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Originally posted by AussieTrance Do I hint some excuses for this "dream team"? Put simply, its a shit team, and no matter how much preperation they have, they still will be a shit team (Marbury, Marion, Boozer???). They play stuff all defence, and cant put up a shot outisde of 15 feet. The dream team theme began and ended in '92. "They play the game the way it's supposed to be played," Iverson said. "It's not about athletics. That's the game the way Karl Malone and John Stockton play it. It's good for kids to see how the game is supposed to be played." If the good ol' US of A had any sense, they'd send a college team next time round.

the 32 stands for karl malone number...about 6 years ago when my nick was made. 12, stockton number, my favorite player since i was a little kid was taken. They both played for the love of the game. Not for the bling bling. In the olympics it should be about the games. The team is crap now. I belive they wanted to have a "show off" team rather then a quality team. It backfired.

HAHAHA they lost to Puerto Rico 92-73. But it isnt difficult for them to get top4 in the 6-team table to get into the quarters.

I think another factor is the poor team selection. The selectors would have known that the other teams would be playing an extremely tight inside zone, so why have they not chosen any proper shooters. The majority of the players on the team are more about driving to the hole, but this obviously is not working at the moment. Plus international rims are smaller than NBA rims.

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There was only one dream team and it was rightly named as such

Bird, Jordan, Stockton, Malone, Magic = a true dream team

now USA basketball just grabs the best players and thinks they can instantly play as a team. Most of the countries they are playing against, have a team that knows each other well. USA has poor outside shooting and when every team you play is playing the zone, you have to shoot better than 3 for 24 outside the arc.

for Athens

is it played in halves or quarters?

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• TRACKS FOR GRAPE PICKING
• TRACKS WHEN YOU HAVE GLITTER STUCK ALL OVER YOU

quote:

Originally posted by Xavier for Athens is it played in halves or quarters?

Still quarters. However, the quarters are only 10 minutes each, therefore each player can only commit 5 fouls instead of 6 in the NBA.

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i like it like i like too much sugar.

Take a look at the roster here:

http://www.nba.com/athens2004/usa_stats.html

Seriously i think the only players that could be considered in the Top 20 USA basketball players are:
Allen Iverson
Tim Duncan

Wouldn't you all agree?

What are the selectors thinking? Why wouldn't you send over your best team to represent your country?!!? I think that USA basketball has been too overconfident when it comes to the Olympics.

And to those of you sayting ohter teams always play with each other is not entirely true. Most teams have players in league all around the world, and they only get a few weeks before the olympics to have a few trial games. I know Australia, a country which would be lucky to be ranked top 5 in the world, has players in US college, Greece & Spain.

My conclusion - USA will be very lucky to win gold. The selectors should be beating themselves up.

the player selection was just horrible for this team and puerto rico really exploited it. the effort is horrible but what can you expect when you have iverson as the captain for a bunch of 19 year olds. they still have a shot at a medal but they are going to have to work hard at it because they are not as good as they think they are. i hope they prove me wrong but i dont think they will.

quote:

Originally posted by torontotrance There was only one dream team and it was rightly named as such Bird, Jordan, Stockton, Malone, Magic = a true dream team now USA basketball just grabs the best players and thinks they can instantly play as a team. Most of the countries they are playing against, have a team that knows each other well. USA has poor outside shooting and when every team you play is playing the zone, you have to shoot better than 3 for 24 outside the arc.

Couldn;t agree with you more. With zones you are almost guaranteed many open 3's a game. If you can't shoot from outside you're f**ked. Also with a zone 1 on 1 play is very difficult, which i'm sure many NBA players excel in.

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Originally posted by stamper

the team that we qualified with was a lot different than the team we sent over there.

The reason that the US team lost is the reason why I no longer watch the NBA. It's like a street ball league where each player acts as an individual and tries to impress their bitches and hoes with slam dunks and alley-oops.

So, USA Basketball takes the biggest egos of the bunch, combines them, and thinks they can play like a team? I don't think so. Their losses are no fluke. It's a result of crappy NBA-developed skills, no team play, and no long period of time together.

The only ball that's entertaining anymore is college ball. Players are forced to act as a team because most teams don't have major superstars. The play is better, more exciting, and it all culminates into one of the greatest playoffs in sports.

We need to go back to the way we used to play in the Olympics. Take a bunch of talented college players who want to win, train them, and then take them abroad.

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FLUSHED THE JOHNS!

The U.S beat Greece 77-71. That's a proof that they will win Gold.

Imokrouk, do you realize what you're saying? Basketball is a team sport. Teams play as a team every single time. You will not see someone showboat alone in a professional NBA game. The U.S beat Greece by playing as a team.