USA Basketball

youngman42

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
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This will be the least talented team Coach K has taken into the Olympics. Really would be great to get LeBron to commit; I think they could be upset otherwise (and still could be given the loss of shooters in Curry and Leonard, esp. and not having some top defenders).

I'm bummed that Carmelo is on the team - he's so far down among quality NBA players.

Also bummed that so many great players will not be there: no Curry, Westbrook, Kahwi Leonard, Damien Lillard or Anthony Davis (Davis and Curry would have been certain starters; possibly Westbrook as well).

Really would love to have seen those guys play for Coach K. Have to suspect that the Vika Virus and other issues are really scaring these guys away. The IOC is so corrupt (much like FIFA). Given the water and other issues in Brazil, the Olympics never should have been awarded there. What a disaster that place is at the moment.

Great to see Green and Thompson on the team though - defense and shooting. Both will be top players for us. And of course, Durant is a big get. Also, glad to see Paul George make a great comeback after his terrible injury playing on the national team in the past. This team had the potential to be really one of the best Olympic teams of all time if the top 12 players were there.

As of today, 10 players committed:
DeRozan
Lowry
Anthony
Durant
George
Green
Thompson
Cousins
Butler
Jordan

LeBron is a lean against. Kyrie has a spot as well but no decision yet.

If everyone were healthy and willing to play my 12 from this year would have been:
Curry; Thompson; Green; Westbrook; Durant; LeBron; Kyrie; Davis; Leonard; George; Lillard; and probably Cousins or Jordan (Cousins is a wild-card b/c of his issues with coaches; but with other leaders he should be okay) just to fill in at the center spot.

I would not have put Kyrie on there before the playoffs - in fact, not even before the Finals. His play in the NBA Finals was without doubt his best play in his career. He stepped up his game as he never has before - even in prior playoff series' where he struggled on D.

You have at least 5 sure fire members who have dropped out (Curry; Westbrook; Davis; Leonard; Lillard) and potentially LeBron and Kyrie. Hope they say no. Thin pickings after that, imo. Especially in terms of team leadership. Having LeBron on the team really adds to the leadership. And, he wouldn't even have to log a lot of minutes.
 

HuffyJB

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Jan 13, 2005
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I think this is the the weakest (relative to potential talent) Olympic roster K will have fielded. And keep in mind that on the other teams, both of which had more of the NBA elite, the gold medal games were battles. That might be tempered a little with Spain's roster aging.

I really, really hope Irving plays, and I think he will. The Finals could have been his "star turn," and following that up with a solid performance in the Olympics would help solidify that. And really all concerns about who plays and who doesn't is moot if Lebron opts in. He just reminded everyone who the best player in the world is, and it would be beyond huge to have him. As you said, maybe what could aid that is knowing he won't have to pull big minutes with the talent they have.
 
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timo0402

Heisman
Feb 24, 2009
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If Lebron skips this year, we could have seen his last game in the Olympics. He'll be 35 next time.
Obviously haha.

I do think it'll be an interesting group that goes to the games. I wouldn't be surprised if a few of the guys from the select team are chosen to play on the National Team due to more drop outs.

I do think it is REALLY cool that Paul George is re-upping. One of the coolest stories I know about K is last year in Indy during the final 4, he made a special trip to go see how Paul George was doing. They have a very good relationship.
 

dukehokie

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Jun 27, 2005
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In terms of overall talent, this is definitely the worst K has had. The saving grace of this team is that he has a team full of exceptional role players. He has a lot of guys who fill specific spots. Kyrie will play for his coach.

The other spot is up for grabs. I'm guessing Kevin Love would get the final spot and if he didn't want it, it'd be John Wall. I'd prefer Wall over Love.
 

HuffyJB

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Jan 13, 2005
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I think Wall is already officially out due to the duel knee surgeries he had after the season. Unfortunately Lebron has also announced he will not play. I thought that was likely, but I was holding out hope.
 

dukehokie

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Jun 27, 2005
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[QUOTE="HuffyJB, post: 286788, member: 614"Italy]I think Wall is already officially out due to the duel knee surgeries he had after the season. Unfortunately Lebron has also announced he will not play. I thought that was likely, but I was holding out hope.[/QUOTE]

Totally forgot about that.
 

