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  1. #1

    2014 FIBA World Cup Champions!

    I do not remember what we did for past tournaments, so I just started a game thread. Finland is a fun opponent to start with. Although they are not predicted to be a challenge, they do like to play uptempo and shoot from the outside, which could lead to an interesting scoreline if all 12 American players are focused throughout. Erik Murphy is the name most familiar to American fans, but there are a number of others to keep an eye on and you may remember some of the players from past NCAA seasons as many of them spent time in the United States. Petteri Koponen and Sasu Salin form an exciting backcourt. The other exciting thing to see will be the legendary Hanno Mottola, who prolonged his career just long enough to finally play in a major tournament with the team.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Go Rik Smits! Is he still playing?

    In all honesty, I have no idea why the Dutch don't play basketball ( tallest nation in the world) or ice hockey (best speed skaters + big dudes). I guess soccer is just too big a sport and our attention spans are just too small for multiple sports.
    Last edited by flyingdutchdevil; 08-30-2014 at 12:50 PM. Reason: Word correction

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    In all honesty, I have no idea why the Dutch don't play basketball ( tallest nation in the world) or ice hockey (best speed skaters + big dudes). I guess soccer is just too big a sport and our attention spans are just too small for multiple sports.
    There's also cycling. It's a nation of 16 million, which is a bit less than Florida but greater than Pennsylvania. I'd say they hold their own in international sports. I doubt they lose any sleep not excelling at basketball, hockey, American football or baseball. I'm not sure "America does this, so why don't you?" really resonates with them. And why should it?

    From a Dutch perspective, they might wonder at the fact that the USA isn't better at soccer and speed skating, given the fact that we have approximately 20 times their population, plenty of resources for soccer, and lots of ice rinks.

    Cycling? Well, that's a complicated story, but the Dutch do pretty well there too.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    But back on topic...

    Slovenia beat Australia, and Dante Exum only played 11 minutes. He didn't score, had one turnover and one assist. The Aussie staff was clear that he'd come off the bench (i.e. not a starter) and be expected to contribute. He was 1 for 2 on that. Came off the bench and didn't contribute. What's up with that, given the fact that Slovenia broke the game open after a slow start? If he can't compete against the Dragic brothers...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    raleigh
    espn 3 hates me...says i am "not an authorized user"....would one of y'all please authorize me?


    thx
    "One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Boston, MA
    Quote Originally Posted by Henderson View Post
    There's also cycling. It's a nation of 16 million, which is a bit less than Florida but greater than Pennsylvania. I'd say they hold their own in international sports. I doubt they lose any sleep not excelling at basketball, hockey, American football or baseball. I'm not sure "America does this, so why don't you?" really resonates with them. And why should it?

    From a Dutch perspective, they might wonder at the fact that the USA isn't better at soccer and speed skating, given the fact that we have approximately 20 times their population, plenty of resources for soccer, and lots of ice rinks.

    Cycling? Well, that's a complicated story, but the Dutch do pretty well there too.
    I was being facetious more than anything. Size of your country is an important factor, but so is culture and history. These are more important factors to why nations don't play international sports.

    Hockey and basketball are no longer American sports. Just like rugby, cricket, and soccer are no longer English sports. American football is a different story, as it is not played by anyone outside of North America. Basketball, baseball, and ice hockey are different (and the Dutch are shockingly good at baseball, but that's because of Suriname more than anything else).

    Didn't mean to hijack this thread with my own jingoism. Back on topic!

  7. #7
    Here is a look at some of the other games:

    In Group A, Serbia eased past Egypt 85-64. Interestingly, Miroslav Raduljica got the start again and had 13 points and 6 rebounds in a short period of time as he looks for his next team. The key game in this group was Brazil and France with Brazil grinding out a 65-63 win. Marcelo Huertas had 16 points and Marquinhos had 10 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Boris Diaw had 15 points and 6 rebounds and Nicolas Batum had 13 points as this could be a critical result in setting up brackets through the semifinals. The hosts opened with a solid 90-60 win over Iran. Pau Gasol had 33 points and 8 rebounds and Marc Gasol had 15 points and 10 rebounds as both of their backups were injured. Rudy Fernandez had 12 points and Juan Carlos Navarro had 10 points while Hamed Haddadi had 16 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

    In Group B, the game that started the day was Croatia against the Philippines with the upstarts nearly springing a major upset before falling 81-78 in overtime. Andray Blatche did have an impact with 28 points and 12 rebounds. In the win, Bojan Bogdanovic had 26 points and Dario Saric had 10 points and 9 rebounds. Argentina had a somewhat surprisingly easy time with Puerto Rico and won 98-75. The old guard led the way again as Luis Scola had 20 points and 9 rebounds, Andres Nocioni had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Walter Herrmann had 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the loss, J.J. Barea had 24 points and Renaldo Balkman had 10 points. Greece blasted out of the gates against Senegal and won 87-64. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 11 points. In the loss, Gorgui Dieng had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Maleye N'Doye had 11 points.

