Why are Euros > White Americans in the NBA?

[KWSN-Men]

lol @ "euros can't defend"
we think the same of you americans

Factually speaking, Euroleague defense is much better than NBA defense. I watch both leagues enough and am a fan of both (so not biased) to know that. But of course 99.99 percent of NBA fans believe the opposite, even though it's actually wrong. But whatever.

European defense sucks. The NBA has a 3 second defense rule that doesn't allow the shot blockers to clog the paint on defense. Europe has no such rule so their 6'8" centers and the rest of the team can clog that extra wide paint the entire game and make a team shoot jump shots. Europe also allows defenders touch fouls. The NBA doesn't allow anyone to touch the penetrator. It's more difficult to play NBA defense because the rules are in favor of the offense. Does anyone remember the Knicks and Heat defense of the 90's? No one would dare mention a European defense in the same breath as those two teams that made the NBA change the rules to what they are today in an effort to increase scoring.

You don't watch Euroleague games that is obvious.

[KWSN-Men]

Why don't you try actually reading what others write.

Okay I see, sounds like from your above statement you realized just how wrong you were.

You have not read my posts properly. That is your fault, not mine.

[PowerElite]

You don't watch Euroleague games that is obvious.

I doubt that you even understand what you are watching by stating that Euro defense is better than NBA defense. If the NBA paint were widened, the length of the court were shortened, and the defensive 3 second abolished, you would then see Euro defense in the NBA but 15-20 times better. FIBA/ULEB games are also shorter, which means fresher defenders. The rules of the Euro game were created for lessor players, that's why there historically is a possession arrow and a trapezoid lane.

[KWSN-Men]

You don't watch Euroleague games that is obvious.

I doubt that you even understand what you are watching by stating that Euro defense is better than NBA defense. If the NBA paint were widened, the length of the court were shortened, and the defensive 3 second abolished, you would then see Euro defense in the NBA but 15-20 times better. FIBA/ULEB games are also shorter, which means fresher defenders. The rules of the Euro game were created for lessor players, that's why there historically is a possession arrow and a trapezoid lane.

Next year the rules and lane will be identical to the NBA and the 3 point line will be moved back and the court widened. Your excuses won't wash then.

[PowerElite]

The rules are being changed to advance offensive skills in Europe. Allowing weak individual defenders to clog the trapezoid lane with zone defenses only benefits a team trying to win a gold medal against Americans, but it does nothing to help develop the skills of the players competing for that gold medal. Europe obviously has taken a step back in comparison to the NBA over the last few years. Europe peaked a few years ago. There are very few 1st round NBA prospects in Europe today where that wasn't the case 7 years ago.

[KWSN-Men]

The rules are being changed to advance offensive skills in Europe. Allowing weak individual defenders to clog the trapezoid lane with zone defenses only benefits a team trying to win a gold medal against Americans, but it does nothing to help develop the skills of the players competing for that gold medal. Europe obviously has taken a step back in comparison to the NBA over the last few years. Europe peaked a few years ago. There are very few 1st round NBA prospects in Europe today where that wasn't the case 7 years ago.

What are you talking about? FIBA isn't changing rules until fall 2010. ULEB, which is changing them this year has nothing to do with FIBA or any national teams or Team USA. Give it a rest already. And the level in Europe is FAR above what it was 7 years ago. I cant take you seriously with these comments, sorry but welcome to ignore.

[PowerElite]

The rules are being changed to advance offensive skills in Europe. Allowing weak individual defenders to clog the trapezoid lane with zone defenses only benefits a team trying to win a gold medal against Americans, but it does nothing to help develop the skills of the players competing for that gold medal. Europe obviously has taken a step back in comparison to the NBA over the last few years. Europe peaked a few years ago. There are very few 1st round NBA prospects in Europe today where that wasn't the case 7 years ago.

What are you talking about? FIBA isn't changing rules until fall 2010. ULEB, which is changing them this year has nothing to do with FIBA or any national teams or Team USA. Give it a rest already. And the level in Europe is FAR above what it was 7 years ago. I cant take you seriously with these comments, sorry but welcome to ignore.

You brought up the rules change. I pointed out they they were historically not the same as the NBA and were created for the inferior defenders of the international game when you claimed that Euro defenders are better than NBA defenders. Now you are getting all ESL English as a second language on me exposing your low reading comprehension ability with crediting me for comments and mistakes that I did not make.

[Joana]

The rules need to be changed first and foremost in the youth tournaments. How can the kids learn to defend if they're only taught to play zones?

[KWSN-Men]

BTW, just for actual FACTS in case anyone else reading this thread wants them, FIBA and its rules were created long before the NBA ever existed. Just stating that since someone was trying to change history and make things up like FIBA had rules changed from the NBA or whatever. Complete and utter nonsense.

