Lets be real guys. American NBA players are overrated

[jeeh]

I've said this many times, Since mid 2000s the average american nba player is worse than the average non-american nba player or the average euro league player. The world has caught up. USA got lucky in a sense because they have a unicorn named Kevin Durant. He's the reason Team USA won gold in 2010,2012,2016 and 2021. Realistically USA have only one chance left to win gold if KD joins the team in the Paris Olympics. In Fiba rules american players get exposed. They are too soft, too small, can't defend to save their lives and can't play fundamental team basketball. The thing is NBA rules and NBA coaches make american players look better than they are in reality because of financial reasons. If too many foreign players start to dominate in the NBA, the american fans wouldn't be as interested in NBA anymore and wouldn't buy tickets as much as before.

[UcanUwill]

They were killed on the glass by Lithuania, still almost won. Germany was squeezed one today, I think blames goes mostly on coaching staff and not the players. Yes, America do not have great centers, but it was Kerr who decided to make two complete non rebounders his two main centers. USA almost never has had a glaring weakness like that, but because of this rotation, they had one major weakness, they were one of the worst rebounding teams in the tournament.

[Mirotic12]

I've said this many times, Since mid 2000s the average american nba player is worse than the average non-american nba player or the average euro league player. The world has caught up. USA got lucky in a sense because they have a unicorn named Kevin Durant. He's the reason Team USA won gold in 2010,2012,2016 and 2021. Realistically USA have only one chance left to win gold if KD joins the team in the Paris Olympics. In Fiba rules american players get exposed. They are too soft, too small, can't defend to save their lives and can't play fundamental team basketball. The thing is NBA rules and NBA coaches make american players look better than they are in reality because of financial reasons. If too many foreign players start to dominate in the NBA, the american fans wouldn't be as interested in NBA anymore and wouldn't buy tickets as much as before.

If we are getting into conspiracy theories...there have been a lot of rumors over the years, that the NBA used to punish the international players that beat Team USA. That basically, if they had not already played in the NBA, then their NBA career was dead on arrival if they signed with an NBA team, if they had made Team USA look bad. And that if they were already in the NBA at the time they made Team USA look bad, then they might suddenly see their career go south out of nowhere.

The rumors of why, being as you said, but also because it would send a message to other international players.

[DarkAzcura]

Team USA never has any continuity or chemistry compared to these teams. You can’t slap together a team that has never played together and expect to win every time. We know this. It says nothing about the quality of our players. Hypothetically, the Nuggets could probably win this tournament easily, but we all know the Nuggets aren’t as talented as Team USA. Playing together matters.

I will say, we have fallen behind in the big department, though. Our guards and wings are still by far the very best.

[JayMKE]

Lay off the pipe dude, obvious Team USA didn't send the best possible team it could send and that was true for a number of teams also since only weirdo chip on shoulder euro fans care about FIBA WC. If average euro players are as good as average NBA players then they'd probably want to get paid like NBA players, not a conspiracy stop being weird.

[Mirotic12]

Lay off the pipe dude, obvious Team USA didn't send the best possible team it could send and that was true for a number of teams also since only weirdo chip on shoulder euro fans care about FIBA WC. If average euro players are as good as average NBA players then they'd probably want to get paid like NBA players, not a conspiracy stop being weird.

False.

[UcanUwill]

Team USA never has any continuity or chemistry compared to these teams. You can’t slap together a team that has never played together and expect to win every time. We know this. It says nothing about the quality of our players. Hypothetically, the Nuggets could probably win this tournament easily, but we all know the Nuggets aren’t as talented as Team USA. Playing together matters.

I will say, we have fallen behind in the big department, though. Our guards and wings are still by far the very best.

Altho AMerica has less continuity, the notion that other nations have complete continuity, is a complete bull. Serbia is in the finals, and how many of those guys have played with each other, its a new team. Lithuania beat USA, and we had so many new comers, guys who never been here or returned after years of absence liek Motiejunas. Every single team has to build it from gorund up every summer.

I think the difference, is that Euro players are usually find role player concept more familiar, and since a lot of them play in Europe, which uses mostly FIBA rules, they are familiar with it. I mean Serbia knows what they will get from Marko Guduric, he will have similar role and play similar rules. USA however, they pick guys with less knowledge. In 2010 I remember everyone sayong How Danny Granger was better SF than Iguodala, and Iguodala just came and was awesome for team USA, he fit so well as role guy, Danny Granger that summer completely flamed out on that team. Thats the difference.

[kds92]

I agree to some extent, especially with the focus on athleticism versus fundamentals from the youth levels to the NBA.

