NSR: Basketball is back, NBA, NCAA, FIBA etc

It's not the league holding them back, it's their owner. Same reason that the Rangers have been terrible for nearly twenty years now. If you want some comedy, read up on James Dolan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/sports/basketball/15dribble.html

 

For a salary cap league, it does seem like the NBA does not even try to hide that it favors certain teams based on markets, ratings and profits. I mean the NHL has been trying for years to get New York and Toronto to have decent teams.

 

FInal roster:

Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Rudy Gay, Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups, Danny Granger, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler and Andre Iguodala

 

Confusing about him. He seems to have "withdrawn" from the team, but others are saying that he was not going to make it anyway. I don't even know who Westbrook is.

 

Tournament starts tomorrow (Saturday) at 12pm Eastern time on ESPN Classic. The US plays Croatia.

Top 4 of 6 advance, so it would take almost a black hole collapse for the US not to make it.




GROUP B


USA
Brazil
Croatia
Slovenia
Iran
Tunisia


Group C

Russia
Greece
Turkey
Puerto Rico
China
Cote D'Ivoire


Group D

Spain
France
Lithuania
Canada
Lebanon
New Zealand



Group A

Serbia
Germany
Argentina
Australia
Angola
Jordan



Groups A and B match up in the knockouts and Groups D and C match up as well.

 

4th gets through.

 

The US team is so funny to watch compared to the other European teams.

 

So all the naysayers are either not paying attention, or are embarrassed for trashing Russia. So as always, I need to save Russia's pride.

Russia are currently second in their group with 5 points. In perhaps the strangest scoring system that I have ever seen, Russia got 4 points for 2 wins, and a point for a loss. Only the Europeans would use a point system for a win loss record. Anyway, they got by to two easiest teams in the group, Puerto Rico and Coite D;Ivoire. The win against Puerto Rico and a win against China should be enough to see them to the next round, unless Puerto Rico pulls an upset somewhere against a bigger team.

Lithuania is undefeated nad secured a spot in the next round, beating Spain and Canada in close games and blowing out New Zealand.

The US looks guaranteed to have the 1st spot locked up in their group after surviving a close call against Brazil. Brazil actually lead for most of the game before the US took the lead late and held on. They have played the toughest teams in their group already and come out with 3 wins. Up next is Iran and Tunisia, two teams that the US should steamroll.

 

Now that makes it even more funny.

The US game against Brasil was a couple factors from what I saw. First of all, Brazil was making an unsustainable amount of difficult shots in the first period. It was something ridiculous like 70% from behind the 3 point line. In the second half the numbers evened out, which meant they could not hit even open shots. The US also was struggling a little bit. Getting lazy a bit, not playing 100% defense, taking quick shots and not working the offense. So the good news is that Brazil is one of the best teams in the tourney, and the US played a bad game and still won. The bad news is that the US almost lost and you can't do that in the knockouts.