FIBA World Cup [USA vs. TUR: 9/3, 8:30 AM EST (ESPN+)]

[Androslav]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

[Somebody]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

No one is saying to bring in 4 big men to the team, but when you're benching a modern big man like Myles Turner to have guys like Harris guard Rudy Gobert it's pretty bad logic.

[Androslav]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

No one is saying to bring in 4 big men to the team, but when you're benching a modern big man like Myles Turner to have guys like Harris guard Rudy Gobert it's pretty bad logic.

Turner could never control defensive glass in his career.
Often he has a deer in the headlights look when he needs to make a quick decision.
So basically Pop (GOAT coach by CS) and CBS are forcing the small ball, "something that never works" (per majority of CS members).

I disagree.
USA team got beat because they came with their E-team.
If they brought their A or B-team, they could small ball everyone to death.

[Somebody]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

No one is saying to bring in 4 big men to the team, but when you're benching a modern big man like Myles Turner to have guys like Harris guard Rudy Gobert it's pretty bad logic.

Turner could never control defensive glass in his career.
Often he has a deer in the headlights look when he needs to make a quick decision.
So basically Pop (GOAT coach by CS) and CBS are forcing the small ball, "something that never works" (per majority of CS members).

I disagree.
USA team got beat because they came with their E-team.
If they brought their A or B-team, they could small ball everyone to death.

Turner isn't a good defensive rebounder, but his ability to stretch Gobert to the perimeter while not making Gobert like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain whenever he gets the ball inside makes him a player that Pop should've played more imo. And small ball works when you have the personnel to make it work, as I have reiterated numerous times, not when you use Joe Harris to guard Gobert. And the USA's E-team should've won this competition imo on paper, just because better USA teams lost in the past doesn't make this any less of an embarrassment.

[footey]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

No one is saying to bring in 4 big men to the team, but when you're benching a modern big man like Myles Turner to have guys like Harris guard Rudy Gobert it's pretty bad logic.

Turner could never control defensive glass in his career.
Often he has a deer in the headlights look when he needs to make a quick decision.
So basically Pop (GOAT coach by CS) and CBS are forcing the small ball, "something that never works" (per majority of CS members).

I disagree.
USA team got beat because they came with their E-team.
If they brought their A or B-team, they could small ball everyone to death.

Turner isn't a good defensive rebounder, but his ability to stretch Gobert to the perimeter while not making Gobert like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain whenever he gets the ball inside makes him a player that Pop should've played more imo. And small ball works when you have the personnel to make it work, as I have reiterated numerous times, not when you use Joe Harris to guard Gobert. And the USA's E-team should've won this competition imo on paper, just because better USA teams lost in the past doesn't make this any less of an embarrassment.

He got in early foul trouble, no?

[Somebody]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

No one is saying to bring in 4 big men to the team, but when you're benching a modern big man like Myles Turner to have guys like Harris guard Rudy Gobert it's pretty bad logic.

Turner could never control defensive glass in his career.
Often he has a deer in the headlights look when he needs to make a quick decision.
So basically Pop (GOAT coach by CS) and CBS are forcing the small ball, "something that never works" (per majority of CS members).

I disagree.
USA team got beat because they came with their E-team.
If they brought their A or B-team, they could small ball everyone to death.

Turner isn't a good defensive rebounder, but his ability to stretch Gobert to the perimeter while not making Gobert like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain whenever he gets the ball inside makes him a player that Pop should've played more imo. And small ball works when you have the personnel to make it work, as I have reiterated numerous times, not when you use Joe Harris to guard Gobert. And the USA's E-team should've won this competition imo on paper, just because better USA teams lost in the past doesn't make this any less of an embarrassment.

He got in early foul trouble, no?

Yes, but Turner should've played in crunch time instead of sticking a wing on Gobert.

[Fierce1]

Team USA lost to Serbia, 94-89

[Somebody]

Team USA lost to Serbia, 94-89

What an embarrassment. Mind kindly providing the people who haven't watched the game (down with the cold rn) your thoughts about how USA played?

