FIBA 2010, USA vs the World

[closg00]

In 2008, the talent of the Wade & LeBron led Team USA, in the end was too-much for Spain. This-year, Team USA is in a bit of a scramble as they now have a very guard-heavy roster that is smallish up-front and scrapping the bottom of available NBA Centers. Can this athletic team pull it off again?
http://turkey2010.fiba.com/eng

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... index.html

[JWizmentality]

No. This generation of players are a bunch of immature pu$*ies.

[fishercob]

Tall order for sure. One thing in their favor is they won't have to beat the world's very best. No Pau Gasol, no Dirk, no Manu, no Kirilenko, etc. But Brazil, Argentina, Spain can all cause match up problems. OTOH, none of those teams will have an answer for Durant. Should be really interesting.

[FreeBalling]

They have McGeeeeeeeeee. Hell Yes.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

They have McGeeeeeeeeee. Hell Yes.

lol, failure.... He was cut

[closg00]

Fish mentioned that Pau wasn't playing, however Marc Gasol is as is most of that 2008 team including:
"The Escort", Rubio, Fernandez and others. Spain, Greece, and Argentina will have strong teams.

[closg00]

NEW YORK -- New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez, struggling to recover from a bout with mono, has withdrawn from the U.S. national team and will be replaced by Washington's JaVale McGee.

Lopez informed USA Basketball officials Wednesday that he didn't believe he was in good enough condition to take part in training camp next week in New York.

He played poorly during practices in Las Vegas last month and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he would have to perform well next week to have a chance to make the roster headed to Turkey for the world championships.

McGee practiced in Las Vegas but hadn't officially been added to the roster.

What a shocker, this will be good for JaVale but also potentially very embarassing since he is so-raw.

[no D in Hibachi]

I don't think it will be very embarassing for McGee. The coaches aren't idiots and will not put him in a position where they think it's likely he'll fail. They will probably play him 4-5 minutes per half when the team needs a shot in the arm. Four to five minutes of McGee every now and then has a way of igniting the transition game. This will be a good opportunity for him and if nothing else make him have to work on his game rather than posting *stellar* youtube video's.

[montestewart]

I don't think it will be very embarassing for McGee. The coaches aren't idiots and will not put him in a position where they think it's likely he'll fail. They will probably play him 4-5 minutes per half when the team needs a shot in the arm. Four to five minutes of McGee every now and then has a way of igniting the transition game. This will be a good opportunity for him and if nothing else make him have to work on his game rather than posting *stellar* youtube video's.

A little embarrasment wouldn't necessarily be bad. If he doesn't get hurt, I don't see a bad side.

[TheGreatWall]

A little embarrasment wouldn't necessarily be bad. If he doesn't get hurt, I don't see a bad side.

If anything, he gets to bang against Love and Chandler in practice everyday, which is a good thing for his development.

[Halcyon]

No way. Now they have to rely on Chandler as the primary center, with McGee and PFs as backup Centers.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Team USA is well coached. I don't think they'll ask more of McGee than what he can do.

McGee can play alongside Love. Love can rebound and Javale can concentrate on catching lobs for dunks, on running the court to score in transition, and to block shots from the weakside.

I would love to see a coach take a chapter out of Hakeem and Ralph Sampson and to play McGee with Chandler some. Who defends them?

[nate33]

I would love to see a coach take a chapter out of Hakeem and Ralph Sampson and to play McGee with Chandler some. Who defends them?

It would be easy to defend them. Just back off of them, give them the 17-footer, and deny them the lob pass. Meanwhile, it would easier to defend the paint because you don't have to challenge McGee or Chandler on the perimeter. And it's not like McGee and Chandler have good enough post games to take advantage of being guarded by smaller players.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

That's all good, nate.

I think McGee gets up so high that when he elevates he's going to get his shot whenever he wants. His jumper to 15 feet doesn't look bad to me. It took Blatche's jumper a while to start falling. Javale also looked tremendous previewing the hook shot in summer league. I agree neither he nor Chandler are offensive players with post moves or midrange games.

I think they get theirs on rebounds and dunks and in transition. That's the part that not too many guys in the NBA can defend.

