Guest Redhawk Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Perception is everything. And on this team Allen Iverson is the goon on the team, he has already set a bad example for the last 2 Rookies of the Year! And the media will use this as fodder for making Iverson the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong this Summer. LeBron and Amare are grown-ass men, and their watches work just as well as Iverson's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted August 4, 2004 ESPNNation poll: 1) What is your take on the U.S. loss to Italy? 80.8% It's a wake-up call for the U.S. team. 19.2% Italy is as good as or better than the U.S. team. 2) What's the problem with the U.S. team? 31.5% The U.S. didn't send its best players. 25.2% The U.S. team wasn't as motivated as the Italian team. 18.2% The rest of the world has caught up. 14.0% The U.S. team needs more time to gel. 7.2% The international game is different. 3.8% They just had a bad day. 3) How will the U.S. fare against Germany on Wednesday? 47.0% Win a close one 26.1% Win big 18.1% Lose a close one 8.7% Lose big 4) Is Larry Brown the right coach for this team? 89.5% Yes 10.5% No 5) Which style of play do you prefer? 59.0% The U.S. game 41.0% The international game 6) What will the U.S. team bring home from the Olympics? 45.7% Gold medal 23.1% Nothing 17.7% Bronze medal 13.4% Silver medal Total Votes: 38,855 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Replay on ESPN2 at 11:00 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kahran Ramsus 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Then you'd have to keep home about half the U.S. Olympic team and a lot of foreign athletes as well. Olympics stopped being an amateur event a loooooong time ago. Part of the reason we have the pros in basketball is because other countries were using professionals. You're right in that it isn't just the US that does this, look at hockey in the Winter Olympics. There should be no professionals, period, for any country. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darthtiki 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Number of NBA championship rings owned by the 1992 Dream Team: 23 (plus 9 NCAA championship game appearances, and 15 additional NBA Finals appearances) Number of NBA championship rings owned by the 2004 wannabes: 2 (both by Tim Duncan). The Dream Team could actually play like, you know, a TEAM. That's why the were able to win all those championships. This group has no shot, because they have no idea what it's like to play team basketball. Don't forget the 1 medal held by his Airness from '84 while he was with the Tarheels. But once again this proves when you have a team of egos with maybe the exeception of Duncan, you will lose to a team who is unselfish and has chemistry. See 2004 NBA Finals. Then again we don't have the strongest team due to terrorism fears. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1234-5678 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Who even cares about this "Dream Team" bullshit anymore. I hope they lose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smark-Raving Mad Report post Posted August 4, 2004 I can't believe Olympic basketball is actually going to be exciting this year. It'll be fun to watch, and it'll mean more when the US wins. It's going to be awesome when our JV beats the rest of the world's varsity. But maybe I'm just being a tad optimistic here... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Precious Roy 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 The Dream Team could actually play like, you know, a TEAM. That's why the were able to win all those championships. This group has no shot, because they have no idea what it's like to play team basketball. I won't say they have no shot, but the style of the international game is a completely foreign concept to these guys who've spent their whole lives playing a wide open, one on one oriented game. I knew they were in trouble in the first quarter when they'd give the ball to Duncan and everyone would stand around on the perimiter rather than making cuts. You'd have like one guy make a half-assed cut after Duncan had the ball for three seconds and you can't play like that in the Olympics. If this team is going to win it will take Iverson and Marbury subjugating their games, playing pass first at all times, and leading by example on the court. If they can do that I think the rest of the guys will fall in line. They're definitely hurt by the lack of pure shooters though. Any one of those guys can light it up but they don't have anyone like Bird, Mullin, Miller who knew how to move without the ball to stretch the D and find spots for open shots. All the NBA guys wan't to get the ball with thier defender right on them and use the drive or threat of it to create their shots, and that will never work against a REAL zone defense (not the NBA's watered down version) It's also a problem that a bunch of these guys skipped or played one year of college ball. I think Duncan, Boozer and Okafor are the only 4 year players, and they're all big men. Carmelo Anthony should at least have a better concept of the zone because he played it for a full year under Boeheim. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted August 4, 2004 But once again this proves when you have a team of egos with maybe the exeception of Duncan, you will lose to a team who is unselfish and has chemistry. See 2004 NBA Finals. I'll give you the team chemistry bit, but don't act like the guys on the Italian team don't have egos. And I hate to break it to you, but Tim Duncan has an ego too, as does every member of the 2004 Pistons. All pro athletes have egos; that's why they're the best. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Ben Wallace has a ring! Ben Wallace isn't on the team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Ben Wallace has a ring! Ben Wallace isn't on the team. And he didn't do SHIT when he was on the World Championship team (the one that lost three times). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spaceman Spiff 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Bill Simmons's take on the team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Bill Simmons's take on the team. Perfect. Absolutely dead on. If you don't have a TEAM instead of a collection of players, you have no shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Electrifyer 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 USA should have just sent the entire Detroit Pistons then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 The Dirk led Germans are giving Team USA a run for their money. 51-49 USA... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Well Germany is a better team than Italy and they have home court advantage for this game so no shocker that it's close. Edit: Is there anywhere online to find updates for the game? Can't even find a score on espn.com. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KingPK 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 It's on ESPN. USA up 68-65 right now. Guess you'll just have to wait until the game is over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 70-68 USA. And some German player has a stain on the back of his shorts.. 70-70 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Aspiring running backs should watch this game to see effective forearm shivers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KingPK 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Why does the horn sound like someone blowing into a conch shell? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted August 4, 2004 And some German player has a stain on the back of his shorts.. Thanks for THAT image...blech. 72-72 tie right now...BOO! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Team USA leads by 1, 75-74 with 14 seconds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Team USA with a three-pointer at the buzzer! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Dirk ties it up with a 3, and then they don't even show AI hit a desperation shot with 3 seconds left to win it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KingPK 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 US wins 80-77 after an Iverson 3 with 1 second left. Dirk tied it two seconds before with a three of his own. Great finish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 THAT is a way to shut people up about AI being captain. TEAM USA 80-77, AI hits a looooooong three to win it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 What a great radio call of Iverson's shot, too bad I was WATCHING it on ESPN! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 What a great radio call of Iverson's shot, too bad I was WATCHING it on ESPN! Somebody needs to fire that camera man, focusing on the damn bench of Germany and the crowd INSTEAD of the damn court. Moron. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brett Favre 0 Report post Posted August 4, 2004 Damn. That last play was the worst camera work in the history of International play. Instead of seeing a side view of the court, we get a replay of a half assed shot from underneath the basket. Well, good game though. Nowitzki is the man, and Iverson with a great shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smell the ratings!!! Report post Posted August 4, 2004 that was an awesome game. and Germany can't be that much better than Italy, because they didn't even qualify for Athens Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
