USA Dreamteam vs Aust. Boomers

This game is on in a few hours I think.. Or maybe a little bit less... Australia were playing quite poor at the start of the tournament, but they just had a very good with over one of the top teams, Lithuania. And before that we had a decent win over another country which I can't remember who that was..

But next up we've got the team to beat, the USA.... I'm staying up to watch it, as long as Australia can keep in it... I'm betting about a 16 point win to America, but should be good.


Something very interesting I heard during the USA vs Russia game was that in the 4 games that the USA had played already, the outstanding Point Guard (and one of my favourite players) Jason Kidd hadn't made or attempted a single basket... Had not attempted to put up a single shot, or even taken foul shots from the line... I thought that was pretty amazing. But it shows what a valuable player he is from a team perspective to be able to make a big difference in 4 games without even looking at the basket..

Anyway, anyone else going to be watching this game?

I will be if it hasn't been on already as I just got back from training and womens softball is on. Hopefully the game starts soon if it hasn't already?

The softball has been going for f'n ages!!! The actual game was scheduled to finish 40 minutes ago, but it was equal scores so they had to play on and it's been staying on equal so the game will drag on forever at this rate..

It's not even like there is any eyecandy.. The japanese team all have sideburns and look liek boys, and the aussie girls have names like titcum... It's not a pretty site...

I saw advertised at the bottom of the screen that the bball is on right after this game... Although i'm sure it has already started by now, just because Australia has a medal in this game, channel 7 won't dream of taking their eyes off it... Little do they realise everyone is just waiting for the basketball and doesn't give a shit about the softball...

Buttfuckers!!! The game went for an extra 50 minutes only to see Australia lose...

THEN, the flick to the baskeball and half of the fucken game is over...


So pissed off...

Darn.. Australia are being to greedy.. They are averaging to be down by 7 through the second quarter.. Every time they get a turnover though and can bring the margin down, they try to go for a 3 pointer and miss and lose the chance.... If they just went for some easy 2's on the turnovers, they'd be nearly level.. But their desperation to keep trying to hit 3's every time they get the ball, they'll be down by 20 points soon...
They need to just keep with the U.S. on 2's and allow them to make the mistakes, and make them pay for it each time by getting ANY score...

We did mighty well till half time, then they just killed us :( Went on like a 14-0 run at the start of the third, just can't compete with that.

Like the commentators said, you have to play a damn near perfect game to beat USA, and we just couldn't hang on past half time...

They won by something like 35 points didn't they?


Right now our runner Craig Mottrum is running in the 5000 metres... He looks so weird, the giant white guy running along about 4 foot taller than all the little black kenyan runners.. He was right up there as well but the others are taking off from him now.

haha I know, did you see that Aussie girl who got silver in the hurdles. Her interview afterwards was just priceless!

The Aus were suppose to be competative the US just played well...

Any one of the 12 man team can dominate any given game. I'm happy to see the US playing the best defense of maybe any basketball team in history if you think about it, they've dropped the all star game mentality. Not much analysis here, America is far, far, far and away the best basketball team in the world and I don't anticipate any rough patches from here. Larry Brown must be hiding in a hole right now.

The US team is playing great indeed... They Kobe and L.J. are absolutely killing it as expected.. But the whole team plays well together, and there are as many brilliant assists as there are individual efforts, and it's keeping on top of the competition..


Australia did well to stay with him pretty much until 30 seconds before half time when they were only 5 points behind.... After that it was all the US... And that's just it, Australia was playing at 100% and was able to stay in it within 5 points, but as soon as they dropped off even 10% and the US poot the foot down a bit, it blew out to 20 points in about 3 minutes, and didn't come down from 30 points much after that...


I can't see any other team in the world keeping up with them for a full game.. They could match effort for a quarter or 2, but it's still a big gap between the US and any other team......


I didn't see that Interview Salty with the silver medalist, but I think I heard her on the radio and she sounded like a top chick so annoyed I missed it now... Have you been watching much of the rest of the olympics?? I was hoping to see a lot of weightlifting but I've only seen about 20 minutes of it which is annoying...

someone remind me why professionals are allowed to compete?

Who knows Missy? But isn't that for the better? Wouldn't you rather see the best in the world rather then worry about eligibility requirements?

The team is playing very well and is winning on defense and transition. I'm still fairly amazed that they haven't really figured things out from the half court yet but it's just not going to matter but if this team was to improve on one thing it would be the set offense.

Fiba is going to push the lines back here soon, I think that will create more space for the offenses and you'll see better teams from the half court here in the future. Amazing that they have no zone busters though but like I said at the beginning of this, any one player should be able to dominate and no team is as perfectly built as the US which just has no positional weaknesses and will need to be beaten as a team.

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Originally Posted by Dizaster

The US team is playing great indeed... They Kobe and L.J. are absolutely killing it as expected.. But the whole team plays well together, and there are as many brilliant assists as there are individual efforts, and it's keeping on top of the competition..


