2010 FIBA World Championship Thread

[Griffin]

The tournament gets underway this Saturday, August 28th, in Turkey. The Suns do not have any players featured on the USA roster, but we do have two players participating: Goran Dragic for Slovenia and Hedo Turkoglu for the host Turkey. Notable first round games: Slovenia will face USA on the second day of the tournament and play Barbosa's Brazilian team on September 1st.

Team USA first round schedule:

vs. Croatia (08/28)
vs. Slovenia (08/29)
vs. Brazil (08/30)
vs. Iran (09/01)
vs. Tunisia (09/02)

All USA games will be televised live on one of the ESPN networks with multiple replays on NBATV.

Slovenia and Turkey schedules (televised games in bold):

August 28th
Slovenia vs. Tunisia (4:30PM EEST, 9:30AM EDT, 6:30AM MST)
Turkey vs. Côte d'Ivoire (9:00PM EEST, 2:00PM EDT, 11:00AM MST)

August 29th
Slovenia vs. USA (4:30PM EEST, 9:30AM EDT, 6:30AM MST)
- TV: ESPN2 live, ESPN2 6pm EDT replay | NBATV 8/30 7pm EDT replay, 8/31 1am EDT replay

Turkey vs. Russia (9:00PM EEST, 2:00PM EDT, 11:00AM MST)

August 30th
Slovenia vs. Croatia (4:30PM EEST, 9:30AM EDT, 6:30AM MST)

August 31st
Turkey vs. Greece (9:00PM EEST, 2:00PM EDT, 11:00AM MST)

September 1st
Turkey vs. Puerto Rico (9:00PM EEST, 2:00PM EDT, 11:00AM MST)

Slovenia vs. Brazil (9:30PM EEST, 2:30PM EDT, 11:30AM MST)
- TV: NBATV 2:30pm EDT Live, 11pm EDT replay

September 2nd
Slovenia vs. Iran (7:00PM EEST, 12:00PM EDT, 9:00AM MST)

Turkey vs. China (9:00PM EEST, 2:00PM EDT, 11:00AM MST)
- TV: NBATV 2pm EDT Live, 9/3 7pm EDT replay

 

[Superbone]

Thanks for laying all this out there. This will be a great reference for catching all the games.

 

[JoRain]

so the first games on the way
Slovenia comfortably beat Tunisia. Another Great game for The Dragon - 16 points, 8 assists and 5 boards.
here's the link to box score
http://turkey2010.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/10/fwcm/p/gid/1/grid/B/rid/6944/game.html
keep it up Goran

 

[leclerc]

Welcome to the Goran Dragic show!

 

[JoRain]

First upset of the WC - France recovered from early 11 point deficit to beat Spain 72 - 66
Batum really looked good
Turkoglu on the other hand was struggling, missing all of his 6 shots. got 7 assists, 7 boards 4 steals though.

here's the place to watch some highlights
http://www.fibatv.com/page/Video/0,,12805~1642082,00.html?tabb=&pnumber=1

 

[Sunburn]

The Dragon! Once again, puts up more assists than the entire opposing team combined. Stud.

 

[leclerc]

Too bad we didn't draft Batum. Portland have great scouts, they always pick well except off course big versus super stars, and criminals.

 

[AfroSuns]

Looked like Goran played poorly today. Rose has always been a Dragic killer

 

[Yuma]

Dragic played bad because he got in foul trouble early. He was never really a factor. Been watching the exhibition games and the Croatia, and Slovenia game. Kevin Durant is going to be the next Kobe, Jordan, Lebron, etc. That dude is progressing his game big time. I sure wish the Suns could have got him by whatever means possible! I think we win the World Cup because of him. Funny, I think Lamar Odom is playing better for Team USA than he did for the Lakers this year. He has been really the glue that has helped this team win. He hasn't taken any games off for Team USA.

Next game is Brazil. Then it's soft teams after that. Have to see how the Brazilian Blur does against us. The Iran game should be interesting. Let's see if Team USA can roll up 100 points against Iran!!!

 

[Griffin]

Turkoglu 14 pts (6/16), 3 ast, 3 reb vs. Russia
Dragic 14 pts (5/10), 4 ast, 4 reb vs. Croatia
and btw, Barbosa 21 pts (8/11), 6 reb vs. Tunisia

 

[Russ Smith]

If Rose doesn't start guarding the pick and roll better they should play Curry in the 2nd half against Brazil. Brazil just brutalized Rose on defense with that pick and roll. Westbrook had some issues too but you're supposed to make Barbosa take jumpshots, if he makes them he's tough to guard, Rose just got murdered on defense in that first half.

