FIBA World Cup 2023 part 2 SEMIS (USA vs GERMANY : SERBIA vs CANADA) poll added

[LuDux1]

Sedekerskis had big game against Montenegro 11reb (4 oreb) + 2blk and good defence against Vucevic (4-13 FGA) and 4 reb

His defence is big surprise for me. On other end Valanciunas plus minus -3 and Lithuania w/o him +79

I'm surprised that you are surprised, defence is his calling card in adult basketball. Lots of fans thought Lithuania lost qualification to Olympics against Slovenia because Sedekerskis wasn't there to stop him.

[UcanUwill]

Soccer can really warry, if one team packs bus while other plays slowest tiki taka in middle ala Simpsons episode, sure it's boring. But that's the idea with soccer and you either get it or not, 90% of the time (99 is exgraduation) nothing will happen, but you don't know that because any time game changing moment can happen, it's game of mistakes, you can be sure of everything in the world for 35 minutes straight, but boom, your defender makes one bad pass or first touch and I everything can flip on its head.

That's why it's suspense thriller and why I compare to Hitchcock. Hitchcock said, suspense is not putting two characters behind table and then table explodes. It's about putting characters behind table you know where bomb is, but not knowing when or if at all bomb will explode.
That's why even tho I like bb better, I think soccer is objectively better. basketball is trading baskets sport, you sit down and you know you will see 100 little explosions and that's entertaining. Soccer is sitting and knowing atomic bomb can just blow up, and you watch numerous players desperately trying to launch that bomb. and you either think it is stupid waiting game ir you think it's best a hole tightening time you will have.

[durden_tyler]

Yeah too each his own indeed. Soccer, now you added rugby, are just all boring. Sure millions watch them but that doesn’t make it the more exciting sport for me.

That's the thing though, if you don't understand fans you don't understand soccer, they're just as important as the game. Or more.

Eh i love their passion, obviously they have a different level of that love of their game relative to basketball fans or other sports fans.

i played both soccer and basketball in my younger years and yeah, as a sport, there's something to both that makes you love the game over other sports. As a spectator sport, i just don't understand how anyone can survive it for 90 (++) minutes unlike basketball or football where you're invested in every single play. Again, to each his own, and will leave it at that. It's boring for me and not for you or most of the sports fans in the world, and that's okay.

On topic: Poor South Sudan, impressive result vs. China but they might have destroyed the Chinese too hard that they'll get an even bigger blowout loss to Puerto Rico, who i believe needs a 16-point win at least to advance via tiebreak point differential.

i am reminding the NBA/American fans again. Please take notes of these supposed "non-bearing"(not really) games or score differentials, the In-Season Tournament will be using this if i am not mistaken so stop whining when your 3-2 team did not advance to the KO stages of the In Season Tournament because you do not understand the rules. LOL

[Phreak50]

New Zealand leading Greece early.

Still trying to pull off a miracle and qualify for Paris over Australia.

I believe only the top finishing team qualifies between the two.

Would be an absolute disaster for Australia to miss out.

[durden_tyler]

Yeah too each his own indeed. Soccer, now you added rugby, are just all boring. Sure millions watch them but that doesn’t make it the more exciting sport for me.

That's the thing though, if you don't understand fans you don't understand soccer, they're just as important as the game. Or more.

Eh i love their passion, obviously they have a different level of that love of their game relative to basketball fans or other sports fans.

i played both soccer and basketball in my younger years and yeah, as a sport, there's something to both that makes you love the game over other sports. As a spectator sport, i just don't understand how anyone can survive it for 90 (++) minutes unlike basketball or football where you're invested in every single play. Again, to each his own, and will leave it at that. It's boring for me and not for you or most of the sports fans in the world, and that's okay.

On topic: Poor South Sudan, impressive result vs. China but they might have destroyed the Chinese too hard that they'll get an even bigger blowout loss to Puerto Rico, who i believe needs a 16-point win at least to advance via tiebreak point differential.

i am reminding the NBA/American fans again. Please take notes of these supposed "non-bearing"(not really) games or score differentials, the In-Season Tournament will be using this if i am not mistaken so stop whining when your 3-2 team did not advance to the KO stages of the In Season Tournament because you do not understand the rules. LOL

Nevermind it’s China that needs to win X pts for South Sudan to advance. That Sudan-PR game where the former choked it away appears to be the big loss now

[UcanUwill]

Greece trash?
Greece trash...

[DaGawd]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

Heat assets not good enough for Dame.

how was he performing in prior games? genuinely curious

[durden_tyler]

Greece trash?
Greece trash...

This is a great spot for Live Bet, think they a comeback attempt at this?

Greece now dogs +1.5 in the live lines. This is an easy Greece pick right!?

[Mickey8]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

Heat assets not good enough for Dame.

how was he performing in prior games? genuinely curious

He's been probably our second best player so far in the tournament.

[durden_tyler]

Locked in: $100 to win $200 for Greece. Let’s do this Hellas

[rate_]

Jovic is averaging 17 on 8 shots a game with 75/67/78 splits in 3 games.

[Mickey8]

He will face stiffer competition in the next two games so lets see how he does there. He's not the focal point of our offense or the team. But he's doing great job so far.