Australia did well to stay with him pretty much until 30 seconds before half time when they were only 5 points behind.... After that it was all the US... And that's just it, Australia was playing at 100% and was able to stay in it within 5 points, but as soon as they dropped off even 10% and the US poot the foot down a bit, it blew out to 20 points in about 3 minutes, and didn't come down from 30 points much after that...


I can't see any other team in the world keeping up with them for a full game.. They could match effort for a quarter or 2, but it's still a big gap between the US and any other team......


I didn't see that Interview Salty with the silver medalist, but I think I heard her on the radio and she sounded like a top chick so annoyed I missed it now... Have you been watching much of the rest of the olympics?? I was hoping to see a lot of weightlifting but I've only seen about 20 minutes of it which is annoying...

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Yeah I have been watching a lot of it, I love watching sport fullstop so the olympics is like my dream television. Yeah there isn't much weightlifting on really only the highlights most of the time.

US dominated Argentina last night, although without there star Ginobli. I think the US look a lot better with Kidd out there running point against the zone. So much better ball movement with him and they just destroy it, not much you can do to stop them. The scary thing is Lebron had a bad night last night and they still killed them. I'm looking forward to the boxing gold medal matches, just hoping the scoring will be good for a change.

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Originally Posted by Missy

someone remind me why professionals are allowed to compete?

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I think it's great for basketball, as it's the only tournament where the best players of each country compete against each other. Every other sport basically already has these tournaments (soccer has world cup, etc.), which is why the olympics need to be different. Hell if that were the case you'd have much higher times for swimming/ track and field, as the good ones all are pro's I would assume?

I agree, I heard a lot of complete idiots on another board I'm going to slamming Team USA before these games for having Kidd at the starter and not Paul but they don't realize that this is an Olympic Team not an All Star team. Kidd is perfect for the international style of play as is Deron who is the PG of the future. Paul is an amazing player and imo the most talented point guard ever bar Magic. But when he's at his best, he has the ball in his hands more then anyone on the court and he needs his team to move with him and find lanes which is what the Hornets are so good at. Great energy player but Kidd and Williams are much better fits for the team because they don't have to be the number 1 guys on the court at all times and like you said provide that ball movement and floor spacing. Paul is a great energy player off the bench and I really like the chemistry him and Prince have worked up on the offensive end but when you have a team Lebron, Kobe, Melo and Howard, you don't need a 5'11 point guard to be the focal point of your offense and the one to make things happen.

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Originally Posted by amat

I agree, I heard a lot of complete idiots on another board I'm going to slamming Team USA before these games for having Kidd at the starter and not Paul but they don't realize that this is an Olympic Team not an All Star team. Kidd is perfect for the international style of play as is Deron who is the PG of the future. Paul is an amazing player and imo the most talented point guard ever bar Magic. But when he's at his best, he has the ball in his hands more then anyone on the court and he needs his team to move with him and find lanes which is what the Hornets are so good at. Great energy player but Kidd and Williams are much better fits for the team because they don't have to be the number 1 guys on the court at all times and like you said provide that ball movement and floor spacing. Paul is a great energy player off the bench and I really like the chemistry him and Prince have worked up on the offensive end but when you have a team Lebron, Kobe, Melo and Howard, you don't need a 5'11 point guard to be the focal point of your offense and the one to make things happen.

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Exactly it's a completely different game to NBA and the team needs to adjust accordingly. If they kept treating it as allstar games, they'd keep losing. But when they play as a team they are unstoppable. The only question on there D would be down low, teams have been getting some easy points on them.

Yeah I think it's just a matter of adjusting to the trapezoid down low and I think the US tried to get players with more range and athleticism like Bosh and Howard, and international big men are really good these days. I'm not to worried though about it because of how much hell teams have had just trying to get the ball inside, this is the peskiest defense I've ever seen there are just no lanes out there because of all the length and playmaking ability they have.

For the future I would really like to see them work on their set offenses instead of having to rely so heavily on getting up and down. It's just so different from the NBA or even NCAA style of play though it is just so condensed and cramped it seems even though it's just a couple feet different it definitely takes getting used to as so much of the game in the NBA is floor spacing and then that gets thrown off.

I'm excited to see Ricky Rubio, I don't think he got playing time against the US when they played Spain earlier or at least I didn't see it. Would like to see what all the hype is about, if the Pistol Pete comparisions are worthy and if he will be an impact PG if he makes the leap to the draft in the next year.

Eh, I have something on my midn. I wish the US never lost. Like ever, I wish they never would have lost in the last Olympics, it really just sucked. I like it better when the games weren't treated as competitive games but rather just showcases.

Then they go and let Carlos Arroyo slice and dice them, Carlos Arroyo.

This just seems cheapened by all that, I love basketball it is second only to boxing for me but I would rather just see the US smashing on people and that not be news but rather just what is expected. Of course it is still expected now but there is the possibility they could be beat and it just makes it less fun for me. It's not a nationalistic thing at all, wouldn't care if it was Cuba that was making it a mockery, just want to see that again but most likely never will we be able to see it again. I guess it's a good sign as the sport is becoming unbelievable internationally but it's just a bit sad.

De ja vu, whoa.