2010 WC absentees

[Franz]

post of the year

Too much inexperience on that team.

- Derrick Rose
- OJ Mayo
- Kevin Durant
- Gerald Wallace
- Kevin Love
- Brook Lopez
- Kendrick Perkins

Talent is not only factor that wins championships. This has already been proven in 2004 & 2006

[Jon_Koncak]

Maybe they wouldn't be the heavy favorite to get the gold with this particular squad,but claiming that they wouldn't even finish in the top 6 is an overstatement.

[saalsapr]

Maybe they wouldn't be the heavy favorite to get the gold with this particular squad,but claiming that they wouldn't even finish in the top 6 is an overstatement.

Actually its possible. If they where to get upset in the quarterfinals, they would be so down on the dumps they might get upset again in the games deciding 5th-8th.

[FIBA Europe Basket]

Maybe they wouldn't be the heavy favorite to get the gold with this particular squad,but claiming that they wouldn't even finish in the top 6 is an overstatement.

That particular roster he posted is no better than their 2002 team that finished 6th playing at home or the 2004 team that finished 3rd. It's also IMO weaker than the 2006 team that finished third.

Lower than 6th is probably an exaggeration, but I think that team would finish 3rd. Spain and Greece would be too strong for that team.

Also, Boozer isn't playing this summer as far as I know. So I don't think they would finish lower than 6th with that roster, but I don't think that roster could handle Spain or Greece.

[Franz]

The 2004 squad got beat by Puerto Rico, Lithuania, and Argentina. This proposed USA team is worse than 2004. They would have a hard time beating other teams, not just Spain and Greece.

[FIBA Europe Basket]

The 2004 squad got beat by Puerto Rico, Lithuania, and Argentina. This proposed USA team is worse than 2004. They would have a hard time beating other teams, not just Spain and Greece.

They also lost to Italy in 2004.

That team and again I don't think Boozer is even playing would still have a shot at a bronze I think. I'm not saying they would get it. They would have a problem against teams like Russia, France, Australia, Argentina, Slovenia, Serbia, Lithuania, even teams like Brazil, Turkey, Croatia and teams like that would be capable of beating that team.

What I'm saying is that the only teams that I think would easily for sure beat them would be Spain and Greece. They could also lose to teams like Russia, France, Argentina, Serbia, Lithuania, Slovenia and teams like that as well, but I think they would have a 50/50 chance to beat most of those teams and still to finish third.

That would be their best case scenario. But realistically, as you say with the lack of experience in that roster, if they did make a semifinal they would probably also lose the third place match. Teams like Spain, Greece, Argentina are likely to be in the semifinals and they are all very experienced teams. So maybe 4th place would be the good, or even best possible result for a US roster like that.

[Straight forward]

And off course Greece is the main threat for USA after Spain because they beat them in WC 2006, not having in mind that since that time (when Kakiouzis and Dikoudis were doing big things and that team still was demolished by Spain in the final) they don't have a single new addition that could make a valid difference, I presume Not that I'm denying Greece is the final 4 contender.

[mbenga]

And off course Greece is the main threat for USA after Spain because they beat them in WC 2006, not having in mind that since that time (when Kakiouzis and Dikoudis were doing big things and that team still was demolished by Spain in the final) they don't have a single new addition that could make a valid difference, I presume Not that I'm denying Greece is the final 4 contender.

Calathes looks good, though it's still too early to think he can make any difference, and Koufos...well, i don't know what the hell is going on with Koufos, a guy with so much talent and potential.

Anyway FIBAEuspanoulis just doing his thing. I agree that the US should be more concerned with Serbia, Turkey or Argentina, maybe even France if they ssend a full squad with parker, Noah, etc...

[Jon_Koncak]

2004 Usa team had Marbury as their main pg,Mbengas hypothetical team has two of the best pgs of the last decade.No comparison there.2004 team's prime wing scorer and 3 point shooter was Jefferson(before he even developed a semi decent jump shot) along with Shawn Marion..I'd take Durant,Joe Johnson and fearless defender G.Wallace over them any day..And it's not as if the 2004 team failed terribly,they finshed 3rd,hell even the joke of a team that was 2002 would reach the finals had Gurovic not entered Jordan mode in the last 2 minutes of that quarter final.

