Team USA = Joke!!!

[General Knight]

That was the most embarrassing performance by Team USA. They had an all-star team and still couldn't win against Greece, fair enough Greece are European Champions but reality is most of those players wouldn't hack it in the NBA. They should be ashamed of themselves.

However, most of the blame should be put on the coach. The USA coach should be sacked after tonight. He had a team full of superstars and failed to utilise their skills. LBJ, Melo and Wade are 4o+ minute players on NBA. He should have kept those three on the court for most of the game rather than going with only one or two of them at a time. Those three along with a big man would have been a way better option, which brings me to my next point.

Whats the deal with going with a small line up for most of the second half. The coach should have had atleast one big man on the court, either Howard or Brand. In particular Howard, he was killing it in the first half then never returned again. When this happened USA started getting dominated on the boards.

I dont care if Mike (not sure about his last name) has a great coaching record. Tonight shows that he is incapable to coach a team. He has to be given the sack.

 

[McLovin]

Wouldn't a loss like this come down to team chemestry?? something the americans pretty much always lack. They might have the best players in the world but the greek team have been playing together for years...

 

[General Knight]

I admit team chemistry is an important part of winning team sports but from the way USA played tonight I don't they lost because of team chemistry. In the first quarter USA were killing the Greeks and looked like they was going to pile it on them. They showed good defence both inside and outside. They were monstering the boards especially the offensive ones, due mostly to Howard. When Greece started making shots the USA coach started to panic by going with a smaller line up. If he had stuck with the same strategy from the begining USA would have had a better chance to win.

The other errors I believe Mike Krzyzewski made was letting the game continue when Greece was making that big run in the second quarter. He failed to call time outs and regroup the team for a new strategy instead they just let the Greeks continue on their roll, he also let the team get comfortable by taking Melo and co off when they got to a big lead. The second error I believe he made was leaving the full press til the last minute which in turn let Greece milk the clock. I dont think team chemistry was the main reason they lost.

 

[General Knight]

Yeah another thing too, Greece pretty much used the same play all night - basic pick and roll yet Mike Krzyzewski decided to stick with the same defensive structure all night when it was obvious that it wasnt working. Even Dwyane Wade after the match admitted it saying "I just wish we had maybe changed up our defense, at least tied something different during the game. Maybe a zone or something." Even my little 10 year old brother who was watching the game with me could pick out the problem.

 

[Mr Saab]

This team should never have lost based on the teams on paper.
USA should hang their heads.

 

[Choppies]

God if you brought the original dream team out of retirement they would do a better job.

 

[Dr Crane]

Why am i actually not suprised?

 

[Stonecutter]

I agree with GK, they had a well balanced young team with good defensive players, perimeter shooters and low block players, a mix they hadn't had in recent years. Coaching error can be the only conclusion to the destruction of USA to Greece.

We almost beat Greece and but we got dusted by 40 against USA. :?

One things for sure, the WC's are a lot more exiting when you don't know who will win, and the American public are gonna be mighty pissed off.

 

[Panthers_God]

USA had no team chemistry, too much individualism and I have no idea why coach K decided not to play Brand, Howard and Bosh for the whole second have. They were dominating the boards early on but after than they just struggled.

Alot of credit to Greece who shot 71% from 2 point range and 44% from 3 point range. I guess those two numbers how you how great you have to play to beat the USA. Credit to the Greece.

 

[Citizen.Eras3d]

Lol @ blaming the coach. He's not the one chucking up 3's like they're going out of fashion. Blame the players, this was inevitable. Have you been reading their interviews lately? It's the same arrogant "is Argentina in Europe?" kind of USA team.

 

[Ridders]

yeh i dun think u can just blame the coach, although some of his decisions did lead to the downfall, in particular not playin wade, carmello and lebron at the same time plus a big guy just like General knight said...

some of the decision the players out there was poor, one thing that comes to mind is towards the end when carmello got the ball from the rebound and shot straight for the three and got an air ball

 

[CanadianSteve]

I didn't see the game unfortunately. But the US tried to do things differently this time, not just throw an all star team together like in Athens. They practiced longer, brought in role players like Shane Battier. Their new approach may yet pay off next Olympics, making this loss just a blip on the way.

I wonder too if they'd had Kobe, along with Redd and Hamilton for shooting, would they have won easily? But then Spain won it all without their best player (and with 2 Raptors ), so no excuses I guess.

 

[Mr Saab]

If Kobe and Shaq played then they would have won it.
USA "Dream Team" 2006 was a dougnut team...no centre.

 

[McLovin]

Shaq would absolutely dominate the comp if he was playing. Too much finesse from team USA...It's not their style...

 

[Stonecutter]

When the Olympics swing by the USA will be unstoppable with those youngsters like Howard getting more experienced. The USA need to keep the same team for a few years to help them gel together for the Olympics which is what they were probably doing this tournament.

 

[aqua_duck]

I agree with Saab they have no centre, and I don't think there are any very decent American centres in the NBA apart from SHaq, big ben and Duncan(if you can call him a centre). Boy are they crying out for a Greg Oden. I just think that USA basketball is a victim of the whole AND1 syndrome, no one wants to play back to the basket anymore, all big guys want to play like small guys and hit that 15 foot jumper instead of the sky hook. I was abit disappointed with Bron, he's still a very streaky shooter at times and he really needs to consistently hit his shots if he wants to emulate MJ.

Team for the Olympics should be

PG:Chris Paul
SG Wade
SF:Melo
PFwight Howard
C:Greg Oden

Bench from:
LBJ, AMare, Chris Kamen, Bosh, Hinrich, Randy FOye, Ben Gordon, Channing Frye, Emeka Okafor