FIBA Basketball 2023

[Who]

Congrats Canada. Better team won!

Wow. That is embarassing. Talk about finishing the tournament on a low note.

[Who]

Anthony Edwards with another 20 FGAs game in order to get his 24pts.

I don't think any player should be getting 20 FGAs on any Team USA team. Maybe some odd night here or there but Edwards has been volume gunning consistently.

He had two good FGA volume games to start out with 10 & 11 FGAs. From there he went 16, 16, 26, 6, 17, 20. So 5 high volume games out of 6 (for Team USA numbers). Plus FTs plus turnovers using up even more possessions for himself. So he was averaging 16.8 FGAs over those final 6 games including that 6 FGA night that brought his average down (from 19 FGAs per game).

Edwards had 19 FTs in those 6 games where he took 101 FGAs for a poor FTA/FGA ratio. For an athlete of his caliber, that is a ridiculous number especially for a guy pulling the trigger on so many attempts.

Only 16 assists in those final 6 games. So 2.67 assists per game. 16 assists against 101 FGs & 19 FTs. A lousy ratio of assists to high volume shot taking.

[CelticsPoetry]

I think its pretty evident that international talent has gotten good enough that the USA can be beaten when they don't bring their A list. They really only do that for the Olympics.

A-List? this wasn't even the B-List.  Heck there were guys that may not be even on the C team on this roster.  A guy like Edwards may make the 2nd team, but he is a rarity on this team.

Who is on the US A-list in your opinion then, I'm really curios?  I believe that it's not the player they send, but different style of play, coaching and also a bit of arrogance.

[Goldstar88]

So Canada beat team USA 127-118. Dillon Brooks had 39pts, SGA finished with 31/12/6 and  Barrett added 23pts. Strange that Banchero, Ingram, and Jackson Jr were all DNP’s.  Reeves, Hart and Portis all played between 20-30mins. Even Cam Johnson had some mins. Very odd.

[SparzWizard]

Dillon Brooks was itching to beat Steve Kerr, leaves international tournament without a medal.

Perhaps the most disappointing Team USA of all time?

[Donoghus]

Dillon Brooks was itching to beat Steve Kerr, leaves international tournament without a medal.

Perhaps the most disappointing Team USA of all time?

Do you not remember the 2002 team?

[Roy H.]

Dillon Brooks was itching to beat Steve Kerr, leaves international tournament without a medal.

Perhaps the most disappointing Team USA of all time?

Nope.  That will always be 2004.

EDIT:  The 2002 team's 6th place finish was the most shocking, but I take 2004 because it was in the Olympics, and it wasn't ever seen as a "B" team.  It had Lebron, Duncan, Wade, Carmelo, etc.

[Donoghus]

Dillon Brooks was itching to beat Steve Kerr, leaves international tournament without a medal.

Perhaps the most disappointing Team USA of all time?

Nope.  That will always be 2004.

EDIT:  The 2002 team's 6th place finish was the most shocking, but I take 2004 because it was in the Olympics, and it wasn't ever seen as a "B" team.  It had Lebron, Duncan, Wade, Carmelo, etc.

Valid point. Lebron, Wade, & Melo were so young back then.

[ozgod]

Dillon Brooks was itching to beat Steve Kerr, leaves international tournament without a medal.

Perhaps the most disappointing Team USA of all time?

Do you not remember the 2002 team?

Or even the 2019 team, which had Celtics Tatum, Brown, Kemba and Smartacus (and future Celtic Derrick White) on the team that finished 7th...maybe Sparz has blocked that team out of his memory 

2002 was bad because it was the first time a team made up of NBA players had lost in international competition (at home no less) but the 2004 team was worse IMO, it had some Hall of Famers like Duncan, Iverson, Melo along with some future ones like LeBum and Wade (though they were just young back then) and the likes of Marbury, Amare and Jefferson and they just couldn't shoot, couldn't deal with the FIBA rules, and there was all that disharmony between Larry Brown and his "team of clankers". They almost lost to Greece (and they did 2 years later anyway).

