2016 Olympics ( Rio de Janeiro ) - your final thoughts

[Bruno Díaz es Batman]

LOL. Aussies deserved to win, not because they played better, but as reward for their overall contributions for the sport :roll eyes:

I agree it's a shame they eliminated all chances of an Australian win by disqualifying Andersen for purposely elbowing Llull. Oh, wait...

He forgot this:

[Victorious]

There is an upside and a downside. The upside is that the US played four relatively close games. Seeing how the game against Spain played out, one can see that the US without a couple of its superstars is now slightly better than the best international team which is in decline.
In all of the four close games the US has played, it is the European teams which played more aesthetically pleasing basketball. The European teams simply couldn't match the athletic abilities of the USA. Especially the rebounds. I can accept that a country of 320 million inhabitants can line up 12 forces of nature, but it's their loss to have lost against the rest of the world on the tactical side.

The downside for basketball is that, the final, which had by far the highest viewer ratings, was a disaster for the sport and international basketball. The fact that Serbia was unable to compete with the US made it look like basketball hadn't developed for the last three decades. Probably the worst final ever since the US started sending NBA players.

[Bad Boys 2882]

There is an upside and a downside. The upside is that the US played four relatively close games. Seeing how the game against Spain played out, one can see that the US without a couple of its superstars is now slightly better than the best international team which is in decline.
In all of the four close games the US has played, it is the European teams which played more aesthetically pleasing basketball. The European teams simply couldn't match the athletic abilities of the USA. Especially the rebounds. I can accept that a country of 320 million inhabitants can line up 12 forces of nature, but it's their loss to have lost against the rest of the world on the tactical side.

The downside for basketball is that, the final, which had by far the highest viewer ratings, was a disaster for the sport and international basketball. The fact that Serbia was unable to compete with the US made it look like basketball hadn't developed for the last three decades. Probably the worst final ever since the US started sending NBA players.

They've had larger margins of victory in the 1994 and 2014 world finals. This is the biggest Olympic final margin since 1992, of course.

[Beez]

There is an upside and a downside. The upside is that the US played four relatively close games. Seeing how the game against Spain played out, one can see that the US without a couple of its superstars is now slightly better than the best international team which is in decline.

A couple? How about Lebron, Chris Paul, Blake Griffith, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Aldridge, Drummond. I could go on...not a single international player made the 1st, 2nd or 3rd All-NBA team.

In all of the four close games the US has played, it is the European teams which played more aesthetically pleasing basketball.

Aesthetically pleasing? This isn't figure skating. No points are awarded for artistic merit. And there was nothing pretty about Argentina, Spain and Serbia shooting under 40% against USA.

The European teams simply couldn't match the athletic abilities of the USA. Especially the rebounds.

How about put a body on someone? Delly had 8 rebounds against Spain and he's neither athletic nor American. He's just physical and plays with heart.

I can accept that a country of 320 million inhabitants can line up 12 forces of nature, but it's their loss to have lost against the rest of the world on the tactical side.

No, last time I checked our players still had their gold medals.

image.jpg

The downside for basketball is that, the final, which had by far the highest viewer ratings, was a disaster for the sport and international basketball. The fact that Serbia was unable to compete with the US made it look like basketball hadn't developed for the last three decades. Probably the worst final ever since the US started sending NBA players.

I hope you're wrong on this one. I think most people realize that Serbia is a small nation. And knowledgeable NBA fans know that teams like the Spurs and Warriors have learned a lot from the international game.

[HeinrichMohr]

A couple? How about Lebron, Chris Paul, Blake Griffith, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Aldridge, Drummond. I could go on...not a single international player made the 1st, 2nd or 3rd All-NBA team.

We all know that they could build 3 or 4 teams able to win any international tournament. Even some fans complained in 2008 about some "missing" players so go figure.

No, last time I checked our players still had their gold medals.

No one is questioning their efficiency. Excellent perimeter shooting + Monster offensive rebound. Those are their strengths and it's logical that they do so because it's practical, but for some neutral fans, not all but for some, they are not always fun to watch because their team play is almost non existent. That has nothing to do with to like or dislike NBA basketball because i like all kinds of basketball: NBA, ACB and Euroleague. Though when it comes into watching a basketball game, i enjoy much more any team that plays with IQ and common sense and not a bunch of great individual players.

