Pre-Olympic Games

[Guest]

We will get some indication of how strong/weak the USA All-Blacks are in some pre-Olympic "friendlies" coming up soon.

USA vs. Canada: July 25 (8 p.m. ET
USA vs. Turkey: July 31 (8 a.m. ET)
USA vs. Lithuania: Aug. 1 (8 a.m. ET)
USA vs. Russia: Aug. 3 (3 a.m. ET)
USA vs. Australia: Aug. 5 (8 a.m. ET)

Canada and Turkey aren't even in the Olympics, but the game against Lithuania might have some promise.

Our main international competition is looking very strong.

The two top teams in the world, Spain and Argentina, shared a nailbiter yesterday, with Spain winning 90-88.

Previously last week, Spain destroyed Russia by a shocking 91-56 margin, and frankly humiliated Portugal 84-35.

Lithuania also slaughtered Portugal 90-61 on Monday.

 

[guest301]

Thanks for the schedule. I am wondering if AK47 is playing for Russia this year.

 

[Guest]

Meanwhile Ilgauskas is not allowed to play for Lithuania.

Not sure if Ginobili is allowed to play for Argentina.

It's all rather convenient, and it will certainly suck if the Americans win close games against those nations. We'll have to endure years of "The black guys were going to win anyway."

 

[Guest]

Luckily for basketball fans everywhere, AK47 is playing for Russia. He was the lone bright spot in their defeat to Spain a couple days ago. However, Russia is worried about their Stud #2, Victor Khryapa, who is nursing an ankle that may keep him out of the Olympics.

Ginobili made his squad and even played half the game yesterday against Spain, pouring in 18 points in 21 minutes. He should be fine for the Olympics.

LeBronze sprained his ankle today for the USA All-Blacks, and along with Kobe's finger, Howard's sternum, and Wade's knee, we already see a potential excuse narrative forming...

 

[Guest]

Spain continues to play as a man among boys against the competition. Today they crushed Lithuania, supposedly a medal contender, by the score 91-66.

 

[guest301]

Spain is on a roll. They beat Germany for the Euro cup in soccer, Nadal wins the French and Wimbledon beating Federer both times in the process of doing so and now the Basketball team is peaking at just the right time. I have not seen their roster but I assume both Gasols, Marc and Pau are playing.Edited by: guest301

 

[pistol pete]

Spain continues to play as a man among boys against the competition. Today they crushed Lithuania, supposedly a medal contender, by the score 91-66.

The Memphis Grizzlies are my hometown team so I care more about Spain than most. The Spanish team has Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Juan Carlos Navarro, three players who either played for us last year or will play for us this year.

Pau plays great in international competition. Marc Gasol is supposedly like Pau with a mean streak. So there are two great 7 footers right there. JC Navarro (who is going back to Spain) is a good long range shooter who can get hot. if he is hot, USA is in trouble.

Spain has a great point guard in Calderon, a great up and comer in Ricky Rubio, the Gasols, navarro, plus Rudy Fernandez, last year's MVP in Spain.

So we will have our hands full with them. they have 2 seven footers and we don't have any? Dwight Howard is the closest at 6-11? uh-oh.

 

[guest301]

I am looking forward to seeing Ricky Rubio play, he has been compared to a cross between Nash and Maravich. He's a future lottery pick, maybe next year.

 

[Guest]

Lithuania bounces back today to trounce Argentina, 94-75, gliding in for the easy win after being up 56-26 at halftime.

I guess we shouldn't write Lithuania off yet, despite their poor show against Spain yesterday.

Spain and Argetina get a rematch tomorrow.

Edited by: 89Glory

 

[Guest]

Nice highlight of a Ricky Rubio assist in yesterday's game against Lithuania:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPSyScRcRRo

The first part is just crazy: he tricks the first defender with a fake behind-the-back pass that morphs into a one-handed behind-the-back dribble. That's BEFORE the look-away pass to set up the dunk.

 

[KG2422]

The Ricky Rubio passing and stealing skills video on the same page is really something.

