FIBA World Cup 2023 (FIRST thread)

[stillgotgame]

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Full Team USA squad. Hart 12th player in.

Bobby Portis is playing, why? Is Mirotic playing for Spain?

[steadysoul]

It's amazing how we discuss so much about the naturalised rule abused by countries to hire American players but then when you look closely the US have had:

Roni Seikaly
Patrick Ewing
Hakeem Olajuwon
Tim Duncan

and are now trying to recruit Embiid to improve their thin rotation at the center spot...

Putting Duncan on this list feels silly. He was born an American citizen as are all people from the US territories.

[peZt]

It's amazing how we discuss so much about the naturalised rule abused by countries to hire American players but then when you look closely the US have had:

Roni Seikaly
Patrick Ewing
Hakeem Olajuwon
Tim Duncan

and are now trying to recruit Embiid to improve their thin rotation at the center spot...

Roni Seikaly came to the US as a 10 year old. Ewing as a 12 year old. Duncan was born in the "US" Virgin Islands.
Hakeem is the only questionable one but even he came to the US as a 18 year old and still lives there. Totally comparable to a Bo Mccallebb who plays for Macedonia despite never having played or lived there

[kobyz]

Tyrese Haliburton/Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards/Austin Reaves/Josh Hart
Mikal Bridges/Cam Johnson
Brandon Ingram/Paolo Banchero
Jaren Jackson Jr./Bobby Portis/Walker Kessler

[Mirotic12]

Roni Seikaly came to the US as a 10 year old. Ewing as a 12 year old.

Seikaly was in Greece during his junior high and high school years, and he learned basketball entirely in Greece. He never even played basketball until he was in Greece. He was in Greece's senior national team from the time he was 18. He was actually on the Greek senior national team every summer for training camp and on its practice squad as the 13th man in the early to mid '80s. He could not play for Greece at the time, because his nationality had not been processed yet. He eventually had Greek citizenship in 1988, but before that could happen, the US naturalized him in 1986, so he could play with them at the FIBA World Cup.

Seikaly stated numerous times that he wanted to play with Greece. But agreeing to play for USA helped his standing in the NCAA and the NBA draft. So Seikaly was 100% taken from Greece's national team program, which he belonged to for several years, and was developed by, and was then switched to the USA's program.

Ewing was taken from Jamaica's national team program. They have their own national team program, and Ewing was switched from it to the USA. So still a naturalization switch, from one national team to another.

Duncan was born in the "US" Virgin Islands.

Putting Duncan on this list feels silly. He was born an American citizen as are all people from the US territories.

It is true that Duncan is a US citizen by birth. But it is also true that the Virgin Islands has its own separate national team. Just like Puerto Rico has a separate national team, but is part of the USA. So for example, JJ Barea and Carlos Arroyo were also born American citizens. And they also played for Puerto Rico's national team, and would have been considered national team naturalizations, if they switched to play for the USA.

Duncan was a part of the Virgin Islands national team, and was in its youth program. He had to switch to the US national team. So he would be considered a naturalized player, just like Arroyo would be if he switched from Puerto Rico's national team to the US national team.

[scrabbarista]

USA roster to Josh Hart: "You complete me."

[scrabbarista]

USA could use Flagg.

Haha, I'm jk, but that's a bad, bad teenager. May not be long before he's on the varsity.

[Mirotic12]

Lorenzo Brown not playing with Spain... It will be interesting to see if they suddenly naturalize another player in the upcoming weeks.

[durden_tyler]

Lorenzo Brown not playing with Spain... It will be interesting to see if they suddenly naturalize another player in the upcoming weeks.

Do they have anyone in the pipeline? A naturalized big would make that team even stronger.

[Pachinko_]

Has Serbia announced their final roster?

[Hellcrooner]

Lorenzo Brown not playing with Spain... It will be interesting to see if they suddenly naturalize another player in the upcoming weeks.

Do they have anyone in the pipeline? A naturalized big would make that team even stronger.

If ( big if, not likely) pain naturalizes a palyer it will NOt be a big.
theres a surplus of quality four and fives for the team, some of them will be left out both henrnangomez bros, aldama, Parra, Garuba, sebas saiz , and thats counting that suposedly Mirotic does not want to play anymore, ibaka is old....
but then you can also get one of the younglins that just won the u19 world cup, Baba Miller( dont get foold by tghe name, he is a full fledged born spaniard), Izan almansa ( who got the mvp) and last but not lease the spanish unicorn response to wembayama, aday mara.

now if only we could generate some damm guards..................... ricky, llul, rodriguez and rudy are ancient already... garubas little Bro has showed som promise tough...

[durden_tyler]

Lorenzo Brown not playing with Spain... It will be interesting to see if they suddenly naturalize another player in the upcoming weeks.

Do they have anyone in the pipeline? A naturalized big would make that team even stronger.

If ( big if, not likely) pain naturalizes a palyer it will NOt be a big.
theres a surplus of quality four and fives for the team, some of them will be left out both henrnangomez bros, aldama, Parra, Garuba, sebas saiz , and thats counting that suposedly Mirotic does not want to play anymore, ibaka is old....
but then you can also get one of the younglins that just won the u19 world cup, Baba Miller( dont get foold by tghe name, he is a full fledged born spaniard), Izan almansa ( who got the mvp) and last but not lease the spanish unicorn response to wembayama, aday mara.

now if only we could generate some damm guards..................... ricky, llul, rodriguez and rudy are ancient already... garubas little Bro has showed som promise tough...

i guess what i meant was a bigger player (not a point guard, since that spot is easier to fill in methinks) so a longer forward/wing that will complement their bigs (historically, Spain has great big men). But they should do it (-Eff the purists, this is allowed in the rules, so take advantage of it a la Lorenzo Brown). i'd imagine they close the gap with the US if they do naturalize that forward (as opposed to Brown, who is nothing special)

[Jasen777]

Legit shot to beat US:

Serbia (+800)
Greece (+900)
Slovenia (+1000)
France (+1100)
Australia (+1100)

USA can lose to anyone if they don't gel.