[Beez]

No one is questioning their efficiency. Excellent perimeter shooting + Monster offensive rebound. Those are their strengths and it's logical that they do so because it's practical, but for some neutral fans, not all but for some, they are not always fun to watch because their team play is almost non existent. That has nothing to do with to like or dislike NBA basketball because i like all kinds of basketball: NBA, ACB and Euroleague. Though when it comes into watching a basketball game, i enjoy much more any team that plays with IQ and common sense and not a bunch of great individual players.

Yes, I like to watch high IQ basketball as well. With the NBA TV package, I tend to watch more Warriors' and Spurs' game for that very reason. I also enjoy watching how opposing teams counter them. NBA playoff defense is amazing. I also like college basketball simply for the passion of the fans and players.

As for FIBA play, I simply want my team to win. The wisest strategy of the USA is to build a team around defense and rebounding. Those aspects of the game are more consistent than offense, especially with a team that doesn't practice together on a regular basis. I wouldn't want USA basketball to change anything until it stops working.

I can understand how someone may not enjoying watching that style of basketball. It's not for everyone. Personally, I don't enjoy watching opposing team fouling the US players at half-court, "mucking up" the game and stalling on offense. I wish every team played the US like Argentina does. But I understand teams that "muck up" the game are doing what gives them the best chance to win. In the end, that's how every team should play.

[guilherme.rcf]

Magnano is no longer the coach of the brazilian basketball national team.

[Victorious]

Personally, I don't enjoy watching opposing team fouling the US players at half-court, "mucking up" the game and stalling on offense

In that case you will be delighted to find out that as of now (ending of Olympic cycle) that is not allowed anymore in FIBA basketball. You will get a technical foul for that.

[locdogjr]

I'm going to throw my thoughts here, just need a bit of a ramble.

I feel very disappointed by this round of olympics. First of all, it all started last summer when Canada got screwed on a phantom call to hand Venezuela the win. Canada should not have been in that position, some dumb coaching happened, food poisoning, etc. It was a big let down though regardless. The Venezuelans went on to prove they are a tough, talented and passionate team though. Then Canada failed to qualify in Manila, they did well, but lost to a better French side, again disappointing.

Onto the actual tournament. You know why North AMericans hate FIBA and think it is a joke? Look at the Australia vs. Spain game. A toughly contested match came down to the wire and a phantom call gives the win to Spain. It happens far too often and people will always see FIBA as a joke because of that. Also, the American team wins by so much and so consistently that takes a lot of intrigue out of things except for the biggest basketball nerds (us).

Next, a small rant about game times. I live in Asia and found the tournament very difficult to watch. The 9 am games were always rubbish and I'm not watching games at 1 am or 5 am. Even if I did, only the American games are broadcast on TV here. How can I watch the other matches? There is no streaming, no replays. Some countries do, but mine doesn't so I just get what is on TV or I stay up late or get the games in an illegal fashion. I enjoyed the matches I saw but they were often difficult to view or low quality due to the methods in which I saw them. Even using a VPN to head over to cbc.ca didn't work very well. Anyway, I guess this is more personal because a certain area is going to always get screwed time zone wise! 2019 the games are in China which will be nice, especially if the games are all broadcast on livebasketball.tv

Another weird thing I noticed is this, zero discussion of the new qualifying system. I listened to announcers from a few different countries over the course of the games and I didn't hear ONE announcers mention ANYTHING about the new system. Shouldn't that be heavily discussed so people know the change is coming and to get excited (or not)??!?!?! It is only next year, so I'd suspect FIBA would be pushing this so that countries get excited to see their teams on home soil. Very odd that this news has been almost silent and is largely unknown outside of us nerds. I have had to tell all my friends who are only NBA fans about it, they don't have a clue, and probably didn't even know how people qualified before this.

International basketball is a joy when done well and it has the possibility to add a lot to the game of basketball. I like the stagger year for the WC and that it stands alone and will have 32 teams. That should help grow the sport. Furthermore, I hope the WC does become the premier basketball event in the world. Smaller events are what makes the olympics great, swimming, track, handball, sports that don't get love the way the NBA does. As for the actually basketball of the tournament, I enjoyed it. It was cool to see some of the old guard make a last stand, Argentina and Parker. Croatia and Australia seem to have lots of talent for the future.

