Posted by crzymdups:

So they won? Phew.

Was that two huge shots by Iverson?

Yup, hit two long threes, one as the shot clock expired, and one at the buzzer.

yes... MArbury and Iverson were the backcourt and they were simply unstoppable in the 2nd half of that all star game. It was the only all star game I ever watched and actually got juiced about.

Neither of those guys are guardable 1on1, both are streaky shooter but if they get going its raining. Both can also get guys involved. If your big you better follow them to the basket. Neither are good man to man defenders (bad for the international game) but both are excellent help defenders and adept at overplaying the passing lanes (great for NBA). I think if you put them together and just let experience take over your in pretty good shape.

it will come. Iverson and Marbury have great mid range games, as do Duncan, Melo and Bron. If this team can gel on D it will be fine.

BTW I'm glad Brown made Team USA attack offensively much more than they did yesterday. The one big avantage our team has is it's athleticism. It was nice to see us use it for a change. If we continue to play pressure D and get our transition game going then we should be fine.

Bonn... I'd take Wade over Stephon. He's more of a complete player, IMO.

Posted by rain:

Bonn... I'd take Wade over Stephon. He's more of a complete player, IMO.

You're entitled to your opinion. I'm not going to argue with you if you feel like you'd want Wade over Stephon. But I will argue with you if you claim Wade is more of a pass first PG than Stephon when all the evidence flies in the face of your claim.

if they continue to go with these lineups they will lose. They have 3 PF they have barely utilized and played marbury jefferson and odom way to much.

The line up should be this

C-Duncan
PF-Boozer
SF-Marion
SG Anthony
PG Iversen

2nd unit
C- Okafor
PF Stoudemire
SF Odom
SG Wade
PG Marbury

Jefferson
James

from what i have seen so far both marbury and wade have stunk up the joint. mike bibby and ray allen are better PG and SG for this style of play --i still dont think wade is a 1 he is a 2 who can play make.

USA team has to go back to power game utilize stoudemire boozer and okafor much more. look what duncan does these other guys arent getting the chance they are playing odom at 4 WAY WAY to much and also have played marion there when both should be 3s.

the biggest dissapointment IMHO has been Lebron James--his shot looks uglier than last year he hasnt been able to enforce his incredible athletic skills and I think it's because he has put on a little to much muscle. he looks like he weighs+250 now.

U.S. hasn't learned its lesson from 2002
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Sean Deveney /
Posted: 3 hours ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2639472


Watching Team USA celebrate its stunning three-point win over the Germans — thanks to a desperation shot by Allen Iverson at the buzzer — by mobbing Iverson on the floor in front of the American bench, one thought came to mind.

"Uh, guys, Germany did not even qualify for the Olympics."
Coming off a drubbing by the Italians, who have never been an international powerhouse, mind you, a narrow win over Germany on a lucky shot hardly seems like a reason for a Dream Team (and we use that term loosely) to celebrate.

Photo gallery
Narrow escape




Stories ...
• U.S. narrowly avoids second loss
• Rosen: This team has issues

Olympic previews...
• Foreign fascinations
• Athens and the issues



Now, that pessimism should be tempered. Team USA's struggles against the Italians can be explained by their demanding travel schedule, and in that game Tuesday, they looked to be plain tired. The near-loss to Germany, too, comes with an excuse — the game was in Cologne, on the Germans' home turf. And in both cases, the fact is that this U.S. team is just now getting to know itself.

But that is part of the problem. The early struggles of this team reveal that Team USA either did not or could not react to the lessons it should have learned in its sixth-place finish at the 2002 World Championship in Indianapolis. When the team was chosen last summer, the hope was that the team would play together for a summer, then have some continuity by playing together again this summer. The 2002 team was thrown together, given two weeks to practice, and was soundly beaten by teams that had been playing together for years. The U.S. tried to avoid a repeat, but for a variety of reasons — ranging from marriage to injury to security concerns — all but Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson have dropped off the 2004 team. So much for continuity.

Team USA could not control that. But it could have controlled some of the obvious roster problems that appeared in 2002 — not enough pure perimeter shooters, and not enough versatility in the frontcourt. Guys like Carlos Boozer and Amare Stoudamire are excellent NBA players, and Emeka Okafor was a great college player, but they do not translate well to the international game, where versatility counts.

