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

[PAOBoston]

That foul was dangerous as heck.  Coming up from behind a guy on breakaway dunk & make contact while they're in the air.

Bad stuff can come from that.

Yeah, but I didn’t think it was dirty though. Clearly he went for the ball. It was a hard foul. But just a regular foul imo.

[Fierce1]

You know, I read an article this week on the Ringer about team USA basketball that called Mitchell the best two-way guard on team USA.

That's bunk. On ball, he can hound defenders. Weakside, he makes some dynamic rebounds and disruptive plays. But man does he have defensive brain farts. Seems like a few times a game he loses his man for a wide open shot.

Whoever said that hasn't watched the games, or he is letting Mitchell live on his reputation, because his actual play hasn't been at that level.

Mitchell threw the ball away a lot while I was watching.  Hit some shots too, but the ball seemed to move better when he wasn’t out there.

Jaylen played some outstanding def tonight.  He was playing a lot in the second half as well when he wasn’t scoring as much.  Pop had the team ready to stop the Greek and it pretty much worked.

Also, it's looking like Brown is a complementary player.

Well he led the team in scoring the last game, he led the team in minutes played, rebounds and played great def this game.  I think that sells him a little short.  He didn't shoot well this game, but he is making a big contribution to the team.

But Brown is not a player who you can count on to be a go to guy.

I'm not saying Brown is bad, in fact, Jaylen is very good.
He's just not like Kawhi, Paul George, or Jimmy Butler.

Jaylen thrives when he doesn't have to do a lot.
Like in the 1st half against Greece.
In the 2nd half, Jaylen was a no-show.

The bad FT shooting also doesn't help because his team will suffer if he gets fouled in crunch time.

IMO Jaylen is not a #1 or #2 guy.
He's more of a complementary player, a supporting actor, not the lead actor.

Brown played the most minutes in the game for the US team.  If Pop thought he was a 'no-show' do you think he gets those minutes?  He led the team in rebounding was 5th in scoring.  He had an off night shooting, but was one of the best overall players on the team again today.  The last game he led the team in scoring. 

So are Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, Barnes just complimentary players as well?  Because they all have been inconsistent at times as well. 

I am not sure who said he was Kawaii, but that seems like an arbitrary comparison.  Like 'he's no MJ', of course he isn't, who said he is?

The difference is Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, and Barnes are proven scorers in the NBA.

Sure Jaylen dominated a team like Japan because the Japan players are not as strong or as big as NBA players.

Jaylen's strength is his athletic ability and power.
When the opponents are not as big and not as strong, like in international competition, Jaylen does well.
But in the NBA, Jaylen is very inconsistent because he can't out-jump and overpower every defender he faces.

The poor FT shooting also doesn't help because the coach will avoid playing him in crunch time.

The Celts and Brad Stevens will give Brown a chance to prove he's worth keeping.
Brown has to play well from October to February.
If the Celts feel they will lose Brown in free-agency, he will be traded on or before the trade deadline.

[RockinRyA]

You know, I read an article this week on the Ringer about team USA basketball that called Mitchell the best two-way guard on team USA.

That's bunk. On ball, he can hound defenders. Weakside, he makes some dynamic rebounds and disruptive plays. But man does he have defensive brain farts. Seems like a few times a game he loses his man for a wide open shot.

Whoever said that hasn't watched the games, or he is letting Mitchell live on his reputation, because his actual play hasn't been at that level.

Mitchell threw the ball away a lot while I was watching.  Hit some shots too, but the ball seemed to move better when he wasn’t out there.

Jaylen played some outstanding def tonight.  He was playing a lot in the second half as well when he wasn’t scoring as much.  Pop had the team ready to stop the Greek and it pretty much worked.

Also, it's looking like Brown is a complementary player.

Well he led the team in scoring the last game, he led the team in minutes played, rebounds and played great def this game.  I think that sells him a little short.  He didn't shoot well this game, but he is making a big contribution to the team.

But Brown is not a player who you can count on to be a go to guy.

