Team USA DESPERATELY misses Chris Paul and LeBron

[atljonesbro]

They have no play makers and people to run the offense. They just play street ball

[branslowski]

No, They actually miss Curry and AD.

[bdreason]

I said this when the tournament started. The only real playmaker on this team is DrayGod, and he's only effective in the open court. Every other player on this team is a finisher, and not a single player knows how to run an offense, or get another player an easy bucket.

[Nilocon165]

No, They actually miss Curry and AD.
what

[Lebron23]

No, They actually miss Curry and AD.


LeBron > Curry and AD.

Karl Towns is also going to be better than AD next season.

[kentatm]

they need to bench Durant's lazy D playing ass

[TommyGriffin]

No, They actually miss Curry and AD.
This.

[RedBlackAttack]

they need to bench Durant's lazy D playing ass
Defense is the primary problem at the moment. They just allowed Serbia to shoot an absurd 52% from the field. That is not acceptable on any level.

[plowking]

LeBron > Curry and AD.

Karl Towns is also going to be better than AD next season.

lol no he won't.

People are really jumping on this KAT bandwagon. He is good, but calm the hell down. Lots of things as a big man he needs to work on.

[juju151111]

lol no he won't.

People are really jumping on this KAT bandwagon. He is good, but calm the hell down. Lots of things as a big man he needs to work on.
Why calm down. Towns will probably put up similar if not better production then AD. He was a way better rookie

[imdaman99]

And they miss the havoc Westbrook causes, because I recall him pestering opposing PGs bringing up the ball in 2012 Olympics.

[DATBOYFLUENT]

They need a player like a Kobe Bryant that is willing to lock down other team's best perimeter player and be able to perform in clutch situations.

[Fire Colangelo]

They don't have ANY play makers in the team.

A bunch of scorers, but nobody can make a play for others other than an occasional DJ lob. The last couple of possessions against Serbia was basically Kyrie and Melo going 1v1 trying to make something happen... That shit works sometimes, but not all the time. Their offense has been pathetic compared to past Olympic teams... And they're definitely not making up for it on the defensive end.

A CP3 or LeBron will take this team to the gold effortlessly IMO.

[TheWinningFam]

They need a player like a Kobe Bryant that is willing to lock down other team's best perimeter player and be able to perform in clutch situations.
No. :roll:

[KirbyPls]

No, They actually miss Curry and AD.

Yep, Curry's play-making and assist to turnover ratios were on point in pressure situations two months ago. :lol

[Nick Young]

Imagine if they had Kawhi. They would win every game by 30. They need a pure PG, someone like D'Angelo Russell or Shaun Livingston.

Durant is playing like garbage and so is George and Klay. All they need to do is feed Melo and ride him to victory. Midtier scrubs like Derozan and Lowry need to stop going in to business for themselves and Durant needs to learn to hit shots.

[AintNoSunshine]

No, They actually miss Curry and AD.


Yep, Cuckry with his jaw dropping behind the back pass would create so many open looks:oldlol:

[SamuraiSWISH]

It's more so the lack of defined roles. On the dominant gold medal winning teams: 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 everyone left their ego at the door and played a niche role.

Kidd, CP3, and Harden were floor generals getting everyone involved.

LeBron was the do it all utility man on both the 2008 and 2012 team.

Kobe was the assigned defensive stopper on the 2008 team.

Wade and Westbrook were the attacking 6th men off the bench.

Melo, and Durant were the pure scorers.

Bosh, Chandler, Davis, Love and Farried were designated rim protectors and rebounders.

Deron, Billups, Redd, Curry, Irving were the guard shooters to space the floor.

The roles on this team have vanished along with the perimeter defense. It's not a shock the last two games why they've been playing so poorly. For comparison sake, the more well rounded 2014 team molly whopped this same team by 37 points in the FIBA championship game.

[TAZORAC]

They don't miss Chris Paul...the international game is a shooters game...they miss Curry. Cousins isn't althetic enough for the olympics..could have used Farreed or Drummond more even Plumlee.

That being said TEAM USA still goes undefeated and wins GOLD.

[SamuraiSWISH]

International game is funny enough at this point compared to back in the day more physical than the NBA. Thus making it a shooters game. Unless you have players that can override the physicality because it doesn't bother them: LeBron, Melo, Wade, and Westbrook etc

[TAZORAC]

Doesn't help Klay Thompson has only hit like 1 fking 3 pointer the whole olympics.

[Papaya Petee]

It's more so the lack of defined roles. On the dominant gold medal winning teams: 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 everyone left their ego at the door and played a niche role.

Kidd, CP3, and Harden were floor generals getting everyone involved.

LeBron was the do it all utility man on both the 2008 and 2012 team.

Kobe was the assigned defensive stopper on the 2008 team.

Wade and Westbrook were the attacking 6th men off the bench.

Melo, and Durant were the pure scorers.

Bosh, Chandler, Davis, Love and Farried were designated rim protectors and rebounders.

Deron, Billups, Redd, Curry, Irving were the guard shooters to space the floor.

