2016 US Olympic Team vs The Rest of the Best of the US

[hateraid]

G: Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, DeMar Derozan, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson
F: Kevin Durant, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes
C: Demarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan

vs.

G: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, James Harden
F: Lebron James, Khawi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin
C: Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard

Who you got?

[hateraid]

Left off Anthony Davis due to injury recovery

[hateraid]

Wow, I realize this is free agency time but 4-8 years ago this topic would have already been 3 pages deep.
I guess the NBA Forum should be renamed Jordan/Lebron/Kobe Forum. I wonder if Jeff moved all topics related to those 3 players it would have more traffic than the NBA forum?

[PistonsFan#21]

Give me the team thats not on the Olympics.

Curry
Harden
Leonard
Lebron
Howard

[hateraid]

Ok, so free agency frenzy has slowed down. Maybe now this can be a debatable topic

[Spurs m8]

Non Olympic team nails it

[Smoke117]

Non olympic team...obviously.

[KiiiiNG]

As good as LeBron is, gotta go with the Olympic team here.

Irving owns Curry, Durant owns Leonard, Dray can contain LeBron, and Cousins shits on Howard. Durant, Klay, Irving, and Lowry can splash 3's like crazy. Not to mention a better bench. Team USA takes it.

[Spurs m8]

As good as LeBron is, gotta go with the Olympic team here.

Irving owns Curry, Durant owns Leonard, Dray can contain LeBron, and Cousins shits on Howard. Durant, Klay, Irving, and Lowry can splash 3's like crazy. Not to mention a better bench. Team USA takes it.

http://i.makeagif.com/media/10-29-2015/W05WEV.gif

[Bankaii]

Non-Olympic team no doubt.

You're not beating Curry/Harden/Kawhi/Lebron/(AD/Howard)

Olympic team doesn't have enough scoring to keep up with that.

[KiiiiNG]

Non-Olympic team no doubt.

You're not beating Curry/Harden/Kawhi/Lebron/(AD/Howard)

Olympic team doesn't have enough scoring to keep up with that.
:facepalm

[Bankaii]

:facepalm
I get it, you're a Durant stan. But your agenda is just dumb.
Strictly as scorers:
Curry>Kyrie
Harden>Klay
Kawhi<Durant
Lebron>Carmelo
AD=Cousins

Not to mention off the bench:
Westbrook/CP3/Aldridge/Griffin>PG13/Dray/Butler/Lowry

Get over it.

[KiiiiNG]

I get it, you're a Durant stan. But your agenda is just dumb.
Strictly as scorers:
Curry>Kyrie
Harden>Klay
Kawhi<Durant
Lebron>Carmelo
AD=Cousins

Not to mention off the bench:
Westbrook/CP3/Aldridge/Griffin>PG13/Dray/Butler/Lowry

Get over it.
Get over what? Kyrie, Klay, Durant, and Melo are all great shooters. And if you swap Melo for Dray, you got another great shooter with DPOY type defense.

We've already seen a Kyrie/Curry match-up in games that matter... Irving embarrassed him

Team USA has better shooting AND better ISO play AND better two-way players

You're blind if you can't see why'd they win.

[Bankaii]

Get over what? Kyrie, Klay, Durant, and Melo are all great shooters. And if you swap Melo for Dray, you got another great shooter with DPOY type defense.

We've already seen a Kyrie/Curry match-up in games that matter... Irving embarrassed him

Team USA has better shooting AND better ISO play AND better two-way players

You're blind if you can't see why'd they win.
I'll give you better iOS/shooters, although the gap is small, if there even is one.

But better two way players?:oldlol:
Kyrie and Curry are both average defenders.
Klay>>Harden
Durant<<Kawhi
Melo<<Lebron
Cousins<AD

Non-team USA has too many weapons on both sides of the court. With Lebron playing point forward and Curry, Harden, and Kawhi spreading it'd be too much.

This isn't even accounting bench support which would include Lowry, Derozan, Barnes...