I'm not saying Brown is bad, in fact, Jaylen is very good.
He's just not like Kawhi, Paul George, or Jimmy Butler.

Jaylen thrives when he doesn't have to do a lot.
Like in the 1st half against Greece.
In the 2nd half, Jaylen was a no-show.

The bad FT shooting also doesn't help because his team will suffer if he gets fouled in crunch time.

IMO Jaylen is not a #1 or #2 guy.
He's more of a complementary player, a supporting actor, not the lead actor.

Brown played the most minutes in the game for the US team.  If Pop thought he was a 'no-show' do you think he gets those minutes?  He led the team in rebounding was 5th in scoring.  He had an off night shooting, but was one of the best overall players on the team again today.  The last game he led the team in scoring. 

So are Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, Barnes just complimentary players as well?  Because they all have been inconsistent at times as well. 

I am not sure who said he was Kawaii, but that seems like an arbitrary comparison.  Like 'he's no MJ', of course he isn't, who said he is?

The difference is Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, and Barnes are proven scorers in the NBA.

Sure Jaylen dominated a team like Japan because the Japan players are not as strong or as big as NBA players.

Jaylen's strength is his athletic ability and power.
When the opponents are not as big and not as strong, like in international competition, Jaylen does well.
But in the NBA, Jaylen is very inconsistent because he can't out-jump and overpower every defender he faces.

The poor FT shooting also doesn't help because the coach will avoid playing him in crunch time.

The Celts and Brad Stevens will give Brown a chance to prove he's worth keeping.
Brown has to play well from October to February.
If the Celts feel they will lose Brown in free-agency, he will be traded on or before the trade deadline.

Trying to hide your bias through backhanded compliments isnt the way. Embrace your hatred and you'll sound more credible.

[Fierce1]

You know, I read an article this week on the Ringer about team USA basketball that called Mitchell the best two-way guard on team USA.

That's bunk. On ball, he can hound defenders. Weakside, he makes some dynamic rebounds and disruptive plays. But man does he have defensive brain farts. Seems like a few times a game he loses his man for a wide open shot.

Whoever said that hasn't watched the games, or he is letting Mitchell live on his reputation, because his actual play hasn't been at that level.

Mitchell threw the ball away a lot while I was watching.  Hit some shots too, but the ball seemed to move better when he wasn’t out there.

Jaylen played some outstanding def tonight.  He was playing a lot in the second half as well when he wasn’t scoring as much.  Pop had the team ready to stop the Greek and it pretty much worked.

Also, it's looking like Brown is a complementary player.

Well he led the team in scoring the last game, he led the team in minutes played, rebounds and played great def this game.  I think that sells him a little short.  He didn't shoot well this game, but he is making a big contribution to the team.

But Brown is not a player who you can count on to be a go to guy.

I'm not saying Brown is bad, in fact, Jaylen is very good.
He's just not like Kawhi, Paul George, or Jimmy Butler.

Jaylen thrives when he doesn't have to do a lot.
Like in the 1st half against Greece.
In the 2nd half, Jaylen was a no-show.

The bad FT shooting also doesn't help because his team will suffer if he gets fouled in crunch time.

IMO Jaylen is not a #1 or #2 guy.
He's more of a complementary player, a supporting actor, not the lead actor.

Brown played the most minutes in the game for the US team.  If Pop thought he was a 'no-show' do you think he gets those minutes?  He led the team in rebounding was 5th in scoring.  He had an off night shooting, but was one of the best overall players on the team again today.  The last game he led the team in scoring. 

So are Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, Barnes just complimentary players as well?  Because they all have been inconsistent at times as well. 

I am not sure who said he was Kawaii, but that seems like an arbitrary comparison.  Like 'he's no MJ', of course he isn't, who said he is?

The difference is Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, and Barnes are proven scorers in the NBA.

Sure Jaylen dominated a team like Japan because the Japan players are not as strong or as big as NBA players.

Jaylen's strength is his athletic ability and power.
When the opponents are not as big and not as strong, like in international competition, Jaylen does well.
But in the NBA, Jaylen is very inconsistent because he can't out-jump and overpower every defender he faces.