However, I think team USA's issues are participation and team/coach selection. Also, other countries want it wayyy more.

In any case, a U.S. team with strong participation from superstars should be able to win gold in 2024 fairly easily.

[UcanUwill]

Lay off the pipe dude, obvious Team USA didn't send the best possible team it could send and that was true for a number of teams also since only weirdo chip on shoulder euro fans care about FIBA WC. If average euro players are as good as average NBA players then they'd probably want to get paid like NBA players, not a conspiracy stop being weird.

I completely back up your statement, almost. NBA gets most of best players, but not everyone (I am not talking about all star caliber guys, but role player types), and being paid more isnt necessarily prove you are better, you just proven more at higher level, so thats what get you paid.

Same with Soccer, like ENglish premier league guys are getting paid like crazy, while average or below average leagues guys, often young or unlucky vets, they can be good, but they get paid fraction of what Premier league guys gets. It is just because one group is proven to be capable of playing while other group is not proven yet. So when Premier owners throw money, they throw money at establsihed guy. That often means they better, but not always.

Look at guys Spurs randomly brought who later stuck in the league. Danny Green, Marjanovic, Landale, even Manu etc. Their first slary was garbage, cause they were not proven. One two year later and they are on other NBA team getting paid 10 times more. Did they get better? No, they just proven themselves.

[Sweet Meat Lew]

You'd have an argument if KD, Bron, Curry, Kawhi, Dame, Ja, Booker, D Mitch, PG, AD, Fox, Butler, Bam, LaMelo and the likes were playing. We are losing simply because our best isn't interested in playing and the roster is poorly constructed.

[Mirotic12]

Team USA never has any continuity or chemistry compared to these teams. You can’t slap together a team that has never played together and expect to win every time. We know this. It says nothing about the quality of our players. Hypothetically, the Nuggets could probably win this tournament easily, but we all know the Nuggets aren’t as talented as Team USA. Playing together matters.

I will say, we have fallen behind in the big department, though. Our guards and wings are still by far the very best.

Plenty of other national teams deal with all of the same issues Team USA does. It's only US sports media that thinks otherwise. 95% of the other national teams also deal with players not playing because they are tired, they have personal things they want to do instead, they are injured, they are a free agent and don't want to mess that up, they don't get along with the coach or certain players, they don't actually care or want to play, etc., etc., etc.

It's almost every single other national team that deals with all the same stuff. It's not at all unique to Team USA. It's just US sports media drilling that nonsense into people's heads, because they just keep claiming it over and over and over, even though it is not true and never was.

[Invictus88]

I think the answer to this is Yes and No.

The Yes part being folks who believed that regardless of composition that a team from the USA would be a virtual lock to win.

The No part being the fact that the USA team was doomed from the start due to construction. This year's team had a huge problem with lack of size and got exposed. This was obvious when you looked at the roster and was seen firsthand in the videos of the Select team beating them up on the inside. It doesn't mean that in isolation the players selected were overrated. But as a collection they were ill-suited to take on front courts of bigger teams.

The luxury that the US has is that they potentially have a deeper pool of players to sample from for the most marquee international competition -- the Olympics. I fully expect that squad to have ample size in the post to be able combat the issues seen here. Then again you will likely have much more elite competition from international teams as well too. It will be fun to watch.

[UcanUwill]

You'd have an argument if KD, Bron, Curry, Kawhi, Dame, Ja, Booker, D Mitch, PG, AD, Fox, Butler, Bam, LaMelo and the likes were playing. We are losing simply because our best isn't interested in playing and the roster is poorly constructed.

They lost to Lithuania, who were missing 6 of their key guys also, Including by far best guard (Grigonis), back up PG ( Lekavicius) by far best player in general (SAbonis, NBA third team), 2 best SFs (Ulanovas and Butkevicius).

Serbia is in the finals and they literally missing best player in the world, best non NBA guard (who is now in the NBA, Micic), they missing startin SF (Kalinic) and many more.

So yeah, everyone missing key talent here. Latvia will play for 5th place and they dont even have Porzingis, who suppose to be entire DNA of their team.

[timO]

BEST 5 players NBA:

Jokic embiid doncic anteto sga

All no USA

[JujitsuFlip]

If you're not last, you're first... Or whatever Weregonnalose said lol

[madmaxmedia]

Lay off the pipe dude, obvious Team USA didn't send the best possible team it could send and that was true for a number of teams also since only weirdo chip on shoulder euro fans care about FIBA WC. If average euro players are as good as average NBA players then they'd probably want to get paid like NBA players, not a conspiracy stop being weird.

