Greece just beat USA 101-95

[King A]

better team effort

 

[hafey]

Interesting game. I think many people will miss identify this loss as a talent problem, e.g: all the players not present and so on. Really this was a coaching problem. I'm a big Duke/Coach K guy, but he was out-coached by a veteran international coach.

 

[arthurracoon]

wow

that sucks

 

[cly2tw]

They can't seem to be able to defend the Greek offense. Granted, the Greeks shot the ball hot but they quite easily took the US team apart by simple picks.

 

[hcsilla]

Great, deserved win for Greece. The MVP of the game was Papaloukas.

 

[joshstmarie]

i think its a matter of them hitting ALL thier outside shots and us just being inexperienced at defending that type of offense..oh..and 14 missed fts might have something to do with it.

just an bad night from the guys that we would have been able to slide by on any other night if it wasnt for their hot shooting.

another thing me and my roomate were wondering while we were watching was why dwight howard sat while they continually made layups on us...im sure the coach had his reasons.

 

[hafey]

that an good catch. if it were me coaching, i honestly would've experimented playing zone in camp and group play. with the US's length and athleticism and shorter three point line, a US zone could have presented these teams with a challenge. In the case of greece, the pick and roll wouldn't have been such a problem.

That's just me though.

 

[Esther]

Team USA was not making shots. Maybe I am just spoiled by the Phoenix Suns, but our open 3 pointers and foul shots are just terrible. I notices that many players that normally makes their free throws in the NBA are not doing as well in this tournament. I don't know why. Maybe it's the trapezoid paint messing with their perspective view

 

[Sunshooter]

Greece play great zone defense, so that US can't get points easily. Coach K must pay attention in this problem, that's not NBA style in international game.

I don't know why D.Howard play not much time. Injury?

 

[Chaz]

The problem was not offense. 95 points should be enough to beat Greece.

Execution on P&R defense was the killer along with missed FT.


Congrats to Greece they played great.

 

[Sunshooter]

Greece play great zone defense, so that US can't get points easily. Coach K must pay attention in this problem, that's not NBA style in international game.

I don't know why D.Howard play not much time. Injury?

Jamison 0 min
Miller 0 min
Bosh 5 min
Brand 12 min
Howard 13 min

 

[The Commish]

I still think D'Antoni should be coaching this team.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

For all of LeBron, Wade, and Melo's talents, none of them have a reliable jumpshot nor can they play any defense like the stars of the past.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think it's hilarious that all the talking heads on sports radio were pronouncing US b-ball dominance again after a couple exhibition games, but once again, when the chips are down and the teams are tough, we fall flat on our faces.

I really hope I don't hear that it was a fluke that we lost to Greece today - sorry, but when you haven't won gold in anything in 6 + years, actually winning this tournament would have been a fluke.

That's okay though - hopefully they show up for the Bronze game and beta Argentina, although I'm pretty sure we'regonna lsoe that sucker also.

 

[Russ Smith]

For all of LeBron, Wade, and Melo's talents, none of them have a reliable jumpshot nor can they play any defense like the stars of the past.

Wade has been pretty good in this tournament but it again illustrated that when they call travelling and don't give him FT's everytime he misses(like in the NBA) he's much more human. I think this will be good for him as he's having to learn fundamentals NBA refs don't make him learn. People keep saying LeBron is setting up teammates but frankly I think the reason Melo is outplaying him is he's a better shooter, and he's got better fundamentals, Melo has a jab step and Melo has a reliable first step move that's not a walk. Seems to me like LeBron has been reluctant to drive for the same reason Wade has, he's afraid to catch and then drive because he gets called for the walk.

I think if the US really wants to win these events they have to convince NBA refs to start calling the game closer to the international game so that our NBA players will be used to it.

 

[Chaplin]

Does anyone think the fact that Carmelo appears to be ball hogging is a concern? Is it promoting a team game when a guy who isn't even your best player scores over 35 in international play on a team that is stressed to be more "team" oriented than "individual" oriented?

 

[Russ Smith]

Does anyone think the fact that Carmelo appears to be ball hogging is a concern? Is it promoting a team game when a guy who isn't even your best player scores over 35 in international play on a team that is stressed to be more "team" oriented than "individual" oriented?

I think a large part of it is against zones he's been the only one who can consistently get his shot and actually make it. He was 9-15 today I don't know what the overall shooting %'s are in this tournament but he's been pretty consistently the US's best offensive player. He's actually shooting 58% for the tourney, 20 PPG 45% on 3's, hard for me to get mad at his shot selection.

Wade is shooting 63% but only 14% from 3, if the game isn't in transition or the D is playing zone, wade has had his problems. Lebron has been a disappointment, great FG%, nearly 70 but he's just not scoring enough.

All 3 played pretty scant minutes, Melo was nearly a point a minute in the first 8 games, Lebron just over 1 PPM.

But like others have said this game was lost on defense not offense, I didn't see enough to know if it was one guy getting killed or just bad team defense?

 

[hafey]

I disagree completely. Carmelo was a stud this turnament. The only reliable US offensive player againist the legtimate competition. He was putting on an offensive clinic. The jab step, the baseline spin off the trapazoidal block, catch and shoot threes, slashing and getting the line.