The poor FT shooting also doesn't help because the coach will avoid playing him in crunch time.

The Celts and Brad Stevens will give Brown a chance to prove he's worth keeping.
Brown has to play well from October to February.
If the Celts feel they will lose Brown in free-agency, he will be traded on or before the trade deadline.

Trying to hide your bias through backhanded compliments isnt the way. Embrace your hatred and you'll sound more credible.

It's not hatred.

All of us here are Celtic fans who want one thing, for the Celts to win another championship.

I believe the Celts need to upgrade and add another star like Kevin Love or Bradley Beal.

Right now the Celts are not yet on par with the elite teams, like Steve Bulpett reported.

For example, the Celts are loaded with guards and the Pacers are loaded with bigs, so a Sabonis for Jaylen trade helps both teams.

If the Celts believe Love or Beal is the missing piece, Smart and Brown will have to be sacrificed.

There's no point in being loyal to a player if it doesn't help the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Before Anthony Davis refused to come to Boston, it's a no-brainer trading Tatum and other assets for AD.

In that scenario, I'm happy if the Celts end up keeping Brown and letting go of Tatum even if Tatum is one of my favorite Celtic players.

[keevsnick]

You know, I read an article this week on the Ringer about team USA basketball that called Mitchell the best two-way guard on team USA.

That's bunk. On ball, he can hound defenders. Weakside, he makes some dynamic rebounds and disruptive plays. But man does he have defensive brain farts. Seems like a few times a game he loses his man for a wide open shot.

Whoever said that hasn't watched the games, or he is letting Mitchell live on his reputation, because his actual play hasn't been at that level.

Mitchell threw the ball away a lot while I was watching.  Hit some shots too, but the ball seemed to move better when he wasn’t out there.

Jaylen played some outstanding def tonight.  He was playing a lot in the second half as well when he wasn’t scoring as much.  Pop had the team ready to stop the Greek and it pretty much worked.

Also, it's looking like Brown is a complementary player.

Well he led the team in scoring the last game, he led the team in minutes played, rebounds and played great def this game.  I think that sells him a little short.  He didn't shoot well this game, but he is making a big contribution to the team.

But Brown is not a player who you can count on to be a go to guy.

I'm not saying Brown is bad, in fact, Jaylen is very good.
He's just not like Kawhi, Paul George, or Jimmy Butler.

Jaylen thrives when he doesn't have to do a lot.
Like in the 1st half against Greece.
In the 2nd half, Jaylen was a no-show.

The bad FT shooting also doesn't help because his team will suffer if he gets fouled in crunch time.

IMO Jaylen is not a #1 or #2 guy.
He's more of a complementary player, a supporting actor, not the lead actor.

Brown played the most minutes in the game for the US team.  If Pop thought he was a 'no-show' do you think he gets those minutes?  He led the team in rebounding was 5th in scoring.  He had an off night shooting, but was one of the best overall players on the team again today.  The last game he led the team in scoring. 

So are Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, Barnes just complimentary players as well?  Because they all have been inconsistent at times as well. 

I am not sure who said he was Kawaii, but that seems like an arbitrary comparison.  Like 'he's no MJ', of course he isn't, who said he is?

The difference is Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, and Barnes are proven scorers in the NBA.

Sure Jaylen dominated a team like Japan because the Japan players are not as strong or as big as NBA players.

Jaylen's strength is his athletic ability and power.
When the opponents are not as big and not as strong, like in international competition, Jaylen does well.
But in the NBA, Jaylen is very inconsistent because he can't out-jump and overpower every defender he faces.

The poor FT shooting also doesn't help because the coach will avoid playing him in crunch time.

The Celts and Brad Stevens will give Brown a chance to prove he's worth keeping.
Brown has to play well from October to February.
If the Celts feel they will lose Brown in free-agency, he will be traded on or before the trade deadline.

Trying to hide your bias through backhanded compliments isnt the way. Embrace your hatred and you'll sound more credible.