[steadysoul]

Roni Seikaly came to the US as a 10 year old. Ewing as a 12 year old.

Seikaly was in Greece during his junior high and high school years, and he learned basketball entirely in Greece. He never even played basketball until he was in Greece. He was in Greece's senior national team from the time he was 18. He was actually on the Greek senior national team every summer for training camp and on its practice squad as the 13th man in the early to mid '80s. He could not play for Greece at the time, because his nationality had not been processed yet. He eventually had Greek citizenship in 1988, but before that could happen, the US naturalized him in 1986, so he could play with them at the FIBA World Cup.

Seikaly stated numerous times that he wanted to play with Greece. But agreeing to play for USA helped his standing in the NCAA and the NBA draft. So Seikaly was 100% taken from Greece's national team program, which he belonged to for several years, and was developed by, and was then switched to the USA's program.

Ewing was taken from Jamaica's national team program. They have their own national team program, and Ewing was switched from it to the USA. So still a naturalization switch, from one national team to another.

Duncan was born in the "US" Virgin Islands.

Putting Duncan on this list feels silly. He was born an American citizen as are all people from the US territories.

It is true that Duncan is a US citizen by birth. But it is also true that the Virgin Islands has its own separate national team. Just like Puerto Rico has a separate national team, but is part of the USA. So for example, JJ Barea and Carlos Arroyo were also born American citizens. And they also played for Puerto Rico's national team, and would have been considered national team naturalizations, if they switched to play for the USA.

Duncan was a part of the Virgin Islands national team, and was in its youth program. He had to switch to the US national team. So he would be considered a naturalized player, just like Arroyo would be if he switched from Puerto Rico's national team to the US national team.

Tim Duncan has never come close to representing the US Virgin Islands in Basketball. If not for Hurricane Hugo might have been a swimmer for them but he's always represented USA in basketball. None of them would have to be naturalized because they would all have been born citizens because the US has birthright citizenship. So If any of your examples had been asked, they would be counted as citizens and not naturalized. Great examples of this. Let me put it like this, Jose Alvarado has played for the PR team. He was born in Brooklyn. He is not counted as a naturalized player.

[Movics]

Ewing was introduced to the sport in Massachusetts and even tried out for the ‘80 US Olympics team before he got his citizenship. In no way was he taken from the Jamaican national team’s youth system.

Do you think Arroyo and Barea wouldn’t have chosen team USA had they been good enough to make it? Yes, I know Arroyo went off once against the worst Olympics team the us have fielded, but that doesn’t change the fact that he couldn’t have made the roster. You’re not naturalized at all if you are a citizen since birth of said country.

[txusto]

Spain 16-men preliminary roster

Willy Hernangómez (exPelicans)
Juancho Hernangómez (exRaptors)
Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies)
Ricky Rubio (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Rudy Fernández (Real Madrid)
Sergio Llull (Real Madrid)
Alberto Díaz (Unicaja)
Darío Brizuela (Unicaja)
Jaime Fernández (Unicaja)
Álex Abrines (Barcelona)
Jaime Pradilla (Valencia Basket)
Joel Parra (Joventut)
Víctor Claver (Valencia)
Alberto Abalde (Real Madrid)
Sebas Saiz (Alvark Tokyo)

Defending Champion, never underestimate them with Scariolo coaching.

[Hellcrooner]

Spain 16-men preliminary roster

Willy Hernangómez (exPelicans)
Juancho Hernangómez (exRaptors)
Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies)
Ricky Rubio (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Rudy Fernández (Real Madrid)
Sergio Llull (Real Madrid)
Alberto Díaz (Unicaja)
Darío Brizuela (Unicaja)
Jaime Fernández (Unicaja)
Álex Abrines (Barcelona)
Jaime Pradilla (Valencia Basket)
Joel Parra (Joventut)
Víctor Claver (Valencia)
Alberto Abalde (Real Madrid)
Sebas Saiz (Alvark Tokyo)

Defending Champion, never underestimate them with Scariolo coaching.

guess that would be the final 12....

[txusto]

Spain 16-men preliminary roster

Willy Hernangómez (exPelicans)
Juancho Hernangómez (exRaptors)
Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies)
Ricky Rubio (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Rudy Fernández (Real Madrid)
Sergio Llull (Real Madrid)
Alberto Díaz (Unicaja)
Darío Brizuela (Unicaja)
Jaime Fernández (Unicaja)
Álex Abrines (Barcelona)
Jaime Pradilla (Valencia Basket)
Joel Parra (Joventut)
Víctor Claver (Valencia)
Alberto Abalde (Real Madrid)
Sebas Saiz (Alvark Tokyo)

Defending Champion, never underestimate them with Scariolo coaching.

guess that would be the final 12....

Most probably. Rudy on his way to play his sixth Olympics, amazing no matter what you think about him.

[Mickey8]

Why not go with Almansa since Spain's front court is already thin. I hate when NT's are waiting too long to promote young talented players.

[Hellcrooner]

Why not go with Almansa since Spain's front court is already thin. I hate when NT's are waiting too long to promote young talented players.

he wouldnt crack a minute, he would be the 5th big behind both Hernangomez bros, saldama and garuba.
he has been invited to " camp" anyway in order that he starts geling with the team for the future
shoudl have invited mara too....but i guess he needs to report to UCLA soon.