That New-and-Improved USA Hoops Team Sure is Exciting
Uncategorized August 24th. 2007, 11:50am
We haven’t been all over the brand spankin’ new USA basketball team as we’d like to be – hey, they cut our main man Kevin Durant – but after Thursday’s 64-point drubbing of the US Virgin Islands (nope, AC Green is not on the team, nor is he an honorary coach), and drooling over the incredible highlights, we felt a brief post was necessary.
Love Michael Redd. Everybody likes Mike Miller, too, but Redd is a shooter who can score; Miller just shoots. He won’t blow by you like Redd will. And Euros are smart – they’ll just overplay Miller because he’s not as skilled at attacking the basket.
Our ultimate lineup is Billups at point, Redd at shooting guard, LeBron at small forward, and, because Tim Duncan is hurt, the imposing tandem of Amare and Tyson Chandler inside. We’re going to give the nod to Amare over Dwight Howard simply because Stoudemire has a deeper offensive repertoire than dunks. You can’t go wrong with this trio off the bench: Kidd, Kobe and the best defender on the team, Tayshaun Prince.
USA-Canada is Saturday, and though Steve Nash isn’t playing, we’re thinking this one is slightly closer than the previous two routs – if the over/under were 30, we’d definitely take the under.
44 Responses to “That New-and-Improved USA Hoops Team Sure is Exciting”
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August 24th, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Kobe has to start but Redd drilling 3s is the key to this team beating the best teams in the world.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:59 AM
“And Euros are smart”
Fortunately they weren’t invited to the FIBA Americas tournament.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:04 PM
LeBron is not better at the small forward spot than Carmelo.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:05 PM
Kobe does have to start, but the team looks good enough to really compete in international play.
With that being said, what’s the over/under on number of players on Team USA players being hurt for stretches during the 08 season?
August 24th, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Michael Redd starting ahead of Kobe Bryant?
You’re joking , right?
August 24th, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Kidd, Kobe, Lebron, Amare, and Chandler
August 24th, 2007 at 12:11 PM
I’d take the over if the over/under is 30.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Redd is a shooter who can score? Compared to a shooting guard that cannot score?
August 24th, 2007 at 12:22 PM
I thought Kobe and Kidd are what has been holding this team together? And Carmelo, apparently?
August 24th, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Kidd is the best PG in the league not named Steve Nash and Kobe is arguably the best player in the entire league. You’ve gotta start those two.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Did some complete and utter jackass just post that Carmelo(dont snitch) Anthony is a better player than Lebron James.
Maybe he’s right and the rest of THE WORLD is wrong. If you could ever pull someones posting rights for a week, that is the type of nonsense talk that deserves it.
Your an idiot Durrel, or Darrel, “Melo” is a want to be thug, hip hop culture follower, where Lebron is his own self made enterprise.
I have to say that although Kobe is one of the top 3 players in all of basketball, his game doesnt fit into this teams concept and I could see him not starting. But, it sure is tough to keep him out of the starting 5
August 24th, 2007 at 12:50 PM
“Your an idiot Durrel, or Darrel, “Melo†is a want to be thug, hip hop culture follower, where Lebron is his own self made enterprise.”
hahaha. that’s ludicrous.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Mike
don’t belive the hype
Jason Kidd is the best point guard period!
August 24th, 2007 at 1:44 PM
Not to be redundant, but how is it that Kobe isn’t starting? It’s mind bottling…you know like when you get all yoru thoughts trapped in a bottle?
August 24th, 2007 at 2:02 PM
TomSellecksMustache hates black people.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:12 PM
TomSellecksMustache , it would have been cool if you had actually come up with some basketball reasoning for your disagreement instead of the jive you came up with. It just goes to show that you are just as impotent in going against me on a topic as you would be in trying to get with Kim Kardashian. It explains your hate in both cases. You’re frustrated, go outside and play.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:14 PM
They cut my guy Durant!! Grrr! Okay so TeamUSA beat third rate scrubs from the Virgin Islands. The real test for CoachK and company will come when they play the top tiered talent from Argentina, Spain, Russia and Italy. Let’s see if the jump shots hold up.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:16 PM
tomsellecks…why are you so upset! If the truth be told, the man said at the 3 spot Carmelo is better at that position not a better player. Is that wrong to think or say. No. Lebron plays the 2 more than the 3 during the season. If Kobe can come off the bench why can’t Lebron?
It would make perfect sense for LBJ to come off the bench than start because the man made it to the Finals where Melo and Kobe didnt!
August 24th, 2007 at 2:34 PM
Gatorman
what does having made it to the finals have to do with anything?
