OFFICIAL FIBA World Championship USA (8-0) vs. Turkey (8-0)

[ahonui06]

Can all the Europeans on here say the USA is the best team in the world now since they won the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA WC? I'm talking to you, Vin.

[HB2]

Can all the Europeans on here say the USA is the best team in the world now since they won the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA WC? I'm talking to you, Vin.

I'm not speaking for all Europeans, but I can say that USA is the best team in the world undoubtedly. At least their 2008 squad....

I am sorry, but it is hard for me to say the same about the particular 2010 team - I mean I don't want the best team to be a team playing ugly, unorganised basketball with sole creativity of "get the ball to Durant who launches"... I admit their defence was awesome...

As brassviews said, you have to look at the bracket. It would be easier to say that NBA champions are really the best team that year even if they went through 8th, 5th, 7th and 4th seed to their way to championship title, because those seeds won their stronger opponents in 7 game series. Here....
Angola was the worst team in 1/8, Russia worst team in 1/4...

It is hard to properly asses Lithuania - on one hand they beat Argentina and Serbia (although beating sleepless and broken Serbs has to be taken with sip of salt) by going wild from three point line and playing their 2 best games of the tournament, out hustling their opponents. On the other hand it was Lithuanian B team that severely overachieved, was 11th best team in Europe year ago with much stronger team .... so ... hard to tell ... they were considered weakest team in 1/4 together with Russia by bookies... in any case hats off to them

In finals they met with Turkey on which they had 6 hours of more rest (and probably also sleep as adrenalin doesn't allow you to fall asleep for additional couple hours)... And Turkey really didn't have any business being in there - Serbia was 1 point worse despite playing 5 on 9 ... so it is safe to say that Spain was also better...

In the end, it was obvious before 1/8 finals started that USA has a far far easier bracket than any other contender - only 2 challenges were to be expected - by Argentina/Brazil in semis and Spain or Serbia in finals ... neither of them happened... Spain/Greece on the other hand would have to go through - Spain/Greece then Serbia then Turkey/Slovenia and Argentina/USA in the end.

USA had problems with Brazil nor did it dominate Spain in their friendly...
... so we will never know how this WC would have ended if the France didn't throw their game to NZ - maybe USA would have been 7th (facing Spain and Argentina). ... but they were first ... so USA is the best basketball nation in the world

[ahonui06]

^^^USA was in the easier bracket because teams like Greece were busy thinking of ways to avoid USA only to have their plans backfire and face another tough challenge in Spain. There are no excuses. USA is the best team in the world when it comes to basketball. Much like Spain is the best team in the world when it comes to soccer.

[Lakeshow2417]

while USA is by far the best basketball country in the world. the international game has gotten a lot better.

if USA were to have put an all college lineup out there they would've gotten bounced in the 1st round. maybe 2nd.

[phx#7]

USA had problems with Brazil nor did it dominate Spain in their friendly...

So when someone points out the US team won all it's friendlies, those games don't count because they are just exhibitions yet if they don't dominate one it shows how weak they are?

Congrats to Brazil on their moral victory of only losing by 2 points. Talk about the weak draw(which was weakened by teams afraid of Team USA) but at that end of the day there was only 1 team that won all it's friendlies and all the games that counted(by around 25ppg).

Fact is any team is vulnerable in a single elimination tournament. And that is why teams are always trying to hide their gameplans against the US squad, because they know they can't beat them more than once. Even if this squad wasn't as good as the 2008 one it would still beat any other NT in a 7 game series.

[Ribalding]

Can't we all just join hands across the ocean and agree that Derrick Rose is an egg-sucking ball hog?

C'mon, people.

Give peace a chance.

[saritasbora]

Can't we all just join hands across the ocean and agree that Derrick Rose is an egg-sucking ball hog?

C'mon, people.

Give peace a chance.

Have you ever considered getting a life?

[Ribalding]

Have you ever considered getting a life?

