Olympics 2021

[4everwarriors]

Goal: Gold medal.

Result: Accomplished.

Comportment: Professional, and seemingly proud to have represented America.

Mission accomplished. The rest is meaningless.

Yes, includin' weather orr knot Pop is a good human bein'. 50-50 on rockin' da ass hole hat, aina?

[MuggsyB]

Lillard, Tatum, and Booker all average over 26+ a game.  Their stats compare very favorably to Iverson, Wade, and Carmelo in 2004.   And Lillard and Tatum were significantly more efficient than Carmelo or Iverson.  You're not considering how good these guys are and where they'll be when they retire.  You're stuck on this "Top 50" subjective stuff Jockey.

[MuggsyB]

Don't know anything about "schemes". I thought the USA was at a real disadvantage because of lack of muscle and size. This was shown by their need to foul Gubert every time he got the ball down low. I think they were out rebounded  almost every game. Also Lillard did not play up to expectations, and they did not have a true point guard until Holiday showed up.The difference between the way they played before and after the first France game was the difference between night and day.
I liked the way the coaches  substituted. I liked the way the team played defense, and for the most part I liked the way they hustled.
They had three of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball and I thought they coached to the back of their baseball cards.

I respectfully disagree but appreciate the explanation.  You're right about Lillard and France had two enormous guys.  I think the rotations were also perfectly fine.  We certainly had enough overall size and didn't play one of our bigs.  Offensively, I didn't think we were particularly good or fluid.  I saw mostly a take turns approach and over-jacking 3pt shots.  I don't think by any means it was horrible coaching but I wouldn't call it exemplary. 

[Mutaman]

I guess their offense was get the ball to KD. That was Nash's offense at Brooklyn and it got them within an inch of knocking off the eventual champs.

[MuggsyB]

I guess their offense was get the ball to KD. That was Nash's offense at Brooklyn and it got them within an inch of knocking off the eventual champs.

He's arguably the greatest pure scorer in the history of the sport.  I get it but at the same time he wasn't playing with 3/4 other guys on the floor all capable of dropping 30 during the playoffs this year.  I guess I'm biased but I felt we should hammer all of these teams.

[Jockey]

Lillard, Tatum, and Booker all average over 26+ a game.  Their stats compare very favorably to Iverson, Wade, and Carmelo in 2004.   And Lillard and Tatum were significantly more efficient than Carmelo or Iverson.  You're not considering how good these guys are and where they'll be when they retire.  You're stuck on this "Top 50" subjective stuff Jockey.

I like to talk about great players when the subject is great players.

That aside, I enjoy the discussion with you. I never have a problem when people disagree with me. It would be a pretty boring world if everyone thought like me.

Stupidity is my pet peeve. That is why I only have one person on ignore. (Obviously not you).

[MuggsyB]

I like to talk about great players when the subject is great players.

That aside, I enjoy the discussion with you. I never have a problem when people disagree with me. It would be a pretty boring world if everyone thought like me.

Stupidity is my pet peeve. That is why I only have one person on ignore. (Obviously not you).

No worries Jockey.  I respect your opinion and enjoy the banter as well.

[Mutaman]

Holiday and Middleton with both the gold and the World Championship.




RIP Bobby

[Mutaman]

https://twitter.com/Gimme_a_Buck/status/1424003286999384066?s=20

[MU82]

Yes, includin' weather orr knot Pop is a good human bein'. 50-50 on rockin' da ass hole hat, aina?

Huh?

[JWags85]

I like to talk about great players when the subject is great players.

Lillard has 6 All-NBA selections and a ROY award in 9 NBA seasons.  Every retired player with 6 or more All-NBA selections is in the HOF.  If he manages to get another 2 selections, not wild to think given he's only 31 and doesn't have a ton of miles, there will be less than 30 players all time with more.  He'd be tied with Wade at 8 too.

Say what you will about the talent on the team, but saying Durant was the only "clear cut" star, much less the only HOF player on the team, is just patently untrue.

Since Carmelo was mentioned, he has 6 All NBA for his career, but no 1st teams and only 2 2nds, to Lillards 1 and 4.  Also, Lillard has been to 2 more ASG's by this point in Melo's career.  Lillard is a HOF track player who has been let down by the Portland FO.  He gets another All-NBA next year and he catches Nash, Pippen, Ewing, and AI.

[wadesworld]

The US was never NOT going to win gold.

[brewcity77]

I don’t suspect there was any grumbling after last night. I also suspect this is all about politics.

Can't speak for anyone but myself, but my suggestion of a dedicated full time USA Basketball head coach that runs the program from the underage teams on up came after they won Gold. And I love the politics of both Pop and Kerr.

This team winning gold is great, but it's clear the world is catching up and throwing stars together with the cohesion coming on the fly will only last so long, no matter who the coach is.

Install a system, use it for the best players from their early days, figure out not just the best stars, but the ones willing to play in that frame, the best role players, and make it a program, not a novelty.

