Europe VS USA

[Victorious2]

It may be hard for a country to beat the USA, but I believe that Europe as a whole could create one or two rosters which could beat the USA.

Here's my roster for team Europe:

PG Tony Parker, Milos Teodosic
SG Vassilis Spanoulis, Juan Carlos Navarro
SF Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Linas Kleiza
PF Pau Gasol, Boris Diaw
C Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nenad Krstic

Head coach: Zeljko Obradovic

If this team would have considerable time to prepare, I think this hypothetical team would be on par, if not better than team USA 2012.

 

[Southpaw2]

It may be hard for a country to beat the USA, but I believe that Europe as a whole could create one or two rosters which could beat the USA.

Here's my roster for team Europe:

PG Tony Parker, Milos Teodosic
SG Vassilis Spanoulis, Juan Carlos Navarro
SF Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Linas Kleiza
PF Pau Gasol, Boris Diaw
C Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nenad Krstic

Head coach: Zeljko Obradovic

If this team would have considerable time to prepare, I think this hypothetical team would be on par, if not better than team USA 2012.

This team will get abused under NBA rules. Not a lot of speed and not a lot of defense altogether. In a best of seven they can win 2 games at best. If they play the same team USA this year, I slightly favor them.

 

[Shawshank2]

It may be hard for a country to beat the USA, but I believe that Europe as a whole could create one or two rosters which could beat the USA.

Here's my roster for team Europe:

PG Tony Parker, Milos Teodosic
SG Vassilis Spanoulis, Juan Carlos Navarro
SF Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Linas Kleiza
PF Pau Gasol, Boris Diaw
C Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nenad Krstic

Head coach: Zeljko Obradovic

If this team would have considerable time to prepare, I think this hypothetical team would be on par, if not better than team USA 2012.

you took all offensive players,you can beat usa outscoring them,you have outsmart them this is the only way ! instead of spanulis and navaro i would took way better defenders like Batum and Diamantidis.We need ar 2-3 position players to be able play defence.
how come you didnt find anything better at PF than Diaw? againts 2012 usa all of your SF easily could play PF.

 

[Straight forward2]

It may be hard for a country to beat the USA, but I believe that Europe as a whole could create one or two rosters which could beat the USA.

Here's my roster for team Europe:

PG Tony Parker, Milos Teodosic
SG Vassilis Spanoulis, Juan Carlos Navarro
SF Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, Linas Kleiza
PF Pau Gasol, Boris Diaw
C Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nenad Krstic

Head coach: Zeljko Obradovic

If this team would have considerable time to prepare, I think this hypothetical team would be on par, if not better than team USA 2012.

This team could beat USA, why not. But they could very well lose as well. In 7 games I would still bet 4:3 for USA probably.

On other hand against USA it should be more of athletic and fast lineup, I agree with Southpaw.

PG. T. Parker. Rubio.
SG. Rudy, Navarro (just to have one pure shooter), Batum (to use as a big guard)
SF. Kirilenko, Iliasova, Kleiza
PF Pau Gasol, Nowitzki, Ibaka
C Marc Gasol, Noah (or Mazgov, Kaun, Koufos)

This team would fit more against USA , IMO.

 

[Victorious2]

I said that Europe could make two rosters which could beat the USA. Some of you are just picking players of the 'other' roster. I just happened to pick them. Teodosic or Rubio, Spanoulis or Diamantidis, Ilyasova or Nowitzki. It all could work imo.

These rosters are definately better than Spain, or any other international team for that matter. I think they would beat the USA.

 

[Victorious2]

This team will get abused under NBA rules. Not a lot of speed and not a lot of defense altogether. In a best of seven they can win 2 games at best. If they play the same team USA this year, I slightly favor them.

As if team USA plays hard defense. All they did is shoot threes and make fast breaks. Their defense is nothing special. Actually it's pretty bad.

 

[CHBB2]

As if team USA plays hard defense. All they did is shoot threes and make fast breaks. Their defense is nothing special. Actually it's pretty bad.

You're touching on a problem we have with basketball in the US and especially the NBA these days. People judge a player's defense by how athletic he is and his size. In other words, teams think they can make a lazy player play defense just because he has the physical attributes to.

However, the fact remains that while the USA has more than a few non-defenders, it has guys like Iguodala, LeBron, Chris Paul, Westbrook, Kobe, and others who use their superior athleticism and size to their advantage by playing the best defense they can. In order to beat the USA, you need this level of player.