    Besides the USA game, Group C included Ukraine beating the Dominican Republic 72-62. Pooh Jeter had 16 points, Viacheslav Kravtsov had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Sergii Gladyr had 12 points. In the loss, Francisco Garcia had 18 points, Edgar Sosa had 11 points, and James Feldeine had 10 points. New Zealand really missed a chance at a solid win after collapsing late against Turkey and losing 76-73. Emir Preldzic had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Corey Webster had 22 points and Rob Loe had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.

    In Group D, Angola beat South Korea 80-69 to start the day. Yanick Moreira had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Reggie Moore had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Slovenia beat Australia 90-80 in a game that could help determine knockout round matchups on the American side of the bracket. Goran Dragic led the way with 21 points and 7 rebounds. In the loss, Aron Baynes had 21 points and 7 rebounds, David Andersen had 14 points, and Brad Newley had 13 points. Marty and Lithuania had a tough test for a while against Mexico, but did take care of business with an 87-74 win. Marty dished out a pair of assists in 11 minutes. Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and Donatas Motiejunas had 15 points. In the loss, Francisco Cruz had 21 points, Jorge Gutierrez had 13 points, and Gustavo Ayon had 12 points and 6 rebounds.


    I guess a mod can update title to say USA vs Turkey 08/31 3:30pm EDT ESPN.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Well that was easy. 8 guys had 9 or more points and we forced 31 Finnish turnovers. On to a rematch of the championship game from 4 years ago.
    Just be you. You is enough. - K, 4/5/10, 0:13.8 to play, 60-59 Duke.

    You're all jealous hypocrites. - Titus on Laettner

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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by pfrduke View Post
    Well that was easy. 8 guys had 9 or more points and we forced 31 Finnish turnovers. On to a rematch of the championship game from 4 years ago.
    Turkey was rather unconvincing for most of the game against New Zealand and made a late charge to win at the end. This group is not as talented as the 2010 squad and a slightly stronger roster than this one was a complete disaster last summer, meaning they needed a wild card to play this summer. They will try to run their offense through their naturalized player, Emir Preldzic. It should be another easy win for the United States, although the margin may not be the same scale because I can see them attempting damage limitation.

  10. #10
    Awesome France v Srbija (I love this spelling) game just finished. France won on a last second free throw after a back-and-forth game for more of the 4th quarter. Even without Parker this France team is pretty decent, good ball movement. With Parker they would be a contender.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Boston, MA

    My impressions on Team USA thus far

    Between Finland yesterday and the exhibitions, I've concluded a few things:

    -Anthony Davis is a man amongst children. I'm not even sure he's been trying that hard in the last games and he's still dominating.

    -James Harden's foot work is beautiful. His Eurosteps, ability to get fouls called, and step back are beautiful. Maybe best in the league. But he shoots waaaaaay too much

    -I never thought I'd say this, but I really like Rudy Gay on this team. He brings something very different, and he's a smart, smart player. Also, his defense is pretty solid.

    -Klay Thompson is such a fun player to watch and a great two-way player. He has the opportunity to be the best 2 guard in the league soon.

    -Curry hasn't been that effective thus far. He really likes to foul.

    -If Coach K can do that to Demarcus Cousins, Coach K can do anything. Wow. What a transformation. Sacramento should just offer Coach K $100 over 5 years, just for $%&# and giggles.

