FIBA World Cup 2023 : GERMANY are the new World Champions! (takes on the world and beats it for once...)

[tamaraw08]

So many posters here like to play analyst, trying to dissect what went wrong for this US team.
Coach is to blame, flawed strategies, bad substitution patterns, Player A should be playing more and Player B should be benched...
Horrible roster construction, too small not enough size.
Heck even ex football players like Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin are saying the main reason they lost if they sent the B Team instead of the "A-Team" the ultimate best US players like Steph etc as if they got beat by Euro superstars.
Not saying these takes are wrong but I think the main problem is the lack of enough preparation to achieve Chemistry among players.
Yes, having the best talent can make up some of it's shortcomings but these teams have some kind of familiarity of each other.
Canada also lost and I think they also have the same problems. The teams that usually thrive have players have been been playing for a long time together and if you look at the age, they are lot more mature than guy like Banchero (20), Kesslar and Edwards at 22, 23 year olds JJJ, Halli.
Guys like Bridges, Ingram, Brunson may not be that young but they are also not played enough games under FIBA rules.

[levon]

This is the freaken A team. Unless you want Tatum, this as as good as it gets. After Tatum, the best player not here who is American is Mitchell. Ant fills the exact same role as Mitchell and probably is better (or will be next year).

No excuses losing game with 2-3x more talent than any other team.

This isn't as good as it gets and not particularly close. The team is missing LeBron, Steph, Durant, AD, Lillard, Butler, Fox, Draymond, Morant Booker. Even the role players aren't the best.

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

Yes, because all of those players listed are better than at least half of the current team. The question wasn't whether it's practical for these players to play in any given year, but whether this is truly the best team the US can put together. It clearly isn't, and that's before going into the role players and fit issues of the current squad.

[iggymcfrack]

This isn't as good as it gets and not particularly close. The team is missing LeBron, Steph, Durant, AD, Lillard, Butler, Fox, Draymond, Morant Booker. Even the role players aren't the best.

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

7 of the players were 27 or older. What you didn’t have is a bunch of guys in their 30s which is only natural. Honestly, USA sent about as much of an A team as anyone else. Serbia didn’t have Jokic, Greece didn’t have Giannis, Canada didn’t have Murray. You can’t expect old guys, perennial injured guys, or guys off of a Finals run to play in this kind of tournament.

[Nuntius]

This isn't as good as it gets and not particularly close. The team is missing LeBron, Steph, Durant, AD, Lillard, Butler, Fox, Draymond, Morant Booker. Even the role players aren't the best.

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

[Nuntius]

This isn't as good as it gets and not particularly close. The team is missing LeBron, Steph, Durant, AD, Lillard, Butler, Fox, Draymond, Morant Booker. Even the role players aren't the best.

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

Yes, because all of those players listed are better than at least half of the current team. The question wasn't whether it's practical for these players to play in any given year, but whether this is truly the best team the US can put together. It clearly isn't, and that's before going into the role players and fit issues of the current squad.

They are better, yes. But they're also not coming because they're way too old. They have more or less retired from the national team. So, no, I don't believe that they really count when it comes to this discussion. If they cannot (and will not) play for the US anymore, then they aren't really part of your player pool. The younger guys definitely are but those 35+ aren't.

[Nuntius]

I know that but the quote I was responding to was pretty hostile in nature (there's no way to parse of "lmao go back to school" as polite) so I responded in kind.

Yeah true. I guess i made a mess when i wrote EU instead of Europe

Eh, I get it. Some people just use it as a shorthand.

[iggymcfrack]

I hate how everyone has to scapegoat things every time the USA loses. Germany played a FANTASTIC game. They made every shot, they crashed the boards, they didn’t turn it over, and they beat a very good team who was having an every good night. Haliburton, Brunson, Bridges, Edwards, Brunson, Ingram, and JJJ are all “A-level” players that have a good chance of making all-NBA this season and are good fits for international play. Reaves is a clutch young up and comer who was a perfect fit for this team. This was a good squad that got beat by Germany having the night of their lives.

[durden_tyler]

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

You really think after this embarrassment Steph and the likes won't be going to Paris? Come on now.

