FIBA World Cup 2023 (FIRST thread)

[Klomp]

Haliburton/Edwards/Bridges/Ingram/Jackson is a really really solid starting five group. Inexperienced internationally, but I think a group of guys with complementary skillsets both offensively and defensively.

[ItsDanger]

Canada could surprise if key players show up. Priority for them is qualifying for Olympics, anything else is secondary

[Patsfan1081]

Team USA is about to fail again at World Championship.

Yeah, it's amazing how positive American fans are about that roster so far. That's the exact type of roster that finished 6th in 2002 (2002 roster was actually better) and 7th in 2019. Even if it might possibly be better than the 2019 roster, that same roster would have not medaled in 2019. It's very fortunate for Team USA that thanks to this new stupid FIBA schedule, a lot of players for other teams will probably skip the tournament. But the same thing happened in 2019, and USA still finished 7th.

I definitely think Kerr is a much better fit for USA as a coach though. His offensive style suits FIBA a lot more than Popovich's.

JJJ and Mikal are better defenders than anybody on the 2019 squad and that includes smart or anyone else. 2019 squad lacked the point guards anywhere near the caliber of Hali/Brunson. They still have four roster spots to fill with all positions except center having an all star caliber player. They seem to be in good shape so I do not understand why US fans shouldnt be optimistic about the team.

Hali/Brunson > Kemba/smart/white
Ant/Reaves < Mitchell/Harris - Although I would easily take reaves over harris
Mikal/Ingram > Brown/middleton - Remember, brown was a 22 year old coming off a 13ppg season
JJJ > HB
Portis < Turner/Lopez

The US still has four roster spots to fill, so I would imagine they would use it to shore up the frontcourt.

Tatum injury was big for them in 2019. He did not play a single game that counted in that tourney IIRC

Your envisioning those players now and not coming off the 18-19 season. Kemba was a all nba player at the time who hadnt been shut down to knee issues. Harris was coming off very good season, same with Middleton. Brown was also coming off a great playoffs where he averaged 18 a game and onlyhad a diwn year because of the roster turnover and having too basically take a backseat to Irving and Hayward also. He played a lot of four though and even some five along with Turner playing some four. The U.S. team attempted to be more well rounded that season with defenders and people also forget that Bam got cut from the team.

[steadysoul]

Canada could surprise if key players show up. Priority for them is qualifying for Olympics, anything else is secondary

I think they need to make it out of at least group play to avoid the OQT next year. The First round is very doable but I have doubts about the second. Argentina not making it helps them immensely but the seeding gifted DR the perfect group to advance, especially if Kat does actually play.

[John Murdoch]

No spacing on that team ..Hali needs some snipers to target

[ShootersShoot]

Yeah, it's amazing how positive American fans are about that roster so far. That's the exact type of roster that finished 6th in 2002 (2002 roster was actually better) and 7th in 2019. Even if it might possibly be better than the 2019 roster, that same roster would have not medaled in 2019. It's very fortunate for Team USA that thanks to this new stupid FIBA schedule, a lot of players for other teams will probably skip the tournament. But the same thing happened in 2019, and USA still finished 7th.

I definitely think Kerr is a much better fit for USA as a coach though. His offensive style suits FIBA a lot more than Popovich's.

JJJ and Mikal are better defenders than anybody on the 2019 squad and that includes smart or anyone else. 2019 squad lacked the point guards anywhere near the caliber of Hali/Brunson. They still have four roster spots to fill with all positions except center having an all star caliber player. They seem to be in good shape so I do not understand why US fans shouldnt be optimistic about the team.

Hali/Brunson > Kemba/smart/white
Ant/Reaves < Mitchell/Harris - Although I would easily take reaves over harris
Mikal/Ingram > Brown/middleton - Remember, brown was a 22 year old coming off a 13ppg season
JJJ > HB
Portis < Turner/Lopez

The US still has four roster spots to fill, so I would imagine they would use it to shore up the frontcourt.

Tatum injury was big for them in 2019. He did not play a single game that counted in that tourney IIRC

Your envisioning those players now and not coming off the 18-19 season. Kemba was a all nba player at the time who hadnt been shut down to knee issues. Harris was coming off very good season, same with Middleton. Brown was also coming off a great playoffs where he averaged 18 a game and onlyhad a diwn year because of the roster turnover and having too basically take a backseat to Irving and Hayward also. He played a lot of four though and even some five along with Turner playing some four. The U.S. team attempted to be more well rounded that season with defenders and people also forget that Bam got cut from the team.

