FIBA WORLD CUP 2019 | SPAIN are new WORLD CHAMPIONS

[TheGOATWill]

Kemba can dominate this whenever he feels like it. Let’s put him aside. This iteration of USA basketball has benefited two people. Miles Turner and Kyle Kuzma. I’ve wanted to see turner put the ball on the floor against bigs and Kuzma catch and shoot decisively. Leave it to Pop bring that out of both.

[stitches]

Mitchell is showing off what he can do defensively when he's not relied to shoulder all the offensive load. He was incredible defensively. Mills couldn't get anything against him and then was exploding every time Mitchell sat on the bench. People forget that he was drafted for his defense, and not for his offense out of college. He was considered the best point of attack defender in his class.

[Gooner]

Australia’s pick and roll defence is laughable. The coach Lemanis, is the head coach for my team in Australia and he runs the exact same plays. He lets the big man sag in the key. USA had so many wide open jump shots off pick and rolls.
The same thing happened against Canada last week and he still hasn’t adjusted.
USA shouldn’t be happy about this win. Teams like Serbia won’t allow easy wide open shots like the ones they got tonight

Jokic will allow those shots.

[peZt]

Australia really a darkhorse for next years Olympics (USA aside) when all the NBA guys come back. Simmons, Exum, Deng Adel, Broekhoff, Bolden, Maker, Josh Green

[Spens1]

That would be an interesting fit but wouldn't he just take a european gig instead possibly?

depends who offers him job or better conditions or any other thing important to him (or both sides).. I personally believe he would rather take Aussies than some Euro team, coz of a challenge, coz he achieved in Asia and Europe, but not yet with AUS

There arent much better gigs than that Australian job. Lots of promising players and geographic location pretty much guarantees spot in every Olympics and World cups.

But we're certainly not going to be offering the most either. Not in comparison to some of the nations (basketball, whilst making huge inroads in the last 5 years, is still relatively smaller than any of the football codes).

[pootbrah]

depends who offers him job or better conditions or any other thing important to him (or both sides).. I personally believe he would rather take Aussies than some Euro team, coz of a challenge, coz he achieved in Asia and Europe, but not yet with AUS

There arent much better gigs than that Australian job. Lots of promising players and geographic location pretty much guarantees spot in every Olympics and World cups.

But we're certainly not going to be offering the most either. Not in comparison to some of the nations (basketball, whilst making huge inroads in the last 5 years, is still relatively smaller than any of the football codes).

Basketball is our most played sport bro. Professionally it may not be as largely followed.

[Spens1]

There arent much better gigs than that Australian job. Lots of promising players and geographic location pretty much guarantees spot in every Olympics and World cups.

But we're certainly not going to be offering the most either. Not in comparison to some of the nations (basketball, whilst making huge inroads in the last 5 years, is still relatively smaller than any of the football codes).

Basketball is our most played sport bro. Professionally it may not be as largely followed.

Oh it is making huge inroads (i think soccer is still #1 but basketball is a close 2nd) but i was referring to following (though its going to overtake rugby union soon enough and probably sit 4th or 5th).

Its just that i can't see basketball australia having the cash to get a coach like kokosov (as much i would love that), unless of course it was a part time gig.

[Spens1]

Also not sure if anyone cares, cause no one who paid for floor seats or courtside could actually see anything, the ACCC (basically looks into businesses who do dodgy things) are now investigating basketball australia over the seating. (Kind of turning into our own Fyre Festival moment).

I'm not sure if anyone is going to the next game here, but don't get courtside seats, just go for tier 2 seating instead, the view is way better and you won't be paying $500 to see a game where the best player is Kemba Walker and Kris Middleton (great players, worth $500+, debatable).

[stitches]

It's shocking to me how players like Derrick Favors can't get a sniff at Team USA roster spot but hot trash like Plumlee is about to make the squad.

[JB2]

Australia really a darkhorse for next years Olympics (USA aside) when all the NBA guys come back. Simmons, Exum, Deng Adel, Broekhoff, Bolden, Maker, Josh Green

Yeah Deng Abdel is really going to have AD, Kawhi, Curry, Harden, Durant quaking in their boots.

[UcanUwill]

It's shocking to me how players like Derrick Favors can't get a sniff at Team USA roster spot but hot trash like Plumlee is about to make the squad.

their selection when they need to go deeper due to dropouts has always been questionable. Remember when sophmore Javale McGee almost made the team once, 2010 I believe that was.

[GusT15]

Also not sure if anyone cares, cause no one who paid for floor seats or courtside could actually see anything, the ACCC (basically looks into businesses who do dodgy things) are now investigating basketball australia over the seating. (Kind of turning into our own Fyre Festival moment).

I'm not sure if anyone is going to the next game here, but don't get courtside seats, just go for tier 2 seating instead, the view is way better and you won't be paying $500 to see a game where the best player is Kemba Walker and Kris Middleton (great players, worth $500+, debatable).

The Gladiator Russell Crowe was spotted with a sword and an axe chasing the game promoters at halftime.

Read on Twitter

[UcanUwill]

Also not sure if anyone cares, cause no one who paid for floor seats or courtside could actually see anything, the ACCC (basically looks into businesses who do dodgy things) are now investigating basketball australia over the seating. (Kind of turning into our own Fyre Festival moment).