[levon]

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

Yes, because all of those players listed are better than at least half of the current team. The question wasn't whether it's practical for these players to play in any given year, but whether this is truly the best team the US can put together. It clearly isn't, and that's before going into the role players and fit issues of the current squad.

They are better, yes. But they're also not coming because they're way too old. They have more or less retired from the national team. So, no, I don't believe that they really count when it comes to this discussion. If they cannot (and will not) play for the US anymore, then they aren't really part of your player pool. The younger guys definitely are but those 35+ aren't.

In 2012, Kobe was 33. In 2016, Melo was 32. In 2020, Durant was 32 and you had 4 guys over the age of 30. I don't know why Lillard's or Butler's or Draymond's age is suddenly a problem considering the longevity is being extended more than ever. We're not asking guys to play 82 games + 4 seven game series, we're asking them to play basically 6 games. Sit the "old" guys in the exhibitions if need be. An injured version of AD probably plays better than JJJ did.

Let's call a spade a spade: they're not playing because they're not financially incentivized or particularly interested. It's an unspoken thing in the NBA that young guys do international play, whereas other teams are rolling out 40 year old Rudy Fernandez. Some players who were born and raised in the US (KAT) go to play for ethnic home countries.

But let's say none of those players I listed are part of the "pool". If you have even three of Fox, Booker, Tatum, and Morant on this team, they probably sweep the tournament. Or how about Caruso over Hart? Is Bobby Portis the best we can do at backup 4? Come now.

[durden_tyler]

I'll give you Fox, Morant and Booker but everyone else is way too old by this point. LeBron is 38, Steph is 35, Durant is turning 35 in a few weeks, Butler is turning 34 in less than a week, Lillard is 33 and AD is 30 and injury-prone.

The chances of these players being healthy and in a good enough condition to play in late August/early September are basically zero. Do they really count as the A team if they cannot realistically be there?

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

United States men's national basketball team – 2020 Summer Olympics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
C 13 Bam Adebayo 24 – July 18, 1997 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Miami Heat United States
G 15 Devin Booker 24 – October 30, 1996 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Phoenix Suns United States
F 7 Kevin Durant 32 – September 29, 1988 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Brooklyn Nets United States
F 9 Jerami Grant 27 – March 12, 1994 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Detroit Pistons United States
F 14 Draymond Green 31 – March 4, 1990 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Golden State Warriors United States
G 12 Jrue Holiday 31 – June 12, 1990 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 4 Keldon Johnson 21 – October 11, 1999 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Antonio Spurs United States
G 5 Zach LaVine 26 – March 10, 1995 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Chicago Bulls United States
G 6 Damian Lillard 31 – July 15, 1990 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Portland Trail Blazers United States
C 11 JaVale McGee 33 – January 19, 1988 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) Denver Nuggets United States
F 8 Khris Middleton 29 – August 12, 1991 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 10 Jayson Tatum 23 – March 3, 1998 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Boston Celtics United States

This is what the US sent in the 2020 Olympics after sending their C Team in the World Cup the previous year.

Stop looking at age too and take in quality. You really believe the current World Cup team will have similar-same quality as the 2024 roster in Paris?

[UcanUwill]

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

You really think after this embarrassment Steph and the likes won't be going to Paris? Come on now.

2008 team was called redeem team because of 2004, not because of 2006. Hate to join the dark side of posters here, but Americans start caring when they lose the OLympics. They finished 7th. in 2019, but Olympic team was far from stacked and spirit to redeem anything.

[Nuntius]

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

You really think after this embarrassment Steph and the likes won't be going to Paris? Come on now.

I'll be shocked if a 39 year old LeBron and a 36 year old Steph goes to Paris, yes.

[durden_tyler]

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

You really think after this embarrassment Steph and the likes won't be going to Paris? Come on now.

I'll be shocked if a 39 year old LeBron and a 36 year old Steph goes to Paris, yes.

I’d say it’s 50-50 for LeBron if there are injury problems this season. Steph i fully expect him to be there.