[Spurs m8]

Good on him for trying to debate it, I guess...

[KiiiiNG]

I'll give you better iOS/shooters, although the gap is small, if there even is one.

But better two way players?:oldlol:
Kyrie and Curry are both average defenders.
Klay>>Harden
Durant<<Kawhi
Melo<<Lebron
Cousins<AD

Non-team USA has too many weapons on both sides of the court. With Lebron playing point forward and Curry, Harden, and Kawhi spreading it'd be too much.

This isn't even accounting bench support which would include Lowry, Derozan, Barnes...
non-USA two-way players: LeBron, CP3, Kawhi, Davis.

USA two-way players: Durant, Klay, Dray, George, Butler

:confusedshrug:

And as of now, Cousins > AD as a player. Jordan > Howard

Also, and most importantly, team USA has many players that don't need the ball in their hands to be effective. On non USA you have Harden, CP3, Westbrook, LeBron... bunch of guys that NEED the ball to be effective

That's why the "this guy > this guy at scoring" argument doesn't work. We know by now it's the chemistry that matters, and it looks to me USA would have much better chemistry than non-USA. Better spacing/shooting, better perimeter defense, better ISO play, better post-play = better team

:confusedshrug:



Edit: Davis is injured, so he should be left off. So that's one less two-way player for nonUSA

[AintNoSunshine]

At the first glimpse I was gonna say the team with Lebron, I still think if it's one game Lebron/Kawhi/Westbrook would pull it out, but over a 7 game series the Olympic Team has too many great 2-way swingmen with size between Carmelo, George, Butler, Klay, Derozan. I think they could eventually wear down Lebron/Kawhi and could bother Westbrook.

[Bankaii]

non-USA two-way players: LeBron, CP3, Kawhi, Davis.

USA two-way players: Durant, Klay, Dray, George, Butler

:confusedshrug:
Non-USA has the better defenders of that bunch.
And if Durant is getting grouped in as a two-way player:oldlol: then so does players like Westbrook, Wall, etc.


And as of now, Cousins > AD as a player. Jordan > Howard
No, just no to both. Healthy AD was getting talks of becoming the 3rd best player in the league after Lebron/Curry after 2015 and was expected to be MVP. Boogie has NEVER been on that level.

And Jordan can't even create his own shot. I'd take a broken down Dwightnover him any day.


Also, and most importantly, team USA has many players that don't need the ball in their hands to be effective. On non USA you have Harden, CP3, Westbrook, LeBron... bunch of guys that NEED the ball to be effective

That's why the "this guy > this guy at scoring" argument doesn't work. We know by now it's the chemistry that matters, and it looks to me USA would have much better chemistry than non-USA. Better spacing/shooting, better perimeter defense, better ISO play, better post-play = better team
This makes sense on paper, but it's been proven time and time again that that's not the case.
2013 Lebron/Wade/Bosh all needed the ball to be effective yet beat the 2013 Spurs whom had vastly superior ball movement and off ball players.
Same with 2016 Cavs beating the Warriors.
You simply aren't beating a team led by Lebron/Curry offensively with Lebron/Kawhi/AD defensively. It's not happening.


Edit: Davis is injured, so he should be left off. So that's one less two-way player for nonUSA
From what I remember he's recovering from knee surgery. I wouldn't necessarily call him "injured" whatever. Dwight would be a fine replacement anyway.

[SamuraiSWISH]

I like Kyrie and Butler but c'mon

Curry / CP3 / Lillard
Harden / Westbrook
Bron / Leonard
Aldridge / Griffin
Davis / Howard

Absolutely kills it.

Same gravity with shooting from the perimeter. Spacing. Superior IQ, passing, and most importantly defense. Similar size but more skill and versatility.

While also featuring probably 7 of the 8 best players from both teams.

Including the best player.

[soots]

The team thats currently being pumped with PEDs wins this easily. The others will have to wait for the next free cycle window