I am, as I type this, being paid a pretty fair salary to answer a phone or an email that will never come. I get paid to do this.

So I'm good, thanks.

[mr.ankle]

while USA is by far the best basketball country in the world. the international game has gotten a lot better.

if USA were to have put an all college lineup out there they would've gotten bounced in the 1st round. maybe 2nd.

Really ? I would say that the world has regress the past 4 years . There still a huge talent gap between the the US And the rest of the world . I

[HB2]

USA had problems with Brazil nor did it dominate Spain in their friendly...

So when someone points out the US team won all it's friendlies, those games don't count because they are just exhibitions yet if they don't dominate one it shows how weak they are?

Congrats to Brazil on their moral victory of only losing by 2 points. Talk about the weak draw(which was weakened by teams afraid of Team USA) but at that end of the day there was only 1 team that won all it's friendlies and all the games that counted(by around 25ppg).

Fact is any team is vulnerable in a single elimination tournament. And that is why teams are always trying to hide their gameplans against the US squad, because they know they can't beat them more than once. Even if this squad wasn't as good as the 2008 one it would still beat any other NT in a 7 game series.

Well friendlies have to be taken with grain of salt and how you do in friendlies doesn't always equate with how you do in championships - Lithuania and Turkey lost many more friendlies than games in tournaments(1 each), with Spain and Serbia doing quite the opposite. But it also matters who you play in the friendlies and who you play in championships:)

In any case, I expressed my opinion already in my post above... in other words:
As you said any team is vulnerable in a single elimination tournament, which this time was true for Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Serbia...

While we are on the subject of friendlies and how USA went undefeated remind me what was their result in games with Spain, Serbia, Argentina and Brazil ?

Seeing the one dimensional offensive game consisting of "find Durant who lunches" I wouldn't put my money on USA especially in 7 games series against Serbia or Spain... and I would think twice on putting money on them in one game against Argentina and Brazil.

[ahonui06]

while USA is by far the best basketball country in the world. the international game has gotten a lot better.

if USA were to have put an all college lineup out there they would've gotten bounced in the 1st round. maybe 2nd.

Really ? I would say that the world has regress the past 4 years . There still a huge talent gap between the the US And the rest of the world . I

The talent gap looked larger this year because majority of the international stars opted to rest this summer. Same goes for the American stars. 2012 London Olympics will be a much tougher competition regardless of what these European posters say.

The Olympics are the pinnacle not the FIBA WC. If FIBA WC was so important why would Pau, DIRK, Ginobili, Parker, etc. all rest, but say they will play in the Olympics?

[phx#7]

In any case, I expressed my opinion already in my post above... in other words:
As you said any team is vulnerable in a single elimination tournament, which this time was true for Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Serbia...

All those teams lost more than once though. Brazil lost half it's games and Spain was only 1 game over .500. Serbia is the only team with a legit excuse because of the suspensions but those other teams just didn't prove to be as good as advertised.

It's unfortunate that they don't play 7 game series because people like you would have kept the odds playable. Team USA wins walking away against any of the teams at this years WC(well they won walking away regardless).

[doctorfunk]

US team B ( or C? ) is still way better than the best team from the rest of the world.

90% of teams in this cup were "B" teams, anyway it's a bit unfair to US players who did really a great job,
played lock down D and did better than 2002 and 2006 teams I think they played smarter and with more
heart then previous teams. In the end every country played with what they got, USA won end of story.

However, Turks played real bad, mostly due to mental collapse. They did not even put up a fight and made lots of silly mistakes. [...]
Also you could easily see how important Hedo is to the Turkish team. It is totally a different team without him on the floor. On a side note, I think Hedo's early attempts at provoking US players were deliberate. He tried to create some spark to get the crowd involved, which did not really work as he had to leave early with the injury.

+1

[Flopper]

The talent gap looked larger this year because majority of the international stars opted to rest this summer. Same goes for the American stars. 2012 London Olympics will be a much tougher competition regardless of what these European posters say.

