Guess it isn't so easy winning 50+ games and three gold medals. K is the GOAT.
Can only imagine the mood Pop is in right now.
Can only imagine the mood Pop is in right now.
Team USA goes down to France
- Thread starter Laettner
- Start date
This USA team just isn't very good. I suspected something 'bad' could happen and unfortunately it did. Unless the very best players are playing, the U.S. is susceptible to losing to anyone....the rest of the world can play now. That wasn't true 25 years ago.
Plus, that France team has some pretty good NBA players....Gobert, Fournier, Ntilikina, among them.
Plus, that France team has some pretty good NBA players....Gobert, Fournier, Ntilikina, among them.
To many people saying K wouldn't make a difference. I call ********.
There's really no way of knowing one way or the other. Where K makes the biggest difference, IMO, is that I feel more of the best players play if he's in the fold.
It’s a loss no matter what happened. Rupp Rafters and others can’t admit what not having K coaching means to the World team. When will the mighty Cal take over?
The NBA and its players should be ashamed of themselves.
I believe this too. Popovich is a great coach, but Coach K brings more intangibles to the table than anyone. He has sweat equity. K (and Colangelo) rebuilt USA basketball. The connections and relationships that he has built over the years, plus the success, integrity, and leadership that K brings is unparalleled. Everyone wants to play for the man. If K were the coach, you can bet your sweet bippy there would be a different contingent of players.
OFC
USA is only the best team in the world when its best players play.
They should be ashamed of themselves because they lost to other NBA players?
I believe this too. Popovich is a great coach, but Coach K brings more intangibles to the table than anyone. He has sweat equity. K (and Colangelo) rebuilt USA basketball. The connections and relationships that he has built over the years, plus the success, integrity, and leadership that K brings is unparalleled. Everyone wants to play for the man. If K were the coach, you can bet your sweet bippy there would be a different contingent of players.
OFC
Well said.
K doesn't make the difference, K IS THE DIFFERENCE !
How many NBA players were on the French team? Besides, I was not referring to the players who played. They should be proud of having played and having represented our country. I was referring to the many other players who had better things to do. Sorry for not being clearer on that point. My guess is that the best French players were on the court.
Nic Batum couldn't beat me 1v1. I'm dead serious.
K would have won the gold medal with last year's Duke team. No excuses for Pop. He had ::HANDS DOWN:: the best roster in the tournament.
I don't know have the link but there was an article on ESPN where they used analytics (I think things like wins above replacement and such) to determine what kind of NBA team this World Cup group would make if they were a collective in the league. If I remember correctly the over/under was somewhere under 50 wins, which would have made them the 5 or 6 seed in the East, and battling for a playoff spot in the West. This does not make a team that can win a quality international competition.
Edit: Here is the article:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27506965/would-team-usa-squad-nba-title-contender
Edit: Here is the article:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27506965/would-team-usa-squad-nba-title-contender
I mean.....I'd love to think that too, but K didn't make the Final 4 with last year's Duke team.
I don't think MSU or UVA could hang with a France or Serbia professional team.
Either way, I'm glad K didn't have to coach this team, I saw a loss coming, but this is just embarassing.
Last edited:
Just because these guys play in the nba, doesn’t mean we should win. I looked at the roster, if you guys looked at it too, you might think different.
The difference in rules doesn’t help either. I don’t think our guys are as fundamental as they need to be. The international teams are.
I applaud the guys that are playing, but the problem is, they just aren’t good.
The difference in rules doesn’t help either. I don’t think our guys are as fundamental as they need to be. The international teams are.
I applaud the guys that are playing, but the problem is, they just aren’t good.
France had 5 NBA players on the team. Including Rudy Gobert, who if were ranking all the players on both rosters, probably rates out as the top NBA player on either USA or France.
Yes, the best French players played.
The USA not sending the best players to the FIBA World Cup is nothing new. The cream of the crop never plays in this. Normally, ALL of the elite young guys do participate though. Back in 2010, this is where Kevin Durant blew up and became a household name, he scored 35 points in the FIBA championship game for us.
The issue for the USA this year is for whatever reason, most of the elite young guys turned it down. De'Aaron Fox and Bagley backed out for whatever reason.
