France vs. USA Tokyo Olympic Basketball Game Thread 7/25/21

[plowking]

World wide talent pool has gotten deeper and better at the top. But it’s not that significant. We were dominating as recently as 2010 and 2014 and 2016 without our primo talents.

Were you? 2000 had close matches because the team was average. 2004 was a lesson.
2008 was the best team possible, and still had 1 close match vs Spain.
2012 best team possible, and was even closer vs Spain.
2016 - decent mix of talent, but a lot of close ones.
2020 - average team with a few out and out stars.

We also don’t have size. That 92, 94, 96 team would decimate these foreign competition teams easily. Based on carrying play style, size, defense etc

Look at the 96 team. Far and away the best talent in the league and winning by about 25 against the best teams. This is consistent with 08 and 12, bar Spain who is an outlier match.

When they start sending less talent, it becomes closer. That is coupled with the rest of the world being better too.

96 team probably beats most by 20ish points, and has a tough match here and there. But, if they sent over Bron, Curry, Butler, Beard, Kyrie, etc, than USA probably wins by 20ish again.

Taking the top talent over is what matters, and has been the staple for the dominance. Style of play has far less to do with it.

[ScottieQuitting]

I don’t think you really watched the 2008 and 2012 team.

They molly whopped everyone. They beat Spain by 35 to 40 points when they had a superior roster to the one in the gold medal game, they had José Calderón at starting point guard and he got injured before the gold medal game.

The only reason the gold medal game was remotely close for a long time. Was as follows. In the first game when team USA beat Spain by 35 to 40 points? Our perimeter defense suffocated them. We got so many steals in transition baskets. In the gold medal game, they deliberately called ticky-tacky fouls on the perimeter defense for team USA. Kobe and LeBron got into heavy foul trouble. Having to remove them from the game earlier than anticipated. Dwyane Wade kept us in it. But in the second half once it got really tight, and Kobe and Dwyane Wade widened the gap, it was getting easier.

The 2012 team was almost the best roster we could’ve sent. If Dwyane Wade was on it, instead of K. Love, it would’ve been the Re-Dream Team.

Otherwise they curb stomped everybody in that Olympics as well. The game with Spain was tight, yes, because that was the peak of a really good near great Spain national team.

The team USA’s from 1992 and 1996 are better equipped as all around rosters and teams than any of them. But team play hasn’t been great consistently from nba teams and players who run ISO and pick n roll heavy “offenses” for sometime now.

It’s not style of play exclusively but actually it is. That’s why extremely less talented players are at times looking like they’re individually out performing superior basketball stars.

[ScottieQuitting]

No Bron no win. USA getting their asses handed to them by a bunch of croissant eating mimes

2004 - Bronze
2006 - Bronze
2007 - w/ Kobe gold
2008 - w/ Kobe gold
2010 - No Bron gold
2012 - w/ Kobe gold
2014 - No Bron gold
2016 - No Bron gold

So wtf are you talking about?

Kevin Durant going to lead USA to bronze like Duncan did. What a geek

He already led us to gold in 2010 and 2016? And was 3rd best player on the 2012 team. 1) LeBron 2) Melo 3) KD 4) Kobe 5) K. Love

[RRR3]

2004 - Bronze
2006 - Bronze
2007 - w/ Kobe gold
2008 - w/ Kobe gold
2010 - No Bron gold
2012 - w/ Kobe gold
2014 - No Bron gold
2016 - No Bron gold

So wtf are you talking about?



He already led us to gold in 2010 and 2016? And was 3rd best player on the 2012 team. 1) LeBron 2) Melo 3) KD 4) Kobe 5) K. Love

Kobe was completely irrelevant on the 2012 team, yikesaroonie

[ClipperRevival]

International plays more like the sport in reality as it was up until the mid 2010s.

An actual sport not just entertainment.

More physical. Harder scoring climate. Values half court play. Varying styles. No easy cheap whistles and foul calls.

World wide talent pool has gotten deeper and better at the top. But it’s not that significant. We were dominating as recently as 2010 and 2014 and 2016 without our primo talents.

2019 and 2021 are embarrassments. Some quality players here and there, not A+ tier besides KD and maybe Dame.

But most of them that just chuck threes, can’t handle physicality, if jumper isn’t falling lol suspect and definitely don’t play defense or move the ball with quality court vision and passing.

We also don’t have size. That 92, 94, 96 team would decimate these foreign competition teams easily. Based on carrying play style, size, defense etc

Agreed.

And NBA players today rely way too much on the 3. I think in the last 3 minutes or so of the game, USA attempted 9 3s (missed all of them) with zero 2 pt attempts. They LITERALLY died by the 3 today. The NBA game is a gimmick game right now.

[ScottieQuitting]

Kobe was completely irrelevant on the 2012 team, yikesaroonie

He was clearly the 4th or 5th best player. WTF are you talking about? Only players with argument over him was Bron, KD, Melo, CP3.

[Axe]

Spoon fed dunks and putbacks?

5/6 is not too shabby at all, don't you think? ;)

[Xiao Yao You]

Amazing what a new team and coach can do for a narrative. Finally saw the game. Several times Gobert scored on a smaller player. Supposedly something he can't do. The difference was having teammates that will pass you the ball. The game was won in the 3rd when their coach went big. Something COTY has refused to do the past two seasons. Gobert was guarding the perimeter and had help at the rim and when he was at the rim he had help on the perimeter instead of trying to be a one man defense. France doesn't have close to the talent the the Jazz do but much better team play at both ends.

Durant needs to stay on the floor and play better. Duncan being in foul trouble was a big reason they lost in 2004

[CountDracula]

Somebody give baby boy Durant some protein in this beesh!

[DoctorP]

Wow. Some really awful chucking by team USA in this game. They think they can shoot themselves into the win column but they missed their shots. Not a good showing.

[tpols]

2004 - Bronze
2006 - Bronze
2007 - w/ Kobe gold
2008 - w/ Kobe gold
2010 - No Bron gold
2012 - w/ Kobe gold
2014 - No Bron gold
2016 - No Bron gold

So wtf are you talking about?



He already led us to gold in 2010 and 2016? And was 3rd best player on the 2012 team. 1) LeBron 2) Melo 3) KD 4) Kobe 5) K. Love

Prime for prime Kobe was simply better than Lebron at basketball. He dominated every sphere of the sport with GOAT skill and 9/10 athleticism. Only Mike can beat him with GOAT skill and 10/10 athleticism.