Post#47 » by Klomp » Thu Jul 25, 2024 8:53 pm
FIBA ball is very guard-based. And while you'd think USA should have an advantage because we might be more athletic or more skilled, I think there's often an awareness or IQ that's missing from Team USA.
I don't really like using the Dream Team as a point of comparison, because the talent gap was so wide. But as the talent gap narrows, intelligence becomes more paramount. When USA only won bronze in 2004, the lead guards were Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury. Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and Kobe were a huge influx of basketball smarts in 2008.
Look at our guards right now...I know we have Steph and he's an all-time great, but the gap is so wide behind him. I don't think Jrue has much FIBA experience, so there's a gap in his basketball IQ right now. Ant and Tyrese are smart, but still so young. Derrick White isn't really a point guard in game, just stature.
It's why I think you are seeing struggles from the French at the last World Cup and early this Olympic run too....guard struggles. It's why Germany has been coming on strong...Schroder isn't great by NBA standards but is a high-level FIBA guard. It's why Doncic always has Slovenia in the hunt.
tsherkin wrote:The important thing to take away here is that Klomp is wrong.
Esohny wrote:Why are you asking Klomp? "He's" actually a bot that posts random blurbs from a database.
Klomp wrote:I'm putting the tired in retired mod at the moment