Remember that argument that the FIBA WC was a bigger deal than the Olympics?

[JtotheIzzo]

This WC has been the saddest display of international hoops I have seen since the 1992 Olympics (but at least that had the excitement of pros for the first time).

The Euro teams are garbage, the Americas teams are second rate, and the Asian and African teams are comparatively like D-3 squads. I'll leave out Oceania because both teams automatically qualify so that is even a sadder joke.

The US throws out a clunky, second rate group that doesn't even fit and rolls through the tourney unscathed.

Pathetic.

Lets hope Canada starts putting their NBA guys back out there and they get a chance to mesh and make this shit competitive again.

[JtotheIzzo]

what a great final, captivating!!!

[32MJ32]

I tend to agree. In the entire 3 weeks or whatever it was, how many truly great games did we see?

No LeBron or Durant. No Dirk. No Tony Parker. No Ginobili. Canada not interested, for whatever reason. No Russia. No China. It was just... thin.

From an Australian standpoint, we didn't have our best 2 players available - Bogut and Mills - and then caused an uproar by intentionally losing a game. We also managed to throw away our QF with Turkey in the most frustrating manner possible.

I wont remember FIBA WC 2014 fondly.

[tgan3]

The standard is about below using eye test:

the top 2-5 fiba ranked teams can compete with top NBA teams.

Top 6-10 teams can compete with mediocre NBA teams
Top 11-20 bottom rung NBA teams.

21-30 = D-league teams.

30-50 = NCAA college teams

More than 50 = Top US high school teams...

[elementally morale]

I think the best NBA teams would beat this US National Team with ease.

[Cosmonaut]

I think the best NBA teams would beat this US National Team with ease.

yeah the best nba teams would beat a starting 5 of Davis. Faried, Harden, Curry and Irving

not to mention a bench of derozan, gay, cousins, rose, thompson, plumlee and drummond.

Teams would kill for that sort of bench depth and would get majorly exposed against that bench

[bdreason]

yeah the best nba teams would beat a starting 5 of Davis. Faried, Harden, Curry and Irving

not to mention a bench of derozan, gay, cousins, rose, thompson, plumlee and drummond.

Teams would kill for that sort of bench depth and would get majorly exposed against that bench

Basketball isn't all about names on paper. The Spurs would wipe the floor with Team USA. Maybe if Team USA had a couple months to gel and develop an actual offensive and defensive identity they could compete.

As for the FIBA WC... I don't think casual basketball fans cared or even knew about it. I have friends who are die-hard NBA/Lakers fans, and they didn't watch most the games.

Of course I watched all the U.S. games, and a few more... but I'm a basketball nut. I can't speak for how people from other Countries paid attention.

[Legends66NBA7]

Lets hope Canada starts putting their NBA guys back out there and they get a chance to mesh and make this shit competitive again.

And do what ? Get eliminated in the round robin ?

Their not good enough to be anywhere near competitive in the Olympics.

[oarabbus]

FIBA WC won't become a big deal until it has parity like in soccer where anyone can win and anyone can get knocked out, no guarantees.

Also, maybe it isn't as competitive as the Olympics, but it's still damn impressive this team won by such a huge margin every game.

[fiddy]

fvck FIBA

[JtotheIzzo]

And do what ? Get eliminated in the round robin ?

Their not good enough to be anywhere near competitive in the Olympics.

Its not like the old days. People are actually building a program, the roster will be 100% NBA guys soon, it is going to be a different animal. Canada basketball will do what US hockey did, go from a once every generation run, to a threat for gold.

Too much talent, talent that wasn't there in the past.

Last time we put our best guys together was at the Sydney Olympics and the team was 4-1 i group play.

Now the talent is deeper, more dispersed through all positions and young. Looking at a fun decade ahead.

This tourney was a low point, FIBA needs the US to be challenged, another Olympics to bring the hype and people to care.

[JtotheIzzo]

Basketball isn't all about names on paper. The Spurs would wipe the floor with Team USA. Maybe if Team USA had a couple months to gel and develop an actual offensive and defensive identity they could compete.

As for the FIBA WC... I don't think casual basketball fans cared or even knew about it. I have friends who are die-hard NBA/Lakers fans, and they didn't watch most the games.

Of course I watched all the U.S. games, and a few more... but I'm a basketball nut. I can't speak for how people from other Countries paid attention.

I dunno man, the champs, yeah they might win, but that roster is pretty sick, my guess is they are at least the third best team in the NBA without practicing and then within two months the best team.

As for the other teams?

Maybe France and Spain could beat a few NBA teams but that is about it, the other countries just lack the athletes to challenge and stay in front of NBA talent. Its not a coincidence that guys cut from the NBA go to Europe and lead teams, they are simply far more athletic.

The future of FIBA is countries like France, Spain, Canada, Australia and maybe a few of the Eastern Euro and South American teams if they have a 'golden generation'. Basically you are gonna need athletes at the perimeter spots, shooting and passing will no longer be enough. Teams who cannot stack up will continue to be in the game early and then lose by 30.

The US needs to be challenged for this to matter.

Now that the US is actually coached instead of having a chaperone the Euroleague guys who play fundamental can no longer challenge an athletic team with discipline. 10 years ago when the US was going through the motions, a well oiled team could catch them off guard and win, now? not a chance, Coach K etc. are too smart and more importantly have the ears of the players.

[SexSymbol]

This WC has been the saddest display of international hoops I have seen since the 1992 Olympics (but at least that had the excitement of pros for the first time).

The Euro teams are garbage, the Americas teams are second rate, and the Asian and African teams are comparatively like D-3 squads. I'll leave out Oceania because both teams automatically qualify so that is even a sadder joke.

The US throws out a clunky, second rate group that doesn't even fit and rolls through the tourney unscathed.

Pathetic.

Lets hope Canada starts putting their NBA guys back out there and they get a chance to mesh and make this shit competitive again.

No country had it's best players playing in the tournament.
France didn't have parker + others
Lithuania didn't have Kalnietis or Kleiza
Australia didn't have Mills or Bogut

Pretty much no team was fully ready for the tournament.

[JtotheIzzo]

No country had it's best players playing in the tournament.
France didn't have parker + others
Lithuania didn't have Kalnietis or Kleiza
Australia didn't have Mills or Bogut

Pretty much no team was fully ready for the tournament.

Precisely, that is why this tournament doesn't matter. Those guys would definitely show up if an Olympic medal was on the line.

No country did, the US team was largely 2nd tier, even in the qualifiers Brazil played no one, Canada had like 2 NBA guys, etc.

It is a hard sell to convince the players to do this and as a result theproduct suffers.

[Hoopz2332]

I wont remember FIBA WC 2014 fondly.

I didn't watch even 1 sec of it