Tokyo Olympics Basketball (July 25 - Aug. 7)

[uh_no]

The US team is made up of Robbie Hummel (Purdue All-American and former Minnesota Timberwolves), Kareem Maddox (Princeton), Dominique Jones (Ft Hayes St), and Joey King (Minnesota).

The 3-on-3 game is really different from regular basketball as it places a HUGE priority on outside shooting. Baskets from inside the arc are worth 1 point and those outside the arc are worth 2 points. Each game is played to 21. There is a 12-second shot clock. The ball is the size of a women's ball but the weight of a men's ball. Lots more zany stuff too. I'm excited to watch it and figure out the tactics and skills that are key to winning. I mean, with limited help D, I would think a player who could get his shot in the post would be huge, but by placing so much value on outside shots you really skew things the other way.

seems like we should have just brought steph curry and literally anyone else.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

The US team is made up of Robbie Hummel (Purdue All-American and former Minnesota Timberwolves), Kareem Maddox (Princeton), Dominique Jones (Ft Hayes St), and Joey King (Minnesota).

The 3-on-3 game is really different from regular basketball as it places a HUGE priority on outside shooting. Baskets from inside the arc are worth 1 point and those outside the arc are worth 2 points. Each game is played to 21. There is a 12-second shot clock. The ball is the size of a women's ball but the weight of a men's ball. Lots more zany stuff too. I'm excited to watch it and figure out the tactics and skills that are key to winning. I mean, with limited help D, I would think a player who could get his shot in the post would be huge, but by placing so much value on outside shots you really skew things the other way.

I'm perplexed I had never heard of this before. How on earth did those three players get selected for this?

[awhom111]

I wonder if Italy inquired about whether Paolo wanted to join their training camp. With rather variable player availability over the next month, they are just practicing with what they have now and adding and subtracting players as needed.

I'm perplexed I had never heard of this before. How on earth did those three players get selected for this?

On the men's side, there are a number of players who play only 3x3 and do it year-round and earn reasonable money doing so. On the women's side, the selected USA players have not played overseas as much as other WNBA players so they have had time to train specifically for 3x3. I am not sure if they will be able to have as big of a tour as planned, but Red Bull puts on a bunch of 3x3 tournaments across the country during the summer.

The men's team also won their first two pool play games so both teams have a good shot at the quarterfinals. The unpredictable nature of the race to 21 means that plenty of teams have done well in pool play only to face a team that gets hot in the knockout round.

[Billy Dat]

As with every other piece of video content in the world, YouTube is a great way to get a taste for FIBA 3x3. Here's a recent USA vs Lithuania barn burner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfYC799c7A

It's a really fun format that has a rhythm all its own and actually looks and feels pretty close to the informal pick-up format it is inspired by 3x3.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

As with every other piece of video content in the world, YouTube is a great way to get a taste for FIBA 3x3. Here's a recent USA vs Lithuania barn burner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfYC799c7A

It's a really fun format that has a rhythm all its own and actually looks and feels pretty close to the informal pick-up format it is inspired by 3x3.

Wow. Such a strange thing to see on TV. Definitely feels like pick up ball. Almost surprised they don't call their own fouls. (Not really, of course)

I'm still very curious about how the teams were selected. Is there a dramatically different skill set for this sort of basketball? Of course shooting is at a premium. Quick reactions and the ability to turn from defense to offence immediately. Less full court running...

[JasonEvans]

I strongly suspect that if we gave them one week to work on the unique rules of the 3-on-3 game, Grayson Allen, Gary Trent Jr, and Seth Curry could utterly destroy the field in this sport.

[awhom111]

2 more wins on the women's side for USA so they win their pool. That sets up a favorable quarterfinal with Belarus, but guarantees that a win would result in a tricky semifinal with either Spain or Australia.

The men's team split their games, but still win the pool on tiebreaker. All the remaining teams have reasonable experience in this format and have played well this week so it would be hard to say that any of the eight remaining teams have much of an advantage.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Wow. Such a strange thing to see on TV. Definitely feels like pick up ball. Almost surprised they don't call their own fouls. (Not really, of course)

I'm still very curious about how the teams were selected. Is there a dramatically different skill set for this sort of basketball? Of course shooting is at a premium. Quick reactions and the ability to turn from defense to offence immediately. Less full court running...

My short-lived fascination may be already finished.

[dukelifer]

I strongly suspect that if we gave them one week to work on the unique rules of the 3-on-3 game, Grayson Allen, Gary Trent Jr, and Seth Curry could utterly destroy the field in this sport.

Maybe next Olympics - no U.S.A. this year.

[awhom111]

Kara and the women's team took care of business in their two games to make it to the Olympics!

My short-lived fascination may be already finished.

It's not every day that flyingdutchdevil gets national team superiority over the American posters here.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Kara and the women's team took care of business in their two games to make it to the Olympics!



It's not every day that flyingdutchdevil gets national team superiority over the American posters here.

I will convert my fascination with the sport to the ladies team.

[uh_no]

My short-lived fascination may be already finished.

well at least we realized quickly that we can't dominate this event while not sending the best team we possibly could.