[Nuntius]

Yes, because all of those players listed are better than at least half of the current team. The question wasn't whether it's practical for these players to play in any given year, but whether this is truly the best team the US can put together. It clearly isn't, and that's before going into the role players and fit issues of the current squad.

They are better, yes. But they're also not coming because they're way too old. They have more or less retired from the national team. So, no, I don't believe that they really count when it comes to this discussion. If they cannot (and will not) play for the US anymore, then they aren't really part of your player pool. The younger guys definitely are but those 35+ aren't.

In 2012, Kobe was 33. In 2016, Melo was 32. In 2020, Durant was 32 and you had 4 guys over the age of 30. I don't know why Lillard's or Butler's or Draymond's age is suddenly a problem considering the longevity is being extended more than ever. We're not asking guys to play 82 games + 4 seven game series, we're asking them to play basically 6 games. Sit the "old" guys in the exhibitions if need be. An injured version of AD probably plays better than JJJ did.

I could see Lillard, Butler, Draymond and AD coming. Those 4 are right on the borderline, imo. But LeBron and Steph? No chance they're coming. imo.

Let's call a spade a spade: they're not playing because they're not financially incentivized or particularly interested. It's an unspoken thing in the NBA that young guys do international play, whereas other teams are rolling out 40 year old Rudy Fernandez. Some players who were born and raised in the US (KAT) go to play for ethnic home countries.

Yep, I definitely believe that this unspoken rule exists which is why I don't think that it makes sense to include those 35+ guys in the talent pool.

But let's say none of those players I listed are part of the "pool". If you have even three of Fox, Booker, Tatum, and Morant on this team, they probably sweep the tournament. Or how about Caruso over Hart? Is Bobby Portis the best we can do at backup 4? Come now.

Sure, I never disagreed about Fox, Booker, Tatum and Morant. I specifically objected on those over 30, especially those over 35.

[Nuntius]

So now we're saying we'll see the same makeup in Paris? That's just wrong. This was a B team (Under 25 years old i believe but let me check)

Edit i was thinking average. So yeah, 28 years old is the oldest (Portis and Hart).

Same point, this is not the best USA team, or we conveniently forget about it.

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

United States men's national basketball team – 2020 Summer Olympics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
C 13 Bam Adebayo 24 – July 18, 1997 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Miami Heat United States
G 15 Devin Booker 24 – October 30, 1996 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Phoenix Suns United States
F 7 Kevin Durant 32 – September 29, 1988 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Brooklyn Nets United States
F 9 Jerami Grant 27 – March 12, 1994 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Detroit Pistons United States
F 14 Draymond Green 31 – March 4, 1990 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Golden State Warriors United States
G 12 Jrue Holiday 31 – June 12, 1990 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 4 Keldon Johnson 21 – October 11, 1999 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Antonio Spurs United States
G 5 Zach LaVine 26 – March 10, 1995 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Chicago Bulls United States
G 6 Damian Lillard 31 – July 15, 1990 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Portland Trail Blazers United States
C 11 JaVale McGee 33 – January 19, 1988 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) Denver Nuggets United States
F 8 Khris Middleton 29 – August 12, 1991 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 10 Jayson Tatum 23 – March 3, 1998 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Boston Celtics United States

This is what the US sent in the 2020 Olympics after sending their C Team in the World Cup the previous year.

Stop looking at age too and take in quality. You really believe the current World Cup team will have similar-same quality as the 2024 roster in Paris?

And as you can see, there's only one guy there over 32 and that's McGee who was a role player anyway. That is exactly my point here, my friend.

[durden_tyler]

I didn't say that you'll see the same makeup in Paris. Fox, Morant, Booker, Tatum and maybe one or two of the older players will be part of that Paris team.

All I'm saying is that it's a tad utopian to just list the major superstars and call them "the A team". These major superstars (LeBron, Steph, Kawhi et cetera) are simply not going to play for the US ever again. They're too old now, they've served their time.

It's simply more realistic to look at the players that are 31-32 and younger instead of those that are 35+. These players are your pool now, not LeBron, Steph and Kawhi. It's not 2015 anymore.