Edited by: KG2422

 

[Guest]

Spain demolished Argentina today, 87-62. It was a close game at the half, but accurate Spanish shooting just buried Argentina in the fourth quarter.

Both teams looked tired to me and the game was pretty sloppy. I think you could tell it was the last game of a meaningless tournament.

Neither team seemed to play with much fire, but Spanish shooting skill and ball movement shone through as the deciding factor.

 

[Guest]

The Team USA victory over Canada was not as impressive as the lopsided final score indicates (120-65). The All-Blacks play a pressing, gambling, fast-breaking, and 3-point shooting style (thanks D'antoni), so against low-quality teams, they produce huge blowouts.

It also indicates their total lack of class or dignity, continuing to fast break and jack up threes while they are up by 40 points in the fourth quarter. What a bunch of jerks, laughing and whooping it up on the sidelines while beating up on a bad team. Canada did not even have to be there, they are not playing in the Olympics. To humiliate a team that basically agreed to play you as a favor is just outrageous.

Kobe is our supposed stopper, but he had a hard time stopping white Canadian Carl English, picking up four fouls in 23 minutes as English attacked him.

Carmello Anthony fouled out (5 fouls) in 24 minutes, D. Howard had 3 fouls in 19 minutes, and C. Bosh had 4 fouls in 14 minutes.

My question, how is our defense going to look when we play Germany, with Dirk and Kaman on the floor at the same time, or against Spain, when the two 7-foot Gasols are on the floor?Need we mention China, which has about 4 seven footers, including Yao Ming? The idea of playing C. Anthony and LeBronze James as your power forwards is not going to look too smart then.

Only one center and two PFs, and all of them foul-prone...Uggh, it is just frustrating how stupidly this team was put together...

Another sign of their poor play: their 19 turnovers (almost as many as the 24 the Canadians gave up to the gambling and high-pressure USA defense).

 

[pistol pete]

maybe a Dunk Contest will be added to the Summer Olympics next time.

We can probably win that, though I am not sure if Ricky Rubio is a good dunker.

 

[Guest]

Latest Spain results: a complete drubbing of the Hungarian team, 103-45. Why they are even playing Hungary, who is not going to the Olympics, I am not sure. Whatever the case, they continue to pile up dominant performance upon dominant performance.

Their last Olympic warm up is against Latvia in a couple days.

 

[Matra1]

The failure of Canada's team to make the Olympics was big news on sports talk radio last week. The white coach Leo Rautins seems to be taking most of the blame but there was an insubordination issue with one of the (black) players* - who ended up being kicked off the team prior to playing the last two crucial qualification matches in Athens. The team were also said to have no heart.

All the pictures that I've seen of the team indicate that blacks were overrepresented on the team (can anyone confirm this?) keeping in mind that blacks are only about 3% of Canada's population.

They got spanked by Slovenia (a white country with only 1.9 million people). They had to come from behind to narrowly beat a crappy Korean team. Then they lost to Croatia to be eliminated. Needless to say Steve Nash didn't play.

* The player was Sam Dalembert of the 76ers. According to news reports Dalembert brought along his own friends to Athens, mixed mostly with them, and didn't attend meals with the team that was made up on non-NBAers. Apparently this rubbed the other players the wrong way!Edited by: Matra1

 

[foobar75]

I must say, I don't quite get the anti Team USA attitude. This is the Olympics, and as an American, I'm rooting for all of our athletes. I want the USA to win the most golds and most overall medals. That includes Team USA in basketball, so what am I missing here?


Sure, the team is made up of entirely black players, but with the exception of Kobe and Carmelo, the rest are what you'd call good guys and solid citizens. I don't see any gang-banging thugs in that group.


Maybe it's just me, but when it comes to an American team or a single athlete in any form of international competition, unless the said American cannot be rooted for (such as the Williams sisters or that cry-baby loser LaShawn Merritt), I'm rooting for USA, period.


I hope we meet Spain in the finals, and I hope we beat them for the gold medal.

 

[Charlie]

From foreign policy to box stores there are numerous ways to enjoy non-American products. I simply find the 'merican team's style of play aesthetically displeasing and prefer the foreign-made item.

