Author Topic: Is Australia the new Spain?  (Read 8731 times)

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Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #15 on: August 15, 2016, 04:07:06 PM »

Offline Moranis

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I'm confused why people think Spain is going to go away.  Sure Pau and even Marc are getting old, but there is still plenty of young talent in Spain in Rubio, Mirotic, Abrines, Hernangomez.  Heck even Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull, and Victor Claver aren't that old.  They also have a number of kids playing DI in college, and while none of them look like NBA players, they will all likely be very solid professionals in Spain (or elsewhere), which coupled with the NBA guys, makes for a very tough team.  They also have Alberto Abalde who is a possible NBA draftee in a couple of years and I'm sure a couple of other guys will pop along the way (as they always do with Spain).  Add that to a very active and strong national league, and I don't think Spain is going anywhere even if they don't have a Wiggins or Simmons level talent on the team, I believe their depth will really keep them as a clear top 2 or 3 team.

Edit: I forgot Ibaka who is still only in his late 20's. 
« Last Edit: August 15, 2016, 04:34:16 PM by Moranis »
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Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #16 on: August 15, 2016, 04:31:09 PM »

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When people talk about Spain going away it's a relative term. They had multiple generational talents peaking around the same time. They will likely remain a top 2-4 team for many years, but that is still a drop from being a legitimate year in and out contender capable of beating even a good USA team. Two years ago many thought Spain should even be favored in the World Cup hosted there. We will probably not see another team like that for a while.

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #17 on: August 15, 2016, 04:40:28 PM »

Offline Moranis

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When people talk about Spain going away it's a relative term. They had multiple generational talents peaking around the same time. They will likely remain a top 2-4 team for many years, but that is still a drop from being a legitimate year in and out contender capable of beating even a good USA team. Two years ago many thought Spain should even be favored in the World Cup hosted there. We will probably not see another team like that for a while.
Spain had the Gasol brothers and Ibaka (who is really a role player).  Their wings were never great.  They just had very good size and a team that played together for a long time.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Spain in the Gold Medal game in 2020.  I think this idea that they are going to fade away without Pau is pretty strange.  Spain still has the 2nd best basketball league in the world and still has as many if not more players in the NBA than any other country (outside of the US obviously).   
2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick

Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #18 on: August 18, 2016, 09:28:29 AM »

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When people talk about Spain going away it's a relative term. They had multiple generational talents peaking around the same time. They will likely remain a top 2-4 team for many years, but that is still a drop from being a legitimate year in and out contender capable of beating even a good USA team. Two years ago many thought Spain should even be favored in the World Cup hosted there. We will probably not see another team like that for a while.
Spain had the Gasol brothers and Ibaka (who is really a role player).  Their wings were never great.  They just had very good size and a team that played together for a long time.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Spain in the Gold Medal game in 2020.  I think this idea that they are going to fade away without Pau is pretty strange.  Spain still has the 2nd best basketball league in the world and still has as many if not more players in the NBA than any other country (outside of the US obviously).

Of course Spain could be in the gold medal game in 2020. Because they will likely be a top 5 team in the world (possibly top 2), and any of those teams will have a chance at the gold medal game. Spain is not fading away, but they are fading from their prime. They probably had the best non-USA team in 30 years (maybe ever) which lasted for years. The Gasol brothers were a freak occurrence. Now they are probably going to settle into really, really good for the next few years.

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #19 on: August 18, 2016, 10:09:27 AM »

Offline slamtheking

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Is Australia the new Spain?

no way.  I take Paella over Vegemite Sandwiches any day   8)

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #20 on: August 18, 2016, 11:02:08 AM »

Offline soulman

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Is Serbia the new USA that s the question!  ;D

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #21 on: September 28, 2017, 03:02:25 AM »

Offline slightly biased bias fan

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https://youtu.be/KXPU_fQwe08

Josh Green 16 y/o Australian playing for the IMG Academy (same as Ben Simmons)

6'5" shooting guard with elite potential

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #22 on: September 28, 2017, 03:09:54 AM »

Offline trickybilly

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https://youtu.be/KXPU_fQwe08

Josh Green 16 y/o Australian playing for the IMG Academy (same as Ben Simmons)

6'5" shooting guard with elite potential

That two-play sequence from 0.37-0.47 is pretty nice
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Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #23 on: September 28, 2017, 03:23:39 AM »

Offline Somebody

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The Australian national basketball team is an up and coming force that looks like displacing Spain as challenger America. There are several players in the NBA today; Bogut, Dellavedova, Exum, Mills, Baynes, Ingles, Cameron Bairstow & more to come such as; Simmons, Thon Maker, Malik Maker, Jonah Bolden, Deng Gak, Isaac Humphries, Harry Froling. The also have an array of talent in Europe like; Nathan Jawai & David Anderson.

I think this is an impressive up and coming team in the making, what do you think? Is perhaps Canada the next U.S rival?

France is up and coming too. Gobert, Fournier, Batum, Luwawu, Yabusle, Cordinier, and a host of 7 footers (Corniele, Jeanne, & Fall)

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/european-dispatch--a-trio-of-7-footers-233346183.html

Very true, I wouldn't be surprised if China becomes a force soon with the amount of money in that country now and communist countries are very nationalist with their sports.

China will suck until they develop good guards. Even the Yao, Wang, and Yi team would get demolished because their guards would crack under ball press.
China is even worse than their Yao days, we're being carried by Yi and only have a couple of good youngsters in Guo Ailun and Zhou Qi. Also we're transitioning to a streetball country, not a lot of talent at the guard position if you're talking about a good 5 on 5 guard. The development system is also starting to show cracks now that children are better off and don't have to depend on income from the national team to make a living. We'll probably continue to stay in the top 20 countries or so since our bigs are very well rounded (we seem to have a system for developing such players) but we'll probably never be a power unless we get generational talentS on the perimeter. (yes at least 2)
Jaylen Brown for All-NBA

Re: Is Australia the new Spain?
« Reply #24 on: September 28, 2017, 03:39:11 AM »

Offline Androslav

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 It was supposed to be New Holland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Holland_(Australia)
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