    -Mason Plumlee really likes to dunk

    -I hope Faried makes the 2016 Olympic team, but I doubt he will. He's such a likable player.
    Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill

    President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    About 150 feet in front of the Duke Chapel doors.
    Quote Originally Posted by flyingdutchdevil View Post
    Between Finland yesterday and the exhibitions, I've concluded a few things:

    -Anthony Davis is a man amongst children. I'm not even sure he's been trying that hard in the last games and he's still dominating.
    -James Harden's foot work is beautiful. His Eurosteps, ability to get fouls called, and step back are beautiful. Maybe best in the league. But he shoots waaaaaay too much
    -I never thought I'd say this, but I really like Rudy Gay on this team. He brings something very different, and he's a smart, smart player. Also, his defense is pretty solid.
    -Klay Thompson is such a fun player to watch and a great two-way player. He has the opportunity to be the best 2 guard in the league soon.
    -Curry hasn't been that effective thus far. He really likes to foul.
    -If Coach K can do that to Demarcus Cousins, Coach K can do anything. Wow. What a transformation. Sacramento should just offer Coach K $100 over 5 years, just for $%&# and giggles.
    -Mason Plumlee really likes to dunk
    -I hope Faried makes the 2016 Olympic team, but I doubt he will. He's such a likable player.
    It's rare that I see a post make this many points, and I agree with all of them, but FDD just pulled it off.

    Davis has been a revelation. The Pelicans haven't been featured much on national broadcasts for the past two years, so I haven't seen much of him. Certainly, his 2013-14 NBA season represented a major step forward. I think it is highly likely that New Orleans will be on ESPN and TNT a little more often. As for this tournament, he's pretty clearly the USA's best option on offense and its anchor on defense.

    Harden is a lot of fun to watch for exactly the reasons you mention - whether on the break or in the half court. He's a really strong fit with the starting squad. But I agree he falls into the trap that many players who have dominant skills do - selfishness. When you're that good with driving to the basket and drawing fouls, why give the ball up? If he'd pass off his drives, or use the perimeter space he creates to look for others' shots as well as his own, he could really elevate his game.

    I, too, like Rudy Gay's work with this team much better than I thought I would. I think he's matured somewhat and has learned to play with others better. And I think he fits a unique role with this team that is well-suited to international play, so he still gets some strokes to his ego. I don't want him on my NBA team yet, but I like him here.

    I love Thompson's defense. His style seems to fit the international game better, as he relies on his hands a lot less than Curry. And Thompson's footwork on D is like Harden's on O - probably the best on the team. As for Curry, if he gets hot, he'll dominate.

    Cousins's play, like Gay's, is making me detest him a lot less. I haven't seen the attitude problems - he seems eager to play within the team concept. And the coaching staff seems to have recognized that he can be an unstoppable force on the blocks, so they've run several plays to take advantage. I look forward to seeing him operate against the Spaniards. And he rebounds like a wild beast on steroids. Geez.

    I love Mason's motor. He runs like a deer and plays within his limits otherwise. I think he's a great fit, especially with Kyrie on the floor. We saw some of their magic together in those first 8 games of 2010-11. I hope he never sustains a serious leg injury in his career, because they're so critical to his game.
    JBDuke

    Andre Dawkins: “People ask me if I can still shoot, and I ask them if they can still breathe. That’s kind of the same thing.”

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Splash Brothers . . more like Brick Brothers . . . sheesh.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by kAzE View Post
    Splash Brothers . . more like Brick Brothers . . . sheesh.
    USA playing very poorly. Will be down at the half. And this is without Turkey playing well on O. Their zone is giving the US trouble.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Rent free in tarheels’ heads
    That's some awful defense. I mean, wow. Red Sea D all over the place.
    “Coach said no 3s.” - Zion on The Block

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Chesapeake, VA.
    They look out of sync on both ends of the court, but I actually think the offense was worse than the defense in the first half.

  17. #17
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    Oct 2013
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    Dallas, TX
    Davis and Faried are unbelievable. I always thought Faried would make the team, but I don't think anyone knew he was going to be this good.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by kAzE View Post
    Davis and Faried are unbelievable. I always thought Faried would make the team, but I don't think anyone knew he was going to be this good.
    He is the most consistent and toughest player on the team. He was the reason for the turn-around in the second half. USA wore them down as they will against most teams.

  19. #19
    I turned it on when the US was up by 6, they walked away with it after that point...the ease with which Davis and Faried were scoring in the lane was unbelievable.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    NC
    Quote Originally Posted by kAzE View Post
    Davis and Faried are unbelievable. I always thought Faried would make the team, but I don't think anyone knew he was going to be this good.
    Yeah those two have been outstanding. Not far off of them has been Harden, who has kind of taken over the PG/playmaker role. He can be a bit of a ballhog at times, but he also seemed to make all the right decisions off the dribble.

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