FIBA World Cup 2023 (FIRST thread)

[Pachinko_]

Why are those threads always titled "off topic" LOL
What is the topic?

Non NBA...

where does it say that this is an NBA site?

[UcanUwill]

Why are those threads always titled "off topic" LOL
What is the topic?

Non NBA...

where does it say that this is an NBA site?

This is NBA's general board. We have international basketball board, but it has no traffic and gets like 3 posts per year, 2 of which are usually mine.

[DrPampiloni]

Keep smoking that pipe, must be good stuff.

It is world cup, its a fact. If you are not a fan of the tournament, just don't post, or do you like being a troll so much and try diminish other people interests?

This whole thread is trolling the US team, making it seem like we give a crap and our best players are there.

Same interest applies to the rest of the world's best players. Are Jokic, Giannis & Embiid playing?
World championship

Jokic and Giannis were there last time and will be there this time. Embiid is Cameroonian and they never qualify, plus he is always hurt... So try again.

[-Luke-]

It is world cup, its a fact. If you are not a fan of the tournament, just don't post, or do you like being a troll so much and try diminish other people interests?

This whole thread is trolling the US team, making it seem like we give a crap and our best players are there.

Same interest applies to the rest of the world's best players. Are Jokic, Giannis & Embiid playing?
World championship

Jokic and Giannis were there last time and will be there this time. Embiid is Cameroonian and they never qualify, plus he is always hurt... So try again.

Can't he play for France now?

[UcanUwill]

This whole thread is trolling the US team, making it seem like we give a crap and our best players are there.

Same interest applies to the rest of the world's best players. Are Jokic, Giannis & Embiid playing?
World championship

Jokic and Giannis were there last time and will be there this time. Embiid is Cameroonian and they never qualify, plus he is always hurt... So try again.

Can't he play for France now?

He can play for France or USA, if those federations pursue him. I hope that doesnt happen tho.

[The Number 9]

Can't he play for France now?

It's the 1st year he can play for France (and I assume it's the same with team USA).
He won't be there as he is getting married this summer (that's what the French coach said). I'm not sure he have made a choice between France or USA yet and I think he is only interested by the Olympics (if he is about international competition at all).

[AleksandarN]

It's the 1st year he can play for France (and I assume it's the same with team USA).
He won't be there as he is getting married this summer (that's what the French coach said). I'm not sure he have made a choice between France or USA yet and I think he is only interested by the Olympics (if he is about international competition at all).

Tell him he can win a mvp if he goes. I bet he shows up

[Mirotic12]

Kostas Sloukas and Domantas Sabonis skipping the tournament just means both Greece and Lithuania got stronger. Sabonis is the worst ever NBA player in FIBA, even Giannis, who has the most NBA style and least FIBA style game ever, looks better in FIBA than he does. He has bad game after bad game with Lithuania. It's actually a bit perplexing and bizarre how he can struggle so much with Lithuania. It actually hurts their team to keep giving him the ball, only to have him do weird things when he gets it.

Sloukas is a gigantic cancer that has been ruining Greece's national team for years. He's a very selfish player with a very low basketball IQ and he's always trying some stupid hero ball at the end of games, which only works like 1 out of 10 times. He has zero concept of how to play point guard, as he lacks any feel for the game, yet also insists on being the one to "run the team" on offense. Plus, he's a horrendously bad defender. Already good news for Greece with him out.

Now if Greece could just convince Nick Calathes, who is the worst shooter at the point guard position to ever play in EuroLeague, to retire from the national team................

On the other hand, Thomas Walkup or Tyler Dorsey then playing for Greece. Walkup can't shoot worth a damn either, and he can play a 40 minute game without scoring. And Dorsey's just a joke player. Can do nothing on offense but shoot open jumpers, and he's also a horrendously bad defender. Greece needs to find a way (injuries, contract situations, personal issues, whatever, etc.) to not use any of the three. They just simply can't play guards that can't shoot (Calathes / Walkup), guards that have low basketball IQs and can't play defense (Dorsey / Sloukas), and guards that want to run the offense, but have no clue how to actually do it (Walkup / Sloukas) with Giannis. It just doesn't work. If Giannis doesn't play, then it's a different story. But you can't pair him with those types of players, or he's nullified completely by FIBA rules.