The Olympics are the pinnacle not the FIBA WC. If FIBA WC was so important why would Pau, DIRK, Ginobili, Parker, etc. all rest, but say they will play in the Olympics?

Unfortunately all of those players you mentioned are going to be on the wrong side of 30 in 2012. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any young foreign born players who look capable of making a jump to a Nowitzi/Gasol level. If anything, the early to mid-2000s was really a high-water mark for foreign born franchise caliber players.

The US showed it's depth of young talent in this tournament. I expect 2012 to be even more lopsided with a team consisting of a prime James, Wade, Anthony, Paul, and Howard, plus Durant and any of the other younger guys who make that next step.

[jt142]

The talent gap looked larger this year because majority of the international stars opted to rest this summer. Same goes for the American stars. 2012 London Olympics will be a much tougher competition regardless of what these European posters say.

The Olympics are the pinnacle not the FIBA WC. If FIBA WC was so important why would Pau, DIRK, Ginobili, Parker, etc. all rest, but say they will play in the Olympics?

Unfortunately all of those players you mentioned are going to be on the wrong side of 30 in 2012. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any young foreign born players who look capable of making a jump to a Nowitzi/Gasol level. If anything, the early to mid-2000s was really a high-water mark for foreign born franchise caliber players.

The US showed it's depth of young talent in this tournament. I expect 2012 to be even more lopsided with a team consisting of a prime James, Wade, Anthony, Paul, and Howard, plus Durant and any of the other younger guys who make that next step.

The next generation of European players is weak, as this tounament proved. I don't see any prospects capable of becoming the next Nowitzki, Gasol, or Ginobili. For some odd reason, there's a huge drop off in talent, FIBA needs to step up its game.

[Rasho Brezec]

I expect a drastic change in the next 10 years. The new court dimensions and rules will force clubs to spend more time on physical training and conditioning. The gap in athleticism should be smaller.

[JustOneFix]

Can all the Europeans on here say the USA is the best team in the world now since they won the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA WC? I'm talking to you, Vin.

For the sake of european fans and experts, I belive US should just NOT send their top, let say 60 players, so the rest of the world can rightfully say that the gap has finally closed up.

[jt142]

I expect a drastic change in the next 10 years. The new court dimensions and rules will force clubs to spend more time on physical training and conditioning. The gap in athleticism should be smaller.

I doubt it. Athleticism, for the most part, is innate. You either have it when you're born or not. Players like Westbrook and Iguodala would still be superior athletes, regardless of whether they hit the gym or not. They're just born that way.

[doctorfunk]

I think so too, but fortunately having superior athleticism doesn't not make you unbeatable.
Anyway I don't think euro basketball is on decline in fact it seems it's getting more attractive
and they have bigger budgets than few years ago. Well economic crisis had impact on budgets of some teams but it seems Europe is recovering pretty well.

[jt142]

I think so too, but fortunately having superior athleticism doesn't not make you unbeatable.
Anyway I don't think euro basketball is on decline in fact it seems it's getting more attractive
and they have bigger budgets than few years ago. Well economic crisis had impact on budgets of some teams but it seems Europe is recovering pretty well.

I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about the talent and inherent abilities.

Athleticism certainly doesn't make you unbeatable, but it's definitely an asset if you possess it. If you formed a team of the NBA's best athletes and made them compete in the WC, you'd probably get mixed results. However, that's not what Colangelo and Coach K did. They took players with a combination of skills. It just so happens that most of them are fantastic athletes. In the NBA, the best players are, for the most part, great athletes (Bryant, Lebron, Wade, Melo, Howard). There are exceptions (Nash, Nowitzki, and Gasol), but this is usually the rule. Because of the court size and rules, FIBA has levelled the playing field for unathletic players. I don't see this athleticism gap ever being closed. Actually, in my opinion, the rule changes are going to make the gap even larger. This was Europe's last chance to win the WC for a very long time. What I love about the upcoming rule changes, is that it'll force European players to adapt to our rules. Good luck!