[Fierce1]

Team USA lost to Serbia, 94-89

What an embarrassment. Mind kindly providing the people who haven't watched the game (down with the cold rn) your thoughts about how USA played?

From the start it was very clear the USA players have not gotten over the loss to France.

[Fierce1]

2 hours ago – via Twitter joevardon
Joe Vardon: More bad history for Team USA. Lose two straight for first time since 2002, falling 94-89 to Serbia. Best Americans can do at World Cup is seventh, worst since NBA players took over in 1992.
 Serbia, World Cup, Team USA

[Somebody]

Team USA lost to Serbia, 94-89

What an embarrassment. Mind kindly providing the people who haven't watched the game (down with the cold rn) your thoughts about how USA played?

From the start it was very clear the USA players have not gotten over the loss to France.

Well they should be that down after that farce of a loss, but they even managed to whiff against Serbia?! Major owie for the US imo.

[TDurden]

Serbia looked like another France to me!  They had 4 NBA players, a bunch of really talented euro players and of course dominant center play.

Freaking Bogdan Bogdonovich went 7/14 from 3... He's just a straight up Sniper.

The FIBA tournament has really turned into a great spectacle to watch.  Long term it's phenomenal for the NBA that their are so many quality players around the globe now, but I kind of think the era of U.S. dominance is over. 



   

[nickagneta]

Serbia looked like another France to me!  They had 4 NBA players, a bunch of really talented euro players and of course dominant center play.

Freaking Bogdan Bogdonovich went 7/14 from 3... He's just a straight up Sniper.

The FIBA tournament has really turned into a great spectacle to watch.  Long term it's phenomenal for the NBA that their are so many quality players around the globe now, but I kind of think the era of U.S. dominance is over. 



 

I kinda think it's not. If the US sent Davis, LeBron, Durant(if healthy), Klay, Steph, Kawhi, Harden, Kemba, Mitchell, etc., this tourney would have been a farce. Maybe one team might get lucky and keep a loss to under 10 points but the tournament would have been over before it began.

[ozgod]

Why did the three USA big men only play 16 minutes of the 40 in the game, meanwhile Gobert killed them. I didn't see it. But could they have been worse than letting joe Harris guard Gobert?  Seems weird to me.

Sounds like he was auditioning for our coaching job or channeling Brad Stevens to me.   Small ball is a gimmick and some times it can change the pace of games and give you a boost but when it is relied on as the sole method it exposes a team and can be exploited by the opposition.

Serbs went big and lost.
They brought 4 true centers to WC.
Then what is the logic there?
Please explain.

No one is saying to bring in 4 big men to the team, but when you're benching a modern big man like Myles Turner to have guys like Harris guard Rudy Gobert it's pretty bad logic.

Turner could never control defensive glass in his career.
Often he has a deer in the headlights look when he needs to make a quick decision.
So basically Pop (GOAT coach by CS) and CBS are forcing the small ball, "something that never works" (per majority of CS members).

I disagree.
USA team got beat because they came with their E-team.
If they brought their A or B-team, they could small ball everyone to death.

Turner isn't a good defensive rebounder, but his ability to stretch Gobert to the perimeter while not making Gobert like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain whenever he gets the ball inside makes him a player that Pop should've played more imo. And small ball works when you have the personnel to make it work, as I have reiterated numerous times, not when you use Joe Harris to guard Gobert. And the USA's E-team should've won this competition imo on paper, just because better USA teams lost in the past doesn't make this any less of an embarrassment.

Game's not played on paper unfortunately. As our Celtics found out last year.

[blink]

I think one thing that this really reinforces is that the current USA basketball team just doesn't have a reliable dominant closer.  In the game against France we were up 7 with 7 min to play, and this loss to Serbia was another close game (after the terrible 1st quarter).  We didn't need a whole lot more to win both of those games.  Throw in any (1) of the top USA players who skipped the tourney and we probably win both games.

The closest thing you have to a closer on the team is probably Donovan Mitchell but he has been pretty inconsistent.  He had 29 against France and then stubbed his toe in this game shooting 4/12.  With the more physical way that the international game is played the Kembas and the Mitchells just haven't been enough.