 

[Chaplin]

Unfortunately for the rest of the NBA, Tiago Splitter has looked great for Brazil. San Antonio was pretty smart to get him inked.

 

[Russ Smith]

Unfortunately for the rest of the NBA, Tiago Splitter has looked great for Brazil. San Antonio was pretty smart to get him inked.

He looks pretty good, had a tougher time scoring against chandler than he did against Odom or Love, but he is pretty good.

US figured out the pick and roll, just make a very hard show and occasionally double the guy with the ball, completely shut it down in the 3rd Q.

 

[Chaplin]

I feel a little ashamed that I was almost rooting for Brazil against the unlikable Team USA.

 

[carey]

I feel a little ashamed that I was almost rooting for Brazil against the unlikable Team USA.

USA is unlikable? I don't have a problem w/ anyone on there that isn't Odom.

 

[Chaplin]

USA is unlikable? I don't have a problem w/ anyone on there that isn't Odom.

I don't care about that team at all. Durant is a great player, but I never enjoyed watching that US team play. Maybe they are too quiet, I don't know. Or maybe I see them go smaller than the Suns but with nobody complaining about it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Kevin Durant is going to be the next Kobe, Jordan, Lebron, etc. That dude is progressing his game big time.

I love his game. If he stays healthy throughout his career he enters the HOF as the universally acclaimed greatest player of all time.

Steve

 

[Manu4five]

Unfortunately for the rest of the NBA, Tiago Splitter has looked great for Brazil. San Antonio was pretty smart to get him inked.

This. Too bad he got into early foul trouble against US. Odom had a nice block on him but in general he outplayed the American bigs (in fact his stats was slightly better than the combined stats of Odom, Love and Chandler). He has a nice pick and roll game but Brasil actually did a poor job finding him when he was open under the basket and for some reason preferred to launch 3s. Splitter's pick n roll with Manu & co could be yummy.

I'm not saying Splitter is a future all-star but that is not what would normally be expected from a late first rounder who will earn less than 4M.

Of course Durant was the best player by far in that game. Barbosa had a good first half but choked like he normally does.

 

[HooverDam]

I don't care about that team at all. Durant is a great player, but I never enjoyed watching that US team play. Maybe they are too quiet, I don't know. Or maybe I see them go smaller than the Suns but with nobody complaining about it.

What do you want them to do? Go big? Play a bunch of traditional American big men? Ask Tim Duncan, that doesn't work in FIBA ball. Playing Durant at the 4, with one big man in the post and 4 guys on the perimeter is the way to win in FIBA.

 

[AzStevenCal]

What do you want them to do? Go big? Play a bunch of traditional American big men? Ask Tim Duncan, that doesn't work in FIBA ball. Playing Durant at the 4, with one big man in the post and 4 guys on the perimeter is the way to win in FIBA.

I agree with your point but the Tim Duncan that came out of college could have succeeded in the international game. You know, that big guy who didn't travel every single time he touched the ball and who didn't expect free throws every time a defender got within a foot of him. He didn't develop the travel move or the "he fouled me" whine until after he'd spent some time in the NBA. He became so accustomed to being treated like a Deity by the refs he didn't know how to adapt to being treated like just another player.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

But remember, Stoudemire pretty much sucked in his FIBA experiences as well. Not everyone's game is a good fit.

 

[AzStevenCal]

But remember, Stoudemire pretty much sucked in his FIBA experiences as well. Not everyone's game is a good fit.

Quite true. I think a young Duncan succeeds though because he was lights out with that bank shot out to well past the international key. He was also much better at the fundamentals than Amare was at a similar stage, especially passing out of the double team. Neither is the prototypical international big man but (a younger) Duncan was probably much better suited for it than Amare.

Steve

 

[carey]

I love his game. If he stays healthy throughout his career he enters the HOF as the universally acclaimed greatest player of all time.

Steve

Wow, you see him winning 6 or more rings?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Wow, you see him winning 6 or more rings?

If that's all we go by there are some Celtics that stand well above MJ. At this point, I think MJ is the greatest player to ever play the game but yes, I do think Durant will pass him. But it's a projection, not a guarantee.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

At this point, I think MJ is the greatest player to ever play the game but yes, I do think Durant will pass him. But it's a projection, not a guarantee.

I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to guarantee such a thing. Are you trying to tell me that you aren't directly responsible for how history will judge Durant's career?