Why didn't Paul Pierce and Tim Duncan play for the redeeem team in 2008?

[Xiao Yao You]

Why didn't your boy KG play? Was he gassed after finally getting out of the first round after 9 seasons?

Duncan did what he had to. Just a shame no other top 10 US player went and all got passes.

They had to get 9 current All-Stars on the same team to beat beat Spain in 08, but now they should have won with 2 current All-Stars in 04. Sure thing.

they shouldn't have won with that shitty roster and Brown. They thought they could send whomever and win

[Kblaze8855]

Iverson literally shot them out of the tournament. Even surrounded by premier star talent he shot jacked and took the most shots out of anybody. Him and Marbury shooting in the 30s% wise taking all the shots.

as usual, you can’t see anything past the simplest explanation. The team you claim he ruined, ended up in the same place the 58% Shooting Wade and LeBron got them next tournament and three spots ahead of where your boys Andre Miller and Reggie got them in the previous tournament, playing hot potato at the end of the game because neither of them were good at creating a shot. Andre finds Reggie who immediately tosses it back to Andre who had to take the bad pull-up instead as USA lost with nba players for the first time ever. You speak literally when you mean figuratively. Reggie Miller literally was useless on the play that actually knocked America out of a tournament(also missed late free throws and a 3 in another L). You wouldn’t remember because as usual, you don’t care to look much into what you speak about but that team was supposed to get back the gold in that tournament after losing the last one.

NBA players didn’t have contracts in 1998 because of the lockout so the team full of all stars they picked refused to go as did the best recently retired NBA players who stayed home in solidarity. So USA sent some college kids, a bunch of CBA players, and some guys playing in Europe. A dude you never heard of named Wendel Alexis led team usa to third without nba players. Then they reload and send two guards I’ve seen you and the poster above me claim were more effective than AI…backed by 8 additional all stars…and come in 6th. 6th place. Worse than New Zealand.

But your evaluations are so basic you can only look at stats and say AI lost them the tournament in his run despite them losing with players his polar opposite before and after him with teams that should have dominated too. Team USA showed in 2000 when there was a shot in the air to beat them at the buzzer, in 02 when they were 6th, and in 04 and 06 being third that they just couldn’t defend the international screen game and no matter who you sent the offense never meshed.

Closest any team usa in that era came to looking right was 03 when(as the announcer here will tell you) AI was also leading them when they actually needed to qualify because the 2002 team was so shitty.





People 20 years later talking about who should have been the focus and don’t know or care guys like Duncan couldn’t even stay on the floor in 04. He was trying not to foul out on ticky tack plays that he got away with in the league. Once they saw they couldn’t rely on him to be aggressive they should have let the kids come in and run.

They had years as both the top scoring and worst defensive team though so it’s clear where the real issues were. Anyone on any of those teams could’ve shot whatever considering nobody was shooting more than 11 or 12 times anyway if they weren’t getting consistently slaughtered trying to defend 70 year old concepts executed by nobodies stiffened by good screen game guards from like 6 countries.

No one player won or lost anything for America for that whole 98-2008 run and then they assembled Voltron for a few runs and still played close games.

People really have to stop looking for individual scapegoats when 5 straight teams either lost or avoided it by a single jumper with 5 different groups of players and actually finished in the same place or better with the CBA guys as they did with all stars and hall of famers.

A team of college kids likely produces the same results as squads starting the Millers, AI/Marbury, Paul/Wade and so on.

The winning and losing of those games was way more involved than what any one player shot which should be clear when the results were essentially the same for 10 years and continues now.

NBA fans trained to look only at offense and shooting numbers are some of the blindest basketball fans ever. Before basketball got so individualized fans would see the larger team issue of those losses.

Kids of the hot take era can’t do anything but see a box score and assign blame to shit they can’t explain any other way.

Like 7 little(and two big) crafty guards cooked our ass for a decade of lineups with 3 dozen all stars in and out of lineups and the argument is still “Look what ____ shot”. The problem was defense. Even when we send defenders the problem is defense. Contain Arroyo, Jasakevisnwhateveris, Vspan, Manu and so on they may have lost one game all those years. And not even scoring wise. They could just do whatever they wanted in that setting like little guards do in college.

They were out there playing together and focused on one or two lead guards beating us while we had times Ben Wallace was the only guy getting buckets on a team of stars.

