Is US still dominant in International basketball?

[killercrossover]

Bloggers,

With the emergence of European teams in basketball and continous entry of foreign players in the NBA, is US still the dominant team in this sport?

For me they still are, but not as strong as the 1st & 2nd US Dream Teams. And they need now to prepare.

[rikhardur]

I consider them no longer dominant. They don't win WCs or Olympics and this year 2 European MVPs in the NBA. Enough said

[Straight forward]

US still has strongest league in the world, since best Euro players playing there.

US has a lot of strong players "one-on-one". individually they are leading.

US still doesnt even has a vision what is "team-play". So they are not the best in International area.

[Straight forward]

p.s. not only european players.

[TauNgaVa]

US still has strongest league in the world, since best Euro players playing there.

US has a lot of strong players "one-on-one". individually they are leading.

US still doesnt even has a vision what is "team-play". So they are not the best in International area.

AMEN

US still has the best players in the world

Nowitski vs. James = errr.. James will win of course

[Straight forward]

AMEN

US still has the best players in the world

Nowitski vs. James = errr.. James will win of course

All i remember that James was pretty much nothing in international games with USA NT. and i remember that guys like Ginobily and Parker kicked James ass. course, he still young, but i have no idea how he managed to reach the super final.

[Phantim3dx]

i cant see the two being compared. i'd take the german terror over king james. LeBRONZE is overhyped thanks to Nike. Nowitzki gets the job done inside and outside the lane. team play is broken down these days, thanks to And1 and the refs not calling violations on players like um dwane wade who travels like crazy. and others.

[thayil]

hmmm

why is it that spanoulis is struggling in NBA?

well in my opinion, if we put Lebron now in International games... I think its different outcome now.. because right now he is more confident unlike before.

[rikhardur]

Btw, this should be moved to the International section.

[onono1]

Btw, this should be moved to the International section.

Precisely, will somebody please move this thread to international forum

[TauNgaVa]

why is it that spanoulis is struggling in NBA?

well in my opinion, if we put Lebron now in International games... I think its different outcome now.. because right now he is more confident unlike before.

(sorry bout my englisHhh)

right..

about spanoulis i think he is not suitable in the NBA maybe he can go back to euroleague where his style of play suits up.. (sorry bout that hehe)

[Czarkazem13]

Bloggers,

With the emergence of European teams in basketball and continous entry of foreign players in the NBA, is US still the dominant team in this sport?

For me they still are, but not as strong as the 1st & 2nd US Dream Teams. And they need now to prepare.

First I would argue that there was only one Dream Team (maybe the second can be considered a poorer version), the rest are just Team USA's.

While the last two NBA MVP's (three years) were a Canadian and a German (and the Finals MVP a Frenchman - with U.S. roots), the majority of top players in the L and all-stars are still from the U.S.

While the U.S. doesn't basically win all competitions like they used too, they are still the TEAM to beat (like Brasil in football/soccer).

So I would argue that even though the U.S. doesn't dominate all it's competition, it is still the dominant team in basketball.

All i remember that James was pretty much nothing in international games with USA NT. and i remember that guys like Ginobily and Parker kicked James ass. course, he still young, but i have no idea how he managed to reach the super final.

Actually, I remember Lebron doing pretty good in the WC in Japan. Now, if you think he didn't score enough, then you obviously don't watch Lebron play. He's more like Magic and Big O, then Air Jordan.

I also remember him not playing Ginobili and Parker one-on-one, as a matter of fact the U.S. team beat Argentina, and - refresh my memory - when did the U.S. play France?

BTW, the reached the NBA Finals by playing good defense, poor EC and having one of the top players in the world - Lebron James.

i cant see the two being compared. i'd take the german terror over king james. LeBRONZE is overhyped thanks to Nike. Nowitzki gets the job done inside and outside the lane. team play is broken down these days, thanks to And1 and the refs not calling violations on players like um dwane wade who travels like crazy. and others.

