Team USA vs Team Europe

[Mr Puddles]

Who would win a best of 7 series?

Sample teams (can be adjusted to your personal preferences when voting - guys like OG, Sabonis, KAT are arguably ineligible)

Team Europe

Starters
G. Doncic
G. B.Bogdanovic
F. Anunoby
F. Antetokounmpo
C. Jokic

Bench
G. Rubio
G. Fournier
F. B.Bogdanovic
F. Sabonis
C. Gobert

Strength:
Team Europe has all MVP winners since 2018 on its roster, plus arguably the favorite for the coming years (Doncic). Definitely in the sie match-up.

Weakness:
Outside of Doncic, their guard line-up is rather weak. Rubio and Fournier arguably wouldn't make the top 20 of US guards, let alone be bench players on Team USA.

Team USA
Starters
G. Curry
G. Booker
F. Tatum
F. Lebron
C. Davis

Bench
G. Morant
G. Harden
F. Leonard
F. Durant
C. Karl Antony Towns

Strength:
More depth than team Europe and better outside shooters. Much better at the guards and shot creators at every position.

Weakness:
Much older, and we're assuming Team USA healthy (players are much more injury prone). Doesn't have the size to match team Europe. Team USA has more depth but arguably doesn't have as much top talent in its prime.

[cupcakesnake]

Yeah it's an interesting matchup. USA obviously murders in terms of depth, but EU has enough strategic advantages that it's not straight forward. OG and Giannis mean the US doesn't overwhelm with athleticism. Doncic and Jokic are the 2 best playmakers in the league. Giannis is the fiercest source of rim pressure. EU murders US on the glass.

The way you've constructed US, they aren't an amazing defensive team. Lebron is old, Curry and Booker are small. It's an offensive team. Now the US is going to win all the bench minutes, especially if you're bringing Kawhi and Durant off the bench (instead of Tatum or Lebron). OG is going to have to play 40mpg to keep that defense in tact. That being said, bringing Gobert off the bench to shut down the paint is an interesting advantage to have.

3-point shooting: USA (Curry vs. everyone. Towns and Durant can create insane spacing)
Rebounding: EU (Jokic, Gobert, Luka, Giannis, Sabonis are probably all better rebounders than anyone on USA)
Paint Scoring: EU (Giannis, Doncic, Jokic vs. Morant and Lebron)
Transition: Even (Giannis vs. Morant)
Playmaking: EU (Doncic, Jokic, Rubio vs. Lebron, Harden, Morant)
Rim Protection: EU (Gobert and Giannis vs. AD)
Turnovers: USA (A lot of conservative play finishers on USA. EU will play a riskier brand of basketball))

I think I'm leaning EU. I like their team construction and dynamism a bit more than I like USA's depth.

[oldncreaky]

On NBA Today, they did this with USA v World.

Adding Canada and Africa allows you to address the European weakness on the perimeter. If you replace both Bogies and Fournier with SGA, Wiggins and SIakam I think the World has a clear edge on USA

[Ice Trae]

in a 7 game series i'm going team usa. too much depth

[Black Jack]

On NBA Today, they did this with USA v World.

Adding Canada and Africa allows you to address the European weakness on the perimeter. If you replace both Bogies and Fournier with SGA, Wiggins and SIakam I think the World has a clear edge on USA

Canada is basically the 51st state, it makes more sense for it to be North America vs World honestly.

[murphyslamz]

^ Nize that fam


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[Buckets22]

3 known chokers on Team Europe...King James/Curry/Durant would be too much for them as well.

[SelfishPlayer]

The European team are like the Team USA that lost in the Olympics. They all are great #1 options that aren't great shooters. They have no chance against combinations of the best USA players. Any USA team should have Paul George. Personally I would have Tyrese Haliburton and LaMelo Ball in the mix at point guard to insure that the team can engage in a fast pace up and down style of American basketball that puts an emphasis on athleticism and shooting with switchable long armed defenders. Why are there only 10 players on the roster? My 12 man roster focusing on winning and letting Lebron, Curry, and Kawhi be cheerleaders:
Starters earn their spots in practice

PG Trae Young, Ja Morant, Tyrese Haliburton, LaMelo Ball
SG Zach LaVine, Devin Booker
SF Paul George, Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards
PF Jason Tatum
C Kevin Durant, JABARI SMITH

[SpreeS]

Embiid?

[IAMZOOTED2]

If they play in Europe or Africa gimmie the World. If they play in the States...? Nah, eff that. Gimmie the World.

[Fencer reregistered]

Embiid?

Both teams are from the Northern Hemisphere.

[styLesdavis]

Team Europe should think about drafting Franz Wagner.

[Crazy-Canuck]

On NBA Today, they did this with USA v World.

Adding Canada and Africa allows you to address the European weakness on the perimeter. If you replace both Bogies and Fournier with SGA, Wiggins and SIakam I think the World has a clear edge on USA

Canada is basically the 51st state, it makes more sense for it to be North America vs World honestly.

Or USA is the 11th province.

[SpreeS]

My Europe would look like this

C Jokic
PF Embiid
SF Giannis
SG Wagner
PG Doncic

C Gobert
PF Sabonis/Porzingis
SF Anunoby
SG Bogdanovic/Fournier
PG Rubio

[freestyler34]

My Europe would look like this

C Jokic
PF Embiid
SF Giannis
SG Wagner
PG Doncic

They will get killed on transition

[DrPampiloni]

My Europe would look like this

C Jokic
PF Embiid
SF Giannis
SG Wagner
PG Doncic

C Gobert
PF Sabonis/Porzingis
SF Anunoby
SG Bogdanovic/Fournier
PG Rubio

I think Rubio starts as a second PG alongside Luka. Embiid (nice catch Europe hahah) or Jokic will come off the bench since Luka plays point, but guards SG/SF. I think Dennis Schröder makes that team before one of the baltics Sabonis/Porzingis. Not because he is better, of course, it's just too many bigs already. If you don't count Embiid as European (which I don't until he suits up for France for real), then I agree with the roster (having added Schröder then).

[jasonxxx102]

Team USA is aging and team Europe is coming into their prime. I’ll take Europe

[RiRuHoops]

My Europe would look like this

C Jokic
PF Embiid
SF Giannis
SG Wagner
PG Doncic

They will get killed on transition

Not too mention who guards Curry or Morant. Doncic ? lol.

[NoStatsGuy]

where are my german guys? We in the semi finals and gonna kick out spain today!! Also who coaches? Gordon Herbert did a phenomal job comming up with a strategy vs giannis. Many NBA coaches cant figure this out!

to stay on topic tho.

with the teams that you put together, i think i gotta go with Team USA. Curry will have an easy time, doing whatever he wants vs that European team and if you have lebron as a secondary playmaker in addition to that the offense will be too easy. bringing super fast paced transition ball with Ja off the bench is also really effective.

The best chance that Europe would have is, putting some real workers in there. maybe not the most skilled guys, but some people that can really go in a do some dirty work. There are too many mentally "fragile" players on Team USA, if you make it really tough on them.

The strategy vs Team USA cannot be trying to outskill them because thats not gonna happen ever. You gotta make it a "dogfight" and ugly series, then Europe has a chance.

[Zaschrona]

They should make an event like this a thing. Would be a phenomenal show. Like Ryder Cup, but better.