The roles on this team have vanished along with the perimeter defense. It's not a shock the last two games why they've been playing so poorly. For comparison sake, the more well rounded 2014 team molly whopped this same team by 37 points in the FIBA championship game.
100% agree on what you said. However they will still probably go undefeated based on the pure talent they have. Its a shame because if they had assigned roles like you said their basketball would be so much better to watch.

[yobore]

They don't miss Chris Paul...the international game is a shooters game...they miss Curry. Cousins isn't althetic enough for the olympics..could have used Farreed or Drummond more even Plumlee.

That being said TEAM USA still goes undefeated and wins GOLD.
Paul was one of the most important players in the last two Olympics. He shoots well enough, defends well, but mainly he can bring order to a team full of superstars when the game tightens up.

[Euroleague]

Yeah because Team USA sure was so successful in 2004 with LeBron when they lost 4 games and in 2006 with LeBron and Chris Paul when they lost to Greece.......

So "dominant" in 2008 (when both played) when they were leading Spain by 4 points with 2 minutes to go in the gold medal game....

So "dominant" in 2012 (when both played) with a 6 point win against Argentina in a prep game, a 5 point win against Lithuania, and a 7 point win against Spain....

Yeah, Team USA would be so much better if it just had Paul and LeBron....


https://media4.giphy.com/media/FlVTwpUxtmzgk/200.gif

[Euroleague]

LeBron > Curry and AD.

Karl Towns is also going to be better than AD next season.

Towns is a member of Dominican Republic national team.

[Euroleague]

It's more so the lack of defined roles. On the dominant gold medal winning teams: 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 everyone left their ego at the door and played a niche role.

Kidd, CP3, and Harden were floor generals getting everyone involved.

LeBron was the do it all utility man on both the 2008 and 2012 team.

Kobe was the assigned defensive stopper on the 2008 team.

Wade and Westbrook were the attacking 6th men off the bench.

Melo, and Durant were the pure scorers.

Bosh, Chandler, Davis, Love and Farried were designated rim protectors and rebounders.

Deron, Billups, Redd, Curry, Irving were the guard shooters to space the floor.

The roles on this team have vanished along with the perimeter defense. It's not a shock the last two games why they've been playing so poorly. For comparison sake, the more well rounded 2014 team molly whopped this same team by 37 points in the FIBA championship game.

2008 and 2012 Team USA teams were not "dominant". Especially not in the case of the 2012 team.

[ShawkFactory]

Yeah because Team USA sure was so successful in 2004 with LeBron when they lost 4 games and in 2006 with LeBron and Chris Paul when they lost to Greece.......

So "dominant" in 2008 (when both played) when they were leading Spain by 4 points with 2 minutes to go in the gold medal game....

So "dominant" in 2012 (when both played) with a 6 point win against Argentina in a prep game, a 5 point win against Lithuania, and a 7 point win against Spain....

Yeah, Team USA would be so much better if it just had Paul and LeBron....


https://media4.giphy.com/media/FlVTwpUxtmzgk/200.gif
Yes, with Lebron and Paul this team would be better.

[SamuraiSWISH]

2008 and 2012 Team USA teams were not "dominant". Especially not in the case of the 2012 team.
What were their records?
How many games did they lose?
What was their average margin of victory?

2008 was better than 2012, easily. Certainly dominant. 2012 slightly less so.

2012 had 2 close games. Lithuania and Spain. The Redeem Team lowest margin of victory was the rigged gold medal game against PEAK Spain.

And they still were up most of the game by double digits and won by 11 points. With 2 of their top 3 players sitting the vast majority of the first half.

2012 fell into the lazy traps that team USA is prone to in playing ISO ball. Yet still won. 2014 knocked everyone's teeth in even worse. With less star power. But with a more international team type build to their roster.

Even this year's shitastic C team will still most likely win gold.

[Euroleague]

What were their records?
How many games did they lose?
What was their average margin of victory?

2008 was better than 2012, easily. Certainly dominant. 2012 slightly less so.

2012 had 2 close games. Lithuania and Spain. The Redeem Team lowest margin of victory was the rigged gold medal game against PEAK Spain.

And they still were up most of the game by double digits and won by 11 points. With 2 of their top 3 players sitting the vast majority of the first half.

2012 fell into the lazy traps that team USA is prone to in playing ISO ball. Yet still won. 2014 knocked everyone's teeth in even worse. With less star power. But with a more international team type build to their roster.

Even this year's shitastic C team will still most likely win gold.

2008 and 2012 USA teams were nothing close to being dominant.

2014 USA team - that was a dominant team.

[Euroleague]

Yes, with Lebron and Paul this team would be better.

Well players like Lowry are god awful horrible, so yes.

But you are really exaggerating the effect LeBron and especially Paul had on Team USA.

LeBron was shitting his pants in 2008 and 2012 gold medal games in the 4th quarter.

Chris Paul is way undersized and way too weak to deal with the big play makers in FIBA basketball.

So yeah, they would be better, but not much. Because Coach K can always just bench Lowry's ass the whole game when it matters.