FIBA 2010, USA vs the World

[closg00]

ATHENS, Greece -- The U.S. national basketball team finalized its roster for the FIBA World Championship when Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo asked to withdraw from consideration.

Rondo had started the Americans' first two exhibition games, then surprisingly didn't play at all Sunday when the U.S. edged Spain.


[+] EnlargeUS Presswire
Rajon Rondo, right, withdrew from consideration for Team USA on Tuesday, leaving the national team with a 12-player roster for worlds.
Earlier Tuesday, Rondo told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that he felt he might be the team's final cut.

"I think I'm on the bubble," Rondo said Tuesday. "Just looking at the obvious -- I got a DNP last game. That pretty much speaks for itself."

Sad, Rondo withdraws to save-face. Funny thing is I thought the USA coaches were saving him to try him out vs Greece tomorrow. I'd rather have seen Billups get cut.

[verbal8]

ATHENS, Greece -- The U.S. national basketball team finalized its roster for the FIBA World Championship when Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo asked to withdraw from consideration.

Rondo had started the Americans' first two exhibition games, then surprisingly didn't play at all Sunday when the U.S. edged Spain.


[+] EnlargeUS Presswire
Rajon Rondo, right, withdrew from consideration for Team USA on Tuesday, leaving the national team with a 12-player roster for worlds.
Earlier Tuesday, Rondo told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that he felt he might be the team's final cut.

"I think I'm on the bubble," Rondo said Tuesday. "Just looking at the obvious -- I got a DNP last game. That pretty much speaks for itself."

Sad, Rondo withdraws to save-face. Funny thing is I thought the USA coaches were saving him to try him out vs Greece tomorrow. I'd rather have seen Billups get cut.

I think the problem Rondo had was that he and Westbrook are very similar players and not really suited for sharing the court. Billups and even Rose are big enough to play some at SG.

[closg00]

U.S. vs Greece on now (12PM EST)
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=32259
Last friendly before the real games start for us on Saturday.

[fishercob]

Good showings in the exhibitions. Things will get a lot tougher when the games matter. We may or may not win the gold, but one thing is clear to me -- we are going to trounce the competition in London.

With the ascension of Rose, Durant and maybe a few other guys from this squad, we are going to be beyond loaded at the Olympics:

Paul, Kobe, Lebron, Melo, Howard -- DWill, Wade, Durant, Rose, Bosh??? Good luck world. We'll be unstoppable.

[closg00]

Agree, it was too-easy during the exhibitions, things will certainly tick-up to a different level when these games start.

Schedule
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/b ... index.html

Who to watch
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multim ... ent.1.html

[closg00]

U.S. blowing-out Croatia as expected....up 30 points.

[Kanyewest]

Spain loses to France.

[fishercob]

France with the huge upset of Spain. Nice.

The announcer sounded like the boom goes the dynamite kid brimming with the confidence of a drunken college kid. It was so bad that it was hilarious.

France is going to be tough in the Olympics with Parker, Noah, Beaubois, the Pietrus brothers, Turiaf and Seraphin added to the team. Good luck scoring or rebounding against them.

[Kanyewest]

And Yi has 26 points and 14 rebounds against Greece in a close game.

[closg00]

Battle of the unbeatens today, U.S. vs Brazil at 2:30 EST, you should be our toughest game to-date.
Catch the game on ESPN360.
http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=28833

[closg00]

Brazil up 46-43 at the half - It's a battle as-expected.

Edit: Splitter has proven to more than worth the wait. The Splitter/Duncan duo is going to be fierce this year.

[fishercob]

What a 4th quarter.

Closg, why are you and I the only ones who seem to care much about this?

[closg00]

What a 4th quarter.

Closg, why are you and I the only ones who seem to care much about this?

It's sad Check-out the game threads on the General Boards, there's plenty of action there.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1049853&start=0

[dobrojim]

For the record - I'm definitely interested if for no other reason
than it's the only hoops on (other than the WNBA with the Mystics out).

I was just reading the espn linked to wiretap story on the Bzl game.
The comment was made that when we last played, The Piece of Meat
from LA was able to shut down a previously hot Barbosa and the current
team didn't have anyone that could do that. I'm thinking...shouldn't Rose
or Billups (perhaps less so) been able to slow him down? Then I'm wondering
how Wall would do against him. The irrational optimist in me thinks
Wall could defend Barbosa which leads to the conclusion that if that
is true, Wall may already be better than Rose. But is that actually realistic?
Maybe not.

I guess we'll know more in about 3+ months

gotta watch the schedule so I can record and watch some of these
FIBA games. I want to watch the US. I want to see Yi.

[hands11]

For the record - I'm definitely interested if for no other reason
than it's the only hoops on (other than the WNBA with the Mystics out).

I was just reading the espn linked to wiretap story on the Bzl game.
The comment was made that when we last played, The Piece of Meat
from LA was able to shut down a previously hot Barbosa and the current
team didn't have anyone that could do that. I'm thinking...shouldn't Rose
or Billups (perhaps less so) been able to slow him down? Then I'm wondering
how Wall would do against him. The irrational optimist in me thinks
Wall could defend Barbosa which leads to the conclusion that if that
is true, Wall may already be better than Rose. But is that actually realistic?
Maybe not.

I guess we'll know more in about 3+ months

gotta watch the schedule so I can record and watch some of these
FIBA games. I want to watch the US. I want to see Yi.

If you have Comcast, you can search by category and find them. Watching the end to USA game right now. They rebroadcast them.

Wow, both team looking really bad in the 4th. USA on offense looking like crap and getting booed. Well, whistled. Thats how they roll over there.

Wow. Last second. Durrant fouls. Their PG get two shots to tie it. First. bounds of the rim.
Second. He misses on purpose and gets his own rebound. Barbosa get the rebound under the hoop and puts it up. bounce. bounce. off the rim. USA lucks into a win they barely desired.

[closg00]

Edit: Yi with 24 points 7 rebounds in a losing effort.
http://espn.go.com/extra/fiba/scores

[verbal8]

Edit: Yi with 24 points 7 rebounds in a losing effort.
http://espn.go.com/extra/fiba/scores

He was reasonably efficient 2 9-17 from the field only 1 TO. I think Yi has but up some good numbers at a reasonable level of competition. I hope he builds on it when he starts the NBA season.

[closg00]

Watch-out for Turkey. Turkey (home court) is 3-0 after beating Greece and has 4 NBA players: Omer Asik, Ersan Ilyasova, Semih Erden & Turkey-Glu. Shockingly, Ilyasova lit-it-up with treys. Whenever we played them, Ilyasova was a scrappy Forward/PF, didn't know he could hit from outside.

[Ruzious]

Watch-out for Turkey. Turkey (home court) is 3-0 after beating Greece and has 4 NBA players: Omer Asik, Ersan Ilyasova, Semih Erden & Turkey-Glu. Shockingly, Ilyasova lit-it-up with treys. Whenever we played them, Ilyasova was a scrappy Forward/PF, didn't know he could hit from outside.

Oh yeah, one thing Ersan has never been shy about is firing up 3's. He's got the proverbial hair trigger. Once he gets the ball, he's either barrelling towards the basket or firing a long 3 - no hesitation. He's gotten a ton better and bulkier since his rookie year with the Bucks. That's why I was surprised when the Bux acquired 57 new PF's this offseason.

[fishercob]

Turkey also has Semih Erden, who I think may be a Celtic this year?

Really impressed with the play and athleticism of NZ's Thomas Abercrombie. I'm thinking that someone in one of the better European leagues snaps him up from his Australian club.