Tough choice between the two, usually you go with height, but in this case I would go with Lebron - just too much talent. I would go with Lebron 'cause he still has much potential to get better, while Dirk is in his prime now. Also, both have disapeared from games (as far as scoring), but Lebron is one of those rare players that can dominate a game without scoring (Stockton, Wallace, Rodman, etc...).

Lebron lived up to his hype. He was so hyped out of HS everyone was waiting for him to fail, but he not only lived up to it he surpassed it.

Also, Lebron proved he can carry a team (a worse one then Dallas), while Dirk can't seem to shake what D-Wade said about him. (Golden St. - really?).

Also, refs stopped calling violations like traveling on star players way before And1. The breaking down of team-play comes more from bad coaching on all levels (except many colleges/universities) from AAU to the NBA. And1 cannot be blamed for coaches not teaching/using team play in the NBA.

[Phantim3dx]

Tough choice between the two, usually you go with height, but in this case I would go with Lebron - just too much talent. I would go with Lebron 'cause he still has much potential to get better, while Dirk is in his prime now. Also, both have disapeared from games (as far as scoring), but Lebron is one of those rare players that can dominate a game without scoring (Stockton, Wallace, Rodman, etc...).

Lebron lived up to his hype. He was so hyped out of HS everyone was waiting for him to fail, but he not only lived up to it he surpassed it.

Also, Lebron proved he can carry a team (a worse one then Dallas), while Dirk can't seem to shake what D-Wade said about him. (Golden St. - really?).

Also, refs stopped calling violations like traveling on star players way before And1. The breaking down of team-play comes more from bad coaching on all levels (except many colleges/universities) from AAU to the NBA. And1 cannot be blamed for coaches not teaching/using team play in the NBA.

okay you have a point about the mavs crashing out early whereas lebronze went to the finals. id like to think of it though as a matter of superior coaching that crashed the mavs instead of the players.

western conference is by far the still toughest conference compared to the east at the present. sure for lebronze to take his team to the finals was well worth an accomplishment but that can't be easier said if we took lebronze and put him in the west.

i chose the german cuz he is at his prime , in a few yrs when he starts goin down, then maybe ill look to bandwagon support somebody else.

and1 isnt fully to blame but when you have kids wanting to imitate that crap in the courts. it does get to me, not that i dont fancy slick pistol pete/jason william moves and etc. but when its deliberately palming/carrying the ball, etc and you ask them do they even know what they're doing and they just give you a deer in the headlight stare it makes me wonder if it is affecting the general as a whole, not just the bad coaching or the good coaching at any level.

[HIGHLANDER]

i cant see the two being compared. i'd take the german terror over king james. LeBRONZE is overhyped thanks to Nike. Nowitzki gets the job done inside and outside the lane. team play is broken down these days, thanks to And1 and the refs not calling violations on players like um dwane wade who travels like crazy. and others.

Correct..

[Phantim3dx]

(sorry bout my englisHhh)

right..

about spanoulis i think he is not suitable in the NBA maybe he can go back to euroleague where his style of play suits up.. (sorry bout that hehe)

kill bill is made and suitable for the nba i cant see why he cant adapt to it. he slashes and he can score, not to mention he is defensive minded which is always a bonus imho. only reason why he isnt playing is because my man jvg as much as i think the guy is a good coach, just does not trust foreign players and players who are inedxperienced in the NBA. jvg's biggest weakness is the ability to adjust and train players to become better; spanoullis never really got the chance. i hope rick adelmann can see something else that jvg couldnt see.

i personally would want to have spanoullis on the 2nd spot as pg, and work his way up. he still needs to cut down on the to's though not to mention jvg is a no nonsense guy especially when you are a player coming into the league with no nba experience and foreign...
adelmann on the other hand has worked with euros before and is a bit moe tolerant than jvg with foreigners playing in the lineup. id like to assume/hope that because of this positive experience rick has had spanoullis will get his playing chance increase.