It's not hatred.

All of us here are Celtic fans who want one thing, for the Celts to win another championship.

I believe the Celts need to upgrade and add another star like Kevin Love or Bradley Beal.

Right now the Celts are not yet on par with the elite teams, like Steve Bulpett reported.

For example, the Celts are loaded with guards and the Pacers are loaded with bigs, so a Sabonis for Jaylen trade helps both teams.

If the Celts believe Love or Beal is the missing piece, Smart and Brown will have to be sacrificed.

There's no point in being loyal to a player if it doesn't help the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Before Anthony Davis refused to come to Boston, it's a no-brainer trading Tatum and other assets for AD.

In that scenario, I'm happy if the Celts end up keeping Brown and letting go of Tatum even if Tatum is one of my favorite Celtic players.

I don't think Love is an "upgrade." Hard pass.

[Somebody]

You know, I read an article this week on the Ringer about team USA basketball that called Mitchell the best two-way guard on team USA.

That's bunk. On ball, he can hound defenders. Weakside, he makes some dynamic rebounds and disruptive plays. But man does he have defensive brain farts. Seems like a few times a game he loses his man for a wide open shot.

Whoever said that hasn't watched the games, or he is letting Mitchell live on his reputation, because his actual play hasn't been at that level.

Mitchell threw the ball away a lot while I was watching.  Hit some shots too, but the ball seemed to move better when he wasn’t out there.

Jaylen played some outstanding def tonight.  He was playing a lot in the second half as well when he wasn’t scoring as much.  Pop had the team ready to stop the Greek and it pretty much worked.

Also, it's looking like Brown is a complementary player.

Well he led the team in scoring the last game, he led the team in minutes played, rebounds and played great def this game.  I think that sells him a little short.  He didn't shoot well this game, but he is making a big contribution to the team.

But Brown is not a player who you can count on to be a go to guy.

I'm not saying Brown is bad, in fact, Jaylen is very good.
He's just not like Kawhi, Paul George, or Jimmy Butler.

Jaylen thrives when he doesn't have to do a lot.
Like in the 1st half against Greece.
In the 2nd half, Jaylen was a no-show.

The bad FT shooting also doesn't help because his team will suffer if he gets fouled in crunch time.

IMO Jaylen is not a #1 or #2 guy.
He's more of a complementary player, a supporting actor, not the lead actor.

Brown played the most minutes in the game for the US team.  If Pop thought he was a 'no-show' do you think he gets those minutes?  He led the team in rebounding was 5th in scoring.  He had an off night shooting, but was one of the best overall players on the team again today.  The last game he led the team in scoring. 

So are Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, Barnes just complimentary players as well?  Because they all have been inconsistent at times as well. 

I am not sure who said he was Kawaii, but that seems like an arbitrary comparison.  Like 'he's no MJ', of course he isn't, who said he is?

The difference is Middleton, Mitchell, Kemba, and Barnes are proven scorers in the NBA.

Sure Jaylen dominated a team like Japan because the Japan players are not as strong or as big as NBA players.

Jaylen's strength is his athletic ability and power.
When the opponents are not as big and not as strong, like in international competition, Jaylen does well.
But in the NBA, Jaylen is very inconsistent because he can't out-jump and overpower every defender he faces.

The poor FT shooting also doesn't help because the coach will avoid playing him in crunch time.

The Celts and Brad Stevens will give Brown a chance to prove he's worth keeping.
Brown has to play well from October to February.
If the Celts feel they will lose Brown in free-agency, he will be traded on or before the trade deadline.

Trying to hide your bias through backhanded compliments isnt the way. Embrace your hatred and you'll sound more credible.

It's not hatred.

All of us here are Celtic fans who want one thing, for the Celts to win another championship.

I believe the Celts need to upgrade and add another star like Kevin Love or Bradley Beal.

Right now the Celts are not yet on par with the elite teams, like Steve Bulpett reported.

For example, the Celts are loaded with guards and the Pacers are loaded with bigs, so a Sabonis for Jaylen trade helps both teams.