HuffyJB

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Jan 13, 2005
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From the looks of it, the roster seems to be largely set. They are waiting to hear officially from Kyrie, but according to ESPN, 10 of the other 11 spots have been filled:
Durant
Melo
Paul George
DeAndre Jordan
Butler
Klay Thompson
Lowry
DeRozan
Draymond Green
Cousins

I hope Kyrie is on board, which seems likely. If for some reason he isn't, I would think they need another PG. And with Curry, Westbrook, Paul, Wall, and Lillard out, I'm not sure who that would be.
 

DukeDenver

All-American
Nov 21, 2010
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We won't get upset with that roster. Kyrie
Klay
Durant
George
Cousins

That 5 will destroy other international teams. Only competition will be Spain, and perhaps a hot shooting Argentina or Lithuania.

Are we afraid of an aging Spain?
Rubio/Calderon
Rudy Fernandez
Ibaka
Gasol
Gasol

We are going to cruise.
 
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DevilDJ

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2001
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Stephen A. is an azzclown. Even Cal and KAT know it...


All kinds of factors that SAS fails to mention...

1) No one wanted that gig when K took it. Even Duke fans weren't crazy about the idea.

2) TeamUSA was an embarrassment prior. George Karl? No medal at all. Larry Brown? The coveted Bronze. AND he bashed the players and selection process after his pitiful showing. #carolinaway

3) Smith suggests any coach could succeed with great players. Really? Talent alone won't get it. Especially at that level. Ya gotta get everyone to "buy in." Easier said than done. MUCH easier.

4) Why even mention Roy? The guy has minimal success coaching players who have gone on to excel in the NBA. Guy's a rigid collegiate "system" coach and can't even do that unless he has the absolute best/most veteran talent on his squad. Geez Louise , he coached Paul Pierce when? A hundred years ago? At KU? That makes 'im qualified to handle the gig? Please.

5) Smith also fails to mention that all that talent wasn't winning the international game. K comes in and turns it all on its head. Wildly successful. I thought anyone could do it?

6) A huge recruiting advantage? As Cal himself said , K devotes so much effort to it , he deserves it. And , for the umpteenth time , no one wanted the job when K took it. If he hadn't been so damn good at doin' that job AND his job at Duke no one would care. Being the visionary he is , K saw the big picture. He's made it work for him. NOW...ALL OF A SUDDEN...the whining starts. Besides...Cal still gets players. Self still gets players. Izzo still gets players. Look at Gottfried at NCSU. The guy's loadin' up. So are others. Don't hear them cryin' about it. Stephen A. really needs to STFU.

7) Finally , K didn't hire himself. He was offered and he accepted. If TEAMUSA was unhappy with his performance ( or felt like the program was better off with "new blood" every four years ) they could let 'im go. They choose to keep 'im. Call me crazy but I'm guessin' they do so because they feel like his results warrant it and they believe no one's better. TEAMUSA is correct on both counts. Stephen A. , like other azzclowns , implies that the onus to step down should be on K. Idiotic.
 

Laettner

All-Conference
Mar 11, 2002
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So Team USA tanked, K rebuilt the program with Colangelo & SAS now believes K must step down. Makes sense. I'll enjoy the day when an NBA player confronts SAS to his face & he runs like a little kid.

If talent alone wins then when did Karl & Brown's teams get embarrased?
 
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DevilDJ

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2001
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So Team USA tanked, K rebuilt the program with Colangelo & SAS now believes K must step down.

USA used to dominate international play. The entire program had devolved into mediocrity and players were no longer as interested in representing their country as they had been. Colangelo wanted to rebuild the program , regain the pride of playing for the USA that was once there and start WINNING again. K did all 3. I recall when he first started. All the players spoke of how he had motivated them. They all felt a sense of pride wearing the uniform. THAT was all Coach K! SAS and other morons can say what they want but , bare minimum , K made it cool to play for the United States again. Don't see how ya can hate on that but some will. Anyway...again...don't get his notion that anyone could do it. That's just not true. And notice that he also said that he would keep the job too if he was K. To me , he's implicating that K should ( or should've ) made the decision himself to step down. He and anyone else using that rationale is just lookin' for a reason to bash the GOAT. Maybe Stephen A should go out on his own. Get his own show. That way he can spew his bs non-stop with no one to challenge it. Oh wait...
 

DevilDJ

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2001
9,580
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I hope the best players from other countries are passing on these Games as well. TeamUSA havin' to scrape the bottom of the barrel....


