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What is up with the mens Olympic basketball team?

NBA isn’t a team game anymore. Having 15 guys who want to play 1 on 1 isn’t as effective as 5 guys who play as 1. On top of that they don’t play defense so they are ill prepared when faced with someone who knows how to guard.
It’s a combination of things. Most of the qualifying teams have at least 5-6 NBA players on them. So, they have quality players on them that are not as intimidated by the level of play as in past years. Further, this is probably our C or D level team. With the exception of KD and Dame Lillard, most of our top level star players are not playing. Popovich is one of this country’s top coaches. Steve Kerr is as good of an Assistant Coach that a country could ask for. So, the notion of one on one style of play is a lazy take based on limited information in my opinion. I was worried about this team when it was picked. Sort of reminds me of 2000-2004 World and Olympic competition when the USA lost interest and thought they could win by just throwing teams together.
 
The world is catching up and we have to send our very best if we want to win. I can understand this year as the pandemic has the NBA schedule off. Many of the NBA’s top players are not from the US. Giannis? No. Jokic? No. Luka? No. Our advantage now lies at the PG position and depth. However, we are really short on bigs. Javale McGee on the Olympic team and we expect to win? Please.
 
It’s a combination of things. Most of the qualifying teams have at least 5-6 NBA players on them. So, they have quality players on them that are not as intimidated by the level of play as in past years. Further, this is probably our C or D level team. With the exception of KD and Dame Lillard, most of our top level star players are not playing. Popovich is one of this country’s top coaches. Steve Kerr is as good of an Assistant Coach that a country could ask for. So, the notion of one on one style of play is a lazy take based on limited information in my opinion. I was worried about this team when it was picked. Sort of reminds me of 2000-2004 World and Olympic competition when the USA lost interest and thought they could win by just throwing teams together.
Even the Europeans in the NBA are playing a team game when they come up. They aren’t playing in HS and college systems where the game plan is for everyone else to pass them the ball.
 
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Well Wokevich made his reputation on the backs of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker…since they retired we all have seen he’s not very good
He’s the coach that has 5 losses in 9 games. That remarkable considering the dominance of USA Basketball. There have been far less talented teams in the past as well. He gets so defensive when the media does their job asking about it. He’s a real a$$hole.
 
Even the Europeans in the NBA are playing a team game when they come up. They aren’t playing in HS and college systems where the game plan is for everyone else to pass them the ball.
Still a lazy take. The game is international now. European players are influenced by our players and our players mainly play in a European, pace and space style. France just beat us. They have enough talent in Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier , Nicolas Batum and others to beat anyone. You really think Popovich and Kerr have our guys playing in a one and one style? It lets me know you are really not watching NBA basketball and basing your take on preconceived notions. With the team we took over, there just is not much of a talent gap and we could win the gold or not medal.
 
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Still a lazy take. The game is international now. European players are influenced by our players and our players mainly play in a European, pace and space style. France just beat us. They have enough talent in Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier , Nicolas Batum and others to beat anyone. You really think Popovich and Kerr have our guys playing in a one and one style? It lets me know you are really not watching NBA basketball and basing your take on preconceived notions. With the team we took over, there just is not much of a talent gap and we could win the gold or not medal.
I don’t care how good of a coach those guys may be you can’t change guy’s mindsets in a matter of weeks.

I will acknowledge that I did not watch a single NBA game this year so if the game all of a sudden became less about trying to set a guy up to create a play than it was last season that would be amazing. It would be even more amazing if they somehow decided to start playing defense over that time frame as well.
 
I don’t care how good of a coach those guys may be you can’t change guy’s mindsets in a matter of weeks.

