2024 Paris Olympics

[MU82]

😂😂😂

"You need to do this thing that I want to cover my own dishonestly."  Such simplistic, sportswriter-brained nonsense.

Which is EXACTLY what I expect from you.

😂😂😂

You are wrong, you know you're wrong, but you just keep dying on your lazy, dishonest hill.

Which is EXACTLY what all of Scoop expects of you.

Again, prove your accusation or stop lying.

[The Sultan]

😂😂😂

You are wrong, you know you're wrong, but you just keep dying on your lazy, dishonest hill.

Which is EXACTLY what all of Scoop expects of you.

Again, prove your accusation or stop lying.

I don't have to prove anything. It's right in your posts. And I let the issue go. You're the one who decided to resurrect it. Not me.

[MU82]

I don't have to prove anything. It's right in your posts. And I let the issue go. You're the one who decided to resurrect it. Not me.

But it's not in my posts, is it? Tell you what - I'll up the offer to $10K if you can prove that anything I posted said the 2024 US Olympic men's basketball team would or should beat opponents by 20+ points. And you only have to give $100 to my favorite charity if you can't prove it.

[The Sultan]

But it's not in my posts, is it? Tell you what - I'll up the offer to $10K if you can prove that anything I posted said the 2024 US Olympic men's basketball team would or should beat opponents by 20+ points. And you only have to give $100 to my favorite charity if you can't prove it.

I don't care enough to prove what is painfully obvious. 

[MU82]

I don't care enough to prove what is painfully obvious.

There's no surer sign of someone being right than him or her refusing to accept a $10K gift for his or her favorite charity merely by showing evidence. 😂😂😂

[The Sultan]

There's no surer sign of someone being right than him or her refusing to accept a $10K gift for his or her favorite charity merely by showing evidence. 😂😂😂

I truly don't care. We all know you wouldn't pay up anyway.

[MU82]

I truly don't care. We all know you wouldn't pay up anyway.

I have made this pledge in front of all of our fellow Scoopers, and I absolutely would pay. So it's yet another baseless accusation.

And it's obviously that you truly don't care based on your dozen-plus responses. 😂😂😂

Take the $10K or take the L.

[Pakuni]

Actually there are 9, now 8 who made the All NBA teams. And add Embiid qho did not make it.
you.put early days/primes. Why did tou put them together?

I put them together to cover players in their early days (LeBron, Wade, Melo) and players in their primes (Duncan, AI, Stoudemire). This really isn't all that complicated.

Regardless, as much as you wish it to be, I'm not in a debate over the 2004 roster vs the 2024 roster. I'm discussing the absurd (and yes, arrogant) insistence that this year's team should be expected to win every single game by 20+.

But, if I were to have a 2004 vs 2024 debate, I'd point out it's way closer than you seem to think.
Give me 29-year-old Iverson over 36-year-old Steph.
Give me 26-year-old Duncan over 30-year-old creaky-kneed Embiid.
Give me 19-year-old Lebron over 39-year-old LeBron.
Give me DWade over Ant.
I'll give you current Durant and AD an edge over 2004 Melo and Amare, but not by much.
Tatum is better than any comparable on the 2004 team,
The gap overall is way closer than you seem to believe.

[The Sultan]

I have made this pledge in front of all of our fellow Scoopers, and I absolutely would pay. So it's yet another baseless accusation.

And it's obviously that you truly don't care based on your dozen-plus responses. 😂😂😂

Take the $10K or take the L.

lol. Says the guy who decided to resurrect the topic.

[#UnleashSean]

There's no surer sign of someone being right than him or her refusing to accept a $10K gift for his or her favorite charity merely by showing evidence. 😂😂😂

I don't gamble on scoop anymore. Chicos still owes me 200

[tower912]

I won so much I got tired of winning.

[MU82]

lol. Says the guy who decided to resurrect the topic.

lol. Take the $10K or take the L.

[lawdog77]

I put them together to cover players in their early days (LeBron, Wade, Melo) and players in their primes (Duncan, AI, Stoudemire). This really isn't all that complicated.

Regardless, as much as you wish it to be, I'm not in a debate over the 2004 roster vs the 2024 roster. I'm discussing the absurd (and yes, arrogant) insistence that this year's team should be expected to win every single game by 20+.

But, if I were to have a 2004 vs 2024 debate, I'd point out it's way closer than you seem to think.
Give me 29-year-old Iverson over 36-year-old Steph.
Give me 26-year-old Duncan over 30-year-old creaky-kneed Embiid.
Give me 19-year-old Lebron over 39-year-old LeBron.
Give me DWade over Ant.
I'll give you current Durant and AD an edge over 2004 Melo and Amare, but not by much.
Tatum is better than any comparable on the 2004 team,
The gap overall is way closer than you seem to believe.