United States men's national basketball team – 2020 Summer Olympics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
C 13 Bam Adebayo 24 – July 18, 1997 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Miami Heat United States
G 15 Devin Booker 24 – October 30, 1996 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Phoenix Suns United States
F 7 Kevin Durant 32 – September 29, 1988 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Brooklyn Nets United States
F 9 Jerami Grant 27 – March 12, 1994 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Detroit Pistons United States
F 14 Draymond Green 31 – March 4, 1990 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Golden State Warriors United States
G 12 Jrue Holiday 31 – June 12, 1990 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 4 Keldon Johnson 21 – October 11, 1999 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Antonio Spurs United States
G 5 Zach LaVine 26 – March 10, 1995 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Chicago Bulls United States
G 6 Damian Lillard 31 – July 15, 1990 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Portland Trail Blazers United States
C 11 JaVale McGee 33 – January 19, 1988 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) Denver Nuggets United States
F 8 Khris Middleton 29 – August 12, 1991 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 10 Jayson Tatum 23 – March 3, 1998 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Boston Celtics United States

This is what the US sent in the 2020 Olympics after sending their C Team in the World Cup the previous year.

Stop looking at age too and take in quality. You really believe the current World Cup team will have similar-same quality as the 2024 roster in Paris?

And as you can see, there's only one guy there over 32 and that's McGee who was a role player anyway. That is exactly my point here, my friend.

And as you can see, the quality of those players are 5x better than what they sent in the previous World Cup.

It’s not just the age, my friend.

[Nuntius]

United States men's national basketball team – 2020 Summer Olympics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
C 13 Bam Adebayo 24 – July 18, 1997 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Miami Heat United States
G 15 Devin Booker 24 – October 30, 1996 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Phoenix Suns United States
F 7 Kevin Durant 32 – September 29, 1988 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Brooklyn Nets United States
F 9 Jerami Grant 27 – March 12, 1994 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Detroit Pistons United States
F 14 Draymond Green 31 – March 4, 1990 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Golden State Warriors United States
G 12 Jrue Holiday 31 – June 12, 1990 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 4 Keldon Johnson 21 – October 11, 1999 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Antonio Spurs United States
G 5 Zach LaVine 26 – March 10, 1995 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Chicago Bulls United States
G 6 Damian Lillard 31 – July 15, 1990 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Portland Trail Blazers United States
C 11 JaVale McGee 33 – January 19, 1988 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) Denver Nuggets United States
F 8 Khris Middleton 29 – August 12, 1991 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 10 Jayson Tatum 23 – March 3, 1998 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Boston Celtics United States

This is what the US sent in the 2020 Olympics after sending their C Team in the World Cup the previous year.

Stop looking at age too and take in quality. You really believe the current World Cup team will have similar-same quality as the 2024 roster in Paris?

And as you can see, there's only one guy there over 32 and that's McGee who was a role player anyway. That is exactly my point here, my friend.

And as you can see, the quality of those players are 5x better than what they sent in the previous World Cup.

It’s not just the age, my friend.

And I didn't disagree with that either. At any point. My point simply was that the stars who are way too old (35+) are not going to come again so they really shouldn't count as the "A team".

The players you listed above are your "A team" and the ones you sent in this tournament are basically your "B team", not your "C team".

[levon]

They are better, yes. But they're also not coming because they're way too old. They have more or less retired from the national team. So, no, I don't believe that they really count when it comes to this discussion. If they cannot (and will not) play for the US anymore, then they aren't really part of your player pool. The younger guys definitely are but those 35+ aren't.

In 2012, Kobe was 33. In 2016, Melo was 32. In 2020, Durant was 32 and you had 4 guys over the age of 30. I don't know why Lillard's or Butler's or Draymond's age is suddenly a problem considering the longevity is being extended more than ever. We're not asking guys to play 82 games + 4 seven game series, we're asking them to play basically 6 games. Sit the "old" guys in the exhibitions if need be. An injured version of AD probably plays better than JJJ did.

I could see Lillard, Butler, Draymond and AD coming. Those 4 are right on the borderline, imo. But LeBron and Steph? No chance they're coming. imo.