If the Celts believe Love or Beal is the missing piece, Smart and Brown will have to be sacrificed.

There's no point in being loyal to a player if it doesn't help the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Before Anthony Davis refused to come to Boston, it's a no-brainer trading Tatum and other assets for AD.

In that scenario, I'm happy if the Celts end up keeping Brown and letting go of Tatum even if Tatum is one of my favorite Celtic players.

All of these trades honestly suck lol. Brown is much more valuable than Sabonis and Love (saying this a huge Sabonis fan), and Beal isn't a good fit in Boston.

[Fierce1]

While it's true Jaylen Brown is more valuable than Sabonis, Ainge and the Celtics already lost leverage.

Next summer's free-agent class is weak.
Jaylen will be one of the top free-agents next summer.
Of course the Celts will be able to match any offer, but if another team overpays Brown and the Celts will have to choose to match or lose Brown for nothing, that will handicap the Celts in the long term.

Ainge avoided that scenario with Avery Bradley, opting to trade Bradley for Morris before Bradley became a FA.

The Celts need another PF after Al Horford left.
Right now Tatum will be the starter at the 4 by default.
But Tatum's not yet ready to be a full-time PF.
Tatum needs more to time to develop his body.
That's why a guy like Kevin Love makes sense.

Kevin Love is a very good shooter and rebounder.
He can play the 5 in small ball situations.
The question is are the Celts willing to absorb Love's contract.

Sabonis is also going to become a FA next summer.
Same with Brown, the Pacers can match any offer.
The problem is the Pacers already gave Myles Turner a big contract and they just drafted Goga.

With Bogdanovic leaving the Pacers and Horford leaving the Celts, a Brown for Sabonis trade helps both teams.

[ederson]

Lithuanians are furious and have every right to be

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/931193/fiba-acknowledges-mistake-against-lithuania/

[LilRip]

Lithuanians are furious and have every right to be

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/931193/fiba-acknowledges-mistake-against-lithuania/

Just watched the clip. Looked like an easy call to make. How’d they miss that??

[Somebody]

Lithuanians are furious and have every right to be

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/931193/fiba-acknowledges-mistake-against-lithuania/

Just watched the clip. Looked like an easy call to make. How’d they miss that??

Money. European sports are very corrupt in general.

[ederson]

Lithuanians are furious and have every right to be

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/931193/fiba-acknowledges-mistake-against-lithuania/

Just watched the clip. Looked like an easy call to make. How’d they miss that??

I honestly don't know... I think they missed similar call in Greece VS Brazil.

The thing is that FIBA wants refs from every federation  A ref from the Japanese league cannot have the experience to officiate games on such a level


@somebody cause you haven't seen worse calls missed in the NBA.... BTW it's WORLD cup... God we need an ignore button

[Celtics4ever]

Giannis looks almost human without the star calls.....

[Somebody]

Giannis looks almost human without the star calls.....

Yeah I was pretty p---ed about all the calls he got when we lost to them last playoffs. Sure we were dysfunctional, but every time we made a run he'd get a bunch of calls to pull away.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Brown's intensity blew the game open against Brazil. Multiple steals, tips, and aggressiveness of offense. Several really good passes. Just abusing the Brazil bigs on offense.

I think he was the best player of this game, again. That's arguably three games in a row that he is been the most important/impactful player of the game. All of these wins are team victories. There's no superstar performance, but Brown has been really good.

[footey]

Brown's intensity blew the game open against Brazil. Multiple steals, tips, and aggressiveness of offense. Several really good passes. Just abusing the Brazil bigs on offense.

I think he was the best player of this game, again. That's arguably three games in a row that he is been the most important/impactful player of the game. All of these wins are team victories. There's no superstar performance, but Brown has been really good.

I just watched 1st half where he didn’t do much. Look forward to watching 2nd half. I heard Smart was impactful too. Walker his usual ho hum leading scorer. He is a notch above everyone on the team as a shot creator. Turner looked really good in first half again. That guy plays hard every minute he’s on the floor.