Nalod got a take on the international game:

1. Nationalism: The players from countries the size of some of our states are more intense about national pride. Even though they are NBA players now, they play far more intense in these competitions. Gazillionaire players don't have that kind of intensity. Lebron main goal is to be a "billionaire". How can he be passionate?

2. Softness. Anyone watch the Argentina-Spain game? These guys are killing each other. Scratching and clawing. The american game is finess, not scrappy. Nobody wants to get hurt, nobody plays the intense defense. Mentally we cannot match the intensness.

3. Leadership. We faltered here. I question Wades leadership. While he is a leader on the floor, is he THE leader. He is clutch, a fab talent, but does he truley lead? Is he just too young? Does he not have the experience to do it yet?

It seemed the natural leader was Carmelo. Carmelo says the right things and may yet emerge, but has yet to lead. He was a freshman at SYracuse and was the go to player, but does the best player really make you the natural leader? And Does caremelo command such presence quite yet?

Lebron is the talent on the club, but other than saying the right thing, what is missing?

4. Talent: Isolation talent vs. team play. Im still not seeing it vs. the euro game. We have the best players on the planet, but it does not add up. Sound familiar? On paper, some teams have extreme talent (Knicks) but it does not melt together.

Look at the Little League world series. Every year there is the funny fat kid. Usually the catcher. He might not be the best one, but you need the funny fat kid for the role. He is the cheerleader, the human interest story and the heart of the team. And he can kick the other kids ass if they make fun of him!

Greece had "Baby Shaq". We needed Sweets on the team. We need bangers and little white guys that can shoot! MCnamara from Syracuse would have worked. WE needed Nutty dudes that don't shave and smell bad!

We also need ugly players. NOt pretty boys. Guys so ugly they just scare the pretty boys off the ball. Those Slavic teams with Dracula looking dudes thirsty for blood make Jamison just **** in his pants!

The reffing is different: We can't shoot free throws! But lets understand that in every tournament a game is going to go against us and we gotta be tougher! The gazillionaire player can't comprehend deep inside that he is not getting the preffered treatment he is used to.

5. Foriegn talent: We used to say those guys were soft but if you look at a lot of teams the bangers are now the foriegners. Like our illegal immegrents we hire them to do the job our guys don't want to do. THus, we have none on our team. Let them have some bruce bowen dammit! Intimedation is part of sports. Walter Herman who just signed with the Bobcats is damm scarey! Argentine german dude likely born form some Nazi expatriate doing gene splicing!

6. Coaching. George, Larry and now coach K all suck? Naw, it aint coaching. Is it the modern player don't care? Naw, they do. But not enough. Did we really need Chris Bosh on the team? Only for the future. Antwain Jamison? Naw, needed Gilbert Arenas. Gilbert is one nutty dude but very intense! HE is the real deal and if allowed would be a leader on the team. We built up Carmelo and Lebron and even wade so much that we just gave them the keys. Talent is there, but something is missing.

Analysis: WE are getting closer but its obvious despite the talent level its still lots of talk and not enough guts. Kobe might have brought a better level of leadership instead of the trio of young men we let have it. The better points these days are Nash and Parker and they don't play for Team USA. THe international point is a different position. They are crazy runners who can light it up and got right to the basket. They are not afraid of getting hurt. Do we have players willing to sacrifice their bodies for team USA? Not with the big money at stake!

Answer: Keep refining the process but go with a defined role process. Write in stone the type of player we want and then pick them. I still think we don't have down.

Guys like Brad Miller and Mike bibby would work. Not the best but serve a purpose.

We need bangers, finese guys, shooter, passers.

Purposeful players to fulfil a role.

Easier said then done. Too much politics, too much NBA influence.

COach K was a step in the right direction.

Maybe the process is not yet perfected but its in the right direction!



[Edited by - nalod on 09-01-2006 10:07 AM]

I still think we need players like Duncan, maybe he's a little old but he's experienced, a good shooter and low post player, and smart - he'll make the guys better around him. i also mentioned we should've kept bowen and cut jamison, since he seems repetitive on the team. from the highlights i saw, it looked like wade was given the green light and put up shots that he can't hit - he isn't the best shooter. gilbert would've been a better fit as would, IMO, adam morrison.

Posted by Nalod:

JJ redick would have helped if he tried out. GIlbert, Ben Gordan......

I think the process is better, but its still starphuching a bit.

Duncan did not want to play. He has done his time and injuries are catching up with him. Ben Wallace had a busy summer planned.

WE can't get everyone, but there is enough to choose from.

Did KG turn it down too? so many people were involved i forgot who turned down for what reason and who wasn't invited. You look at the team and the biggest thing that jumps out at you (like with our knicks, for that matter) is the lack of shooters. it's espcially glaring since we know how important shooting is in the international game, and we have shooters like redd available. Kobe would've changed things because he would've been the best shooter on the team IMO. even mike miller, rashard lewis, wally wouldve been good additions. and like someone else mentioned on this board, camby would've been a good guy to have if the lanes were too open.