Team USA just didn’t play good basketball for 10-15 years relative to talent. Hell relative to talent the redeem team didn’t either unless you think a team with prime Kobe, Lebron, Wade, and Paul should be within 5 points of anyone.

The talent advantage just doesn’t fully translate to the international level and it hasn’t for 25 years now. AI. Reggie. Wade. Lebron. Vince. Whoever.

The only team USA to play to potential since 96 was the cba squad in 98 that did its best and came in third.

[Xiao Yao You]

any mention of AI

[Kblaze8855]

Putting aside for now that you have like 20 thousand posts about someone who won’t be remembered or celebrated anywhere in about 6 years…

Exceptionally stupid points are my bat signal, and he happens to be someone who generates exceptionally stupid points. He’s probably lead the league in stupid point generation more times than points per game. It actually has me wondering who the all-time leader would be. It’s probably Jordan or LeBron, because of the high percentage of points being made about them by people just trying to further a stupid argument but pulling aside, the Internet big three of those two and Kobe?

Wilt Chamberlain maybe? He may be the all-time leader in dumb points on the Internet made by people who clearly only care enough to criticize not to investigate. Considering he gets criticized for scoring too much and for sacrificing his scoring too much while winning he’s gotta be the leader. Luckily it comes up less often

[Reggie43]

A team that has to depend on a 37 year old Miller playing on a severely sprained ankle that needed surgery deserves to lose.

Its not a sure bet if they could have won with him healthy either but they could have had better chemistry and leadership atleast.

[Kblaze8855]

I actually wouldn’t say it’s Reggie’s fault at all if we are being serious. He was factually involved in the final play that was the first time the NBA ever lost but as I pointed out, they didn’t have a team beating people by the margins they should have for well over a decade and no one played was on all of them. When we watch a team with Paul, Wade, Durant, Kobe, and Lebron beat a European team by 5 we really all should have stopped thinking it was as simple as the right names being untouchable.

But we didn’t. Because we are stubborn on this issue. That or just stupid. Note the “we”. I don’t exclude myself. It still feeeeeels like a super team should curbstomp everyone.

But they won’t.

Let Jokić show up for Serbia next time. It doesn’t matter who we send it could be a dogfight. And people really aren’t getting that despite 20 years of evidence.

[tpols]

What a *****. And a whiny bitch. Good riddance anyway his game couldn’t even translate to international ball with more physicality. Allen Iverson was their best player. Duncan is the worst big name all time great to ever don the red, white and blue.

I don't think Tim Duncan ĥad a problem with physicality having to bang with prime Shaq, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace etc. in the NBA.

And he was never much of a guy who flopped or played soft. Tim Duncan played straight up. No chaser.

Allen Iverson actually ruined him in international play. Shooting 30 something % from the floor taking the most shots out of anybody on the team. And offering zero floor man ship or set up ability. Straight ghetto AAU glory baller.

People like Kblaze like to harp on Eric snow and derrick mckie as to why AI always took tons of shots but even playing with a prime top 10 GOAT he still did the same thing. And still shot poorly while bringing nothing else to the table. Defense, rebounding, passing.... nothing. Just in efficient hero ball shot jacking.

[Xiao Yao You]

I don't think Tim Duncan ĥad a problem with physicality having to bang with prime Shaq, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace etc. in the NBA.

And he was never much of a guy who flopped or played soft. Tim Duncan played straight up. No chaser.

Allen Iverson actually ruined him in international play. Shooting 30 something % from the floor taking the most shots out of anybody on the team. And offering zero floor man ship or set up ability. Straight ghetto AAU glory baller.

People like Kblaze like to harp on Eric snow and derrick mckie as to why AI always took tons of shots but even playing with a prime top 10 GOAT he still did the same thing. And still shot poorly while bringing nothing else to the table. Defense, rebounding, passing.... nothing. Just in efficient hero ball shot jacking.

exactly what you'd expect from a low IQ gunner

[tpols]

the fact that anyone thought they could win with that coach and roster is laughable

Larry Brown being the coach I feel like enabled Iversons shot jacking. It was almost like your dad being the coach and giving you free reign to do whatever you want even if it was to the detriment of the team. Like a spoiled AAU kid.