I will acknowledge that I did not watch a single NBA game this year so if the game all of a sudden became less about trying to set a guy up to create a play than it was last season that would be amazing. It would be even more amazing if they somehow decided to start playing defense over that time frame as well.
So, you are acknowledging you didn’t watch a single NBA game, but are going to make indicting statements like you have in the thread. Well, I am watching the game right now. We lost the game due to our lack of size and inability to rebound. Gobert just played volleyball on the offensive boards. It was a reason why I was concerned about this team. That is why they should have added a Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan to this team. They are older, but they are still physical and can rebound. Our lack of an interior presence is going to be an ongoing problem. Also, KD got in foul trouble. We consistently had a double digit lead until he got his 4th foul in the 3rd Quarter. A final problem was they tried to play too much in the manner that you wanted (Unselfish, motion offense) and their best players didn’t get shot attempts. 12 shots attempts for Durant, 10 shot attempts for Lillard. Jrue Holliday lead the team in shot attempts with 13 and he hasn’t even practiced with the team. This team will not win like that. I get being unselfish, but I am telling you we will not win Gold unless KD and Dame are featured a little bit more.
 
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Our ladies gymnastics team was shocked by the Russians in qualifiers and only finished second.
It’s a trickle down effect. We’re told there’s nothing special about America. We don’t deserve our standing in the world. So, of course, people don’t compete like there’s anything special about America.
 
Our ladies gymnastics team was shocked by the Russians in qualifiers and only finished second.
It’s a trickle down effect. We’re told there’s nothing special about America. We don’t deserve our standing in the world. So, of course, people don’t compete like there’s anything special about America.
Disagree somewhat. Of course, America is special. However, so are other places. You don’t think those countries get tired of losing to us all the time. Staying on top is the toughest place to be. Everyone is shooting for us. In watching the US-France basketball game, there were things to be optimistic about. However, shots didn’t fall at the end and they allowed France to go on a 16-2 run to steal the game at the end. We missed a lot of open shots and had 3 players who hadn’t even practiced with the team. I would rather lose now than in the medal round.
 
We won our first ever gold medal in women's fencing. I enjoyed watching it. She is actually proud to be an American and lets it show. How much of this poor showing to date is karma?? we are a long way from the Miracle on Ice in terms of love for this country.
Love for this country is not going to win you a sporting event unless you are good enough.
 
True in general but if you aren't really into it, doesn't really matter how good you are either. Nobody wins just going through the motions.
 
The US Womens Soccer team can attest to that. there isn't a more talented team in the world yet they got their butts handed to them by Sweden. They have since rebounded.
 
True in general but if you aren't really into it, doesn't really matter how good you are either. Nobody wins just going through the motions.
I don’t know about the other sports. However, I watched the basketball game. They played hard. They just missed shots they usually make and got beat. I think they tried too hard to be unselfish and didn’t play like themselves. The USA needs to forget the critics about team basketball and just win the tournament. KD and Lillard both need to be approaching 20 shots a game for this team to win. It’s like what Michael Jordan said to now deceased coach Tex Winter when being criticized for selfish play. Jordan said their is no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in win.
 
So, you are acknowledging you didn’t watch a single NBA game, but are going to make indicting statements like you have in the thread. Well, I am watching the game right now. We lost the game due to our lack of size and inability to rebound. Gobert just played volleyball on the offensive boards. It was a reason why I was concerned about this team. That is why they should have added a Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan to this team. They are older, but they are still physical and can rebound. Our lack of an interior presence is going to be an ongoing problem. Also, KD got in foul trouble. We consistently had a double digit lead until he got his 4th foul in the 3rd Quarter. A final problem was they tried to play too much in the manner that you wanted (Unselfish, motion offense) and their best players didn’t get shot attempts. 12 shots attempts for Durant, 10 shot attempts for Lillard. Jrue Holliday lead the team in shot attempts with 13 and he hasn’t even practiced with the team. This team will not win like that. I get being unselfish, but I am telling you we will not win Gold unless KD and Dame are featured a little bit more.
Sorry. Guess I didn’t realize that over the past year the game had completely changed and that someone on this team (other than Draymond Green) was a guy whose job was to set other people up outside of themselves.

The reason they are “trying” to play unselfish, motion offense is because none of them know how to do it. It’s great to get the top scorer from so many teams but eventually you’re going to have to get rebounds, play defense or do more than expect your teammates to put you in a position to try and score. It’s just not a good mix of guys.
 