Brown was 22 years old and still developing player at the time. His TS% for the 2018/19 RS was 54.7%...He averaged 13ppg in the 2019 playoffs prior to the world cup. Brown only scored over 20 once in those 2019 playoffs... Mikal is 26 and just had a career year. I'd easily take 26 year old bridges over 22 year old Brown, there is honestly no debate..heck I might even take Mikal over current Brown.

Middleton averaged 18ppg on 56% TS in RS 2018/19, and 17ppg on 56.7% TS in the 2019 POs...so really how much better is that than current Ingram?

Current reaves is better than any version of Joe harris. Joe is too one dimensional and it showed in that world cup. Reaves can create shots for himself and others at a much higher level while being a very good shooter himself. Harris shot 19% from three in the 2019 playoffs BTW while reaves shot 44% from three this past playoffs with 40% during the RS. There is not much drop off from shooting but a lot gained from shot creation.

Kemba was solid at the time but dwhite was not anywhere near the player he is today and smart is just not built for international play. Haliburton and Brunson are still a way better point guard rotation imo. Both guys are more efficient than kemba ever was. Haliburton is EASILY the best playmaker out of all of them.
Kemba that year 25.6ppg on 56% TS on a lotto team..Brunson this year 24ppg on 59.7% TS on an actual playoff team. I'm taking brunson.

JJJ > Turner, HB at PF - really no explanation needed but to sum it up, JJJ is better than either HB/Turner on both ends, ESPECIALLY given what HB and Turner were at that time in their careers (worse than they are now).

Bam was 22 years old having just started 28 games that season for the heat averaging 9ppg..

All my points still stand. This team is arguably better than 2019, and that is with four roster spots left to fill. You really think this years team places worse than 2019?

[UcanUwill]

Walker Kesler and Cam Johnson commit to team USA. No real news on whenever big Euro guys are playing still it seems.

[-Luke-]

A few weeks ago German national team coach Gordon Herbert said that Kleber wants to play (he didn't play in the Eurobasket last summer). Same goes for Mo Wagner. Hartenstein is not an option. Oscar da Silva from Barcelona could be an option. For the most part, he wants to rely on the guys that won bronze last year. So probably the same roster as last summer with a two or three additions.

He also said that he reached out to Austin Reaves in March when he met with Dennis Schröder. He sent Reaves a message and tried to call him, but Reaves never responded.

[UcanUwill]

Sabonis is out for Lithuania

[scrabbarista]

I was considering getting tickets... I'd be much more likely to do it if it were a month later, but I guess I haven't completely ruled it out, if the cards fall right as far as my schedule. Very unlikely, though.

EDIT: For the semis through finals in the Philippines. Four games in three days.

[Wingy]

Haliburton/Edwards/Bridges/Ingram/Jackson is a really really solid starting five group. Inexperienced internationally, but I think a group of guys with complementary skillsets both offensively and defensively.

Pretty absurd length and switchability with this group.

[stillgotgame]

Goran Dragic is out
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1513504/goran-dragic-talks-about-jokic-nba-finals-and-his-summer-plans/

If Goran Dragic matters to a tournament how important can it be?

[UcanUwill]

Goran Dragic is out
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1513504/goran-dragic-talks-about-jokic-nba-finals-and-his-summer-plans/

If Goran Dragic matters to a tournament how important can it be?

It only determines world cahmpion

[stillgotgame]

Goran Dragic is out
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1513504/goran-dragic-talks-about-jokic-nba-finals-and-his-summer-plans/

If Goran Dragic matters to a tournament how important can it be?

It only determines world cahmpion

Keep smoking that pipe, must be good stuff.

[UcanUwill]

If Goran Dragic matters to a tournament how important can it be?

It only determines world cahmpion

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?

[Mirotic12]

Goran Dragic is out
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1513504/goran-dragic-talks-about-jokic-nba-finals-and-his-summer-plans/

If Goran Dragic matters to a tournament how important can it be?

He doesn't. He was a negative for Slovenia in pretty much all of the key moments at EuroBasket 2022.

[Pachinko_]

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

[durden_tyler]

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

It's only ON topic if the Americans send their A Team, says the Americans.

[stillgotgame]

It only determines world cahmpion

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

[UcanUwill]

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

Non NBA...