Posted by nixluva:

I have to agree with you guys. What is the deal with the selection committee. They don't seem to have a grasp of the kind of players this team needs to win. WE DO have shooters and solid fundamental players in the NBA who could've helped a great deal. I think Arenas was right in being upset about not being on the team. He may not be a lot of things, but he is a SHOOTER and he is mentally tough.

Gilbert Arenas was going to be selected to the team. He didn't attend the game because:

"Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas suffered a strained groin during practice with the United States national team yesterday and will miss the upcoming world championship in Japan."

-NY Times

Nixluva why are you so anti-american? Why don't you support your team. Show some faith. Why are you so pessimistic nixluva. The Olympic committe has a plan. In under two years they have made us younger and more athletic. If you don't like the team why don't you go root for Argentina or something. Your so anti-american it makes me sick. Sick I tell you. Bandwagoner!!!! US Olympics 2008 baby!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Bippity10:

Posted by nixluva:

I have to agree with you guys. What is the deal with the selection committee. They don't seem to have a grasp of the kind of players this team needs to win. WE DO have shooters and solid fundamental players in the NBA who could've helped a great deal. I think Arenas was right in being upset about not being on the team. He may not be a lot of things, but he is a SHOOTER and he is mentally tough.

Gilbert Arenas was going to be selected to the team. He didn't attend the game because:

"Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas suffered a strained groin during practice with the United States national team yesterday and will miss the upcoming world championship in Japan."

-NY Times

Nixluva why are you so anti-american? Why don't you support your team. Show some faith. Why are you so pessimistic nixluva. The Olympic committe has a plan. In under two years they have made us younger and more athletic. If you don't like the team why don't you go root for Argentina or something. Your so anti-american it makes me sick. Sick I tell you. Bandwagoner!!!! US Olympics 2008 baby!!!!!!!!!!!

You didn't just do it to him like that did you Bip? That's mean.

so what's the shizzle here? LB still suck? Coach K too?

Posted by martin:

so what's the shizzle here? LB still suck? Coach K too?

I finally feel vindicated. I had this argument in many threads, many times and repeatedly the same people said I had no idea what I was talking about, but I told EVERYONE that Larry Brown wasn't the problem, its the selection committee and the international game itself.

Posted by nyk4ever:

Posted by martin:

so what's the shizzle here? LB still suck? Coach K too?

I finally feel vindicated. I had this argument in many threads, many times and repeatedly the same people said I had no idea what I was talking about, but I told EVERYONE that Larry Brown wasn't the problem, its the selection committee and the international game itself.

I would say that LB was in small-part part of the problem though. His coaching style is very much based on learn right first, win after that. Over a 2-4 year period with the same guys he can do wonders, but not during a time-crunched 2 month Olympics and whatever.

Nyk4ever you communist!!!! Move to Cuba you clown. US World team number one baby!!!! I'm tired of all this pessimism. Say something positive. Have faith, we can do it.

Nixluva: I at least will check out to make sure a guy hasn't suffered a career ending injury before I get on Isiah for not acquiring him. Please apologize to the Olympic Committe for your anti-americanism...........Although now that I think of it that is just the type of player that Isiah may acquire.

Posted by nyk4ever:

Posted by martin:

so what's the shizzle here? LB still suck? Coach K too?

I finally feel vindicated. I had this argument in many threads, many times and repeatedly the same people said I had no idea what I was talking about, but I told EVERYONE that Larry Brown wasn't the problem, its the selection committee and the international game itself.

International game is not the issue, nba game is. Look at how a standard nba game is boring compared to ncaa for instance, with so many iso all the time. this is not basketball the way it should be played. 5 guys, one ball, passing makes it move fast and keeps the game exciting. All those stupid rules (3 senconds defensive violation my god who invented that ??? ) will steadily bring the US skills to the floor. That's the issue mate, the nba game is built to be a show and to generate $$$ with "oh-my-god-that-dunk-was-sick" things, though a midrange jumper will win more games that a big dunk.

guys like jeff hornacek (spelling) comes to my mind. Those guys were not flashy, but they would have made other international teams think twice about using a zone defense.

As long as the emphasis will be made on :
- wingspan
- athletism
- jumping ability

instead of :
- passing
- midrange shooting
- reading the game skills

... you're bound to be helpess against true zones d, not the fake zones we can see in the league. I find it hard to believe that players can regress on a basketball standpoint from going from college to the nba, but it looks like it is.

One poster was talking about the missing thing was experience, and only that. that the dream team had a lot of experience. I'd just say name one payer on that team that couldn't knock an open jumper down, heck, the centers were ewing and robinson, 2 7 footers that could shoot the 3 ball with a forward stroke.
Experience is not the missing thing, fundamentals is. And the nba is at the total oppsite of the spectrum of fundamentals.

My 2 ct.

Apologizes as usual, english mistakes.

Go USA for 2008 !


[Edited by - raven on 09-01-2006 2:04 PM]