It amazes me that kblaze continually defends it. He always brings up past failures by other players to justify everything and absolve glaring issues of the main culprit to the issue at hand.

[Xiao Yao You]

Larry Brown being the coach I feel like enabled Iversons shot jacking. It was almost like your dad being the coach and giving you free reign to do whatever you want even if it was to the detriment of the team. Like a spoiled AAU kid.

It amazes me that kblaze continually defends it. He always brings up past failures by other players to justify everything and absolve glaring issues of the main culprits.

It's all about which players you like and don't like. You like the right ones and you're cool. You don't there's a problem

[Carbine]

Kblaze888555 is off he damn rocker on this one.

[Xiao Yao You]

If I loved the legendary Carlos Boozer not playing D and being injured all the time I'd be in like Flynn

[tpols]

It's all about which players you like and don't like. You like the right ones and you're cool. You don't there's a problem

It's not even that...

It's about what you appreciate leads to winning basketball. I "like" iversons game. It's fluid and aesthetic and remarkable.

Does it really contribute to winning? Maybe when we were teenagers and he could juke everybody out and be the most popular kid for it.

At top levels of competition though it becomes stagnant. That hero stuff wears out. You eventually need to bring other facets to the table which he never brought.

[Xiao Yao You]

It's not even that...

It's about what you appreciate leads to winning basketball. I "like" iversons game. It's fluid and aesthetic and remarkable.

Does it really contribute to winning? Maybe when we were teenagers and he could juke everybody out and be the most popular kid for it.

At top levels of competition though it becomes stagnant. That hero stuff wears out. You eventually need to bring other facets to the table which he never brought.

I wouldn't have wanted him on my team unless he was a 6th man which he wouldn't accept. He played hard, not smart. Made the finals behind a great D and an awful conference

[Kblaze8855]

You’re all free to love or hate whoever you want if you can make a good point. The idea that one person is the reason team USA lost when the primary thing he does that gets criticized was not done by the team before and after him who lost just makes it a tough case. Replaced with a dude shooting Shaq numbers they lose. They lost with eight All-Stars and finished behind New Zealand before he ever played for team USA. But the team he was on lost because he was there and not because a list of impressive names doesn’t necessarily win in a national ball, which has been proven by them losing like….15ish times with nba players.

team USA loses all the time. They were literally one shot from losing five tournaments in a row with something like 30 Hall of Famer’s, but the reason they lost the one Allen Iverson was there is Allen Iversons shot selection.

We go out there and get in a dogfight with a squad of nobodies and role players with Kobe, LeBron, and Durant there at the same time with the justice league behind them as support and we are here acting like Allen Iverson ruined team USA that has not played up to the talent it has for like 27 years.

team USA lost with a loaded squad in 2004 for the same reason they have lost I wanna say six tournaments with teams that shouldn’t have. You watch the shit happen over and over and over and over and over and over and over and can’t get it through your head that these talented lineups no longer mean you should win. The 2004 team lost the same reason they lost all the other times. The talent disparity isn’t what you think it is because of the names on the back of the jersey because as I’ve been saying on here for 20 years…..on the same floor there isnt nearly the difference fans want to believe there is among groups of good players.

Iverson being top whatever all time and Duncan being top whatever doesn’t mean you just hand one of them the ball and they kick somebody’s ass because you never heard of them. I could understand thinking it the first time you saw it but after you see it seven or eight times, it’s probably about time to adjust your thinking.

most of the time team USA just plays shit defense for the kinds of teams they face. They send all timers over there and can barely defend NBA third stringers playing internationally. Even great fundamental guys like Duncan were getting shit on and having to be pulled for foul trouble in a matter of minutes. Guards who barely get a shot off in the NBA are out there dancing around all league defenders and throwing floaters to the heavens. The third string guard on like a 32 win warrior team ran wild and almost beat team USA in back to back Olympics with a squad of people who wouldn’t get picked up the park at a glance. Thinking shit is a simple as one guard shot selection just feels like people aren’t paying attention.

at what point do you just accept that your old idea of what should make an international team dominant was wrong?

The actual CBA did better in a tournament during an NBA lockout than eight All-Stars did when they came back. None of them being Allen Iverson.

how do you have these facts available to you and still think throwing big names at the wall automatically means the resulting team is supposed to dominate?

Maybe…..just maybe…basketball isn’t as simple as you’d like it to be.