Does anybody seriously think a team of steph curry, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant (or insert whatever 3 players you want who aren't playing on the national team) wouldn't beat this team with a bit of practice?

[DoubleBlue]

well at least we realized quickly that we can't dominate this event while not sending the best team we possibly could.

Does anybody seriously think a team of steph curry, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant (or insert whatever 3 players you want who aren't playing on the national team) wouldn't beat this team with a bit of practice?

And it wouldn't take much practice either. These guys all play 3-on-3 in practice and I'm sure plenty in the past, in their youth. Its more about shooting, rebounding and defense... probably more fundamental than full court, which is more about speed, vision and timing.

[budwom]

we lost to a team that wears wooden Nikes?

[JasonEvans]

well at least we realized quickly that we can't dominate this event while not sending the best team we possibly could.

Does anybody seriously think a team of steph curry, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant (or insert whatever 3 players you want who aren't playing on the national team) wouldn't beat this team with a bit of practice?

We don't need to send really good guys like that. We just need to send 4 rotation-level multi-skilled (have to be able to shoot and defend a rebound a bit) NBA players and we would own this event. Instead, we sent an over-the-hill former college star (Robbie Hummel) and a trio of guys who couldn't even make the G-League, let alone the NBA. I don't know what USA Basketball was thinking. Grant Hill needs to get a handle on this and fix it, pronto. With the right players, 3-on-3 hoops could be really fun.

[House P]

Maybe next Olympics - no U.S.A. this year.

Seems like an odd qualification process when you consider the following:

1. Only 8 teams qualify for the Olympics.
2. The winner of the 2019 3x3 FIBA World Championship (USA) does not automatically qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
3. One qualification spot is reserved for a country which didn’t qualify for the 2012 or 2016 Olympics in (regular) 5x5 basketball.

Regarding point #1, does anyone know if there any other Olympic sports where 8 (or fewer) participants qualify?

[awhom111]

We don't need to send really good guys like that. We just need to send 4 rotation-level multi-skilled (have to be able to shoot and defend a rebound a bit) NBA players and we would own this event. Instead, we sent an over-the-hill former college star (Robbie Hummel) and a trio of guys who couldn't even make the G-League, let alone the NBA. I don't know what USA Basketball was thinking. Grant Hill needs to get a handle on this and fix it, pronto. With the right players, 3-on-3 hoops could be really fun.

There are actual rules on who would be eligible to play though:
https://fiba3x3.com/en/olympics/who-...rticipate.html

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
4-player roster of Olympic 3x3 teams:

2 players ranked within the top 10 of their country
2 players ranked within the top 50 of their country, or have the minimum number of ranking points

Given that there are Americans playing 3x3 professionally essentially full-time, you would either need NBA players to play more 3x3 or somehow ban the other players from playing.

Seems like an odd qualification process when you consider the following:

1. Only 8 teams qualify for the Olympics.
2. The winner of the 2019 3x3 FIBA World Championship (USA) does not automatically qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
3. One qualification spot is reserved for a country which didn’t qualify for the 2012 or 2016 Olympics in (regular) 5x5 basketball.

Regarding point #1, does anyone know if there any other Olympic sports where 8 (or fewer) participants qualify?

Baseball and Softball traditionally, although they are again exiting the Olympics. On a trial basis, this seems fair, but eventually 32 team fields in this event would be fun. Japan's gamble paid off as they chose the one automatic berth they were awarded for the men's team, which is not as highly ranked as their women's team and would have been much less likely to successfully navigate qualification.

[uh_no]

There are actual rules on who would be eligible to play though:
https://fiba3x3.com/en/olympics/who-...rticipate.html



Given that there are Americans playing 3x3 professionally essentially full-time, you would either need NBA players to play more 3x3 or somehow ban the other players from playing.

huh. on the one hand, I understand their want to pump up their own players via those rules...but on the other hand, this makes this doomed to fail long term...as everyone watching this will know the teams that win will be nowhere near the best. It would be like if the olympics added a 40y dash time trial, NFL combine style, but didn't allow Usain Bolt to compete since he didn't do the NFL combine or something silly.


Don't get me wrong, there are reasons for the 3x3 rules people to want to pump up their league's players, but you can't ignore the elephant in the room that the best players are not playing 3x3, and for better or worse, that makes me pretty uninterested in the whole thing. If I wanted to see mediocre basketball, I'd be a UNC fan.

[awhom111]

Emiliano Carchia, one of the more prominent European basketball journalists, reports that Paolo will not play for Italy with Duke apparently preferring that he does not.

This is not the patriotism level of Nikola Jokic making sure that he has the most practices with Serbia possible before they attempt to qualify.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Emiliano Carchia, one of the more prominent European basketball journalists, reports that Paolo will not play for Italy with Duke apparently preferring that he does not.

This is not the patriotism level of Nikola Jokic making sure that he has the most practices with Serbia possible before they attempt to qualify.

That's very surprising, especially given K's own history with the Olympics and the importance he seems to have placed on them.