USA vs. Greece

[Chaz]

Game two of the Olympic prelim is about to start.

Doug Collins just made a good point....how about the USA plays some defense?

92 points for Puerto Rico is not good enough.


Go USA.

 

[Joe Mama]

I'll never understand why Larry Brown has his perimeter defenders like Jefferson and Shawn Marion sagging off their men to help in the middle when Tim Duncan is in the game.

Joe Mama

 

[Chaz]

I'll never understand why Larry Brown has his perimeter defenders like Jefferson and Shawn Marion sagging off their men to help in the middle when Tim Duncan is in the game.

Joe Mama

Stop reading my mind!!!!



There is no reason the perimiter guys need to be in the lane with guys spotted up outside. Don't they remember they have been killed by threes?

 

[hafey2]

Lebron James is showing why he is great and guys like Anthony are not, and why he should be playing more.

 

[Chaz]

USA on a 9 pt run.

10 pt lead in the second qtr.

James is the catalyst and the USA is playing much better defense.

 

[hafey2]

I have to say that after actually watching a game, the absolution of Larry Brown by many people here is wrong. I think his substitution patterns have been very poor.

 

[sunsfn]

I am not happy with Amare only playing backup center. I realize that there are no centers beside Duncan so this probably has to happen. I would like to see him have some minutes with Duncan in the game.

Can you imagine what is going to happen this year if the suns do not get a center signed that can play some minutes............Amare will be a center if he wants to or not. I am not looking forward to that. If they let him play power forward he could really cause problems for any other team the suns play.

 

[sly fly]

Up by 4 after 3.

The defense lapses are continuing to haunt this team. It just blows my mind that they don't get back on defense or let the dribble penetration happen all game long.

Larry Brown is the least of this team's problems.

It's going to be a tough win with Duncan sitting on the bench with 4 fouls.

 

[cardsunsfan]

The sad thing is Greece doesn't look like a very good team....

 

[hafey2]

Larry Brown said it himself following the loss to PR, " I coach execution, I don't coach effort." This team continues not to execute, especially on defense...Brown's forte. Plus the substitution patterns and lineups continue to blow my mind.

 

[cepstrum]

What would it take to get Lazaros Papadopoulos in a phoenix suns uniform??? Can he be signed or does someone own his rights???

 

[Chaz]

I don't want to sound like I am blaming anything on the refs but I think several of these fouls on Duncan have been ridiculous.

 

[Chaz]

Well, it wasn't pretty but the USA survives. 77-71


Lamar Odom played great (while sick) and James was a huge spark off the bench.

 

[elindholm]

Is there a way to get box scores for these games? I haven't found one for Game 1 either.

 

[Chaz]

Is there a way to get box scores for these games? I haven't found one for Game 1 either.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/results/5040842/detail.html

 

[Djaughe]

Is there a way to get box scores for these games? I haven't found one for Game 1 either.

Try this link for game 2.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/results/5040842/detail.html

 

[elindholm]

Cool, thanks for the links.

 

[sunsfn]

I don't want to sound like I am blaming anything on the refs but I think several of these fouls on Duncan have been ridiculous.

They showed them all over though, and I think there was one under the basket where he got the rebound that did not show him fouling anyone. However, they did not show the start of the play so he might have fouled there also.

He is not going to get the star treatment in the olympics he gets during the games in the NBA.
Most of them were from hands in the back and like Collins said they will call that every time in the olympics or wherever they play.

It will be very tough for this team to win a gold, and if Duncan fouls out there will be no chance against better teams.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

It is interesting Carmelo fell so far out of the lineup. I expected it before the games, but after all the time he got in the exhibition games, I thought Brown may play him more.

 

[Cheesebeef]

is it me - or did Greece seem like a realy bad team - that we still struggled to put away?

That last foul on Duncan was pretty ticky-tack - nice blocks by Odom - although his statement that the last game humbled them still makes me shake my head - what the hell did the Italy game do? Or the desperation heave vs. Germany do? I don't know what else he could say - but that just kinda irked me.

 

[Chaz]

is it me - or did Greece seem like a realy bad team - that we still struggled to put away?

That last foul on Duncan was pretty ticky-tack - nice blocks by Odom - although his statement that the last game humbled them still makes me shake my head - what the hell did the Italy game do? Or the desperation heave vs. Germany do? I don't know what else he could say - but that just kinda irked me.

Better late than never?

 

[elindholm]

From the box scores, it looks like there are times when neither Duncan nor Stoudemire is on the floor (and Okafor isn't playing at all). Who is the center in those situations?

 

[Chaz]

From the box scores, it looks like there are times when neither Duncan nor Stoudemire is on the floor (and Okafor isn't playing at all). Who is the center in those situations?

Boozer


EDIT: or Odom

I think either Boozer, Duncan, or Stoudemire were always on the floor today though.

 

[Lars the Red]

It is interesting Carmelo fell so far out of the lineup. I expected it before the games, but after all the time he got in the exhibition games, I thought Brown may play him more.

Brown isn't going to put up with Anthony's crybaby crap. This kid needs to wake up and recognize that Larry isn't one of his posse. He pulled a crybaby act during the regular season, he did it again when he felt slighted the OC picked James ahead of him, and he's doing it again now in Athens.

He could really help the team if he just figured out that he isn't always going to be the show.

Thank goodness for Duncan and the kid James today. Duncan was very steady, and the kid brought defense and energy to the floor that kept the US up in the first half. If Greece had somehow gotten a lead and kept it early, it might have been too much of an uphill battle for the US on a hostile floor.

 

[Lars the Red]

is it me - or did Greece seem like a realy bad team - that we still struggled to put away?

.

Greece looked extremely slow, made poor passes too often, and missed about as many layups as the US. They also looked a little out of gas. Perhaps too much Ouzo.

I realize a win is a win, but you can't feel very good about the performance overall. They still can't recognize the need to catch and shoot, instead of trying to drive against a zone. The defense, spotty as it was, got them over the hump in this one.