What Happened to the 2004 USA Olympic Team?

[Buckets22]

Lack of shooting.
Larry Brown doing Larry Brown things and not trusting the young players and relying on slow style of play not using USAs athleticism.
Two me first PGs - AI3 and Starbury.
Duncan was forced into foul trouble by the refs early.
The team didn't play together at all...the plan for USA was to send the 2003 team...just check it out:
https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/mens-tournament-of-the-americas-2003.aspx

[JonFromVA]

You just have to look at everything Team USA changed in their program after 2004 to understand everything that was wrong with the program before that.

Some of the highlights:

1) Went with a respected NCAA coach to extract as much ego and favoritism from the coaching staff as possible;
2) Insisted players sign up for multiple years - and commit time to planned team practices - and actually learn FIBA style;
3) Dropped young players in to the Team USA Select program - to again help them learn FIBA style;
4) Increased the roster size with no promises so they'd have enough players and could select for complementary skills;
5) Emphasized shooting, hustle, and defense because no team needs 5 ISO stars on the floor at the same time;
6) Were willing to drop LeBron F'n James from the program if necessary to make the point that no player was bigger than the program.

[Sixerscan]

Two things that don't get mentioned often here:

1. Lack of talent
2. Lack of motivation

We all knew at the time that was the USA's B team. No Shaq, no Kobe, no Jason Kidd, no KG. Those guys didn't commit because they didn't care since the US always winning was taken for granted. The players on the 2004 deserve blame too. They didn't care. They were all half assing it.

No Pistons when their entire starting lineup was American and they had just won the title

Put another way, of the 12 Americans that made all nba that year Duncan was the only one on the team, of the 21 American all stars only Duncan and AI were on the team.

It was a C or a D team.

[cupcakesnake]

Imagine thinking Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury were a good backcourt. We all probably felt that at the time.

They didn't bring a single 3-point shooter. The aforementioned backcourt were the only guys who even took 3s (and they were bad at it!). Shawn Marion led the team in 3-point percentage.

Duncan took only 8 shots per game. Marbury led the team in assists with 3.4 per game. Larry Brown had them fouling the crap out of everyone.

[Jasen777]

Pretty much did everything wrong. Top stars didn't play. Too many iso players, not enough shooters (compounded by poor game planning). Players that would have helped left on the bench. Duncan struggled with FIBA refs. Not taking seriously the idea that they could lose. Poor coaching, no leadership from players.

[Jasen777]

-Despite a terrible tournament and terrible fitting team, the US still won the bronze, beating a VERY good Spain team (they had Pau, Juan Carlos Navarro, Garbajosa, Calderon, Rudy Fernandez) in the quarter finals and sending them home w/o a medal. Also beat Lithuania in the bronze medal game.

Spain had the misfortunate of running into USA's best shooting game. USA went 12 of 22 from 3, paced by Marbury's 6 of 9. Spain spent the next 16 years scheming to avoid USA until the final.

[Buckets22]

Imagine thinking Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury were a good backcourt. We all probably felt that at the time.

They didn't bring a single 3-point shooter. The aforementioned backcourt were the only guys who even took 3s (and they were bad at it!). Shawn Marion led the team in 3-point percentage.

Duncan took only 8 shots per game. Marbury led the team in assists with 3.4 per game. Larry Brown had them fouling the crap out of everyone.

The best part is that against Spain Marbury got it going and threw them out of the medal spots

[UcanUwill]

I think shooting was a big issue. There were big name players, but not a good balance.

I remember teams played the deepest 2-3 zone I have ever seen against them. That said, looking back at scores, offense wasnt their biggest problem, they just gave up too much points. I remember Tim Duncan couldn't stop fouling.

[cupcakesnake]

I think shooting was a big issue. There were big name players, but not a good balance.

I remember teams played the deepest 2-3 zone I have ever seen against them. That said, looking back at scores, offense wasnt their biggest problem, they just gave up too much points. I remember Tim Duncan couldn't stop fouling.

Not just Duncan either. USA fouled the crap out of everyone that year. 5 different players averaged over 5 fouls per 36. It was like a summer league game for them.
I think it was Larry Brown trying to install his aggressive overload schemes without enough time tighten them, and then starting 2 stand out awful defensive guards at the point of attack. USA had a strong defensive backline (Marion, Duncan, Odom) but they were constantly in scramble mode as Marbury and Iverson just aren't defenders and shouldn't be on the court together that much. Wade was their only guard who could play defense.

[Dirk]

Was this the tournament Carlos Arroyo destroyed team USA?

[SeattleJazzFan]

the league from 95-2005 had less talent than it has ever had. basketball was just ugly in the mid-late 90s and early 2000s. that's why pace slowed to screeching halt and we call it defense to make ourselves feel better. guys couldn't shoot or pass so it looked like defense was being played. skills deteriorated and when they played actual dudes who were skilled in those two areas they couldn't handle.

thanks lebron and steph for ushering in a new era in which passing and shooting were imperative to success. good heavens, it was needed.

[heezyo2o]

Watch on YouTube

Watched the first couple minutes. They were throwing it down to duncan every time

[Joker]

Did the 2004 even prepare that much for the Olympics? I believe the 2008 took practice and training to build team cohesiveness a lot more seriously, iirc.

[heezyo2o]

I've always read about how Larry Brown wouldn't play Lebron and that being a big reason they lost, but in 2006 FIBA, Lebron had the most minutes on that team and they still got 3rd place. The 2006 team also had shooters and a defensive backcourt, things that were missing from 2004

https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/team/p/sid/3507/tid/379/_/2006_FIBA_World_Championship/accumulated-statistics.html

[ellobo]

In the semis against Argentina, Tim Duncan fouled out in 20 minutes (I'm not sure if he actually committed any, but he was called for 5). LeBron played 3 minutes, Amar'e played 2, and Carmelo didn't play. Wade was 1-8 in 19 minutes.

To me, a team relying Iverson, Marbury, Odom, Marion, Boozer, and Richard Jefferson screams bronze medal all the way.

[Silverballer]

Kinda related but no one seems to talk about the 2006 FIBA tournament loss. It was the only loss of coach K's Olympic coaching career (to Greece) and this time Lebron and the other young guys played much more than in 2004. Guess the incoming Redeem Team doc will cover that.

[JordansBulls]

Still wonder this to this day with peak Duncan, Iverson and then Wade and Lebron

[tsherkin]

Terrible chemistry, terrible choice of coach. Poor shooting/synergy. The international game had developed, too.

[rocketsfan100]

Argentina were damn good. They had a prime ginoboli and Scola plus they played incredible team ball. Let’s give them some credit

[Bornstellar]

Surprised my guy LAL1947 isn't in here saying it was all Tim Duncan's fault