The 2004 team only had one All NBA team out of the 15 All NBA players. They only had two all stars from the previous year. The best players sat out. The 2024 Team has 8. Like you said, its not all that difficult. If this team doesnt win easily, they have underperformed

Since you brought it up, Iverson shot under 29% for 3, and under 39% total in 2003-4, I would take Steph
26 year old Duncan vs AD is a better Comp-slight edge to Duncan
In a short stretch, I  would take the Lebron of now versus rookie Lebron, as he is a better shooter, defender, and overall smarter player.
I would take Ant over rookie Dwade. Wade shot 30% from 3.
If the best players would have played in 2004-Garnett, both Oneals, Carter, Garnett, Kobe, Kidd, McGrady, Ray Allen. I would argue they should have won by 20 as well.

I haven't looked at 2008, but 2004 is not a good example of the world closing in on our talents. The 2003 qualifying tournament, every game was over 16, except 1 (Brazil), then the US played them again in the finals and beat them by 30.

Edit looked at 2008. Won every game by 20+, except the final , where they won by 11.

[Scoop Snoop]

lol. Take the $10K or take the L.

I'm not interested in betting, but I am a little short of cash at the moment. Would you be willing to lend me the 10K? I promise I will pay it back just as soon as I can.

Thanks in advance pal.

[MU82]

I'm not interested in betting, but I am a little short of cash at the moment. Would you be willing to lend me the 10K? I promise I will pay it back just as soon as I can.

Thanks in advance pal.

You got it! Just send me your mother's maiden name and the last four digits of your SS#.

[tower912]

US Men beat Australia 98-92

[MuggsyB]

US Men beat Australia 98-92

Not good.  What the F happened?  Kerr and his staff need to get their H out of their A before the real games start. 

[lawdog77]

Not good.  What the F happened?  Kerr and his staff need to get their H out of their A before the real games start. 

Team USA was up 24 in the 3rd, and let off the gas. Back on track today with a 26 point thumping of the fighting Jokic's

[cheebs09]

Not good.  What the F happened?  Kerr and his staff need to get their H out of their A before the real games start. 

Aren't these the equivalent of preseason games? I don't think there's much to worry about as I'm sure Kerr is testing out lineups.

[MuggsyB]

Team USA was up 24 in the 3rd, and let off the gas. Back on track today with a 26 point thumping of the fighting Jokic's

I haven't been able to watch but this group is LOADED.  I was stunned Australia was within range.   I was critical of Kerr's coaching in the Worlds,  but will reserve judgement until I watch Team USA.  I momentarily thought I would have to edit number three,  subset D, of my 5 point plan, but perhaps I should be more patient. 

[MU82]

I haven't been able to watch but this group is LOADED.  I was stunned Australia was within range.   I was critical of Kerr's coaching in the Worlds,  but will reserve judgement until I watch Team USA.  I momentarily thought I would have to edit number three,  subset D, of my 5 point plan, but perhaps I should be more patient. 

You've been a sports fan for decades, right? You do understand that what happens in exhibition games has no bearing on anything, right? I mean, the 1985 Bears were 1-3 in the preseason - you'd have been freaking out about the disaster of a season they were about to have!

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Not good.  What the F happened?  Kerr and his staff need to get their H out of their A before the real games start. 

No Ramsey = no bueno

[Jockey]

I haven't been able to watch but this group is LOADED.  I was stunned Australia was within range.   I was critical of Kerr's coaching in the Worlds,  but will reserve judgement until I watch Team USA.  I momentarily thought I would have to edit number three,  subset D, of my 5 point plan, but perhaps I should be more patient. 

Dump some water on your head. Maybe an asbestos cap rather than tin foil.

[swoopem]

I haven't been able to watch but this group is LOADED.  I was stunned Australia was within range.   I was critical of Kerr's coaching in the Worlds,  but will reserve judgement until I watch Team USA.  I momentarily thought I would have to edit number three,  subset D, of my 5 point plan, but perhaps I should be more patient. 

How many subsets do each of the 5 points (nods to gangs of New York) have?

[MuggsyB]

How many subsets do each of the 5 points (nods to gangs of New York) have?

Swoopem,

I appreciate the Gangs of NY nod, as DDL may be the greatest actor of all-time. I have amended my 5 point plan a few times.  That was not my intention, but several world events  forced my hand.  And If you add the utter drivel of a number of Scoopers, subsets were necessary.  Let's just say the treatise increased in length about 18 pages, Roman, single spaced.