Especially since that evidently in order to appease Giannis, his two brothers Thanasis and Kostas get to take up roster sports, when both of them are completely useless players for doing anything other than fouling. Those 5 man lineups with guys like Calathes (can't shoot), Sloukas (selfish/failing all the time hero ball), Dorsey (no offensive skills other than shooting), Thanasis (zero basketball skills of any kind) and Giannis (all his skills greatly lowered under FIBA rules) are absurd. It's way below the average team standards of European basketball for skills and basketball IQ, and it's almost as anemic looking as the Bucks versus the Heat.

So no Sloukas and possibly no Dorsey (if they choose Walkup) is a good start for Greece. Now they just need to find a way to drop Walkup, Calathes, Thanasis and Kostas also. And yes, no Sabonis is good for Lithuania, unless he was suddenly going to learn how to play productive FIBA basketball, which he has not so far.

[UcanUwill]

Huge bomb, Banchero decided he will represent USA! Good bye Azzurri hopes, huge disappointment for the Italians, obviously not only for this year, but next 10+ years coming.

[Mirotic12]

Huge bomb, Banchero decided he will represent USA! Good bye Azzurri hopes, huge disappointment for the Italians, obviously not only for this year, but next 10+ years coming.

He probably looked at their results over the last 15-16 years and was like, no way in hell. It's so sad what that terrible Italian generation of Bargnani, Datome, Galinari, Gentile, and Belinelli did to Italy's national team. It was always one of the best national teams, then they came along and completely destroyed the whole program. It's like it can't even recover from the damage they did.

[UcanUwill]

Huge bomb, Banchero decided he will represent USA! Good bye Azzurri hopes, huge disappointment for the Italians, obviously not only for this year, but next 10+ years coming.

He probably looked at their results over the last 15-16 years and was like, no way in hell. It's so sad what that terrible Italian generation of Bargnani, Datome, Galinari, Gentile, and Belinelli did to Italy's national team. It was always one of the best national teams, then they came along and completely destroyed the whole program. It's like it can't even recover from the damage they did.

Bargnani effect. I know I might be ignorant guy and put too much blame on that man, but man was he brutal and people didnt realize at a time and let him play by tanking everything up.

Also, no pointguard. I know you hate Belinelli, I think he was very good player, he looked very good early in his career next to Basile, he was great. But later on they made him into playmaker because they really had nothing else, and that just not his game, he always burned at that role. Put him next to real PG, and make him into your own, Macijauskas/Rakocevic type shooter, guy would have been a huge boost. It is unbeliebale how terrible that generation has been, like the biggest flip ever, remember 2006, wow, Belinelli, Galinarri, Bargnani, Mancinelli and later Gentile were coming, new Euroean SUperstar, move on Spain... Didnt even make EUrobasket twice holly crap.
The flip is like if Wembanyama becomes worst NBA player, that type of wtf happening, still unbelievable. But its new generation, Banchero would have been such a huge piece, shame really.
Thats why I just want Lithuania to lock Matas Buzelis asap. SAbonis not playing, chances arent here, just put Matas on a team and lock him in, no funny business

[Nate505]

Kostas Sloukas and Domantas Sabonis skipping the tournament just means both Greece and Lithuania got stronger.

An All NBA 2nd Teamer missing the tournament somehow means their team is stronger. And this I'm guessing is somehow an indication that the World Cup means more than the Olympics, when you have all NBA team players from other countries not playing it.

Makes perfect sense.

[UcanUwill]

Kostas Sloukas and Domantas Sabonis skipping the tournament just means both Greece and Lithuania got stronger.

An All NBA 2nd Teamer missing the tournament somehow means their team is stronger. And this I'm guessing is somehow an indication that the World Cup means more than the Olympics, when you have all NBA team players from other countries not playing it.

Makes perfect sense.

Domantas is our biggest loss by far, super upset about that and it lowers our ceiling greatly. That said, he aint lying that SAbonis has sucked in FIBA for years now. But after seeing Giannis redeption, you should never question NBA star level players potential, it all comes down to coaching and ultimate fit, any NBA star with maybe extreme exception can eventually figure out FIBA game, at the end, dominating NBA is harder than dominating FIBA.