And who can forget Walter Hermann aka Fabio using Boozer as a stepstool on his way to the rim 

[ozgod]

Congrats Canada. Better team won!

Wow. That is embarassing. Talk about finishing the tournament on a low note.

 This team just couldn’t defend… I’d have to look back at the stats but I believe the last four opponents they had all shot over 50% from the floor. Kerr had an excuse being unable to protect the paint this game because Banchero and JJJ were sick but even with his midget lineup with Josh Hart at the 5 in thr last 15 min they couldn’t defend the perimeter either, Canada shot 45% from 3 and Germany shot about the same against them if memory serves.

[ozgod]

So Canada beat team USA 127-118. Dillon Brooks had 39pts, SGA finished with 31/12/6 and  Barrett added 23pts. Strange that Banchero, Ingram, and Jackson Jr were all DNP’s.  Reeves, Hart and Portis all played between 20-30mins. Even Cam Johnson had some mins. Very odd.

The DNPs were sick…provdbly too much chicken adobo which is a Philippine specialty 

[Moranis]

I think its pretty evident that international talent has gotten good enough that the USA can be beaten when they don't bring their A list. They really only do that for the Olympics.

A-List? this wasn't even the B-List.  Heck there were guys that may not be even on the C team on this roster.  A guy like Edwards may make the 2nd team, but he is a rarity on this team.

Who is on the US A-list in your opinion then, I'm really curios?  I believe that it's not the player they send, but different style of play, coaching and also a bit of arrogance.

It would probably be something like this on the A-Team

Guards - Curry, Booker, Lillard, Mitchell, Morant
Wings - Durant, Tatum, Lebron, Butler
Bigs - Davis, Randle, Bam

So that is 12

2nd 12

Guards - Fox, Young, Harden, Edwards, Garland
Wings - Brown, Kawhi, George, Ingram
Bigs - Zion, Towns, Jackson

So I have Edwards on the 2nd team and because of a lack of American bigs, also have Jackson. 

Now the 3rd team I'd have a lot of the team with guys like Haliburton, Bridges, Brunson, etc., but I'd also have some veterans like Brook and Jrue from the Bucks, Paul, and I'd have gone with Mobley over Banchero.  I'd have Beal, DeRozan, LaMelo as well.

[hpantazo]

I think its pretty evident that international talent has gotten good enough that the USA can be beaten when they don't bring their A list. They really only do that for the Olympics.

A-List? this wasn't even the B-List.  Heck there were guys that may not be even on the C team on this roster.  A guy like Edwards may make the 2nd team, but he is a rarity on this team.

Who is on the US A-list in your opinion then, I'm really curios?  I believe that it's not the player they send, but different style of play, coaching and also a bit of arrogance.

It would probably be something like this on the A-Team

Guards - Curry, Booker, Lillard, Mitchell, Morant
Wings - Durant, Tatum, Lebron, Butler
Bigs - Davis, Randle, Bam

So that is 12

2nd 12

Guards - Fox, Young, Harden, Edwards, Garland
Wings - Brown, Kawhi, George, Ingram
Bigs - Zion, Towns, Jackson

So I have Edwards on the 2nd team and because of a lack of American bigs, also have Jackson. 

Now the 3rd team I'd have a lot of the team with guys like Haliburton, Bridges, Brunson, etc., but I'd also have some veterans like Brook and Jrue from the Bucks, Paul, and I'd have gone with Mobley over Banchero.  I'd have Beal, DeRozan, LaMelo as well.

I agree for the most part, except for Lebron and Durant. Those guys are too old to play for team USA. They physically wouldn't be able to do it and hold up well enough. Their days of international competitions in addition to their NBA duties are long gone. Curry is close behind too.

[trickybilly]

I think its pretty evident that international talent has gotten good enough that the USA can be beaten when they don't bring their A list. They really only do that for the Olympics.

A-List? this wasn't even the B-List.  Heck there were guys that may not be even on the C team on this roster.  A guy like Edwards may make the 2nd team, but he is a rarity on this team.