This is the roster I would use:

PG: Tony Parker, Ricky Rubio or Shved
SG: Thabo, Navarro
SF: Deng, Iliasova or Kleiza
PF: Ibaka, Pau Gasol, Dirk
C: Mozgov, Seraphin, Marc Gasol

If you want to beat the best the US has to offer, you need to be able to counter anything they can throw out you and play multiple styles. This lineup has the kind of point guard you need at the helm and a change-of-pace backup, a combination of lockdown defense and scoring/shooting at the 2, a combination of athleticism/defense and offense at the 3, a combination of shot blocking and two different types of offensive styles at the 4, and a combination of size, strength, offensive skill and athleticism at the 5.

The first roster didn't have enough defense at the 2 or 3. The second roster didn't have enough defense at the 3. Improve on those weaknesses and yes you can definitely beat the US. My roster would beat the US for sure. Between Parker, Thabo/Navarro, Deng/Iliasova or Kleiza, Pau/Dirk/Ibaka, and Mozgov/Seraphin/Marc Gasol, they wouldn't know what hit them. I would absolutely love to see this game played.

 

[macleopard132]

I think this team would beat Team USA:

PG: Tony Parker, Bo McCalebb, Vassilis Spanoulis
SG: Juan Carlos Navarro, Nicholas Batum
SF: Andrei Kirilenko, Luol Deng
PF: Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Sergei Ibaka
C: Joakim Noah, Marc Gasol

And this team would CRUSH Team USA:

PG: Nikos Galis, Sarunas Marciulionis
SG: Drazen Petrovic, Sergei Belov
SF: Toni Kukoc, Dejan Bodiroga, Ramunas Siskauskas
PF: Detlef Schrempf, Dino Radja
C: Arvydas Sabonis, Vlade Divac, Dino Meneghin

 

[Straight forward2]

PG: Nikos Galis, Sarunas Marciulionis
SG: Drazen Petrovic, Sergei Belov
SF: Toni Kukoc, Dejan Bodiroga, Ramunas Siskauskas
PF: Detlef Schrempf, Dino Radja
C: Arvydas Sabonis, Vlade Divac, Dino Meneghin

So you're catching players from different generations. Imagine USA would do that. In other words - improved version of USA 1992

And I don't think Divac was better than Pau Gasol and Shrempf or Radja than Dirk. Nowitzki and Gasol goes to any all- time European roster any time.

 

[Victorious2]

I think this team would beat Team USA:

PG: Tony Parker, Bo McCalebb, Vassilis Spanoulis
SG: Juan Carlos Navarro, Nicholas Batum
SF: Andrei Kirilenko, Luol Deng
PF: Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Sergei Ibaka
C: Joakim Noah, Marc Gasol

And this team would CRUSH Team USA:

PG: Nikos Galis, Sarunas Marciulionis
SG: Drazen Petrovic, Sergei Belov
SF: Toni Kukoc, Dejan Bodiroga, Ramunas Siskauskas
PF: Detlef Schrempf, Dino Radja
C: Arvydas Sabonis, Vlade Divac, Dino Meneghin

Bo McCalebb is an American. It would be pretty lame for the whole European continent to use American naturalized players to beat the USA.

 

[CHBB2]

So you're catching players from different generations. Imagine USA would do that. In other words - improved version of USA 1992

And I don't think Divac was better than Pau Gasol and Shrempf or Radja than Dirk. Nowitzki and Gasol goes to any all- time European roster any time.

We could start both Wilt and Kareem on the same team! Could you imagine that?

I don't think you can really compare Divac to Pau Gasol. Divac was more of a true big man who just happened to be skilled and Pau is more of a skilled player who happens to be a big man. Dirk is basically the German Larry Bird, though not as tough or as good at defense as Larry Legend was.