[Mavrelous]

SLO finishes 1st round undefeated as expected, Luka really struggled from the field, coach took him out 5 minutes to go, he was 1 assist and 3 rebounds away from triple double.

[cupcakesnake]

I get that Giannis, Calathes, Sloukas, Dorsey and others aren't playing and that Greece has missing talent, but I miss the Diamantidis, Papaloukas era. Greece hasn't quite found an identity in the Giannis era.

[Jabroni Lames]

I see both sides to this argument. The NBA is the highest level of competition you will get in the world… and it’s not even close. So from that perspective, you’ve beaten the world’s best.

The world championships are a huge step down in talent, but use the name “world”, but you really haven’t beaten the best. It’s in name only.

When Team USA lost in 2002 and 2006 at the World Cup, yes, those teams that beat them absolutely beat the best team in the world. Those rosters were better than any NBA team. Especially the 2006 US team, which would probably win like 75 games in the NBA.

The 2019 US team that lost at the world cup wasn't as good, but it still had several NBA all stars on it, and would still be considered one of the best teams in the NBA.

2006 Team USA roster at the World Cup:

Joe Johnson
Kirk Hinrich
Lebron James
Antawn Jamison
Shane Battier
Dwyane Wade
Chris Paul
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Brad Miller
Elton Brand
Carmelo Anthony

So you think that someone that beat that team wasn't beating a team that was at NBA level?

It's actually right. Because such a team is very clearly well above the level of any NBA team. There is no NBA team in history that is better than that US team that competed at the World Cup. And the 2002 US team that lost at the World Cup was also a stacked team that was better than any NBA team at that time.

So when Argentina, FR Yugoslavia, and Spain beat USA in 2002, and absolutely especially Greece in particular, when they beat the US in 2006, they absolutely 100% beat the best basketball team on the planet. They absolutely beat a team that was better than any NBA team.

After the US actually took these competitions seriously, they’ve been unbeatable. I remember Coach K talking about opposition players like “number 6 is really”. Lol. USA did zero scouting of their opponents and zero team preparation, until their complete disrespect of the competition caught up with them and they got embarrassed.

[UcanUwill]

Greece trash?
Greece trash...

This is a great spot for Live Bet, think they a comeback attempt at this?

Greece now dogs +1.5 in the live lines. This is an easy Greece pick right!?

I would think so maybe, they missed a lot of bunnies, but at the same time, they are so inept offensively and on the boards. I don't know man, don't ask me.

[durden_tyler]

I get that Giannis, Calathes, Sloukas, Dorsey and others aren't playing and that Greece has missing talent, but I miss the Diamantidis, Papaloukas era. Greece hasn't quite found an identity in the Giannis era.

With Giannis they haven’t really played Eurotype of basketball and that has affected their identity.

[durden_tyler]

Greece trash?
Greece trash...

This is a great spot for Live Bet, think they a comeback attempt at this?

Greece now dogs +1.5 in the live lines. This is an easy Greece pick right!?

I would think so maybe, they missed a lot of bunnies, but at the same time, they are so inept offensively and on the boards. I don't know man, don't ask me.

Yeah had to make the bet before the line drops. If Greek wins the 3rd Q, i feel good about my bet

[UcanUwill]

I see both sides to this argument. The NBA is the highest level of competition you will get in the world… and it’s not even close. So from that perspective, you’ve beaten the world’s best.

The world championships are a huge step down in talent, but use the name “world”, but you really haven’t beaten the best. It’s in name only.

When Team USA lost in 2002 and 2006 at the World Cup, yes, those teams that beat them absolutely beat the best team in the world. Those rosters were better than any NBA team. Especially the 2006 US team, which would probably win like 75 games in the NBA.

The 2019 US team that lost at the world cup wasn't as good, but it still had several NBA all stars on it, and would still be considered one of the best teams in the NBA.

2006 Team USA roster at the World Cup:

Joe Johnson
Kirk Hinrich
Lebron James
Antawn Jamison
Shane Battier
Dwyane Wade
Chris Paul
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Brad Miller
Elton Brand
Carmelo Anthony

So you think that someone that beat that team wasn't beating a team that was at NBA level?

It's actually right. Because such a team is very clearly well above the level of any NBA team. There is no NBA team in history that is better than that US team that competed at the World Cup. And the 2002 US team that lost at the World Cup was also a stacked team that was better than any NBA team at that time.

So when Argentina, FR Yugoslavia, and Spain beat USA in 2002, and absolutely especially Greece in particular, when they beat the US in 2006, they absolutely 100% beat the best basketball team on the planet. They absolutely beat a team that was better than any NBA team.

After the US actually took these competitions seriously, they’ve been unbeatable. I remember Coach K talking about opposition players like “number 6 is really”. Lol. USA did zero scouting of their opponents and zero team preparation, until their complete disrespect of the competition caught up with them and they got embarrassed.

They know have one if the strongest coach and scout squads. They really used to not care at all, didn't even know DDD was left handed...

[TheFutureMM]

New Zealand leading Greece early.

Still trying to pull off a miracle and qualify for Paris over Australia.

I believe only the top finishing team qualifies between the two.

Would be an absolute disaster for Australia to miss out.

They are also fighting to automatically qualify for next summer's second chance tourney. If they win against Greece, they can avoid all of the nonsense with the 17 - 32 classification.