Just by havin D-Will,CP3,Durant and Amare this team will be better than 2002-04 versions,under no circumstances i see them falling to 6th place.

[sinobball]

Be it 2002 or now, Team USA always had and will have the best talent... but international game is all about experience, and 2002 USA NT's 6th place finish really proved that... I can totally see this hypothetical team finish at 6th or lower, but I think I would much rather discuss something that will actually happen

[Straight forward]

Be it 2002 or now, Team USA always had and will have the best talent... but international game is all about experience, and 2002 USA NT's 6th place finish really proved that... I can totally see this hypothetical team finish at 6th or lower, but I think I would much rather discuss something that will actually happen

I would disagree on that. It depends what it means "talent". For example, 2004 team could hardly make a shot from downtown and two of their guards- Iverson and Marburry- looked like having real deal with insufficiency and that team was trying to make everything with the muscles in the low post. 2006 looked like playing without any game plan at all, not to mention non-communication on the court (ability to play for the team is a valid skill). Even really talented USA 2008 looked like offering physical pressure for overcoming opponents (while refs were very kindly offering that game-style for USA exclusively, and that's an opinion of some legitimate coaches as J. Kazlauskas) and such players as Howard had really big impact for the results. If I would try to explain why USA is so strong, I would mention physical advantage first of all, not talent generally. Sometimes it's eyes burning to see the "talent" of some NBA teams like Portland, where Miller is "climbing to the tree" again and again...

[sinobball]

I think I meant individual talent. Would you agree now?

[Straight forward]

I think I meant individual talent. Would you agree now?

I would agree that the team which overcomes other teams, playing with equal rules, could be reasonably called "talented". On other hand, when I'm making premise, that one things were allowed for USA and other for the rest (in the Olympics 2008) in the terms of physical play, I would disagree to call USA the most individually talented team.
Basically, you right, if the team wins due to the individual talent, even if that means only physical advantage, than USA is the most individually talented team. It's the sport after all and literally it's not an art. If it would be otherwise, I would surely disagree that USA individual talent which is based on physical advantage (subjective call however) is the most superior.

[Jon_Koncak]

Even really talented USA 2008 looked like offering physical pressure for overcoming opponents (while refs were very kindly offering that game-style for USA exclusively, and that's an opinion of some legitimate coaches as J. Kazlauskas) and such players as Howard had really big impact for the results.

European teams like Cska,panathinaikos,greek nt and many others have been playing this kind of physical defense for years now.And ofcourse eurobasketball lovers have been praising it."That's real defense,nba is soft" that's what they were saying

Then Usa woke up and thought "hey we can play the same way too",and since the averagel american player is much stronger than the average spanish or lithuanian one the outcome was destructive.Only this time the same people who praised tough-physical defense started bitching about refs allowing it!!And so the book of excuses for Usa dominance after doping,travelling,Usa's population added a new chapter...

[Straight forward]

European teams like Cska,panathinaikos,greek nt and many others have been playing this kind of physical defense for years now.And ofcourse eurobasketball lovers have been praising it."That's real defense,nba is soft" that's what they were saying

Then Usa woke up and thought "hey we can play the same way too",and since the averagel american player is much stronger than the average spanish or lithuanian one the outcome was destructive.Only this time the same people who praised tough-physical defense started bitching about refs allowing it!!And so the book of excuses for Usa dominance after doping,travelling,Usa's population added a new chapter...

But it's that what makes international forums so exciting, right? I was thinking about that thing- how can refs make right call when hypothetically stronger player brakes down the softer player? It might look like a foul, but than refs might realize that it happened because of the "obvious" different power each player posses. BUT how exactly could that difference could be/is measured? In my point of view, they could go in two ways: to call a foul no matter what players are in conflict OR to try to make these subjective calls about how sharply average American are stronger than average Spanish or Lithuanian...