Adrian Wojnarowski@WojVerticalNBA

Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes has made the Team USA roster for the Rio Olympics, league sources tell @TheVertical.

Keep in mind that 15 is average...

Tom Haberstroh ‏@tomhaberstroh

Harrison Barnes PER:

2014-15 reg: 13.2

2014-15 post: 12.2

2015-16 reg: 12.3

2015-16 post: 8.6

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

 

dukehokie

All-American
Jun 27, 2005
19,624
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Well I guess HB40 gets one more shot to get that max contract.

He'll be the Tayshaun Prince that doesn't play much and THR will say K sabotaged his future. Easy peezy.
 

skysdad

Heisman
Mar 3, 2006
42,753
22,653
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Maybe harrison barnes was on the spot when he said he and Coach K were tight. OFC
 
Feb 16, 2006
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Good grief. @DevilDJ can't help himself. It's not enough for him to simply celebrate K's and duke's greatness. He still has to bring up Roy and take shots at Barnes. His Carolina obsession is unhealthy. #devildjway lulz

still keeping score :
UNC - 4
duke 3

By the way, good luck to all of our teams participating in the Olympics. I hope they win, but I find few things as boring as the Olympic games. I guess summer is better than winter, but I doubt I'll watch much of it at all.
 

pisgah101

Heisman
Dec 26, 2005
15,262
12,806
113
I hope the best players from other countries are passing on these Games as well. TeamUSA havin' to scrape the bottom of the barrel....


Adrian Wojnarowski@WojVerticalNBA

Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes has made the Team USA roster for the Rio Olympics, league sources tell @TheVertical.

Keep in mind that 15 is average...

Tom Haberstroh ‏@tomhaberstroh

Harrison Barnes PER:

2014-15 reg: 13.2

2014-15 post: 12.2

2015-16 reg: 12.3

2015-16 post: 8.6

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!


WHY!!! Get JJ instead!!!
 
Dec 4, 2015
1,235
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Good grief. @DevilDJ can't help himself. It's not enough for him to simply celebrate K's and duke's greatness. He still has to bring up Roy and take shots at Barnes. His Carolina obsession is unhealthy. #devildjway lulz

still keeping score :
UNC - 4
duke 3

By the way, good luck to all of our teams participating in the Olympics. I hope they win, but I find few things as boring as the Olympic games. I guess summer is better than winter, but I doubt I'll watch much of it at all.

Keep up the stellar work DJ!!! You have UNC fans coming on a Duke board in "obsession" over your posts...lulz...

OFC
 

HuffyJB

All-Conference
Jan 13, 2005
5,931
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I know there was little doubt, but I'm thrilled Kyrie is on board again. With K passing the torch to Pop after these Olympics, this is Kyrie's last chance to play for Coach K again. And it is further chance for Kyrie to continue his ascension.
 

DevilDJ

All-Conference
Sep 11, 2001
9,580
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NOTSportsCenter™ ‏@NOTSportsCenter

Harrison Barnes accepted an invitation to play on the USA Olympic basketball team in Rio. So stay near the phone, you could be invited next.


 

skysdad

Heisman
Mar 3, 2006
42,753
22,653
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harrison barnes selection on the USA Olympic team guarantees him a spot as one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time and well on his way into the HOF. His jersey sales will sky rocket because of this. Movie roles, endorsements, celebrity guest star opportunities, Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor, Live With Kelly and harrison. harrison barnes will be a trivia question on this board. OFC
 
Dec 4, 2015
1,235
502
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harrison barnes selection on the USA Olympic team guarantees him a spot as one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time and well on his way into the HOF. His jersey sales will sky rocket because of this. Movie roles, endorsements, celebrity guest star opportunities, Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor, Live With Kelly and harrison. harrison barnes will be a trivia question on this board. OFC

Sky I agree w/one thing, he will be "trivia question." What Tar Heel failed to live up to " the SKYPE!!??"

OFC
 
Feb 16, 2006
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It could also include: Who is the least accomplished NBA player to ever play for the US in the Olympics?

That's true. But like I've argued ad nauseam, I'm betting that with a different team, Barnes is capable of producing at a Shawn Marion/Allan Houston/Tayshawn Prince level.
 

KellenPatrick

All-Conference
Feb 22, 2007
178,344
1,094
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Just saw a picture of the Olympic team. Harrison Barnes looks so out of place. Kind of like that song, "Which one of these things is not like the others..."
 
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