[dr. strangelove]

Europe has 3 X more the population.

I disagree: In most of European countries basketball is almost inexistent (Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Checz Republik Slovakia, Luxemburg, Belgium, Netherland, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Roumania, Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal...). In very few countries is basketball popular:
Slovenia: population: Only 2 million people!
Lithuania: less than 3,5 million people!
Croatia: only 5 million!
Serbia: 7,3 million
Greece: 11,2 million
Spain: 46 million
Italy: 60 million
Russia: it's difficult to say: The Russian territory is more Asian than European.
France: there's no white french players in the NBA, and black players are very often of African or Caribean origin.
In Germany, (in spite of Nowisky), even handball is more popular than basketball.
There are much more people interested in Basketball in the US than in Europe.
In most of those countries soccer and other sports are more popular than basketball.
Why are Euros > White Americans in the NBA? Maybe the mediterranean diet is better than MacDonald's diet.

[jumanji]

It seems to go in cycles. A couple of years ago there was a nice collection of players from over here like Chase Budinger, Kevin Love, Spencer Hawes and Cole Aldrich. Lately not so much. Not sure about some of the rankings out these days but there arent many white players at the top of any lists of the top players. Are there any good young white players out there that i just dont know about?

[Cro_Ruption]

Wait jason kidd isnt white? WTF? since when? im not joking.. hes really black? i knew bibby was black but kidd?

[KWSN-Men]

Wait jason kidd isnt white? WTF? since when? im not joking.. hes really black? i knew bibby was black but kidd?

They are not black. They are half white and half black. Some people here are just posting some things that could be taken as racist.

[Rasho Brezec]

That's not even remotely racist.

[lethalweapon3]

viewtopic.php?f=64&t=844560

The All-"Joe Sixpack" Team (a bit of a Sarah Palin joke at the time), constrained by these bounds...

(A) Person who (correctly) would mark "White, Not of Hispanic Origin" on the race/ethnicity line of their Census form

(B) Must have been born in any one of the 50 United States ("Sorry, Nash 'n Dirk!" Kaman is safe, though.) Territories, too, so long as criterion (A) holds.

(C) Must be (or is likely to be) on an active 2008-2009 NBA roster ("Larry Bird isn't coming through that door!")

PG - Kirk Hinrich, Luke Ridnour, Steve Blake
SG - Mike Miller, Jason Kapono, Brent Barry
SF - Mike Dunleavy, Kyle Korver
PF - David Lee, Kevin Love, Troy Murphy, Nick Collison
C - Chris Kaman, Brad Miller, Spencer Hawes

...was as far as I could get. Still feels like a 35-win squad at best. After this season, I'd add the Birdman and dump Collison. Murphy would have to start ahead of Dunleavy Jr., too.

Curious what an all-Euro NBA squad would look like, too.

~lw3

[KWSN-Men]

That's not even remotely racist.

Yes it is. It's extremely racist to deny that a half white/half black person is either half white or half black (one or the other depending on in what way the racism is being directed) and to instead insist that they are either all white or all black. You can't get much more racist than that.

[Rasho Brezec]

That's not even remotely racist.

Yes it is. It's extremely racist to deny that a half white/half black person is either half white or half black (one or the other depending on in what way the racism is being directed) and to instead insist that they are either all white or all black. You can't get much more racist than that.

No, it's not even remotely racist because he was asking a question, he wasn't insisting anything. He didn't know what Jason Kidd's ethnical origin was. Read what he wrote.

[KWSN-Men]

That's not even remotely racist.

Yes it is. It's extremely racist to deny that a half white/half black person is either half white or half black (one or the other depending on in what way the racism is being directed) and to instead insist that they are either all white or all black. You can't get much more racist than that.

No, it's not even remotely racist because he was asking a question, he wasn't insisting anything. He didn't know what Jason Kidd's ethnical origin was. Read what he wrote.

I'm not talking about him.

[BarbaGrizz]

Why are you so picky with Ginobili? He´s a white south american, not european, not american. Nocioni is a white south american. Varejao is a white south american. Hermann, Scola, Batista too

[KWSN-Men]

Why are you so picky with Ginobili? He´s a white south american, not european, not american. Nocioni is a white south american. Varejao is a white south american. Hermann, Scola, Batista too

I never argued against that. Others here said he cannot in any way ever be referred to as Italian even though both of his parents are Italians who moved to Argentina as immigrants. That is what I am arguing against. I never once said he wasn't an Argentinian. He's both. I am stating the truth, he is an Argentinean who is Italian, while others are stating falsehoods, such as (paraphrasing) "no, he's not in any way at all Italian".