Looks like this squad realizes there is no "I" in team. The feeling coming out of this camp is way different than the Larry Brown incarnation.
Not to defend Ol' Lair, but this team is made up of a lot of younger players. There aren't the veterancy issues the last team had. Also, this team is built specifically to address US strengths. Athleticism and a running game. The last team was a hodge podge of "best of" players from the NBA who were willing to compete internationally. Way to half court oriented without the needed shooters for that style. I think it is less Larry Brown and more Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo has a better understanding of the international style game.
I have good feeling about this years team. Expanding on Rosco's point three guys that were there before Lebran, Wade and Carmello ( I think Wade was on the last team? ) are all 2 years older and much more experienced. Plus a problem with Browns team he was trying to teach. You don't have time for that. The whole US program seems to have learned from past mistakes. Billups was supposed to be on this team. I have mixed feeling about that because he can use all the rest he can get. But just imagine how easy it would be for Billups to nail 3's with this shorter line.
there aren't the coaching issues the last team had. lb should have played the best players and played them in a style that fit the team. playing the vets just because they are vets is stupid and didn't work. i think larry brown didn't play his team to it's strenths. even with a hodge podge of nba players he should have been able to get the gold. i just don't have the confidence that lb will use the players to the strenths. he puts square pegs in round holes all the time. i think the problem was the coach not the players. if you give don nelson a team with shooters he'll have them shoot. if you give him a team with runners he'll have them run. lb wasn't the right guy for the job.
i still don't think we have enough shooters. if one of those international teams get hot from 3 point land we are ripe for an upset. but we should be set for the olympics when chauncey or redd get on the team.
So far Arroyo is leading all teams in PPG and is 3rd in assists. Darko vs. France- 14 points, 9 rebs, 1 steal, 3 blocked shots. Darko vs. Lebanon- 18 points, 4 rebs, 1 blocked shot. Kelvin Cato- working on authoring his 3rd children's book.
Cato's working on a book? I wonder how long it will take him to color it. Darko had four whole rebounds against Lebanon?
i heard he only played the first half of the lebanon game. there were no rebounds all the shots were going in. the game was over by half time and that's a fiba halftime.
That's funny. But seriously, I think what I've wondered most during the offseason is how much (if at all) we are going to regret dealing him. I know things changed when Ben "left without warning" but as much as I tease about Darko and know he has some questionable work ethics/personality traits, I am still extremely curious to see how he does this year. I find myself rooting against him because I don't want to think we gave up a valuable asset for nothing. Sorry Darko fans, no offense intended, but I'm a Pistons fan before anything else.
With a little different management philosophy, the Pistons could be the team with three players starring for three different teams in the FIBA Championship Games, instead of the Orlando Magic.
U.S. beats Slovenia 114-95 clinching a spot in the round of 16 at the world championships. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...?slug=ap-worlds-slovenia-us&prov=ap&type=lgns
I wonder if this go round with team USA is a litmus test for coach K. If it turns out positive will he become interested in leaving the college coaching ranks.
Oh God I hope not. Because Coach AMEX just irritates the hell out of me for some reason. Maybe because I think his quiet humble demeaner masks his true nature as an authoritarian power junkie. Yeah, that's it. I don't want to have to watch him in the NBA too. It's bad enough all the hype over him in March Madness. Does he wear a bad toupee or is that really his hair with too much BrylCream in it? I think he has already been offered NBA coaching jobs. Wasn't he offered the Lakers coaching job after they fired Phil? I think he turned it down because "his heart was at Duke." We know all about the integrity of the heart in this sport, don't we? If it's inevitable, maybe he should get the Knicks the first time out!
Tough win against Italy (94-85). http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AiYCBCLFr355X0ghzPJdLZc5nYcB?slug=ap-worlds-us-italy&prov=ap&type=lgns
Milicic had 18 points, 6 blocked shots, 11 rebounds and was 8/16 from the field against Venezuela in a blow-out. Also, Carmelo Anthony is playing like the best player on the US.
I was watching the live stats and Melo scored like 19 points in the 3rd. I never used to like him that much, but as he matures I find myself liking him more. Not as flashy as the other 2 big names from that draft. If we (australia) happen to make it to the next round we will be playing you guys. But our team has a lot of new and untested guys.
Interesting day so far... Dirk has 47(!) against Angola, but only scraped home by 5. Battle between Darko and Delfino. Both had good games by the looks of it. Darko - 10/18, 24p, 12r Delfino - 14p (4/5 3pt) Aussies thrash Qatar and keep their chances alive. (yay!) China beat Slovenia with a 3 at the buzzer. Now I just need Lithuania to down Brazil and we'll be heading towards a match-up with the US.
I saw the US vs. Italy, and anyone confident about US basketball supremacy should see how well the elite Int'l programs match up against the Americans. At halftime, it was all Italy. There is going to come a day when the US will be expected to finish 4th or lower, even with a dream team. The world is catching up.