In the end, Colangelos statements are where the focus needs to rest. America is just too good. But how does the rest of the world, catch up and compete?
America has every single advantage that a country requires. A huge population with a huge net to catch those physical freaks required to be top notch. They have the best league in the world, and also the best developmental league in the world (NCAA) both staffed by the best coaches in the world, which also lead the way in sports science and player development. They are the hub of everything basketball in the world from sneaker companies, endorsements, NIKE hoops summit, AAU, and many other advantages their players can receive. Talent, money and coaching. Few countries have all of those. Lithuania has wonderful coaching, but they don't have a large population. China has a population and money, but the coaching/system just isn't there. Then you have countries like Spain or Brazil who at times will produce generations that are incredible, but they lack the above mentioned resources to do it consistently every year AND have "B" teams that are still world class.

In the end, a fun tournament that America stomped through when they weren't hung over. Perhaps in a few years, we'll see some times rise up to compete and knock them off their pedestal but that is a long road. Which country can become the next Argentina or Spain and truly rival the Americans, and most importantly, be good enough to make me want to wake up at 230 am to watch the game?

[Bad Boys 2882]

The reality is that Canada and Australia are the two counties with the best shot to field teams that can at least rival a USA "C" Team on paper.

Unfortunately as we've seen those countries don't have the structure or history that the perennial European powers have. They need to build a winning culture from scratch, which is a very difficult climb.

[locdogjr]

The reality is that Canada and Australia are the two counties with the best shot to field teams that can at least rival a USA "C" Team on paper.

Unfortunately as we've seen those countries don't have the structure or history that the perennial European powers have. They need to build a winning culture from scratch, which is a very difficult climb.

Both countries are in the middle of that rebuild though, great developments at youth levels and lots of players in the NBA. It is happening slowly!

[Dirtyh]

I hope you're wrong on this one. I think most people realize that Serbia is a small nation. And knowledgeable NBA fans know that teams like the Spurs and Warriors have learned a lot from the international game.

Most people don't know anything about basketball. Even most sport fans are really unfamiliar with basketball. That why it's really sad that USA takes blow out win again when basketball get one change in every four year.

[Arsonist]

FIBA Ranking updated, good move to Venezuela from 22 to 15 with a +7 same with the addition of several new pieces we have to keep improving:

Ranking FIBA 2016.jpg

[reamily]

There is an upside and a downside. The upside is that the US played four relatively close games. Seeing how the game against Spain played out, one can see that the US without a couple of its superstars is now slightly better than the best international team which is in decline.
In all of the four close games the US has played, it is the European teams which played more aesthetically pleasing basketball. The European teams simply couldn't match the athletic abilities of the USA. Especially the rebounds. I can accept that a country of 320 million inhabitants can line up 12 forces of nature, but it's their loss to have lost against the rest of the world on the tactical side.

The downside for basketball is that, the final, which had by far the highest viewer ratings, was a disaster for the sport and international basketball. The fact that Serbia was unable to compete with the US made it look like basketball hadn't developed for the last three decades. Probably the worst final ever since the US started sending NBA players.

Well its not good tv, but unlike Spain they didnt take Serbia lightly from the beginning, Americans dont care about ratings, but Basketball is more than just a "sport" its the symbol of power of America, sure Chinese and Russians tried to build a team but to no avail..

As for Rugby and Soccer let the commonwealth nations enjoy it..

[ncjazz]

Both countries are in the middle of that rebuild though, great developments at youth levels and lots of players in the NBA. It is happening slowly!

I think long term France, Brazil, and maybe Turkey might also be able to compete. With Brazil just got to get the young kids off the soccer fields and volleyball courts and play basketball instead. Canada and Australia will depend a lot on whether or not the top players will actually suit up for the national team. Obviously Simmons is probably the biggest question mark.

[kranaud35]

For me , the biggest surprise was Spain - the way they came back from two very disappointing loses was remarkable Mobilier pas cher .
And have nothing but admiration for this generation of Spanish players .
And i am sort of disappointed not to see Spain and Serbia play against each other .

How to Beat US . It is still a question that will remain unanswered until the next Olympics .

[reamily]

USA were lucky that they met Serbia once before the finals, and because of that "moral" victory, USA coming to the final game all business..