 

[cwr2]

PG: Chris Paul, Deron Willams, & Rajon Rondo
SG: Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, & Rusell Westbrook
SF: Lebron James, Kevin Durant, &Carmelo Anthony
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, & Kevin Love
C; DwightHoward, Andrew Bynum, & Kevin Garnett

No one mentioned what this all European squad would be up against. Starting five, Chris Paul, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, & Andrew Bynum. Dwight and Andrew will crush Pau, Marc, Joakim, Sergei, & especially Dirk. The 5 & 4 match up is not even close. Deng & Kirilenko holding Durant. Ok let me put it like this!, this dude has the potential to be the greatest scorer in NBA history. The only player who can stop Durant is Durant but it is 2 players imo that makes his shots a little more tough and that is Lebron and Deng. Kirilenko guarding Durant one on one forget about it. Now Navarro and Batum guarding Lebron is probably the worst possible match up between the two teams. Lebron easily in this matchup. PG: match up can go either way between Parker & Paul

 

[cwr2]

PG: Chris Paul, Deron Willams, & Rajon Rondo
SG: Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, & Rusell Westbrook
SF: Lebron James, Kevin Durant, &Carmelo Anthony
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, & Kevin Love
C; DwightHoward, Andrew Bynum, & Kevin Garnett

No one mentioned what this all European squad would be up against. Starting five, Chris Paul, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, & Andrew Bynum. Dwight and Andrew will crush Pau, Marc, Joakim, Sergei, & especially Dirk. The 5 & 4 match up is not even close. Deng & Kirilenko holding Durant. Ok let me put it like this!, this dude has the potential to be the greatest scorer in NBA history. The only player who can stop Durant is Durant but it is 2 players imo that makes his shots a little more tough and that is Lebron and Deng. Kirilenko guarding Durant one on one forget about it. Now Navarro and Batum guarding Lebron is probably the worst possible match up between the two teams. Lebron easily in this matchup. PG: match up can go either way between Parker & Paul

 

[CHBB2]

Rondo sucks ass, especially internationally. Kobe is 10 times the scorer Durant is and probably always will be. Durant has a great shot and great finger-tip control but that's it. There just aren't enough defenders with LeBron's combination of length and athleticism/foot speed for his size to frustrate Durant is all.

First of all, your roster has too many players. Secondly, my roster from earlier in this thread would beat that team. Wade plays no defense and is not a smart player offensively. Kobe is really the only complete player at the 2 on your team though Westbrook would pose a threat but he's also not smart offensively at times and will make bad decisions when he feels he has no choice. Thabo should be able to lock down Westbrook and Wade. Parker and Rubio or Shved would cancel out Chris Paul and Deron. Durant and LeBron is why I've got Deng for offense/defense and then Iliasova or Kleiza for all offense. My 4s would kill that team. Ibaka would bully Bosh and use his athleticism against Love, and Dirk and Pau would put all three in foul trouble. Garnett isn't really capable of playing the 5 against big players. He used to get bullied in the West when he was the man down low. He'd only really be a factor because of his offensive versatility. Bynum and Howard would pose a major problem but between my three big, strong Centers I think I could handle them. It'd be interesting down low given that you've got the advantage at the 5 and I've got the advantage at the 4. Howard and Bynum could very well be the difference makers along with LeBron. If either are allowed to cause problems for my team, your team would beat us by 20 or more. Then of course you add Kobe and you add Durant's shooting ability and the situation could be even worse. Still, we have the offense to keep up and the defense and size to frustrate you a bit. I'll revisit it once you whittle that roster down to 12 though. Personally, I'd cut Garnett, Melo, and Rondo. Rondo sucks ass and would cost you games if you let him, Melo is nothing but an offensively skilled player who uses his size to his advantage and he'd cost you games defensively against my firepower, and Garnett just can't do it anymore like he could. He'd have a lot of trouble against my bigs.

Cut those three and you take away my chance at any kind of advantage at the 1 or 5 or my ability to play your 3s if you get Deng in foul trouble because LeBron and Durant would absolutely kill either Kleiza or Iliasova. Either way, it'd be an interesting match-up because of the different individual match-ups.

 

[Chopin2]

PG: Chris Paul, Deron Willams, & Rajon Rondo
SG: Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, & Rusell Westbrook
SF: Lebron James, Kevin Durant, &Carmelo Anthony
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, & Kevin Love
C; DwightHoward, Andrew Bynum, & Kevin Garnett

No one mentioned what this all European squad would be up against. Starting five, Chris Paul, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, & Andrew Bynum. Dwight and Andrew will crush Pau, Marc, Joakim, Sergei, & especially Dirk. The 5 & 4 match up is not even close. Deng & Kirilenko holding Durant. Ok let me put it like this!, this dude has the potential to be the greatest scorer in NBA history. The only player who can stop Durant is Durant but it is 2 players imo that makes his shots a little more tough and that is Lebron and Deng. Kirilenko guarding Durant one on one forget about it. Now Navarro and Batum guarding Lebron is probably the worst possible match up between the two teams. Lebron easily in this matchup. PG: match up can go either way between Parker & Paul