Who is on the US A-list in your opinion then, I'm really curios?  I believe that it's not the player they send, but different style of play, coaching and also a bit of arrogance.

It would probably be something like this on the A-Team

Guards - Curry, Booker, Lillard, Mitchell, Morant
Wings - Durant, Tatum, Lebron, Butler
Bigs - Davis, Randle, Bam

So that is 12

2nd 12

Guards - Fox, Young, Harden, Edwards, Garland
Wings - Brown, Kawhi, George, Ingram
Bigs - Zion, Towns, Jackson

So I have Edwards on the 2nd team and because of a lack of American bigs, also have Jackson. 

Now the 3rd team I'd have a lot of the team with guys like Haliburton, Bridges, Brunson, etc., but I'd also have some veterans like Brook and Jrue from the Bucks, Paul, and I'd have gone with Mobley over Banchero.  I'd have Beal, DeRozan, LaMelo as well.

I agree for the most part, except for Lebron and Durant. Those guys are too old to play for team USA. They physically wouldn't be able to do it and hold up well enough. Their days of international competitions in addition to their NBA duties are long gone. Curry is close behind too.

Why? Is international competition more taxing than the NBA?

EDIT: Did not see "in addition"..

Eh, it's another 9 games, plus rotations will be higher.

[bdm860]

I think its pretty evident that international talent has gotten good enough that the USA can be beaten when they don't bring their A list. They really only do that for the Olympics.

A-List? this wasn't even the B-List.  Heck there were guys that may not be even on the C team on this roster.  A guy like Edwards may make the 2nd team, but he is a rarity on this team.

Who is on the US A-list in your opinion then, I'm really curios?  I believe that it's not the player they send, but different style of play, coaching and also a bit of arrogance.

It would probably be something like this on the A-Team

Guards - Curry, Booker, Lillard, Mitchell, Morant
Wings - Durant, Tatum, Lebron, Butler
Bigs - Davis, Randle, Bam

So that is 12

2nd 12

Guards - Fox, Young, Harden, Edwards, Garland
Wings - Brown, Kawhi, George, Ingram
Bigs - Zion, Towns, Jackson

So I have Edwards on the 2nd team and because of a lack of American bigs, also have Jackson. 

Now the 3rd team I'd have a lot of the team with guys like Haliburton, Bridges, Brunson, etc., but I'd also have some veterans like Brook and Jrue from the Bucks, Paul, and I'd have gone with Mobley over Banchero.  I'd have Beal, DeRozan, LaMelo as well.

I agree for the most part, except for Lebron and Durant. Those guys are too old to play for team USA. They physically wouldn't be able to do it and hold up well enough. Their days of international competitions in addition to their NBA duties are long gone. Curry is close behind too.

On LeBron and Durant, I think they can still hold up (if they want to).  We're talking about 6 games over 2 weeks (plus 5 exhibition games over 1 1/2 weeks prior to the start of the Olympics), where nobody plays over 30 minutes a game and usually only 3-4 guys will even play >20 mpg.

(Actually 2020 seems to be one of the only Olympics  that was 6 games, all the previous were 8 games.  Was this a Covid temporary change or will it be 6 going forward?  If it's 8 then it's every other day for 2 weeks, in total 13 games over a little less than a month, but with minimal travel.)

I think LeBron will be invaluable for his leadership.  Say what you want about the guy, but I think he's someone every other possible player on the team would listen to, respect, and follow.  Part of the struggles with these super teams is getting a bunch of top dogs to coexist, and LeBron could do that better than anyone, even if he's a bench player that's 6th-10th in shots/minutes.  He's clearly lost a step, but I'd still take LeBron in short bursts in a role where he doesn't have to do all the heavy lifting over most other players.

Kevin Durant too, even though he'll be almost 36 at next year's Olympics, he's still a 6' 10" assassin on the offensive end, still one of the toughest match ups out there.

Who would you put on your A team over them?