Let's call a spade a spade: they're not playing because they're not financially incentivized or particularly interested. It's an unspoken thing in the NBA that young guys do international play, whereas other teams are rolling out 40 year old Rudy Fernandez. Some players who were born and raised in the US (KAT) go to play for ethnic home countries.

Yep, I definitely believe that this unspoken rule exists which is why I don't think that it makes sense to include those 35+ guys in the talent pool.

But let's say none of those players I listed are part of the "pool". If you have even three of Fox, Booker, Tatum, and Morant on this team, they probably sweep the tournament. Or how about Caruso over Hart? Is Bobby Portis the best we can do at backup 4? Come now.

Sure, I never disagreed about Fox, Booker, Tatum and Morant. I specifically objected on those over 30, especially those over 35.

Well if you apply every caveat and handicap in the book as we've just done, this FIBA team starts looking like something close to the best team the US can build in terms of American talent. But it's not, which was the crux of my original reply to that poster.

Unless the other countries somehow have the same caveats applied to them and aren't going out of their way to naturalize guys. And yes, I'm aware that the NBA affects their eligibility as well with Jokic, Embiid, and Giannis. Giannis imo should have played, but whatever.

Maybe the takeaway here is the US needs to relax its ageism a bit as baseline longevity is improving, or somehow motivate these NBA megastars to play internationally. But they're just straight up billionaires that don't care. It doesn't make business sense.

[sikma42]

In 2012, Kobe was 33. In 2016, Melo was 32. In 2020, Durant was 32 and you had 4 guys over the age of 30. I don't know why Lillard's or Butler's or Draymond's age is suddenly a problem considering the longevity is being extended more than ever. We're not asking guys to play 82 games + 4 seven game series, we're asking them to play basically 6 games. Sit the "old" guys in the exhibitions if need be. An injured version of AD probably plays better than JJJ did.

I could see Lillard, Butler, Draymond and AD coming. Those 4 are right on the borderline, imo. But LeBron and Steph? No chance they're coming. imo.

Let's call a spade a spade: they're not playing because they're not financially incentivized or particularly interested. It's an unspoken thing in the NBA that young guys do international play, whereas other teams are rolling out 40 year old Rudy Fernandez. Some players who were born and raised in the US (KAT) go to play for ethnic home countries.

Yep, I definitely believe that this unspoken rule exists which is why I don't think that it makes sense to include those 35+ guys in the talent pool.

But let's say none of those players I listed are part of the "pool". If you have even three of Fox, Booker, Tatum, and Morant on this team, they probably sweep the tournament. Or how about Caruso over Hart? Is Bobby Portis the best we can do at backup 4? Come now.

Sure, I never disagreed about Fox, Booker, Tatum and Morant. I specifically objected on those over 30, especially those over 35.

Well if you apply every caveat and handicap in the book as we've just done, this FIBA team starts looking like something close to the best team the US can build in terms of American talent. But it's not, which was the crux of my original reply to that poster.

Unless the other countries somehow have the same caveats applied to them and aren't going out of their way to naturalize guys. And yes, I'm aware that the NBA affects their eligibility as well with Jokic, Embiid, and Giannis. Giannis imo should have played, but whatever.

Maybe the takeaway here is the US needs to relax its ageism a bit as baseline longevity is improving, or somehow motivate these NBA megastars to play internationally. But they're just straight up billionaires that don't care. It doesn't make business sense.

The real takeaway is that young US talent is in the worst place it’s been in a very long time


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[durden_tyler]

And as you can see, there's only one guy there over 32 and that's McGee who was a role player anyway. That is exactly my point here, my friend.

And as you can see, the quality of those players are 5x better than what they sent in the previous World Cup.

It’s not just the age, my friend.

And I didn't disagree with that either. At any point. My point simply was that the stars who are way too old (35+) are not going to come again so they really shouldn't count as the "A team".

The players you listed above are your "A team" and the ones you sent in this tournament are basically your "B team", not your "C team".

So yeah we agree. World Cup roster won’t be the same quality with whatever Olympics roster will be.

The ~35+ years old baseline, i can see that considering injury risk and all. But i feel you’d have one of the older guys play and i think it’s going to be Steph. (Tough ask indeed for LeBron)