FIBA World Cup Discussion (Aug. 25-Sep. 10)

[TimberKat]

Up next for Team USA

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Zangief of Street Fighters?

[younggunsmn]

It's mind-boggling how it's gotten worse with age IMO. Seems to me his ability to contain his frustration is worse than ever, I don't remember him being this unhinged in his early years. I don't know what has changed. I also don't know how he doesn't see how much it hurts his game. I also don't know why the coaching staff can't seem to communicate to him how important this is.

It's really a small thing that would make a massive impact. It's not like some major game changing thing he has to learn, they aren't asking him to drop 80 pounds, or aren't asking to develop a jumper when he's a terrible shooter. Keep your emotions in check, be more disciplined on the floor your game and your teammates game will improve by like 20 percent in the aggregate.

The game and the FIBA games have been fun though. As bad as Towns was, he still had some moments. I do appreciate that he still will try to make big plays happen, even if it may not be wise, he took a big charge down the stretch that was risky but was instrumental and he hit a big post shot and some free throws to help keep them alive.

I feel like since the Jimmy era it's been getting worse, the year he was here, I felt like it started to become more common. Post-pandemic is when it really started to get out of control. He's clearly going through something.

Do we not have therapists as part of players health insurance coverage?

Yea seems like it was around that time to me too. I don't really want to speculate on why too much. Maybe it's simply him feeling more comfortable as the guy on this team and being outspoken after the mass exodus of all the vets/Thibs. Either way, it definitely seems markedly worse to me than it was before that era.

Temperament is very very hard to change. It gets locked in pretty hard during the early years of development.
It takes a tremendous amount of mental energy and mindfulness to really change, and that's what it will take with KAT.
And even then, the underlying stress reactions of frustration he has when things go wrong will never really go away.

[Calinks]

I feel like since the Jimmy era it's been getting worse, the year he was here, I felt like it started to become more common. Post-pandemic is when it really started to get out of control. He's clearly going through something.

Do we not have therapists as part of players health insurance coverage?

Yea seems like it was around that time to me too. I don't really want to speculate on why too much. Maybe it's simply him feeling more comfortable as the guy on this team and being outspoken after the mass exodus of all the vets/Thibs. Either way, it definitely seems markedly worse to me than it was before that era.

Temperament is very very hard to change. It gets locked in pretty hard during the early years of development.
It takes a tremendous amount of mental energy and mindfulness to really change, and that's what it will take with KAT.
And even then, the underlying stress reactions of frustration he has when things go wrong will never really go away.

Well again, I don't recall it being nearly this bad before. I wasn't worried about him being out of games or costing the team wins until maybe the season before last. Seems like the last two-three years it's just gotten extremely bad. I know he has always been foul happy but I never felt like it was as big of a deal has it has been in recent seasons.

[Klomp]

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[Colbinii]

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LeBron at age 23 averaged 16/5/4 on 43% 3P

Food for thought

[Klomp]

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LeBron at age 23 averaged 16/5/4 on 43% 3P

Food for thought

Was listening to the Hoop Collective podcast, and they were talking about how had Kerr not pulled out Ant early in the 3rd quarter when he had 22 points in a blowout, he probably would've challenged the FIBA scoring record in a game of 38 points.

I don't get why we're fussing about him around here....I really don't.

[frankenwolf]

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LeBron at age 23 averaged 16/5/4 on 43% 3P

Food for thought

Was listening to the Hoop Collective podcast, and they were talking about how had Kerr not pulled out Ant early in the 3rd quarter when he had 22 points in a blowout, he probably would've challenged the FIBA scoring record in a game of 38 points.

I don't get why we're fussing about him around here....I really don't.

tRaDe hIm, He's too good for Minnesota....

F#*( off Miami, New York, LA. Ant is ours!!

[Murphs56]

KAT having a monster game. Looks like Puerto Rico is going to win though.

[thinktank]

KAT having a monster game. Looks like Puerto Rico is going to win though.

PR did win. Incredible game from KAT, however.

[Murphs56]

NAW is such a great glue guy for Canada. Easily their best perimeter defender and been a very good 3 point shooter for them.

[Murphs56]

I take that back about NAW's shooting. Not a great game for him lol

[minimus]

This time Towns was everything we want him to be (except not winning in clutch): aggressive - (tried and missed poster dunk, took a clutch three), decisive - had multiple and1, offensive rebounds and putbacks, layups. He was not much creative nor assertive, but this might be problem of coaching staff and roster construction.

[thinktank]

This time Towns was everything we want him to be (except not winning in clutch): aggressive - (tried and missed poster dunk, took a clutch three), decisive - had multiple and1, offensive rebounds and putbacks, layups. He was not much creative nor assertive, but this might be problem of coaching staff and roster construction.

Not enough D.

[shrink]

Some people will never be happy with Towns. He was 39/10

I was surprised Brazil beat Canada today.

[Calinks]

Yea KAT was incredible. If you had to find a gripe, you could say he wasn't dominant enough on defense but his offense was insane and even his defense was solid with some good plays he just didn't dominate or have big plays down the stretch on that end. His teammates really dropped the ball down the stretch. One one of the last crucial plays a guy was on the floor, looking like he was tying his shoes leading to a 4 on 5 situation which lead to a wide open 3 pointer, wtf? There were some big time botches.

[Murphs56]

The general board spends a lot of posts ripping apart Ant as a ball hog. Weird going through them. I've actually watched the games closely and Yes, he does take a lot of shots but I've seen him make a lot of nice passes as well.

[Klomp]

The general board spends a lot of posts ripping apart Ant as a ball hog. Weird going through them. I've actually watched the games closely and Yes, he does take a lot of shots but I've seen him make a lot of nice passes as well.

I think people subconsciously think because he's in Minnesota, he can't possibly be the best scorer on the team. And since he can't possibly be the best player on the team, he shouldn't be taking the most shots for Team USA of all countries...

[minimus]

This time Towns was everything we want him to be (except not winning in clutch): aggressive - (tried and missed poster dunk, took a clutch three), decisive - had multiple and1, offensive rebounds and putbacks, layups. He was not much creative nor assertive, but this might be problem of coaching staff and roster construction.

Not enough D.

I think we need to keep our expectations low at this point. Towns will never be a positive defender. Gobert will never be a positive offensive player. Towns can occasionally block shots, but if I were him, I'd rather focus on NOT fouling much.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Just look Ivory Coast-France. Rudy has a quite solid game 17/8... and he seems in a better physical condition compared at the beggining of the competition. Hope now he can get good rest and come healthy when season start.

[minimus]

Lithuania and Spain both show importance of basketball school (fundamentals) and discipline.