Really hoped this would be the year Domantas figures it out, he has been our most unused weapon yet, but this ain't happening. MAybe he would have been the same, just an ordinary starter and not a big loss, but we wont know now...

This Lithuanian generation always been Valanciunas' one tho, hes the man, just like Arvydas or Jasikevicius before him. If hes not playing, everything falls apart, he has always been our best player in recent years.

[___Rand___]

Group H is most interesting.

Canada can't get a break with draws. Got group of death in World Cup with 2 semifinalists, and the other one was ranked #3 in the world. Now this. Facing a team with bigs that we can't match.

[-Luke-]

Kostas Sloukas and Domantas Sabonis skipping the tournament just means both Greece and Lithuania got stronger.

An All NBA 2nd Teamer missing the tournament somehow means their team is stronger. And this I'm guessing is somehow an indication that the World Cup means more than the Olympics, when you have all NBA team players from other countries not playing it.

Makes perfect sense.

I wouldn't go so far to say they got stronger, but from what I have seen Valanciunas is the far better player for their national team. It's funny sometimes with the FIBA tournaments.

[Mirotic12]

Bargnani effect. I know I might be ignorant guy and put too much blame on that man, but man was he brutal and people didnt realize at a time and let him play by tanking everything up.

Also, no pointguard. I know you hate Belinelli, I think he was very good player, he looked very good early in his career next to Basile, he was great. But later on they made him into playmaker because they really had nothing else, and that just not his game, he always burned at that role. Put him next to real PG, and make him into your own, Macijauskas/Rakocevic type shooter, guy would have been a huge boost. It is unbeliebale how terrible that generation has been, like the biggest flip ever, remember 2006, wow, Belinelli, Galinarri, Bargnani, Mancinelli and later Gentile were coming, new Euroean SUperstar, move on Spain... Didnt even make EUrobasket twice holly crap.
The flip is like if Wembanyama becomes worst NBA player, that type of wtf happening, still unbelievable. But its new generation, Banchero would have been such a huge piece, shame really.
Thats why I just want Lithuania to lock Matas Buzelis asap. SAbonis not playing, chances arent here, just put Matas on a team and lock him in, no funny business

That Italian generation was so bizarre. You mentioned Mancinelli - dude looked great as a young small forward, and then in a few years he was like in Italy's 2nd division. Gentile looked good at first, then in a couple years, he was like a complete joke. Not to mention of course what a joke Bargnani was. It was just ridiculous. I'm not sure the point guard position was that bad though. When they had Daniel Hackett, they had a pretty good point guard.

[TheFutureMM]

Huge bomb, Banchero decided he will represent USA! Good bye Azzurri hopes, huge disappointment for the Italians, obviously not only for this year, but next 10+ years coming.

I feel like this is the US's underrated risk mitigation strategy. Any potential dual citizen with ties to the US is usually a target for the US Mens team so as to prevent other National teams from getting stronger. Very similar to when Embiid got the French passport. Still not convinced the US wont try to get him to suit up next year.

[lars_rosenberg]

Huge bomb, Banchero decided he will represent USA! Good bye Azzurri hopes, huge disappointment for the Italians, obviously not only for this year, but next 10+ years coming.

The way he marketed himself as Italian and promised he was going to play for Italy all this time is really embarrassing.

As an Italian, I don't mind him choosing the USA, that's where he's born and raised. What I really despise is his cultural appropriation and his use of Italian flag (it's still on his Instagram profile right now) when he hasn't even been to Italy in his life and he doesn't speak a word of Italian.

And with his false promises and betrayal he's made sure he's never going to be liked by Italian fans.

[Dirk]

Luka & Tobey playing in this?

[Aeternus]

Huge bomb, Banchero decided he will represent USA! Good bye Azzurri hopes, huge disappointment for the Italians, obviously not only for this year, but next 10+ years coming.

Speak for yourself, I always considered players picking and choosing national teams based on opportunity rather than genuine sense of national belonging to be a disgraceful breach of the very concept of national team.
Banchero might have an italian parent but he speaks no italian nor has never lived in Italy. I'd have picked present day Kobe over him.
He shouldn't even have had the ability to choose as far as I'm concerned.