heave one up from out there - not to mention Stoudemire or Okafor.  It's scary enough watching LeBron James and Lamar Odom.  The original dream team had Stockton and Magic to distribute the ball - compared to...Stephon Marbury?  Who was the worst passer on Dream Team 1?  Patrick Ewing?  David Robinson?  How many of our current players aren't that good?

It's the fact that our fundamentals *SUCK*.

Then again, every player on our current team can dunk.

John Stockton - the original team's shortest player - blocked shots the preceding year at a .27 clip, and at .21 for his career.  Stephon Marbury is a .11 this past year, .16 career., despite having 2 inches on Stockton.   Allen Iverson is at .21 for his career, but .10 this past season.  Is it any wonder our perimeter defense is weaker?

The career shooting percentages for Mullin, Stockton, Magic, Jordan, and Drexler are .509, .515, .520, .497, and .472.  They shot threes at .384, .384, .303, .327, and .318.

The numbers for Marbury, Iverson, James, Wade, and Anthony are .431, .417, .417, .465, and .426.  For threes, it's .315, .310, .290, .302, and .322.  Their *CAREER-BEST SHOOTING PERCENTAGES* are .442, .461, .417, .465, and .426.  That's right - not one player has had as a CAREER-BEST equal to or greater than what the WORST backcourt player of Dream Team 1 AVERAGED as a career.

We sent a team devoid of perimeter shooting.  We sent the freakin' 1988 team.  (At least they had Hersey Hawkins, who was hurt the whole time...and eventually, Dan Majerle learned to shoot outside.)

We don't DESERVE to win.

[Wolverine]

I say we forget about basketball and concentrate on persuading the Olympic Committee and other countries to accept American football as a new Olympic sport.  We are, after all, the only country playing.  They'd be FORCED to give us the Gold Medal, right?  Right?

[Derek Bodner]

What Joe said.  Dream Team 1 would have smacked the sh*t out of this team, or any team we could field today.  Todays stars are mental midgets compared to those guys.

[Joe Vancil]

Which thing that I said - that our players today aren't as good as those of yesteryear, or that it's all Wolverine's fault since he's got the most players on the team?

Welcome to the party, Caleb.
 

[WayOutWest]

What Joe said.  Dream Team 1 would have smacked the sh*t out of this team, or any team we could field today.  Todays stars are mental midgets compared to those guys.

Hell no!

I'm a 80's era snob myself but no way does the original Dream Team smack the shizz out of the top NBA talent in today's game.