Gold Medal Game: USA 107, ESP 100

[Chicago 1995]

I agree these guys couldn't seem to miss during the Olympics, and I understand the NBA line, the international line, and the college line are all different distances, but in the last three NBA seasons, here are Carmelo's and KD's three-point percentages:

Carmelo: 33.5%, 37.8%, 31.6%
KD: 38.7%, 35.0%, 36.5%

Last season, Seth shot 38.3% from three and Ryan shot 40.8%. Over the course of a season, they are just as automatic from the college line as Carmelo and KD from the NBA line.

Again, I understand in the Olympics Carmelo and KD were shooting from the FIBA line and that makes a difference. But I don't believe the true difference in those guys shooting (from the longer line) vs. our guys shooting (from the college line) is as large as you seem to think.

I'll just say I fundamentally disagree and move on.

If our season's on the line, I'll take a contested look from Kevin Durant or Melo every day and twice on Sunday over an open look from Seth or Ryan or frankly, any collegian. And if KD or Melo is open? Come on. And if you don't agree, well, those are some really, really nice dark blue glasses you are wearing

[Kedsy]

I'll just say I fundamentally disagree and move on.

If our season's on the line, I'll take a contested look from Kevin Durant or Melo every day and twice on Sunday over an open look from Seth or Ryan or frankly, any collegian. And if KD or Melo is open? Come on. And if you don't agree, well, those are some really, really nice dark blue glasses you are wearing

You are misinterpreting me. I'm not saying any of our guys are better shooters than Melo or KD. I'm not saying our guys could shoot as well as them if our guys were guarded by NBA defenders and/or from the NBA line or if their guys were shooting against college defenders and/or from the college line.

What I am saying is that when Seth and Ryan take three-point shots from the college 3-point line against college competition, they make roughly the same percentage as when Melo and KD take three-point shots from the NBA line against NBA competition (our guys actually shoot a little better). So if you think Melo or KD taking a three-point shot is good offense in the NBA, then Seth or Ryan taking a three-point shot in the ACC is good offense, too. That's not looking through Duke-blue glasses; it's looking at the stat sheet. Even twice on Sunday.

[Newton_14]

And again, I think you're making it VERY clear that you don't understand the international basketball game. We continually got WIDE OPEN looks from 3 point range. Considering that the 3 point line is closer than the NBA line (by as much as ~2 feet), that's a good shot for the US. Considering that, and the fact every team in the tournament plays a sagging defense to protect the lane, AND the fact that the officials allow more hand checking on dribble penetration, and we arrive at the realization that a wide open 3pt shot (created by initial dribble penetration) is a VERY good offense.

I honestly don't understand what we should have done differently. We didn't have any great post players on the team (due to injuries). And given that zone defenses allow extra help inside, your standard "feed the post" argument doesn't work in international play.

So, again, I'm left with one of three conclusions to your posts here:
1. You didn't really watch the games;
2. You don't understand basketball (especially international basketball), and are relying on pre-conceived notions of "what a good offense is supposed to look like"; or
3. You are just letting your Carolina glasses cloud your judgement.

I was being kind in leaving out option #3 earlier, but I suspect it's a combination of #1 and #2 in reality.

Fine post. One other thing to add. Throughout the entire tourney including pool play and medal play, any time we went cold from 3, K called timeouts, and instructed Lebron to stop being distributor, and go get on the block. Each and everytime it worked. As mentioned by others, we posted Lebron, Durant, and Anthony over and over again throughout the tourney. Not sure why post play does not count unless it is a tall, heavy, center doing it. (those days are gone by the way)

We also attacked the basket with both dribble penetration, and brilliant passing. Teams would then pack the defense in even tighter, opening the 3 Ball looks up even more. We are talking about world class shooters, taking aim from a "kiddie line" as Bird would refer to it. The chances of all of Durant, Melo, Kobe, Paul, Deron, Lebron, Harden, and Westbrook all being cold from 3 in the same game, are slim to none.

