basketball brag and beat

[Keepitsimple]

Yeah, MJ,Magic were just dominant. These new guys can just jump, run and shoot.

[DoubleTwentyOne]

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I think even our best 13 would have a couple of challenging games, just because those teams understand the nuances of team work that the NBA is sorely lacking right now.


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Couldn't agree more with you on this point. I think the infusion of corporate money into the NBA is at least partially responsible for the trend toward selfishness. Nike isn't paying Lebron $100 million to rack up passes and assists.

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And my point about the old Dream Team and the improvement of the int'l teams still stands. The original Dream Team was all but a lock to win the gold, and the same would've been true for the next best 12 players, and the next 12 after that.


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Dream Teams 1 (Barcelona) & 3 (Atlanta) were probably the 2 greatest of all time. The rest were just average/slightly above. DT II was just lucky the world still sucked at the time. DT IV got a rude awakening. A good match wouldn've been between DT 1 & 3, although I believe 3 or 4 players had played on both teams.

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And I think the original Dream Team would be around 98% against the best 13 from today's game

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From today's game, no question. Against DT III it would've been close. Shaq in his prime was a scary scary player, nobody on DT I would've been able to come CLOSE to containing him.

[kickpushcoast]

its very disappointing. we have the best talent, but its a different style of basketball than the NBA. i'll start worrying when euros come over and start running the league instead of for the most part being marginal players.

no KG, Duncan, Kobe, Pierce, Amare, Ben Wallace, Michael Redd, Chauncey Billups. its hard to say we had our best team, we had a collection of good young players.

anyway we lost one game in a freezeout donkament to a team that played really really well, OMG

[subblime]

Even a team that is 2-1 will lose 33% of the time. Maybe that's just what happened here.

[pecto]

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Najdor,

In spain's defense, their loss in the QFinals in the 2002 WC was an absolute crock. They got so hosed by the officials. It was beyond rediculous.

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This is so true

[kidcolin]

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From today's game, no question. Against DT III it would've been close. Shaq in his prime was a scary scary player, nobody on DT I would've been able to come CLOSE to containing him.

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This is getting off track, but I would love to see this (ignoring players like Robinson and Stockton being on both). Part of the key here is "Shaq in his prime." You're absolutely correct, he was an absolute freak at that point. But remember, when he came into the league, he had a tough time against the elite big men like Robinson, Hakeem, and Ewing. Even Rick Smits gave him trouble. He hit his prime right as the NBA became devoid of dominant big men, when Hakeem, Ewing and Robinson were at the end of their run. I would've loved to see those big guys battle at their respective primes.

I think DTI would still crush III the vast majority of the time. It contained 3 of the best 5 or 6 all time players (some would argue the best 3 all time, PERIOD), though Bird and Magic were past their primes. The NBA was just freakishly good then.

[lippy]

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This USA roster is half filled with 2nd and 3rd stringers. So I guess you can be proud that your 1st string team can beat our 2nd and 3rd string team? WTG Spain!!!

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Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 Denver Nuggets
Shane Battier F 6-8 Houston Rockets
Chris Bosh F 6-10 Toronto Raptors
Elton Brand F 6-8 Los Angeles Clippers
Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 Chicago Bulls
Dwight Howard F-C 6-11 Orlando Magic
LeBron James F 6-8 Cleveland Cavaliers
Antawn Jamison F 6-9 Washington Wizards
Joe Johnson G-F 6-7 Atlanta Hawks
Brad Miller C 7-0 Sacramento Kings
Chris Paul G 6-0 NO/Okla. City Hornets
Dwyane Wade G 6-4 Miami Heat

[NajdorfDefense]

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Najdor,

In spain's defense, their loss in the QFinals in the 2002 WC was an absolute crock.

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No, they didn't. Reffing is questionable virtually any game. That is a loser's excuse. By the same token, the blatant handball that Germany used to keep the US off the scoreboard was not called, etc, etc.

[NajdorfDefense]

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Najdor,

In spain's defense, their loss in the QFinals in the 2002 WC was an absolute crock. They got so hosed by the officials. It was beyond rediculous.

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This is so true

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The loser's lament. Fine, the US lost last night because we got hosed by the refs.

Easy, see?

Korea outplayed you guys and deservedly won. Stop whining.

1998 - same excuse? You guys got hosed in the first round *in Europe*.

Spain chokes every WC in soccer. End of story. Another 2nd round implosion this year. Let me know when Spain reaches the semis at the WC, then you'll be at the US' level of basketball. [Which was invented by a Canadian, surprisingly.]

[kidcolin]

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Najdor,

In spain's defense, their loss in the QFinals in the 2002 WC was an absolute crock.

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No, they didn't. Reffing is questionable virtually any game. That is a loser's excuse. By the same token, the blatant handball that Germany used to keep the US off the scoreboard was not called, etc, etc.

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Normally I'd agree with you. i.e., the seahawks fans blaming the refs when they played horribly. I found that pathetic. Same with Mark Cuban/the Mavs in this year's NBA finals.

But this game was beyond "questionable." It was absolutely ridiculously poorly officiated. Korea had been getting questionable treatment throughout the WC, but vs. Spain it was just blatant. I mean, did you watch the game? The phantom offsides call? It was horrid.