I'm not sure if anyone is going to the next game here, but don't get courtside seats, just go for tier 2 seating instead, the view is way better and you won't be paying $500 to see a game where the best player is Kemba Walker and Kris Middleton (great players, worth $500+, debatable).

The Gladiator Russell Crowe was spotted with a sword and an axe chasing the game promoters at halftime.

Read on Twitter

He was at zalgiris -EA7 game last season, but left after halftime I think. he had much better seats then.

[MrDollarBills]

Australia really a darkhorse for next years Olympics (USA aside) when all the NBA guys come back. Simmons, Exum, Deng Adel, Broekhoff, Bolden, Maker, Josh Green

Yeah Deng Abdel is really going to have AD, Kawhi, Curry, Harden, Durant quaking in their boots.

Yeah, I was going to say if Team USA brings out the heavy hitters there's no team on the planet that has a chance in hell.

[LuDux1]

Watch on YouTube

@1:10 "Is this the dagger!?"

@5:25 You think he had to be forced to play in competition of similar level?

[TreymondGreen]

Wonder what the USA fellas thought of a footy game at the MCG.

[KqWIN]

Australia’s pick and roll defence is laughable. The coach Lemanis, is the head coach for my team in Australia and he runs the exact same plays. He lets the big man sag in the key. USA had so many wide open jump shots off pick and rolls.
The same thing happened against Canada last week and he still hasn’t adjusted.
USA shouldn’t be happy about this win. Teams like Serbia won’t allow easy wide open shots like the ones they got tonight

There's not a lot a coach can do with Bogut or Baynes.The centers cant stay in front of quick guards.Of course he's gonna risk with USA takin jumpshots.I dont see how Serbia can do much better in this regard with Jokic,Marianovic and Milutinov as their bigs.All of them slow footed who cant really guard in the perimeter.

Trap, hedge, go under the screen rather than fight over. Bogut and Baynes do just fine on a bigger nba court with tighter whistles from the refs.

I think their defensive coverage is smart. Dropping is the most common defensive coverage in the NBA, and it makes sense with their bigs at the rim. Every way to defend the PnR gives up something, dropping gives up the mid range. It's the worst shot in the game and that's why it's so popular. If you trap or hedge you're very prone to giving up a 3 or dunk at the rim. If you go under you're letting them take a pull up 3 instead of a pull up mid range shot.

Giving up those mid range shots to Kemba and Mitchell is the way to go. It's not like those two were super efficient anyways.

[stitches]

Wonder what the USA fellas thought of a footy game at the MCG.

https://streamable.com/xum94

[stitches]

There's not a lot a coach can do with Bogut or Baynes.The centers cant stay in front of quick guards.Of course he's gonna risk with USA takin jumpshots.I dont see how Serbia can do much better in this regard with Jokic,Marianovic and Milutinov as their bigs.All of them slow footed who cant really guard in the perimeter.

Trap, hedge, go under the screen rather than fight over. Bogut and Baynes do just fine on a bigger nba court with tighter whistles from the refs.

I think their defensive coverage is smart. Dropping is the most common defensive coverage in the NBA, and it makes sense with their bigs at the rim. Every way to defend the PnR gives up something, dropping gives up the mid range. It's the worst shot in the game and that's why it's so popular. If you trap or hedge you're very prone to giving up a 3 or dunk at the rim. If you go under you're letting them take a pull up 3 instead of a pull up mid range shot.

Giving up those mid range shots to Kemba and Mitchell is the way to go. It's not like those two were super efficient anyways.

It amazes me how little people actually know about the give and take of defensive game and the corresponding offensive counters(another thing some were surprised by is why Mitchell and Kemba shot so many mid-rangers against that defense). People shocked that a team with Baynes and Bogut will play drop coverage against NBA competition is equally shocking to me. Quite honestly this IMO is the best way to go against an opponent that has clear athletic advantages over your team. This was not the problem for Australia in this game. Other miscommunications and leaving shooters open on the perimeter was much bigger problem. Just watch how the Jazz play defense, they are the ultimate example of a drop coverage team. Watching those international games makes me appreciate how much better coached the Jazz are(having played a ton with eachother and ironing out the wrinkles helps too) - you play drop coverage specifically so you wouldn't require help off of perimeter shooters and this is precisely what Australia was still giving up even while dropping the big.

Very few international coaches/teams have impressed me so far and I do watch a ton of those international competitions. Lemanis has been underwhelming for a while now IMO. Same goes for Collet. I have no freaking idea how a coach can keep his job 4-5 summers in a row while failing again and again and again in learning how to use his best weapon. How can you have a top 3 center in the world and 2 times DPOY and be so clueless about how to construct a viable defense around him. It's shocking.

Djordjevic on the other hand has been great IMO. Kokoskov too... but in general great coaching in international competition is rare, IMO.

[bisme37]

Hey does anyone know where the games will air on TV in the USA?

NBATV is showing all the friendlies, but I can see two weeks out on my cable listings and the only listings for Team USA's real World Cup games are two half-hour slots (?) in the middle of the night on ESPN Deportes (en Espanol) on 9/1 and 9/3. Surely the USA games will be airing in English in the US, right?

To answer my own question, it looks like the World Cup games will be airing on ESPN+. Just as a heads up to all you wonderful friends.

http://www.espn.com/watch/search/fiba