As others and I have said, the problem is not offense. There are very few teams in the tournament that can defend the US for an entire game. The US's lack of defense was exposed.

 

[Nashfan]

I think part of the problem with the game was team USA was not sharing the ball. LeBron and Wade in particular dribbled the ball forever and ran the shot clock down and then we threw up a desparation shot. Joe Johnson did not get the ball much either. Mostly Anthony, James and Wade had the shots and they were not making them. Also, I don't understand why either Howard or Bosh were not in there to get rebounds. Howard was getting dunks on this team plus he defended better against their big men. There were too many mismatches with our smaller guys against their big men. Still I think we did not pass the ball around like our Phoenix Suns's do to get the best shot. Too many iso's. Just my two cents

 

[Chaplin]

Yeah, Carmelo put on a clinic, and we're now competing for the Bronze medal. Granted, some of this is my inherent dislike for Carmelo Anthony, but for a team that has been ingrained in the media as being a team-first squad, Carmelo's performance does not fit. Don't you think that's a big difference in this team and the one in '92?

I do question the coaching as well, not that Coach K isn't a great coach, but that he consistently was inconsistent in his lineups. One day Bosh would get time and tear it up, the next day he doesn't sniff the court. Same with Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Kirk Heinrich and it looks like, Elton Brand, who is our best frontcourt player. How do you explain that?

 

[Chaplin]

I think part of the problem with the game was team USA was not sharing the ball. LeBron and Wade in particular dribbled the ball forever and ran the shot clock down and then we threw up a desparation shot. Joe Johnson did not get the ball much either. Mostly Anthony, James and Wade had the shots and they were not making them. Also, I don't understand why either Howard or Bosh were not in there to get rebounds. Howard was getting dunks on this team plus he defended better against their big men. There were too many mismatches with our smaller guys against their big men. Still I think we did not pass the ball around like our Phoenix Suns's do to get the best shot. Too many iso's. Just my two cents

Bingo. Not exactly a "team" game, is it?

 

[Russ Smith]

Yeah, Carmelo put on a clinic, and we're now competing for the Bronze medal. Granted, some of this is my inherent dislike for Carmelo Anthony, but for a team that has been ingrained in the media as being a team-first squad, Carmelo's performance does not fit. Don't you think that's a big difference in this team and the one in '92?

I do question the coaching as well, not that Coach K isn't a great coach, but that he consistently was inconsistent in his lineups. One day Bosh would get time and tear it up, the next day he doesn't sniff the court. Same with Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Kirk Heinrich and it looks like, Elton Brand, who is our best frontcourt player. How do you explain that?

Melo is certainly not Larry Bird or Chris Mullin if that's what you mean comparing this team to 92. This is not that good of a team most of these players are on the upside of their career, that team was loaded with superstars in their primes.

I don't think it's an accident this team lacked low post scoring, Duke has been ignoring post players for over a decade under Coach K. Even this year most of the points from Shelden Williams were putbacks they didn't really run plays for him that often.

That said he wasn't the one missing FT's.

 

[Chaz]

I think part of the problem with the game was team USA was not sharing the ball. LeBron and Wade in particular dribbled the ball forever and ran the shot clock down and then we threw up a desparation shot. Joe Johnson did not get the ball much either. Mostly Anthony, James and Wade had the shots and they were not making them. Also, I don't understand why either Howard or Bosh were not in there to get rebounds. Howard was getting dunks on this team plus he defended better against their big men. There were too many mismatches with our smaller guys against their big men. Still I think we did not pass the ball around like our Phoenix Suns's do to get the best shot. Too many iso's. Just my two cents

You are absolutely right but that isn't what lost the game against Greece.

Even with all the ball hogging and over dribbling going on they still scored 95 points in 40 Min against a team who's previous high was 81.

On the other hand if they executed better on offense maybe they could have scored 120 and the bad defense and missed FT wouldn't matter.
Keep in mind the Suns don't have to face a true zone defense and they have Steve Nash.

 

[hafey]

Never understood the dislike for Carmelo. Never. I think part of it is because he is not as "corporate" as Wade or Lebron.

Frankly Carmelo is the only only one scoring and he was doing it effeicintly. His teamates were either afraid to shoot (heinrich), can't shoot (paul), or simply didn't shoot (LeBron).

95 points in 40 minutes is not the problem. Repeat 95 points in 40 mins is not the problem. The defense was the problem.

What does team first mean anyways? Its a cliche. What they really should mean is win first. The emphasis on a more well-rounded game is simply a means to that end.

 

[Chaplin]

Never understood the dislike for Carmelo. Never. I think part of it is because he is not as "corporate" as Wade or Lebron.

Frankly Carmelo is the only only one scoring and he was doing it effeicintly. His teamates were either afraid to shoot (heinrich), can't shoot (paul), or simply didn't shoot (LeBron).

95 points in 40 minutes is not the problem. Repeat 95 points in 40 mins is not the problem. The defense was the problem.

What does team first mean anyways? Its a cliche. What they really should mean is win first. The emphasis on a more well-rounded game is simply a means to that end.

As much as we all love the players that were on that 92 team, defense most definitely wasn't their strong suit.

But hey, I guess if everyone think it's ok for Carmelo to ball-hog in these games, that's cool. Guess we won't know if it truly works until 2008, huh?