Official FIBA World Championship Thread (and long preview)

[Tim_Hardawayy]

OK, fine.

"Durant is probably going to have to carry us like Wade."

There. Now we can go back to actually talking about the team at hand.

We don't need one guy to monopolize the ball or anything like that, but we're definitely going to need an offensive focal point, somebody we can work around. Durant's the best choice mainly because there's nobody else.

And I still disagree with this. You missed my point. We didn't win because a player carried us, we won because we played like a basketball team rather than an All-Star team like years past.

I don't think we need an offensive focal point. I look at guys like Roy, Rose and Lopez and see just as much offensive talent as any other team in the world can trot out there.

There doesn't need to be an alpha dog in a tournament such as this. It isn't the NBA. We just need guys to make the proper basketball plays. Shoot the ball if you're open, solid ball movement, plenty of penetration.

I agree Durant is our most talented player. But I don't want to see them force feeding him the ball, not with how good his teammates are.

[Sedale Threatt]

No, I got your point. I just don't agree. I don't think this team is good enough to try the community chest approach.

I guarantee you that the difference in style is going to negate our talent to a large degree. It has in virtually every tournament of the last decade, and this is going to be no different. Especially not with a bunch of second- and third-choice guys who have never played at this level.

Doesn't mean that Durant has to shoot the ball every trip down. Doesn't mean we can't develop chemistry and still play like a team. But he absolutely has to be the focal point, in my opinion.

What happens in a two-point game, time running down, pressure's mounting...who on this roster do we go to? You can crap on him all you want, but it's a nice luxury to have an option like Kobe -- or Wade, for that matter -- to go to. That's what I'm referencing. I don't see anybody else even close to being that kind of player.

Also, Roy isn't playing. Too bad as he'd go a hell of a long way towards solidifying this group.

[Tim_Hardawayy]

Ah, wasn't aware of Roy's absence.

Still though, I have enough faith in our guys, and I'm also someone who doesn't really believe in the idea of "give it to a guy and let him go to work" in this international setting. I still think there's enough talent on the team outside of Durant, and I'm not comfortable with Kevin's decision making anyways, I think he showed in the playoffs this year he's not totally ready for that kind of pressure.

I guess we'll see how it all works out. My early pick for the guy who is really going to have a coming out party though is Rose.

[salaner]

Why the heck is this thread on the NBA board and not on the International board? The FIBA World Championship is not an NBA event, and there will be plenty of non-NBA players in it. It doesn't take a genius to guess that some of these non-NBA players will be decisive in determining who wins the title.

[Theo Papaloukas]

LMAO @ the Slovenian head coach wanting to start Lakovic over Udrih (causing Udrih to quit the team). Big loss for them thanks to a horrible coaching decision.

[KF10]

USA is being serious;y underrated here and everyone else is being overrated.

This.

From what I heard, everyone in Team USA will be fine with their roles. So, you won't see any egos colliding.

But the best thing is that, this team preaches defense a lot more than previous teams. From what I hear from interviews, defense is the top priority for this team.

We will see ALOT of pressuring full court with guys like Rondo, Evans, Rose Westbrook and etc.

[DaeDae]

http://www.twitter.com/RicBucher

Bucher says the best player in camp so far has been........Derrick Rose. Surprising. I expected this to easily be Durant.

[alucryts]

http://www.twitter.com/RicBucher

Bucher says the best player in camp so far has been........Derrick Rose. Surprising. I expected this to easily be Durant.

if drose is the best in camp then i cant imagine durant is far behind..

[RipCityLives]

In one semifinal it should be USA vs. Spain and in the other Argentina vs. Greece. I predict Spain will beat US and Greece will beat Argentina. In the final Spain vs. Greece is 50/50 game. I think Greece will win. They are due to beat Spain and are bringing more scorers now.

US won't beat Spain IMO in the semifinal. Their roster is too weak. They also would not beat Greece either IMO if they played them.

In the bronze medal game I believe is 50/50 but I think Argentina will beat the US there. Too much experience for that young US team.

So I think

1. Greece
2. Spain
3. Argentina
4. USA

Even though Greece is without Theo Papaloukas, Spain is without Pau Gasol, and Argentina is without Manu Ginobili they are all still too strong for that US roster IMO.

Besides these 4 teams, I give Serbia, France, and Turkey the best chances to medal. The US might get matched up with Turkey based on how the brackets go. That could potentially cost them making the final four, depending on how intense the crowd gets.

I used to watch international ball for years. And I think I never saw Greece beating Spain. I dont know if Greece are getting better, but Im sure if Spain beats us, nobody would beat them in the finals. Too difference, even without Pau, Spain has the most talented backcourt in the tournament, Rubio-Calderon, Navarro-Rudy. I like that guy Reyes, and Marc Gasol is a future NBA all star. I think USA is favourite, but Spain is close, the rest dont care.

[MVP-3]

Caldaron starting over Rubio lolol.

[klvanzu]

http://www.twitter.com/RicBucher

Bucher says the best player in camp so far has been........Derrick Rose. Surprising. I expected this to easily be Durant.

+1

...but it's Bucher

[ahonui06]

This is a watered down World Championships anyway. No American superstars for the most part, No Pau and No DIRK. So what's the point?

[Arbitrob809]

We're ****. Not enough shooters and not enough defense.

This team would easily win gold hands down.

Rose/Westbrook
Johnson/JRich
Durant/Granger
Jefferson/West
Perkins/Robin

Perfect blend of unselfish stars, shooting, and defense.

Only thing is...

Perk and Robin Lopez are both injured.

and I guess there's one more: you think Johnson and JRich are better shooters than Curry?

[bigballa3jj]

This is a watered down World Championships anyway. No American superstars for the most part, No Pau and No DIRK. So what's the point?

true, but we havent won since 1994. lets win this sh*t and shut the other countries up

USA! USA! USA!

[alucryts]

This is a watered down World Championships anyway. No American superstars for the most part, No Pau and No DIRK. So what's the point?

true, but we havent won since 1994. lets win this sh*t and shut the other countries up

USA! USA! USA!

lmao

[Vin20]

Caldaron starting over Rubio lolol.

Calderon started over Rubio in the Olympics. Last year, Rubio was the starting PG in the Eurobasket because Calderon was injured. This year it looks like Calderon will be the starting PG again but I think it'll depend on what does the team need in that moment cause in the Olympics, Rubio played more than Calderon against China, for example.

[salaner]

Caldaron starting over Rubio lolol.

Calderon started over Rubio in the Olympics.

You guys don't understand this game. This is not the NBA.

Being a "starter" is practicallly meaningless in international ball. Rotations are much more frequent and larger, no player ever averages more than 25-27 minutes per game, starting lineups change from one game to the next, and (like everywhere else) what really counts is the finishing lineup - when the chips are down.

[Sedale Threatt]

USA! USA! USA!

I like it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGiYEWRzTik

Good to hear about Derrick, too. I hope he proves me wrong. (Although, to repeat, it is Bucher, so...)

[SeniorWalker]

LMAO @ Bill Walton having a heart attack at the 16 second mark.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztp85ebdyyw&feature=related[/youtube]

I LOL'd. That was extremely funny.

[RipCityLives]

I read something like Rondo-Rose-Durant-Gay-Odom as the starting line up. Team USA is gonna be outrebounded all day long...