USA Mens Team: Beijing 2008

[Skandery]

What makes you think he is smarter then Lebron or Kobe? Not being sarcastic or anything, I do want to know what you think makes one player smarter then another.

Westkoast, I think Joe means we tried to get "smarter" speaking from the perspective of the people who were putting together the team.  Not how "smart" the players metntioned were. 

Joe is saying Kobe, LeBron, Carmello, Wade == isolation players who generally need the ball to create on offense, they're all practically the same player.  The "smart" thing would be to pull in the best of that group, Kobe and LeBron.  But instead of a redundant/not-as-good Carmello Anthony, you get a Rip Hamilton.  A guy who makes use of screens and makes use of the catch-n-shoot mid-range better than the four players mentioned above. 

Hope that makes sense . . . 

[westkoast]

What makes you think he is smarter then Lebron or Kobe? Not being sarcastic or anything, I do want to know what you think makes one player smarter then another.

Westkoast, I think Joe means we tried to get "smarter" speaking from the perspective of the people who were putting together the team.  Not how "smart" the players metntioned were. 

Joe is saying Kobe, LeBron, Carmello, Wade == isolation players who generally need the ball to create on offense, they're all practically the same player.  The "smart" thing would be to pull in the best of that group, Kobe and LeBron.  But instead of a redundant/not-as-good Carmello Anthony, you get a Rip Hamilton.  A guy who makes use of screens and makes use of the catch-n-shoot mid-range better than the four players mentioned above. 

Hope that makes sense . . . 

Oh ok.   More like the 'smarter choice' then a 'smarter player'?   That makes a lot of sense.  I was a bit confused on what he meant because of the Pierce/Prince reference he made.  I see Pierce as a quality player that relies on his athletic ability most of the time whereas Prince (who is not slouch in that department) relies more on making the smart and correct plays then he does on his athletic ability.

I also agree we don't need another isolation player.  That is why I was saying why add Paul Pierce when you have Lebron and Kobe already.   The create your own shot / isolation type player is already locked up with those two.  I much rather see another Prince type player added to the squad then another 2 guard who is awesome at breaking their own man down.

Aside from our guys not playing like a true team the last few years...motion in the offense is part of the reason we have been losing and part of the reason why the Euro teams are winning.