The answer to this has multiple layers....
1. International game has grown. Many of these countries have 4 or more NBA players on them and/or multiple players who could be NBA role players.
2. This team has NO big man.
3. This team is a collection of talent. Not necessarily how they would want to put together a team.
4. We play everybody on the roster. These guys are volume shooters. KD and Dame need 20 shots a game and play a lot. In these games, with so much talent, the shots are being spread around as well as the minutes. As a result they are getting about half the average shots they normally would.
5. I did not like our game plan. Lot's of settling for jumpers. I would like to see us get down hill more. Teams should not be able to stay in front of us consistently. Play off that.
6. We need to consistently be intense on the defensive end. We only did that in spurts.
7. Finally, this team has to play. Gone are the days of just walking out and winning by 30 against the top 3 or 4 other countries.
 
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France has an entire roster of really good NBA players and they have played together for years . As mentioned before Gobert is one of the most dominant bigs in the NBA and this team has no one to contend with him . If you look at it the most dominant physical bigs are all international players . Gobert , Jokic , Vucevic , Nurif etc etc . These guys can also pop out and stretch the floor also . I agree with Adcoop , this is just terrible roster selection . It was nothing to do with coaching or play style . Any team with big physical bigs will dominate this squad . Also let’s acknowledge probably 3 of the top 5 players in the NBA are international players with Giannis , Luka and Jokic who aren’t on the team . All this stupidity about wokeness and politics is just a joke . This team will continue to struggle because the best players in the NBA are not on the team and the roster selection was awful .
 
Disagree somewhat. Of course, America is special. However, so are other places. You don’t think those countries get tired of losing to us all the time. Staying on top is the toughest place to be. Everyone is shooting for us. In watching the US-France basketball game, there were things to be optimistic about. However, shots didn’t fall at the end and they allowed France to go on a 16-2 run to steal the game at the end. We missed a lot of open shots and had 3 players who hadn’t even practiced with the team. I would rather lose now than in the medal round.
Agree with your last statement, but you missed the poster’s point.
 
Our ladies gymnastics team was shocked by the Russians in qualifiers and only finished second.
It’s a trickle down effect. We’re told there’s nothing special about America. We don’t deserve our standing in the world. So, of course, people don’t compete like there’s anything special about America.
And there you have it; the country has been beaten over the head with that mindset to the point that the (relatively) younger generation has bought into it. “If it feels good do it.” Gone is the emphasis on responsibility, character, value of hard work, morals, family. It has been replaced with not only shaming for living in and propagating a society in which those traits were valued and expected in the first place, but shaming for still trying to live that way. “Give us what you have.”

There was an episode in the original Star Trek series where the enterprise came upon a planet where the children were in charge and adults were vilified and ostracized. I swear, that episode was the harbinger of the world today.
 
Sorry. Guess I didn’t realize that over the past year the game had completely changed and that someone on this team (other than Draymond Green) was a guy whose job was to set other people up outside of themselves.

The reason they are “trying” to play unselfish, motion offense is because none of them know how to do it. It’s great to get the top scorer from so many teams but eventually you’re going to have to get rebounds, play defense or do more than expect your teammates to put you in a position to try and score. It’s just not a good mix of guys.
Well that's a dumb way to play. You play the style of play that you are used to that makes you effective. No one in the world can stop an engaged, aggressive Kevin Durant. However, they are sitting there trying to play your equal opportunity offense losing games. A smart coach finds what their players are comfortable with and what makes them effective. James Harden is not on the team, but you don't try to turn James Harden into a ball movement type of guy in a month. I am not a casual fan of basketball so I get aggravated when people make uninformed, off-the-cuff comments. How did we win in 2008 when Spain challenged. We gave the ball to Kobe Bryant and got out of the way. What did we do in 2012? We gave the ball to either Lebron, D-Wade, and mainly Melo and got out of the way. Coach K, probably a top 3 coach in the game of all time, was smart enough to know the advantages we had and used them. He didn't cling to some rigid, team oriented motion offense and sit there to get embarrassed on a world stage. He could have. He is a Bobby Knight disciple, but he didn't. That is the definition of a smart coach.
 
