USA - Serbia Mudobasket finals

[Illmatic12]

Lillard didn't make the USA team, Kyrie was tournament MVP.

I said the best 20 players playing NBA basketball. I didn't say that Kyrie couldn't make the team. Stop being a Cavs fan and actually read what I wrote.

You don't think they go with the best players both when they select the USA basketball team and when they select the starters (excluding players who didn't try out this year). If USA basketball thought Lliard was better than Kyrie, he would have been on the team.

So Plumlee is better than Paul Millsap? Not saying Lillard > Kyrie or vice versa, but that isn't a good argument on its own.

[Chuck Everett]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

[ChosunX]

Say what you will about D-Rose, but the dude is true to himself. Only one not dancing, just like the all-star game.

Anybody who engages in that stupid antic deserves to get hurt.

[Zombiesonics]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Lillarrds great but aldridge is the best player on that team AND the leader. didnt you see aldridge dominate in the playoffs?

[ChosunX]

Why can't we have USA vs World tourney instead?

It would require a tight ship and the US egos could not manage that?

[winstoned]

Boogie got the trophy! Happy for him and hope he continues to grow as both a player and in maturity, he is not a bad person or thug at all.

[improper]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Lillard was the second best player on his own team. LaMarcus Aldridge is the best player on the Blazers.

Lillard is a good player, but he made the playoffs because he has much better teammates than Kyrie did last year. If you give Kyrie the teammates Lillard had and they'd be winning over fifty games too.

[Chuck Everett]

The funny thing about that is, Lillard had pretty much the same teammates a year ago (other than Robin Lopez). They won 33 games. The next year 21 more wins and he won several games in the fourth quarter. How come after 2012-13, no one was raving about his "teammates?"

Congrats to Kyrie and Team USA. Well deserved.

[Destructor]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Get it in while you can because it's going to be a very different year for him.

[NOD]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Lillard was the second best player on his own team. LaMarcus Aldridge is the best player on the Blazers.

Lillard is a good player, but he made the playoffs because he has much better teammates than Kyrie did last year. If you give Kyrie the teammates Lillard had and they'd be winning over fifty games too.

He also had the greatest advantage of all:

Not having to deal with a Mike Brown 'offense.'

There's a reason that last year was Kyrie's least efficient season in the NBA...

[Chuck Everett]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Get it in while you can because it's going to be a very different year for him.

I know because Lebron is now on the team. I mean he and Kevin Love are now second bananas which is where they belong. So you can give them more props for playing on a winning team, but it's not like I don't have seasons of data where they couldn't lead a team anywhere. I mean, at least keep it real.

[KF10]

Boogie got the trophy! Happy for him and hope he continues to grow as both a player and in maturity, he is not a bad person or thug at all.

[Willarmm]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

I don't know how you quantify "clutch assassin" when your the second best player on your team, and you only had one "clutch" season. :banghead

[Willarmm]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Get it in while you can because it's going to be a very different year for him.

I know because Lebron is now on the team. I mean he and Kevin Love are now second bananas which is where they belong. So you can give them more props for playing on a winning team, but it's not like I don't have seasons of data where they couldn't lead a team anywhere. I mean, at least keep it real.

Weren't we having these same conversations about Kevin Durant until his fiba tour? Let's relax a little....

[winstoned]

Anthony Davis has a NCAA Championship 2012
Olympic Gold Medal 2012
FIBA World Championship 2014


If he ever wins an NBA Championship, he will be the only player in history to accomplish this.

[Blame Rasho]

I honestly have not followed the whole basketball world cup, but did get to see this game and it is clear when we send a team with unselfish individuals with all star level talent, we should cruise. At the end of the day, top end talent matters. The problems of years before is that we just didn't send a right mix of players and hope they can beat any national team with just talent. We had ungodly shooting and having a clean up guy like Faried was the way to go.

[mrmsix6]

Why the **** does this have to evolve into Irving vs a guy not even on the team? Stop it.

I want to give props to a guy who stepped up big when the team needed him and proved a lot of doubters wrong....BOOGIE! Predictably, the refs went berserk early on and Boogie answered the call in a big way.

(and also, Kyrie murdered Serbia. Teodosić/whoever trying to guard him was the height of comedy)

[Destructor]

Lillard led his team to the playoffs as the leader, Irving was fighting with Waiters.

2013-14: Irving - 20.8ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, PER - 20.14 (misses the playoffs in weak East)
2013-14: Lillard - 20.7ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg PER - 18.69 (leads team to the 2nd round, 54 wins in WC)

I mean Irving has slightly (miniscule) better production, but was a negative in the locker room, not a leader and injury prone. Lillard was an ironman and clutch assassin. Lillard 82 games. Irving 71.

Get it in while you can because it's going to be a very different year for him.

I know because Lebron is now on the team. I mean he and Kevin Love are now second bananas which is where they belong. So you can give them more props for playing on a winning team, but it's not like I don't have seasons of data where they couldn't lead a team anywhere. I mean, at least keep it real.

You really think Lillard was the best player on the Trailblazers?
You really think a supporting cast has no effect on how a star player performs?
Your arguments are really shallow and lack substance, I'm sorry but it's true.

[Albanian Damien]

Valanciunas should be there instead of Pau or Farid

I know Val played great but I'm now sure he played better the those players.

JV - 14.4 pts 8,4 rebounds
Kenneth Faried - 12,4 pts 7,8 rebounds

And Jonas was the best player in team that finished 4th

Oo come on this love of Valanciuanas is getting out of hand.. He literally averaged one more made basket and half a rebound per game more than Faried. And you're saying he was the best player on the 4th team. Well Faried was arguably the best player on the 1st team in the world. Not to mention the deepest.

[Albanian Damien]

Get it in while you can because it's going to be a very different year for him.

I know because Lebron is now on the team. I mean he and Kevin Love are now second bananas which is where they belong. So you can give them more props for playing on a winning team, but it's not like I don't have seasons of data where they couldn't lead a team anywhere. I mean, at least keep it real.

You really think Lillard was the best player on the Trailblazers?
You really think a supporting cast has no effect on how a star player performs?
Your arguments are really shallow and lack substance, I'm sorry but it's true.

This x 100 I love how all the stats show that Kyrie has the advantage but he adds the sentence. Lillard
"led" the Trailblazers. You're right it was all Lillard and none of LMA