If things would be that easy in basketball that you can predict the result based on 1 on 1 matchups in team oriented game on both sides of the court. I dont agree about 4-5 position, I think they would be quite equall here. The only position where US would be better is where Durant and Lebron would play, like it was on olympics for US against Spain. But it would be much tougher for them too. I am sure that Europe team would play better team basketball in FIBA but the US would have 2-3better individualls + a better 1 on 1 game, this series could go eiter way, but I give a small + for Europe because of better passing ability + more experience in FIBA basketball. And I would not put Parker as a first pg for Europe, he is a liability in defense and sometimes has bad decision making + has not achieved anything in Fiba basketball yet because of that. I also would not choose this lineup for US that you wrote, I think you can put up a better team with some great role players that are actually capable of playing great team defense, where US would suffer in your team imo...

 

[iskoch2]

Spanoulis-Parker-Shved
Diamantidis-Navarro
Kirilenko-Batum
Nowitzki-Ilyasova
Pau-Marc-Noah

I think this team would pass USA 4-2 or 4-3...

 

[Pleasant2]

I am sure that Europe team would play better team basketball in FIBA but the US would have 2-3better individualls + a better 1 on 1 game, this series could go eiter way, but I give a small + for Europe because of better passing ability + more experience in FIBA basketball.

This is interesting. Why are you sure the Europe team would play better team basketball? For me, the biggest advantage elite non-US teams have in FIBA tournaments is their cohesion and familiarity with one another, which allows them to maximize their talent against a team of individually more talented players. If you are taking that national unity away, what makes you think chemistry will still be on the side of a mish-mash of Europe's best players?

 

[cwr2]

C: Howard, Bynum
PF: Bosh, Aldridge
SF: Durant, Melo
SG: Lebron, Kobe, & Westbrook
PG: Paul, Willams, & Rose
Kobe can create his shot better than Durant. If that's what you're trying to say then I absolutely agree with you. Though when it comes to scoring, it is, as it seems to me that Durant is a matchup nightmare. He is to fast for traditional height vs height schemes and shoots over the top of the average small forward.
No disrespect intended but Thabo locking Westbrook down is a joke. There is know way Thabo stays in front of Westbrook. If you would of said Thabo locking down Lebron then I would of still disagreed but that matchup is more favorably to Thabo. The comment about him not being offensively smart I completely agree with you it's like his body goes faster than he can think. If he plays his role he can be a major asset but if he tries to do to much he is marginal at best.

 

[cwr2]

Only Dirk can stop Dirk but on the flip side of that he can't stop no one either. Pau & Aldridge has a very similar game, both can play back to the basket and both players have an above average shot. Bosh is quicker than Gasol and his shot is slightly better but Gasol is a better rebounder. Ibaka defensively is a beast but if he's in you lose offensive production. Imo opinion this matchup is even because everything gained by Dirk is lost by his defense same scenario for Ibaka. I don't see Pau out playing Bosh or Aldridge but neither do I see them outplaying Gasol. Team work and schemes closes the gap between the two teams but individual talents and athleticism makes the difference. Thats why USA wins because if it was about team work Europe is far and away a 40 to 50 point favor. All the USA does is whoever has the ball score there is no sets no elaborate schemes and yet they win. These guys are to talented for schemes they will find a way to get it done.

 

[Chopin2]

This is interesting. Why are you sure the Europe team would play better team basketball? For me, the biggest advantage elite non-US teams have in FIBA tournaments is their cohesion and familiarity with one another, which allows them to maximize their talent against a team of individually more talented players. If you are taking that national unity away, what makes you think chemistry will still be on the side of a mish-mash of Europe's best players?

Their experience in their NT-s, where they played more cohesive basketball is a plus. There is also the issue Euroleague or 1.basketball leagues in Europe - NBA (for all the americans the NBA was their first pro-contract). So, a lot of Europe`s players have, besides NBA, also experiance in playing the best European league which is a big +, because the game is more team oriented there, especially in defense. More experience you have with different pro leagues better FIBA rules player you can be imo...

But maybe the nationality factor would be a strong + for the americans, that is a good point I guess. I dont know how strong the European pride against America would actually be . The motivation would not be a problem for Europe though imo, but it is hard to predict it all.