I would also prefer a Putin presidency, a Berlusconi-owned mass media and a Japanese legal system, but you can't have everything.

So I'll settle for teams which are closer to the Olympic ideal of civilized competition between genuine emissaries of their respective cultures.

Of course this leaves the question of which had the better Olympic record, Sparta or Athens?

 

[white is right]

The failure of Canada's team to make the Olympics was big news on sports talk radio last week. The white coach Leo Rautins seems to be taking most of the blame but there was an insubordination issue with one of the (black) players* - who ended up being kicked off the team prior to playing the last two crucial qualification matches in Athens. The team were also said to have no heart.

All the pictures that I've seen of the team indicate that blacks were overrepresented on the team (can anyone confirm this?) keeping in mind that blacks are only about 3% of Canada's population.

They got spanked by Slovenia (a white country with only 1.9 million people). They had to come from behind to narrowly beat a crappy Korean team. Then they lost to Croatia to be eliminated. Needless to say Steve Nash didn't play.

* The player was Sam Dalembert of the 76ers. According to news reports Dalembert brought along his own friends to Athens, mixed mostly with them, and didn't attend meals with the team that was made up on non-NBAers. Apparently this rubbed the other players the wrong way!

Dalembert brought his own posse/entourage. How does a journeyman 12th man type have an entourage...

He also was lazy and going through the motions. Until White Canadians take the game seriously Canadian National teams will always be a joke.......

 

[Guest]

China defeated Angola 83-74 today in the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in Nanjing.

In the other game today Argentina defeated Iran 81-71.

Yao Ming led China with 21 points in 29 minutes, hitting 8 of 10 shots. China hit 59 percent of its shots and outrebounded Angola 27-24. China had 21 turnovers to 13 for Angola.

Argentina was led by 23 points from Luis Scola, 18 from Carlos Delfino and 15 from Manu Ginobili. 7'2 center Hamed Ehadadi scored 20 points for Iran.

There are six teams playing the Diamond Ball Tournament, divided into two groups. One group has China, Angola and Australia while the other has Argentina, Iran and Serbia. On the final day of the tournament the first, second and third place teams of each group play against each other. China will play Australia tomorrow while Iran faces Serbia.

 

[Guest]

Russia is looking particularly weak this summer. They just hosted a mini-tournament on their home turf in Moscow against non-Olympic teams, beating the first two (Latvia and Ukraiane), but losing yesterday to Serbia, in a one point nailbiter, 75-74.

Losing to a non-Olympic team is not a good sign for the Russian squad, who were blown out by Spain just a couple weeks ago.

 

[Guest]

Australia looks like a strong squad for us anti-caste fans to support. Today they demolished China 67-55 with a very physical and aggressive game. The Aussies may be the dark horse for a medal spot in Beijing.

What's going on here? I learned from the NBA the Whites are "soft" and "passive"...

 

[celticdb15]

Just made a bet with my friend that Spain finishes above the U.S. in the medals! Poor guy doesnt know about Rubio and the gasol brothers along with Rudy!

 

[Guest]

Spain destroyed Latvia today 107-55. They are destroying teams with fundamental half-court offense and defense, not running up the score with steals and fast-breaks (a la Team USA). I think Spain had exactly one fast break the entire game.

I have never seen a better passing team than Spain. They also run NBA offensive sets, full of curls and alley oops, always with perfect spacing. Very impressive.

 

[Guest]

Celticdb, I agree with you, by any objective analysis, Spain should be considered the gold medal favorite.

Spain has it all, with no weaknesses: tall and skilled up front, great ball handling from the backcourt, great passing and great shooting at all positions, great teamwork and deep bench.The USA All-Blacks are not tall, give up lots of turnovers and fouls, are not good passers, have poor teamwork, and have poor defenders.

I honestly think Team USA, with all of its many weaknesses, should be called the underdog, and will have to play an almost perfect game to beat Spain.

I am rooting for Greece, Germany, Australia, and Lithuania to beat the USA All-Blacks, but I think those squads are all underdogs, and would have to play the almost perfect game to beat USA. With Spain, I do not think so.

You are putting down some smart money.