And break-you-down type ball-handlers, like Paul Pierce and Michael Finley in 2002, struggle against international zones, too. Why have Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the team? That's overkill. Why not great shooters like Brent Barry or Cuttino Mobley or, heck even Steve Kerr or Steve Smith? International teams are great zone defense teams, and you need great shooters to beat them. Team USA should have reacted to that.

Team USA will get better the more it plays together. But the competition is going to get tougher when the Olympics start. The U.S. got lucky in its draw, because it will be in a pool with Lithuania, Greece, Australia, Angola and Puerto Rico. Only Lithuania and the U.S are real medal threats in that pool, though the Greeks, on their home soil, have an outside chance. The other pool has Spain, Argentina, Serbia and Montenegro, Italy, China and New Zealand — Spain, Argentina and Serbia-Montenegro are medal threats there.

Notice, again, that the Italians who beat the U.S. by 17 are not among the medal threats. Notice, again, that the Germans are not even in the Olympics. Whatever the Americans' excuse for their early struggles, those struggles could be just beginning. Wait till they face the real challengers in this Olympic tournament:


1. Lithuania
This team was the European champion last summer, and though the Lithuanians have been only so-so in exhibitions this summer, they are a young, deep bunch and they are reaching their peak. They have the best point guard in Europe, former Maryland point man Sarunas Jasikevicius, who is an excellent scorer and shooter. He can also get into the lane, which has been a problem for Team USA's defense and won the MVP of last year's European championship. His backcourt mate, Arvydas Macijauskas, is undersized at 6-4, but can make shots and is another ball-handler. The team has balance, too, with versatile, strong athletes in the frontcourt who make this a tough defensive team. There's a pair of strong power forwards, Robertas Javtokas and blossoming Kings power forward Darius Songaila. They also have a 6-10 center, Ksistof Lavrinovic.


2. Argentina
The Argentines were the first team to beat an American dream team, and they have the personnel to do it again. They run a lot of motion offense, which most NBA players have not seen since college (or at least not since they last played Utah), and they have versatility all over the floor — their guards can rebound and their big men can shoot from the perimeter. They have struggled some this summer, but this group has been together for a while and is just biding its time until the Games begin. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is the recognizable star, but the frontcourt of small forward Andres Nocioni (signed by the Bulls this summer), power forward Luis Scola and center Francisco Oberto is the strength of the team. They defend the paint with their athleticism and they are versatile on the offensive end — NBA veteran Ruben Wolkowisky gives them depth off the bench. The team also features Pistons draftee Carlos Delfino, who, with Ginobili, gives Argentina very tough perimeter defense.


3. Spain
Pau Gasol is the obvious star of Spain's national team, and he tends to be a different player in international ball than fans of the Grizzlies might be used to — he's tougher, more aggressive and a much stronger defensive presence. But the backbone of this team is point guard Juan Carlos Navarro, a player the Wizards drafted two years ago. He has developed his playmaking skills dramatically over the years and is still a dangerous scorer — he's a good friend of Gasol's and they make for a nifty inside-outside combo. There is a good supporting cast, too, including the very athletic 19-year-old shooting guard, Rudy Fernandez. Big centers, like Jorge Garbajosa and Roberto Duenas, are potential problems.


4. Serbia and Montenegro
This team is going through some of the same problems Team USA faced this summer — injured players and stars who had to back out on the national team for a variety of reasons. Vlade Divac, Zeljko Rebraca, Marko Jaric and Peja Stojakovic are star players for this national team who won't be suiting up this year. An injury to Milan Gurovic damages this team further, and news that Dejan Bodiroga, the team's captain, also is banged up only makes things worse. If healthy, this team would clearly be the best threat to Team USA. Still, there is talent here and this team knows each other. There are two strong point guards who could cause problems for the U.S. — future Suns point guard Milos Vujanic and former Timberwolves guard Igor Rakocevic. Nets draftee center Nenad Krstic has been blossoming in recent weeks and Sonics forward Vladimir Radmanovic presents a tough matchup, with 3-point range at 6-9. They can pull another NBA big man with shooting range, Peja Drobnjak, off the bench, too.

Heading into the Americans' exhibition schedule, it looked like the matchup with Serbia-Montenegro this Friday would be a headliner, a prelude to the gold-medal game. But the Serbs — like the Americans —have had their fair share of adversity. Perhaps Serbia-Montenegro vs. U.S. would make a good bronze medal game.