Here's my US team for FIBA competition

[90sgoat]

A team for the next Olympics in 4 years, 12 players.

This is a team to WIN, so that means players who can be built into a TEAM.

G: Ja Morant / Trae Young
G: Kevin Huerter / Luke Kennard
F: Mikal Bridges / Robert Covington / Joe Harris
F: Myles Turner / John Collins / Blake Griffin
C: Jaren Jackson Junior / Christian Wood

[ralph_i_el]

Now you've gone too far the other way. 2-3 star forwards would be good. Plus, point guard defense seems to mater in FIBA.

This team does look like it can defend and scorer though.

[Orange_Cassidy]

the nba went way too far with its thuggish street ball sh*t and lost in 2004

now the nba went too far with its pampered 3 ball protect the players movement and every other country is making them look like wnba b*tches under real basketball rules against real men


do people really think jokic, luka and giannis are the only great foreign players out there. they could replace every American right now aside from Durant and a few other stars

Americans took this curry ball shit too far.. and the lebron/kawhi era rule system has turned everyone into tissue paper



you need a balance of skill and power in your league

[90sgoat]

Now you've gone too far the other way. 2-3 star forwards would be good. Plus, point guard defense seems to mater in FIBA.

This team does look like it can defend and scorer though.

Is Ja Morant a bad defender?

I'd probably bring in PG then, if I had to choose a star forward.

PG seems like a team oriented player. He fit in with the Pacers.

[ScottieQuitting]

the nba went way too far with its thuggish street ball sh*t and lost in 2004

now the nba went too far with its pampered 3 ball protect the players movement and every other country is making them look like wnba b*tches under real basketball rules against real men


do people really think jokic, luka and giannis are the only great foreign players out there. they could replace every American right now aside from Durant and a few other stars

Americans took this curry ball shit too far.. and the lebron/kawhi era rule system has turned everyone into tissue paper



you need a balance of skill and power in your league
You mean skill and physicality. And yes, I agree. Embarrassing that the American game is now the softer product.

The league used to weed out the euros, who have always been tremendously skilled, at the professional NBA level being the best combination of physicality and skill. You can’t showcase your skills if you’re to meek physically to hang in the pro America game.

90s and up until about 2014 had that. I wouldn’t go as far to say our players will get dominated over seas but yes the balance isn’t there.

2002 team did worse than 2004. And the 2019 team did worse than all of them.

2004 didn’t work because it was thrown together at the last minute. Clearly a lot of the players hearts weren’t in it. The player who was supposed to be our best player, Tim Duncan, clearly wasn’t the best player and quite frankly wasn’t that good in international competition.

Iverson did his best to keep us in it. Coach sucked and didn’t adapt to talent. No defense was played. No shooting. LeBron, Wade and Melo barely played but also we’re too young anyway. So your analysis of that was wrong.

[3ba11]

American's learn to play 1 or 2-man basketball, while other countries learn 5-on-5 skills from a young age - and talent/skill doesn't matter anymore because the game is a 3-point contest, so any scrub team can beat our superior talent by shooting threes - you could build robots to beat us because talent/skill doesn't matter - the team that shoots threes the best will win

[90sgoat]

American's learn to play 1 or 2-man basketball, while other countries learn 5-on-5 skills from a young age - and talent/skill doesn't matter anymore because the game is a 3-point contest, so any scrub team can beat our superior talent by shooting threes - you could build robots to beat us because talent/skill doesn't matter - the team that shoots threes the best will win

What's your team for FIBA?

[ralph_i_el]

American's learn to play 1 or 2-man basketball, while other countries learn 5-on-5 skills from a young age - and talent/skill doesn't matter anymore because the game is a 3-point contest, so any scrub team can beat our superior talent by shooting threes - you could build robots to beat us because talent/skill doesn't matter - the team that shoots threes the best will win

Understanding 5-on-5 play is a skill. Making quick decisions with the ball is a skill.

[Xiao Yao You]

Understanding 5-on-5 play is a skill. Making quick decisions with the ball is a skill.

the ball moved pretty good last night. Have to defend better

[90sgoat]

US Basketball should consult this thread.

[ZenMaster]

Would have been good with some top level off ball players, Huerter would be nice on the team.