I completely back up your statement, almost. NBA gets most of best players, but not everyone (I am not talking about all star caliber guys, but role player types), and being paid more isnt necessarily prove you are better, you just proven more at higher level, so thats what get you paid.

Same with Soccer, like ENglish premier league guys are getting paid like crazy, while average or below average leagues guys, often young or unlucky vets, they can be good, but they get paid fraction of what Premier league guys gets. It is just because one group is proven to be capable of playing while other group is not proven yet. So when Premier owners throw money, they throw money at establsihed guy. That often means they better, but not always.

Look at guys Spurs randomly brought who later stuck in the league. Danny Green, Marjanovic, Landale, even Manu etc. Their first slary was garbage, cause they were not proven. One two year later and they are on other NBA team getting paid 10 times more. Did they get better? No, they just proven themselves.

I don't think his point was that higher pay = better players. What he meant is that given that NBA salaries are higher, if average Euro players were significantly better than average NBA players, more would demand higher pay or jump to the NBA. Why not? Get paid more in a higher profile league that is easier to succeed and continue playing due to lesser skill level.

(I don't have a strong opinion about the topic myself as I don't watch enough Euro basketball.)

[Chuck Everett]

Just need small ball to keep coming up short and then all of this positionless basketball nonsense will die.

[LoveMyRaps]

I do wonder if the NBA was stationed in Europe and American born players were forced to flee their countries and play oversees, whether they'd still run the NBA.

I think they probably would, but there'd be a lot more Europeans in the Top 10-20 players of all time convo and not just the likes of Dirk & Giannis.

[UcanUwill]

Lay off the pipe dude, obvious Team USA didn't send the best possible team it could send and that was true for a number of teams also since only weirdo chip on shoulder euro fans care about FIBA WC. If average euro players are as good as average NBA players then they'd probably want to get paid like NBA players, not a conspiracy stop being weird.

I completely back up your statement, almost. NBA gets most of best players, but not everyone (I am not talking about all star caliber guys, but role player types), and being paid more isnt necessarily prove you are better, you just proven more at higher level, so thats what get you paid.

Same with Soccer, like ENglish premier league guys are getting paid like crazy, while average or below average leagues guys, often young or unlucky vets, they can be good, but they get paid fraction of what Premier league guys gets. It is just because one group is proven to be capable of playing while other group is not proven yet. So when Premier owners throw money, they throw money at establsihed guy. That often means they better, but not always.

Look at guys Spurs randomly brought who later stuck in the league. Danny Green, Marjanovic, Landale, even Manu etc. Their first slary was garbage, cause they were not proven. One two year later and they are on other NBA team getting paid 10 times more. Did they get better? No, they just proven themselves.

I don't think his point was that higher pay = better players. What he meant is that given that NBA salaries are higher, if average Euro players were significantly better than average NBA players, more would demand higher pay or jump to the NBA. Why not? Get paid more in a higher profile league that is easier to succeed and continue playing due to lesser skill level.

(I don't have a strong opinion about the topic myself as I don't watch enough Euro basketball.)

Yes, and many try, but sometimes players fail to grasp on those few opportunities. A lot of us in EUrope used to believe that best Euroleague players refuse NBA offers all the time, and sometimes it happened, but it was eye opening after Ramunis Siskauskas, one of the best players to not play in the NBA in recent memory, said in his post career interview, that he never got an offer from NBA, not once. And thats crazy, I mentioned Soccer, but NBA is even far more closeminded and dispose same pool of players every of season, they almost never sign veterans outside already exclusive NBA circle.

Ramunas Siskauskas was very regretful he never got a shot, but was he really not NBA caliber, not worth NBA money? I dont think so, it was NBA scouting that failed to bring a good player in who honestly wanted to be there. In those times, we had Euros like Jaric, Vujacic, Udrih, SOngaila in the league while Siskauskas was in Russia and Greece. Youtube him, he was good.

Watch on YouTube

[Domejandro]

They were killed on the glass by Lithuania, still almost won. Germany was squeezed one today, I think blames goes mostly on coaching staff and not the players. Yes, America do not have great centers, but it was Kerr who decided to make two complete non rebounders his two main centers. USA almost never has had a glaring weakness like that, but because of this rotation, they had one major weakness, they were one of the worst rebounding teams in the tournament.

I genuinely am baffled that the USA didn't try to recruit Mason Plumlee for a spot on the team for this tournament. People have clowned on his inclusion on USA basketball in the past, but his rebounding and passing ability were horrifically needed.

I have to imagine that he would have taken USA basketball up on the offer, he would have been an ideal and realistic fit.