Inspired by the other thread. We haven't hashed out the reasons we blow for a while now (still basking in the glory of various Olympic Dream Teams, I suppose). So, why do we suck at basketball and will we ever not suck? How do you propose to fix problem short of brainwashing all those soccer-loving parents and removing all the gameboys, computers and tv channels that detract from playing. Any glimmers of light on the horizon?
[In fake Nancy voice:] I think we'll continue to suck as long as our best players stay in our pathetic domestic league and refuse to take on the challenge of playing in Europe and South America. And also, the NCAA should adapt international rules. Why does the NCAA have to play different rules from the rest of the world? How can our hoopsters ever hope to compete?
Wrong. It is specifically a US Soccer thread. Jacen, you are familiar with the concept of parody, are you not?
No, no, no. The there is no national team success if the stars don't play in the domestic league and bring in the casual fans. That said, US hoops will continue to suffer until the NBA adopts a promotion/relegation system.
I'm very familiar with Parody, but it was a parody of another thread, not of the team. I know there isn't alot going on with the nats right now, and that's the main reason alot of stuff on the borderline has been left alone, but it's very frustrating to log on and see that the top three threads on the forum were about US basketball. JMac
George Karl should be fired! How come Shaq is not playing point guard! on a related note. This sure sounds familiar: "You can't imagine how happy my people are. They feel so good right now," Stojakovic, the Sacramento Kings standout, said. "They've been up at 3 a.m., getting out of bed and watching this thing. They love this. We wanted to win for them."
We need more Basketball Specific Stadia. No one will take the domestic league seriously until they stop playing in these hockey arenas.
Yeah.....and the U.S. would still lose. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkely, etc. etc. etc. etc are no longer in the NBA. Guys like Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal and Michael Finley are not exactly bums. If we have to depend solely on our best 12 guys to beat these tiny countries, then we're in a lot of trouble. When I was in high school, it was a big deal if someone could actually reach the rim and dunk. Now, it's a rarity if someone actually CAN'T. In Europe (and elsewhere), kids are draining 3's left and right. It's not our game anymore.
This is officially my post of the year submission. Thank you. I laughed at loud at that one. Unfortunately I was in a public computer lab at the time, which was a little distracting for the people around me. Reggie Miller, the Earnie Stewart of basketball was pretty good, too. How about some Jack and Ty references here, like Vlade really reeked Ha-voc on the US defences, or "Miller climbs the ladder for a hellacious jam."
Pierce had a couple of nice speed moves, but he needs to learn to pass the ball off to another one of our full internationals every once in a while. Mine eyes have seen the horror.
The problem with the US team is they had no leaders. When it came down to crunch time nobody was willing/able to take the big shot because these are all guys who play for mediocre teams. They needed a few guys who have won championships, or at least been to the NBA finals on this team and there were none to be head. Pathetic/embarrassing but the world has closed the gap and the US needs to send their top players if they want to guarantee victory.
And he also leads the team in field goals and free throws taken in addition to being second on the team in turnovers despite not even being the point guard. Another stat he leads the whole tournament in: boring his teammates to death until they become paralyzed spectators on the court. I was just throwing in a couple of Jack and Tyisms. Change the name to Baron Davis, Andre Miller, or Michael Finley if you want. The point is, the players on the perimeter getting the majority of the minutes and touches on the ball couldn't organize anything resembling an offense throughout the tournament. It is their responsibility to get the spacing and organization right. I realize Pierce shot well the entire tournament, but he and the other guys would have been better served moving the ball better. It seemed to work for both Argentina and Yugoslavia on us with less talented players.
I think that the problem is that Americans are used to playing with their feet. They do not know how to use their hands. The rest of the world plays with their hands, so they are good at basketball.
It's amazing how the basketball establishment (NBA, NCAA, high schools...) have been able to sell the idea that every current problem with basketball is someone else's fault. ESPN has a good one: http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/wojnarowski_adrian/1428234.html And Bob Ryan, who always does an excellent job covering these tournaments, with his own piece: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/250/sports/There_s_no_longer_a_world_of_difference+.shtml