August 24th, 2007 at 3:00 PM
Wow. Surprised at some answers.
i think lebron is better than kobe, and i think redd is a bigger need than kobe, thus kobe comes off the bench.
Personally, i think Kobe’s still a bit too selfish to start. Humble this guy a bit.
August 24th, 2007 at 3:16 PM
One day, he might be, but right now Lebron is not better than Kobe. when you say Redd is a bigger need than Kobe, I’m assuming you mean as a outside shooter. I think Kobe just about as good of a shooter as Redd and is much, much better all-around player.
I haven’t seen a hint of selfish play out of Kobe in these pre-Olympic workouts.
August 24th, 2007 at 3:43 PM
Let me ask the big guy wearing me to fluff the crumbs out of my whiskers before I answer Durrell………. Thank you P.I.
Now than, Lebron is better in every capacity of his game over “Melo”. Please allow me to ellaborate.
Better defender. Lebron avg’s 2 steals per game vs “Melo’s” 1. Lebron avg’s .7 blocks per game vs “Melo’s” .4- He also logs significantly more minutes and therefore helps his team win during a larger stretch of the game. So your wrong on the defensive side.
Offensively do I really need to quote numbers? Allright, since you based your argument on pure fact, other than your opinion(right…..) I’ll do the opposite, just to make you feel that much more incompetent. Lebron avg’s 27 pts to “Melo’s” 24. Lebron’s FG% is 46, to “Melo’s” 45. Neither have great perimeter game, but I after watching Lebron melt his way through the impervious Detroit d in game 5 by raining 3’s I’m giving the edge to Lebron. Please dont talk about post up game because “Melo” isnt in the same league as Lebron with his back to the board.
Than you get to the point of intangibles, and Lebron is a true on court, and off the court leader, where as “Melo” again, acts like a thug, and promotes snitches getting rubbed out, and so on. Ask yourself this…Does Melo make his teamates better when he’s on court?
And to say that Lebron plays the 2 and maybe Carmelo is a better 3 and thats why he should start over him is as ludicrous, as Ludicrous speed was in Spaceballs. Its insane. Lebron plays the 2, because the cavs other options are Sasha Pavlovic, and, and, and, what Danny Ferry in a dual GM role? He plays it because the Cavs have no one else.
So, I’m sorry I had to destroy you Durrell with your fictitous Lebron vs “Melo” argument, but you ran your dick suckers so it had to be done.
And, just to clarify, I wouldnt bone Karblackshian with your dick fella, the mustache is uncompromisable!
With that said the starting 5 should be.
1.J Kidd
2. Mr Selfish
3. Lebron
4. Amare
5. Chandler(Beast on the boards)
and Redd should be the 1st off the bench for either Lebron, or Showme Bryant.
And, what am I now George Bush according to Kanye West Tk? Freakin schlep
August 24th, 2007 at 3:56 PM
Umm… Billups and Redd over Kidd and Kobe?
Do you even watch basketball?
August 24th, 2007 at 4:08 PM
Your reference to to LeBron having a better post up game renders the rest of your post irrelevant. Everyone knows that LeBron doesn’t post up nearly enough. Anthony on the other hand is the most versatile scorer in the entire league. He plays at 6′8″ the way Nowitzki should be playing at 7 feet. By the way, your tendencies show that you would probably prefer Tom Selleck to Kim Kardashian or any other woman.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:16 PM
Do you guys actually watch basketball or just rely on talk radio for your information?
Melo is the most versatile scorer ? Are you serious?
Kobe is easily the most verstile scorer and has been for some time now.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:18 PM
When Duncan returns, i go Duncan/Chandler at the 4/5
I just don’t see why you’d need LeBron/Kobe on the floor at once.
Balance is going to be the key to winning this, and that’s why I like the Redd/Billups/LeBron combo.
And remember – just cause Kobe’s starting doesn’t mean he’ll get reduced minutes.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:23 PM
I watch ball. There is only one player in the league that Popovich consistantly sends help for Bruce Bowen, and that’s Carmelo Anthony. Anthony can post up 4’s, while he can blow by 2’s on the perimeter. Kobe isn’t posting up too many 4’s.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:56 PM
Add to that fact that with the game on the line, Carmelo has more success than anyone in the league over the span of his career. The numbers are out there, look it up.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:58 PM
Kobe’s a guard, why would he be posting up 4’s?
August 24th, 2007 at 5:01 PM
You’re killing me Darrell. With the game on the line?
Has he even made it out of the first round before?
