ilikecb4 wrote:
i'm sorry but you r either 17 or you just dont know sh$t about the international game
now excuse me from your ignorance. how many internation games have you seen in your life?
i've seen about 300.
Actually, it sounds to me like you've never even seen the Dream Team play. What a pity! In addition, you misinterpreted my last post. It's kind of hard to discuss or debate anything in this forum with someone who can't read English.
in 1990 Divac and Kukoc were the all-tournament first team
What does this have to do with anything? As I said before in my last post, which you obviously misunderstood, Kukoc was on the '92 Croatian team that was destroyed by the Dream Team twice.
its a way different game
the lanes are smaller, more emphasis is placed on shooting and passing
Yes, FIBA rules level the playing field for slow, unathletic players, no doubt about it. However, the Dream Team had no problem destroying Croatia by 30 points twice using the same rules. The '96, '00, and '08 USA teams also had no problems destroying their opponents in FIBA.
divac was 11 and 8 starting center for the los angeles lakers and was considered a promising young player
Unless he can make up the 30 + pt deficit Yugoslavia would be facing, then it doesn't matter. Divac didn't become a good NBA player until the late '90s, so his impact is overstated.
peterovic has been an international superstar for quite some time
Duh! Everyone knows Peterovic was a great player. When did I say he wasn't? He was Yugoslavia's best player and he played on the '92 Croatian team that was destroyed by the Dream Team twice.
kukoc was a lamar odom type player he could do anything on the court
Once again, you either misinterpreted my previous post. I never said Kukoc was a bad player. He was a decent NBA player, but never lived up to the hype of being the "European MJ." Lamar Odom is a good comparison.
and i'd also like to educate you on a few things
You can't educate me on anything.
http://www.nbauniverse.com/usabasketball/world_championships_summary.htm
and just because your a good nba player doesn't make u a good fiba player
ask lebron and carmelo 2004
There's a flip side to that coin: Euroleague players have had a much more difficult time adjusting to the NBA game than NBA players have had adjusting to FIBA.
Lebron and Melo sat the bench during the '04 Olympics and barely played. They were only 19 at the time and were playing behind NBA veterans. That team was thrown together a month before the competition and never developed team chemistry. However, Lebron and Melo certainly rose to the occasion in '08. They were two of the best players on the '08 USA team that dominated the competition in Beijing. You'll also have the opportunity to watch them play in Turkey in the '10 WC and the '12 Olympics, along with Howard, Kobe, Williams, Paul, Bosh, and Wade. Good luck.
So what? He was also a terrible NBA player. The Euroleague is the 2nd best league in the world, after the NBA, so his stats don't mean anything to me.
Danilovic played alright during his stint in the NBA. He was a great shooter. However, I still don't think he'd make up for the 30 point deficit Yugoslavia would be facing.
You need to keep in mind that the Croatian team, which included Petrovic, Kukoc, and Radja lost to the Dream Team by 30 points twice! Like many Euroleague point guards of that era, he had a lot of trouble adjusting to the faster-paced NBA game. He was released by Portland after only nine games. Once again, being a great player in the 2nd best league in the world doesn't prove much because you're playing against inferior players. Jasikevicius, Spanoulis, and Navarro are great Euroleague players, but were sub-par NBA players.
the game would have been a 5 point win for the dream team max....
Since the 1990 Yugoslavia NT lost to Puerto Rico, barely beat Venezuela and a bunch of American college kids in the '90 WC, I doubt they would come within 30 points of the Dream Team. Not to mention, the two best Yugoslavian players (Petrovic and Kukoc) played on a '92 Croatian NT that was destroyed by over 30 points twice.
In addition, the 1996 USA team defeated Yugoslavia by 36 points! That Yugoslavian team included Divac, Paspalj, Danilovic, Dordevic, Rebreca, and Bodiroga. The '96 USA team doesn't even compare to the '92 Dream Team. Would Kukoc, Petrovic, and Radja have closed that 36 point gap? I don't think so.
the abudance of talent former yugoslavia had in late 80s and early 90s is scary
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Not as abundant as the talent in America.
My main point is that three of Yugoslavia's best players (Kukoc, Petrovic, and Radja) played on the '92 Croatian team that was destroyed by the Dream Team twice. In addition, the '96 USA team destroyed Yugoslavia in Atlanta. It's going to be hard convincing anyone - other than homers - that the addition of Divac, Paspalj, and Danilovic would have made up for the 33 point deficit in '92.
, Marc Gasol and Pekovic over Okur? Okur is double player what those guys make, and Kiri over Hedo...Instead, play Pau at center, Dirk is clear starting PF, Okur off the bench with Kiri and Hedo is a clear starter...Best euro team is that...SG part is too weak compared to Americans...Kobe would smash everyone easily...