[dangermouse]

while i think Rondo is awesome, how much use is he against teams that are going to be using zone d most of the time. same goes for Westbrook. i'd take one of them not both. did Reddick get a run? i would think his game would be useful in intl. ball. it seems like they dont have 1 pure SG on the whole roster.

i know lots of big name intl. players arent suiting up for their countries so i think it will be a fairly even playing field.

Bogut isnt suiting up for AU, is he?

[fishercob]

NEW YORK -- New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez, struggling to recover from a bout with mono, has withdrawn from the U.S. national team and will be replaced by Washington's JaVale McGee.

Lopez informed USA Basketball officials Wednesday that he didn't believe he was in good enough condition to take part in training camp next week in New York.

He played poorly during practices in Las Vegas last month and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he would have to perform well next week to have a chance to make the roster headed to Turkey for the world championships.

McGee practiced in Las Vegas but hadn't officially been added to the roster.

What a shocker, this will be good for JaVale but also potentially very embarassing since he is so-raw.

I don't understand the embarrassing angle. There's no shame in struggling, if Javale does struggle in his limited minutes. This experience can only be good for him, even if it is somewhat humbling.

Team USA is going to play similarly to how the WIzards want to play -- extremely up tempo with a huge emphasis on defense and pressure. It will be good for Javale to be in that environment alongside great players, and great coaches with high expectations.

There's another aspect of this that I'm really encouraged by: USA Basketball won't take guys they see as "character risks." The fact that Coach K, Colangelo, etc look at Javale and see him as someone that can potentially help and someone they want around the program could be a good harbinger of things to come here.

Good luck, Javale. Do us proud!

[closg00]

NEW YORK -- New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez, struggling to recover from a bout with mono, has withdrawn from the U.S. national team and will be replaced by Washington's JaVale McGee.

Lopez informed USA Basketball officials Wednesday that he didn't believe he was in good enough condition to take part in training camp next week in New York.

He played poorly during practices in Las Vegas last month and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he would have to perform well next week to have a chance to make the roster headed to Turkey for the world championships.

McGee practiced in Las Vegas but hadn't officially been added to the roster.

What a shocker, this will be good for JaVale but also potentially very embarassing since he is so-raw.

I don't understand the embarrassing angle. There's no shame in struggling, if Javale does struggle in his limited minutes. This experience can only be good for him, even if it is somewhat humbling.

Team USA is going to play similarly to how the WIzards want to play -- extremely up tempo with a huge emphasis on defense and pressure. It will be good for Javale to be in that environment alongside great players, and great coaches with high expectations.

There's another aspect of this that I'm really encouraged by: USA Basketball won't take guys they see as "character risks." The fact that Coach K, Colangelo, etc look at Javale and see him as someone that can potentially help and someone they want around the program could be a good harbinger of things to come here.

Good luck, Javale. Do us proud!

You're right Fish, I just pictured JaVale biting on pump-fakes and getting schooled on the international stage by those seasoned Euro guys and I would be embarassed for him if that happened. This will be great experience for him and it could only help in his development. I suspect that JaVale won't be seeing much action anyway.

[Wizards2Lottery]

I hope he's a solid contributor and wins a gold with Team USA.

[doclinkin]

My primary concern is twofold: the Euro game is far more lax on Goaltending rules, and they allow far more hacking bruising shoving non-fouls. I'd hate for JaVale to develop bad habits on the one hand, since he's already good for two NBA goaltends per game. And I'd hate for him to become even more gunshy avoiding contact in the post. And watching the EuroBigs and the superlong KD take outside shots, I'd hate for him to keep thinking he needs to focus on that part of his game.

But I expect overall this will be a very good thing for the kid. If he's not deaf to instruction from his coaches and teammates.

[Induveca]

Being around Coach K so much will be very very good for McGee. This is a kid with off the charts potential who hasn't had the benefit of playing for a known "teaching" coach or within any type of true professional atmosphere at any point in his amateur/pro career.

Between head coach "Mark Fox" (he of 3 years head coaching experience at the time McGee was a freshman), Eddie Jordan and Flip Saunders I think this Team USA experience may be the first "professional" environment the kid has ever experienced.

Let's hope he not only improves but helps improve the culture around the clubhouse as well.