August 24th, 2007 at 5:08 PM
I took your suggestion Darrell and looked it up. I consider the playoffs as games where you show what you’re really about.
In the nineteen career playoff games Melo has appeared in, his shooting percentage is 39% and that number was brought up considerably due to his decent performance in the 2007 playoffs.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:09 PM
The point is Carmelo is posting up power players in the post, while beating the same players on the perimeter that Bryant is, which signifies his versatility.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:16 PM
Last I checked, the games during the season count as well, and you making the out of the first round statement about Anthony would be like me making the Kobe hasn’t been to the Finals or out of the first round without Shaq. It’s easy to ignore the mitigating circumstances in each case.
August 24th, 2007 at 5:17 PM
http://82games.com/random12.htm
Number 1.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:39 PM
“Freakin schlep”
What the fuck does that even mean?
“[Carmelo]promotes snitches getting rubbed out, and so on.”
He said the line in some underground home video quite a while back, I think you’re making it out to be a much bigger deal. Anthony has been a model citizen who’s done more work with charity organizations than most veterans. Just another narrow-minded perspective of somebody who doesn’t deserve your derision.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:16 PM
It does look like we’re doing our best to avoid embarrassment from here on out. In this tournament, we don’t have too much to worry about outside of Argentina. But in the future, I hope LeBron, Carmelo, and company remember that just showing up isn’t good enough anymore.
August 26th, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Where’s the dude with the man crush on Tom Selleck? I was hoping he’d give some more “basketball analysis” for comic relief.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:55 AM
Holy crap there is so much bad knowledge and cluelessness in these comments I don’t even know where to begin. Carmello is the most versatile scorer in the NBA? Billups over Jason Kidd? Ahhhh!
Basketball is a team sport kids. You don’t win the game by putting the players who score the most or who have the most endorsement deals all on the court at once. You need to have a team. You need to have players who do certain aspects of the game well and fit well together. Not 5 athletic shooting guards. You need an outside shooter, an inside scorer, a good utility man/rebounder, a good PG who can spread the ball around and attack the defense, and then a #1 versatile scoring option in there somewhere.
August 27th, 2007 at 11:58 AM
Holy crap, there is so much of nothing offered up in that post. Unless of course you want to count offering up some cliched thought on what a basketball team is supposed to constitute as thought. Teams as different as the The Bad Boys, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spurs have won, and they didn’t all fit the same formula.
August 27th, 2007 at 3:24 PM
D
You mentioned how good Anthony was in the clutch . Since his team has never advanced at all, he hasn’t had too many opportunities and he hasn’t done anything with the opportunties he has had.
Also, it’s true Kobe hasn’t advanced without Shaq, but if you surrounded him two All-stars like Carmelo has, the lakers would compete for title.
August 28th, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Not only did I mention how good Carmelo is in the clutch, I provided the numbers showing how much so. Him being clutch and his team advancing beyond the first round are mutually exclusive. It just means if he’s on a team good enough to win a championship, you want him taking the last shot, because he’s shown he’s clutch enough to make it happen. Carmelo has played with one All Star (Iverson) for 15 minutes, the other (Camby) is an All Star caliber player who had an All Star year. Kobe on the other hand, plays with a forward who is also of All Star caliber (Odom). As a matter of fact he at one time had Odom and Caron Butler. I like Kobe, but I think the lack of talent talk about the Lakers has been a bit overblown by his fans.
August 28th, 2007 at 12:37 PM
I must have missed the numbers which proved Anthony was a good clutch performer. And I can’t see how being good in the clutch and your team advancing in the playoffs are mutually exclusive. It seems like they go hand in hand. You have to admit that most performances that are considered “clutch” occur during the playoffs. This is when the money is truly on the line. Seems to me that a player as great as you believe Melo is , surrounded by two other all-star caliber players( one a sure HOF), would have at least delievered enough clutch performances to get his team out of the first round( at least once).
Also
I agree Odom should be an all-star caliber player
but
You can’t compare Kobe’s supporting cast last year with Carmelos. An undrafted free agent at the point , a second round pick(walton) coming off a serious injury at small forward and probably the second worse number one overall pick ever , in the middle. C’mon.
August 28th, 2007 at 12:38 PM
Just curious,
Are you from Baltimore or Syracuse?
August 28th, 2007 at 11:08 PM
Here’s the link with the numbers:
http://82games.com/random12.htm
Iverson and Carmelo played less than half of a season together. The beginning of the season, Camby wasn’t an All Star. Melo’s team was a perennial loser before he arrived. They’ve made the playoffs each year he’s been there and that is in the tough West Conference. I’m from neither place.