K structured the offense to be successful using the players at hand, and for the rules of the International game. The result was an offense that could not be stopped. 44% clip from 3 for the tourney. What's that equate to, like 66%+ or something in 2 point %. I'll let the math guru's on the board tell us the accurate equation. I just know it is high.

The offense was outstanding. No other way to describe it.

[Reilly]

NBA 2011-2012: 22.5% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-12 opponents: 24% of shots were threes
Team USA opponents 2012 Olympics: 34% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-2012: 38% of shots were threes
Team USA 2012 Olympics: 46% of shots were threes

[Duvall]

NBA 2011-2012: 22.5% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-12 opponents: 24% of shots were threes
Team USA opponents 2012 Olympics: 34% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-2012: 38% of shots were threes
Team USA 2012 Olympics: 46% of shots were threes

Honestly, if you are hitting 44% of your threes as a team, it's probably a sign that you aren't taking enough. As a team!

[juise]

NBA 2011-2012: 22.5% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-12 opponents: 24% of shots were threes
Team USA opponents 2012 Olympics: 34% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-2012: 38% of shots were threes
Team USA 2012 Olympics: 46% of shots were threes

I'd be interested to see an equivalent eFG% list.

[mkirsh]

NBA 2011-2012: 22.5% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-12 opponents: 24% of shots were threes
Team USA opponents 2012 Olympics: 34% of shots were threes
Duke 2011-2012: 38% of shots were threes
Team USA 2012 Olympics: 46% of shots were threes

Interesting. Do you have the 2011-12 NCAA average and 2012 Olympic average (ie not just Duke and USA opponents)? I suspect they would be slightly higher, given that Coach K, keenly aware of the value of the shot, usually instructs his D to take it away.

[pfrduke]

Interesting. Do you have the 2011-12 NCAA average and 2012 Olympic average (ie not just Duke and USA opponents)? I suspect they would be slightly higher, given that Coach K, keenly aware of the value of the shot, usually instructs his D to take it away.

The NCAA average was 32.9% of attempts.

[UrinalCake]

All of the games are now available on YouTube, along with a ton of other Olympic events. I just watched the gold medal game for the first time. Marc Gasol's fourth foul really hurt them. We did shoot a lot of threes. And the commentators were absolutely clueless.

[hq2]

Our three point shooting has been the difference the last two Olympics. Both teams that lost in the past
25 years ('88 and '04) were bad 3 point shooting teams. The '88 team was a John Thompson Georgetown
creation; almost all streetball and no shooting; I think Hersey Hawkins was the only decent shooter on the
whole team. The '04 team wasn't much better; as I recall, in one of the blowout losses America shot something
like 3 for 21 from downtown, which is just pitiful. These days, we can let 'em fly with just about anyone. Now
that we understand the international game better, we seem to have adapted the way we play to it in recent years.

[roywhite]

Our three point shooting has been the difference the last two Olympics. Both teams that lost in the past
25 years ('88 and '04) were bad 3 point shooting teams. The '88 team was a John Thompson Georgetown
creation; almost all streetball and no shooting; I think Hersey Hawkins was the only decent shooter on the
whole team. The '04 team wasn't much better; as I recall, in one of the blowout losses America shot something
like 3 for 21 from downtown, which is just pitiful. These days, we can let 'em fly with just about anyone. Now
that we understand the international game better, we seem to have adapted the way we play to it in recent years.

Turns out shooting is important?
Who knew?
Thankfully, Coach K did.

[UrinalCake]

I think one of the reasons why we have this sense that we shoot too many threes is that we had a lot of guys who aren't three-point specialists. If we'd had Ray Allen and Stephen Curry chucking up open threes it would seem like good game planning, but we're not accustomed to seeing guys like Durant and Anthony who can shoot really well and also do a lot of other things. So it feels like it would be a higher percentage play to have them take the ball to the hole, even though in reality it might not be.

And of course, if Howard and Bosh had been on the team then we would have seen a much different offense.