Zion apparently had no interest, plus he's been hurt.
Trae Young and Devon Booker should have been on this team. John Collins could have helped this team too.
These are the type of guys who should have been on this team.
I'd love all the top guys to play too. However, also have to look at things from their perspective. Role players can now make up to 20 million a year in the league, the money has never been greater. Is it worth the risk? Jayson Tatum had a legit real injury playing last week. Go back and watch it, he got lucky, it looked like it could have been MUCH worse.
Paul George's leg broke in half playing in a qualifying match just a few years ago.
Last edited:
I love K, but K wouldn't have been the difference with this team. I emphasize this TEAM. The team would not probably have the same personnel. Coach K's appeal would've changed some mind. Pop is truly 'OLD SCHOOL'. I believe some of the players that stepped away knew playing time would be limited and the expectations the truth.
The USA will be okay and win Gold. It was a wake up call.
Reallly sorry about our national team's showing per pride,etc....However if there's one kernel of a bright side, maybe Pop acquires a little humility. OFC
That's the whole fricking point. If it was not for the fact that they were fortunate enough to have grown up in this country, they would not have had the opportunity to be making 20 million a year. If they don't think they owe all of us, those gone and still here, something for that, then heck with them. It is not a question of dollars or risks. They owe.
Think K makes a difference both coaching and getting the best players. He had great assistant coaches unlike Pop who had Van Gundy. The US players liked the idea of playing for a coach like K who isn’t from another NBA team. He had the respect of all the great NBA players but didn’t have any of the baggage.
I agree. However, the best players have NEVER played in the FIBA Worlds. This has always been an event for the up-and-coming young stars. Basketball is now followed and tracked sooo much more that it used to be so this event seems like a big deal, but in reality, it's only to qualify for the Olympics.
Our 2014 FIBA team that won the tournament, Kyrie won MVP. This was young Kyrie, before Lebron ever came. He probably wasnt even a top 20 player in the league at the time.
IMO what this tournament shows is that the rest of the world is catching up to the USA in basketball. 124 NBA players past season were international guys. I don't have the number, but I'm willing to bet that 20 years ago this number was less than 40.
We can no longer send a 25 and under B team and expect to take gold.
This has nothing to do with America and guys not showing respect, that is laughable. Again, this is standard, the superstars have never played in this event. Basketball is the 2nd most popular sport in the world, and it's starting to show. America needs to start taking a look at their youth programs/AAU and figure out what the rest of the world is doing to prepare their guys for the next levels. We can no longer dominate everyone by jumping higher than everyone.
Last edited:
I do not believe the World has caught up with us in Basketball. If we had our 'Best Players' playing this wouldn't be a debatable thread.
The reality is the team playing are 3rd and 4th tier NBA players. Talent and a cohesive unit has the US playing for Gold. It didn't happen this year!
Out of the 450 NBA players only 25% are international....so 330 are eligible to play for the US. That's 75% of the best basketball players in the world's toughest league. The internationals are sprinkled around many different countries, with some obvious concentrations. To say that the US is playing with second third tier talent is ludicrous. Are they playing the best 10%? No, and thats the choice of those players not US basketball. But to say they are at a disadvantage when they have plenty of talent to pick from is an excuse. I suspect that the international teams play better together, have more national pride and motivation when putting on their country's jersey. The Aussies bleed gold and green, the Argies love to play together to beat the US...so motivation, pride and organization can overwhelm talent in a single game situation. If the top players continue to ignore the value and honor of playing for the US national team then these results will be more common. The talent disparity is closing but isnt on par yet around the world. Gold medals and world championships are not lay ups any more.
You do not seem to understand. It is not about the players showing respect for America. It is about players displaying gratitude for what the USA has provided them. Jerry Colangelo feels the same way. If you think that is "laughable", then look in the mirror.
OFC
Great point. The narrative can go in many directions. The World knows what u said. You didn't beat LeBron and Zion. You beat D. White, Tatum, and M. Turner. Nuff Said.
Curry and Lillard commit to 2020 Olympics
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cb...etballs-latest-redemption-tour-has-begun/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cb...etballs-latest-redemption-tour-has-begun/amp/