Tokyo Olympic Basketball Tournament Discussion

[Mickey8]

This is the bad look for the World basketball, USA basically won the tournament with the half strength, their basketball wasn't anything special, without the center , Durant was enough to take care of every team, the world is still very far behind USA, unfortunately. The USA women are even more dominant.

[michaelm]

He chose to play instead of having an off season unlike anyone else of his arguably top 5 (definitely top 10) stature in the NBA except for Durant, and for the country of his birth which has a population of 2 million which afaik has never sniffed being competitive internationally previously, and his team lost by one point to the eventual silver medalists who beat the USA in the preliminary rounds and challenged them in the gold medal game. He deserves praise not blame, he carried that team. Sure he could get fitter, but even if he was fitter he could be excused for being tired and discouraged by the time he got to the bronze medal game having targeted the gold, while winning the bronze was regarded as an epic achievement by the Australian team and their fans and one to which they gave their utmost energy. And perhaps the guy who is one of his few peers deserves some credit for deciding to play for the USA despite his injury history, other achievements and wealth.

That's incorrect actually. Slovenia won the 2017 EuroBasket, and for many years they were one of the best European teams. In fact, in the mid 2000s to early 2010s, they clearly had a deeper, more talented, and better team than they do now. They are actually at one of their low points talent-wise. Having almost nothing other than Luka. Which is why they have had to naturalize Anthony Randolph in 2017 and Mike Tobey in 2021. They used to be very competitive without having to naturalize players.

Sure, thanks for that, don’t follow the European basketball much, but do follow the Olympics, and didn’t recall them being prominent in the Olympics previously. There obviously must be a fair basketball culture to produce a player like Doncic, who seemed to come to the NBA fairly fully formed.

[CobraCommander]

It's so funny how around the board so often somebody will say "there are no Luka haters". This thread here is a prime example of irrational immature hate that some people have towards Luka. Yeah, they try to hide it by adding something nice about him. They try to hide by suggesting what could he be doing "better" - which of course would drive them even crazier, they are losing their minds if Luka is successful.

I think the time has come. We all know that a player can't really be the best player in the league, until he has an army of irrational hate spewers ejaculating their pathetic half trolling half mindless nervous breakdowns all across their keyboards, resulting in what apparently counts as a "post" on an internet forum. Yes, Luka has finally joined the greatest players in the league. The guns are out, the crazies are after him.

I think for 22 you couldn’t ask for more. Dude got a country thats never been to the Olympics down to the final seconds against a mainstay in France. Luka is ahead of schedule - anyone’s schedule. But like most 22 year olds he has some things to work on.

Yes...

1. His skin is too ... pale. Or as one of the posters around here said: "I hate his red cheeks." He needs to take care of that.

2. He is forcing shots at the end of the game instead of involving his teammates...

3. ... except when he isn't - then he is "afraid to take responsibility" for the last shot.

4. He is "chucking" too many shots ...

5. ... except when he isn't and has 30+ (potential) assists. Then he is "overrated", and had been "stopped". He had been "exposed" and from now on every team will know that triple teaming him is the way to go.

6. He is being blamed for being "too ball dominant", whatever that means for a PG. And no, it doesn't matter that it's clear that if he was any less ball dominant with the same roster, Mavs would have had less success. Not even some of the Mavs fans seem to understand that. Usually stat like usage rate is being thrown around, with posters clearly not understanding what the stat counts (for example it counts turnovers, but it doesn't count assists, which makes this stat completely useless for making a case that "he doesn't involve his teammates enough"). Doesn't matter that players like LBJ and Kobe have also reached 38%, at least in playoffs. Well, Kobe had 38.7% in regular season once, which is 2.7% higher than Doncic's 20/21 USG%.

7. His main problem, however, is that he is not willing to roll over and be worse than (insert poster's favorite player's name here). It's a cardinal sin and worth all the non-sense being written around here. And if he did do that... well, he'd just been another soft Euro.