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Well that's a dumb way to play. You play the style of play that you are used to that makes you effective. No one in the world can stop an engaged, aggressive Kevin Durant. However, they are sitting there trying to play your equal opportunity offense losing games. A smart coach finds what their players are comfortable with and what makes them effective. James Harden is not on the team, but you don't try to turn James Harden into a ball movement type of guy in a month. I am not a casual fan of basketball so I get aggravated when people make uniformed, off-the-cuff comments. How did we win in 2008 when Spain challenged. We gave the ball to Kobe Bryant and got out of the way. What did we do in 2012? We gave the ball to either Lebron, D-Wade, and mainly Melo and got out of the way. Coach K, probably a top 3 coach in the game of all time, was smart enough to know the advantages we had and used them. He didn't cling to some rigid, team oriented motion offense and sit there to get embarrassed on a world stage. He could have. He is a Bobby Knight disciple, but he didn't. That is the definition of a smart coach.
I think we’ve actually hit the same point. This team isn’t filled with team play guys are they are trying to play a team game. There would likely have been a lot more successful if they had just brought 3 or 4 scorers and the rest defenders/rebounders and just let them play the way they are used to. Trying to shove square pegs in round holes rarely works regardless of whether or not they are among the best in the world.
 
So many people with opinions who didn't watch the game or claim to have not seen the NBA years in other similar threads. It was pretty good game overall.

I think they got comfortable with how they played in the first half and just got outplayed in the 2nd half, I was impressed by Team USA defense to start the 4th quarter and I love seeing Dame Lillard dive for a ball in a preliminary game, really showed they cared. We just got beat by a team that was better that day, we always get everyone's best game because we set the standard and I do believe as a program we have gotten too relax in how we prep and build chemistry for these teams. No more sleeping walking to Gold medal game, we'll have to earn it, which is good for the sport and USA.
 
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There's one team concept lost to the NBA players: "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts".
The Bucks are a great example of a team and just won the title, you posters that hate the NBA and its players so much why keep commenting on NBA threads? Geez
 
The took one knee too many.
Should have gotten off their knees and practiced basketball.
And there you have it; the country has been beaten over the head with that mindset to the point that the (relatively) younger generation has bought into it. “If it feels good do it.” Gone is the emphasis on responsibility, character, value of hard work, morals, family. It has been replaced with not only shaming for living in and propagating a society in which those traits were valued and expected in the first place, but shaming for still trying to live that way. “Give us what you have.”

There was an episode in the original Star Trek series where the enterprise came upon a planet where the children were in charge and adults were vilified and ostracized. I swear, that episode was the harbinger of the world today.
Pathetic and prophetic.
 
I think we’ve actually hit the same point. This team isn’t filled with team play guys are they are trying to play a team game. There would likely have been a lot more successful if they had just brought 3 or 4 scorers and the rest defenders/rebounders and just let them play the way they are used to. Trying to shove square pegs in round holes rarely works regardless of whether or not they are among the best in the world.
Not really. We have taken our best players the last 3 Olympics and won each time. Frankly, I don't think Draymond Green should be on this Olympic team. Yes, he was a good role player. However, his offensive game has regressed so much that you are pretty much playing 4 on 5. His inability to take and/or make shots was the reason the Warriors lost both of their play-in games and didn't make the playoffs this year. Good players that are winners know how to adjust and accept roles. Popovich, although a good coach, has not done a good job of establishing roles on this team. I have watched every exhibition game and the France game. Players are just passing the ball around passing up good shots that they would normally take in an NBA game. Many fans get caught up in style of play (getting everyone involved). My thing is how do you win. I don't care if they have to do 100 isolations and/or screens to get Kevin Durant shots. Just do what is necessary to win the game. Don't get caught up with a motion offense to the point of losing a game.
 
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