Is anyone excited for Mens basketball Olympics?

[Knicksfever2010]

I have ZERO interest in watching, what say you?

[Nilocon165]

I'm somewhat interested in seeing how Durant will play with his new teammates.

I'm also excited to watch Kyrie play.

[RedBlackAttack]

I have ZERO interest in watching, what say you?

I lost a little interest in the late 90s and early 00s when it seemed like no one could give us a run. Then, everything changed. Ever since we lost to the likes of Argentina and Greece, I've quite enjoyed watching our teams dismsntle the international competition.

I will definitely watch.

[IGOTGAME]

I'm very excited, just not for the exhibition games (they didn't schedule anyone worth watching).

I'm looking forward to US playing Serbia, France, Lithuania and Spain. Those are the only teams that might be able to stay in the game. Spain had a shot because they have the point guard play but they are down Ibaka and Marc Gasol which is really really going to hurt.

[FKAri]

2004, 2008, and 2010 I actually followed on a game by game basis. I haven't followed any international event since then except the 2012 final (Pau put in WORK).

Also is it just me or does it seem there are no up and coming international players (from the big basketball countries) of the caliber of the great ones from the 2000's? Where are the next Gasol's and Ginobli's? Argentina seems to have had the same roster for the last 20 years.

[IGOTGAME]

2004, 2008, and 2010 I actually followed on a game by game basis. I haven't followed any international event since then except the 2012 final (Pau put in WORK).

Also is it just me or does it seem there are no up and coming international players (from the big basketball countries) of the caliber of the great ones from the 2000's? Where are the next Gasol's and Ginobli's? Argentina seems to have had the same roster for the last 20 years.

yea, the top foreign stars don't seem to be from those same couple of countries, but:

Lithuania: Big Daddy V (24)
Greece: Giannis (21)
France: Gobert (23)
Spain: Rubio (25)

the other prospects who look outstanding (Porzingis, Simmons and Wiggins) just aren't from a traditional powerhouses tho

[tpols]

i'll watch the spain games and maybe greece / lithuania .. but its like watching an all star game where team usa just beats sh!t out of everybody, no competition makes this stuff hard to watch

[SpaceJam]

Aus on the come up, step off fakits

[IGOTGAME]

Aus on the come up, step off fakits

is Simmons going to play for them?

[Sakkreth]

i'll watch the spain games and maybe greece / lithuania .. but its like watching an all star game where team usa just beats sh!t out of everybody, no competition makes this stuff hard to watch

Greece did not qualify.

[Achilleas]

the last team that won usa was my county GREECE
spanoulis
diamantidis
big sofo
papaloukas
visilopoulos
dikoudis
fotsis
xatsivretas
zisis
papadopoulos
kakiouzis
tsartsaris

[Euroleague]

I'm very excited, just not for the exhibition games (they didn't schedule anyone worth watching).

I'm looking forward to US playing Serbia, France, Lithuania and Spain. Those are the only teams that might be able to stay in the game. Spain had a shot because they have the point guard play but they are down Ibaka and Marc Gasol which is really really going to hurt.

Spain has Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull as their only decent guards. Rodriguez can't play a lick of defense, and Llull is used as a SG....

If you are talking about Calderon and Rubio....they are probably two of the worst players on any well known European national team.

Navarro retired from basketball about 2 years ago...he does nothing but take up space on any team.

Rudy, in 2014-15 season, did not do much of anything, and in 2015-16 season, almost became an ex player. Besides, these days he is only healthy for about 1/3 of the time, as he has piled up a ton of serious injuries.

Rudy, Navarro, and Calderon are basically total shells of what they were even 2 years ago.

Spain has fairly weak guard play overall, as far as good European national teams are concerned. The level of the guard play is greatly diminished from 2008 Olympics, or even from 2012 Olympics. Unless they plan on playing Rodriguez and Llull each like 35 minutes a game. Even then, Rodriguez is a liability on defense.

[Euroleague]

yea, the top foreign stars don't seem to be from those same couple of countries, but:

Lithuania: Big Daddy V (24)
Greece: Giannis (21)
France: Gobert (23)
Spain: Rubio (25)

the other prospects who look outstanding (Porzingis, Simmons and Wiggins) just aren't from a traditional powerhouses tho

WTF? Rubio and Giannis are two of the worst players in any European national team.

Giannis was by far the worst player Greece had this summer.

[Euroleague]

the last team that won usa was my county GREECE
spanoulis
diamantidis
big sofo
papaloukas
visilopoulos
dikoudis
fotsis
xatsivretas
zisis
papadopoulos
kakiouzis
tsartsaris

It's too bad for Zisis in his career, that he was injured by that asshole Varejao, and didn't get to play in that game.

[Euroleague]

i'll watch the spain games and maybe greece / lithuania .. but its like watching an all star game where team usa just beats sh!t out of everybody, no competition makes this stuff hard to watch

Greece is not playing at the Olympics.

Giannis went,

3/14 FG
0/7 3 PT FG

with 6 turnovers in the qualification game against Croatia, and caused Greece to fail to make the Olympics.

Box Score:

http://www.fiba.com/oqt/italy/2016/0807/Greece-Croatia#|tab=boxscore_statistics