All-star 5
Durant
Rubio
Mills
Gobert
Doncic

FIBA is trying to emulate NBA too much. There is actually no MVP award or all-star five for the Olympics in all of its history. Now all of a sudden FIBA is creating something to emulate NBA. That's getting pretty weak that they have to make up awards that didn't even exist, just to seem more like the NBA.

Yeah, it's not like FIBA has been organizing European Championship since 1935 and has been naming the MVP since ... oh look - 1935. Top expert.

This was time when politicians were making the rules, or at least attempted to. There was zero chance that Hitler would allow any "MVP" awards at his 1936 Berlin Olympics, especially after his ban of all players taller than 6'1" was overruled. Yes, he really did ban all players taller than 6'1", I guess that's why they lost all the games.

You taking this to a weird place that I can’t follow with that “pale” comment. I think the closest comp to Luka is harden, and I don’t think people critical of harden are critical because his skin isn’t pale. It’s ball and it’s subjective- some see Luka as already an all time great because of his great games and others see him as something less than that because of stinkers... I stand behind him being amazing for 22 and I love that he will have a chance to write his own story. But since I’m not a Dallas fan, I don’t want to see him do better than my team. I’m a wiz fan first...

[LewisnotMiller]

Btw to any Slovenians on here... Aussie here. Slovenia is my fav country to visit in Europe. Amazing place for border to border. Vintage Gorge is up there with the best walks I've ever done. Congrats on a great tournent.

I’ve been to Croatia, Italy and Austria which all border Slovenia but not Slovenia. I wish I went when I lived in Europe. Hopefully when COVID I’ll head over there.

Me too. All in 2019. Super happy I snuck that trip in now.

[LewisnotMiller]

This is the bad look for the World basketball, USA basically won the tournament with the half strength, their basketball wasn't anything special, without the center , Durant was enough to take care of every team, the world is still very far behind USA, unfortunately. The USA women are even more dominant.

You trippin'.

The USA women comment is the only part of this that made sense.

[LewisnotMiller]

It‘s good we turned things around and win the gold medal. Lots of respect to France, Australia, Slovenia and all the other teams, the level of basketball being played was good.
Nonetheless we should have gold expectations every time based on our talent pool and should consider bringing a little more consistency to our national team. I doubt that’ll ever happen though.

I think you make a good point in terms of how the team turned around their early struggles.
I'd hope those that jumped on Team USA early for struggling also now tip their hat.

Personally, I thought Jrue was huge as a great glue guy. And Durant worked out what he needed to do on this particular team.
(He became exceptional at reading when he needed to go hunt buckets)

You should be red hot favourites every competition (for now...lol) but having one or two culture carriers would be awesome. Was never a fan of Carmelo...except it was hard not to respect his role for his National Team.

[LewisnotMiller]

Couldn't even beat the b team. Lol

Send the college kids again... It'll be more entertaining and worthwhile for us.

Phhht...go on then. Do it.

[LewisnotMiller]

Australia is gushing over the Boomers right now and that's amazing for basketball in this country

Best bronze of all time

Yup. Me included.
I think people that understand the journey get it.

Plus, how could an Aussie not love a team with Patty Mills leading it?
(Along with Ingles, who seems to have no ego at all)

Thybulle couldn't have picked a better fit in terms of being appreciated for what he brings to the table.
Wish we had have found a way to blood Giddey, even if it was just to sit on the bench, but he's already said he's on board for three years time.

[Mirotic12]

Sure, thanks for that, don’t follow the European basketball much, but do follow the Olympics, and didn’t recall them being prominent in the Olympics previously. There obviously must be a fair basketball culture to produce a player like Doncic, who seemed to come to the NBA fairly fully formed.

No problem. Doncic was actually developed in Spain though.

[calderon13]

There are some really sad souls on this thread. Seriously, does anything make you guys happy or do you thrive on this negative energy that you are always putting on display for the rest of us? Fiba shared their all star 5 and some of you have an issue with that like how dare they do this. Who gives a flying f about what they do. Be happy that your team won. If your team didn't win, still be happy that you got a great competition to watch with some really close and exciting games.