[Jockey]

Lillard has 6 All-NBA selections and a ROY award in 9 NBA seasons.  Every retired player with 6 or more All-NBA selections is in the HOF.  If he manages to get another 2 selections, not wild to think given he's only 31 and doesn't have a ton of miles, there will be less than 30 players all time with more.  He'd be tied with Wade at 8 too.

Say what you will about the talent on the team, but saying Durant was the only "clear cut" star, much less the only HOF player on the team, is just patently untrue.

Since Carmelo was mentioned, he has 6 All NBA for his career, but no 1st teams and only 2 2nds, to Lillards 1 and 4.  Also, Lillard has been to 2 more ASG's by this point in Melo's career.  Lillard is a HOF track player who has been let down by the Portland FO.  He gets another All-NBA next year and he catches Nash, Pippen, Ewing, and AI.

Mostly agree. I think Lillard probably needs at least 2 more years doing what he has been doing to be a sure fire HoFer. But Durant is the only guy on the team who can win an NBA title as the main man. And even he hasn’t done it yet. Those GS teams were Curry’s even though Durant was his equal on the floor.

My point though was greatness in the context of NBA history so I stand by my post including the great job done by Pop.

[MuggsyB]

 USA Volleyball is throttling the Brazilians.  These women are seriously dropping the hammer.  Absolute domination.

[CreightonWarrior]

1st ever gold medal for women’s volleyball, good for them. The win squeaks the US past China in gold medal count. Didn’t think they were going to catch them.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Can't speak for anyone but myself, but my suggestion of a dedicated full time USA Basketball head coach that runs the program from the underage teams on up came after they won Gold. And I love the politics of both Pop and Kerr.

This team winning gold is great, but it's clear the world is catching up and throwing stars together with the cohesion coming on the fly will only last so long, no matter who the coach is.

Install a system, use it for the best players from their early days, figure out not just the best stars, but the ones willing to play in that frame, the best role players, and make it a program, not a novelty.

I guess I just don’t understand the marginal value when the current system is working fine.

[HutchwasClutch]

1st ever gold medal for women’s volleyball, good for them. The win squeaks the US past China in gold medal count. Didn’t think they were going to catch them.

Congrats to the ladies.  Excellent!

We’re one ahead in golds and 25 ahead overall medals at the board I checked this morning. I didn’t think we’d catch up in golds either, been trailing the entire Olympics until late yesterday.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Women's teams certainly outperforming the men.

Volleyball: Women Gold, Men --
Beach Volleyball: Women Gold, Men --
Water Polo: Women Gold, Men --
Soccer: Women Bronze, Men --
Baseball/Softball: Women Silver, Men Silver
Basketball: Women Gold, Men Gold

Might be some I am missing.

[Scoop Snoop]

Nice win by the women vs. Japan but I'm surprised that Muggsy has not posted about the comment by one of the announcers. He commented that during one substitution that Japan had both of their "pint sized point guards" on the court.

One of them- Motohashi-reminded me of the way Paige Bueckers, UCONN's star freshman, plays- always in the right place at the right time. At one point late in the game the block stats were on the TV screen. There were 12! 

 

[Pakuni]

I guess I just don’t understand the marginal value when the current system is working fine.

Yep.
And I would suggest that the "rest of the world catching up" is both overblown and a result of the rest of the world building their teams more like the American model, i.e. assembling the best talent available.

[pbiflyer]

Women's teams certainly outperforming the men.

Volleyball: Women Gold, Men --
Beach Volleyball: Women Gold, Men --
Water Polo: Women Gold, Men --
Soccer: Women Bronze, Men --
Baseball/Softball: Women Silver, Men Silver
Basketball: Women Gold, Men Gold

Might be some I am missing.

Track and field as well.

[JWags85]

The US was never NOT going to win gold.

Yep.
And I would suggest that the "rest of the world catching up" is both overblown and a result of the rest of the world building their teams more like the American model, i.e. assembling the best talent available.

Totally.  I mean, if you take out Durant, hell even take out Lillard, the US still had either 3 or 4 of the 5 best players in the Olympics (obviously Luka, but depends how you feel about Gobert vs Tatum, Booker, Middleton, Jrue, Bam, etc...)

The world is producing a lot of talent, but even the other powers like Spain, France, and Australia aren't fielding multiple All-NBA level talents on the floor.  Canada is really the only place other than the US that is doing it right now.

[MuggsyB]

Nice win by the women vs. Japan but I'm surprised that Muggsy has not posted about the comment by one of the announcers. He commented that during one substitution that Japan had both of their "pint sized point guards" on the court.

One of them- Motohashi-reminded me of the way Paige Bueckers, UCONN's star freshman, plays- always in the right place at the right time. At one point late in the game the block stats were on the TV screen. There were 12!

I missed it but thanks for alerting me Snoop Scoop.  It's just another example of ubiquitous persecution of diminutive people.  "Pint-sized point guards"?  That was his exact quote?  Smh.

[Scoop Snoop]

I missed it but thanks for alerting me Snoop Scoop.  It's just another example of ubiquitous persecution of diminutive people.  "Pint-sized point guards"?  That was his exact quote?  Smh.

Yep. I am not making this up. That's what he called them.