96blkcoupe

I realize the rest of the world has caught up; however, if we fielded our best lineup - say Duncan, Shaq, Garnett, Iverson, Kobe and a bench of McGrady, Allen, Bibby, Redd, etc., we still would have no problem. Four years from now the team we have might just be able to do it, as melo, lebron, wade and co. develop into premier players. But next time PLEASE, DEAR FUCKING GOD PLEASE do not just pick the best player fro meach team, pick a "team." a true point guard and a true shooter maybe? Sweet Jesus.

hornetsnest

We can pick a "team" all day long, but if we don't give them more time to practice and play as a team, we will still have problems. NBA players don't really care about the olympics. It's more of a burden to them.

Even the ONLY dream team in 92 had a few problems at first and even lost practice games against college kids before they decided to start really playing. That team (other than Laettner) was the single greatest team ever bar none period. I honestly think we are still spoiled by that. MJ, Magic, and Bird are gone. They were once in a lifetime players with no replacements in the league right now.

devils_civic

we basically won a BRONZE METAL among the world's best teams with our 2nd/3rd string team. imagine what we could have done if we played with our 1st string team. you know damn well shaq would dominated. as much as i hate him. he would dominated those lil foriegn people b/c theres just no way in stopping him without fouling him and he learn how to shot a ok foul line shot. kobe bryant and tracey mcgrady would be scoring at will.

hornetsnest

We haven't won the bronze yet. We could still walk away with nothing if we don't beat lithuania.

Converse157

i bet if they were playing for platinum they would have won. damn showboating ungrateful superstars! we used to beat everyone w/no problem. I will say that the other teams have gotten better over the years though, but we still should have won. These superstars just dont care anymore, they dont get paid to win in the olympics, so why should they care? well thats my 2 cents...everyone take it easy
later

Capster78

And some people will believe all the excuses. Reguardless of the rules the game has not changed. You still have to make smart shots and watching the games our team looks like a monkey fucking a basketball out there. Bad communication, terrable strategy, slopy, careless and lazy. Look at the players that decided not to play because of "security reasons" and you will see the root of american basketball lazyness and it plays out on the basketball court as our "dream team" dreams they could win a game.

I love to watch basketball but I think this year im going to boycot it. I have no respect for professional basketball players anymore. Fans pay big $$ to watch them play which in turn partially pays their salary, for the building they play in. Yet they can not support the country they make such a good living in. That woudl be like a Soldier telling his supierior officer that they decided to sit out on this war lol. "sorry, I think there is a good possability I might get shot so im not going" lol. Please.. The safest place on the planet right now is in the olympic games. So give me another bullshit excuse!!

Another thing!! If we had the best players out on that court I belive we would have dominated.

hornetsnest

First off I'm not getting at you in particular, just using your opinion as a reference...

I don't see how USA BBall's performance in the olympics shows they are ungreatful. If anything, it's the players that DIDN'T go that are ungreatful.

The USAs problem is we think we can throw anybody together and we expect to beat everybody by 40+. We will forever be spoiled by the Dream Team (the real one). Non-educated fans think we should have won just cause we're the USA...It doesn't work that way anymore.

No they don't get paid to win the olympics, but OF COURSE THEY CARE. This team is the one who put in months of their off-time to represent us. We all forget that they are human beings and not robots for our amusement. It's been disheartening to the players and coaches regarding the way this team has been treated in the media and by most fans. They use their off-time to represent us and we call them selfish and premadonnas, yet we still expect them to beat everyone.

If anybody doesn't care, it's the "superstars" that stayed home, not this team...

hornetsnest

Capster78

I'm not defending poor play. They didn't play well and they lost. Even when they did play well, the games were still competative, not 40 point blowouts. The international teams that have been playing together for years are great teams. We would not have walked over them "dream team style" regardless of who went or how they played. Yes they looked pretty bad out there at times, but that's what happens when you've only been playing together for weeks or a couple months. It looked "preseason" at times cause that's how long they've been playing together. They could not make up for lack of coehesion with pure talent like the original dream team could.

I just wish people would quit trashing and blaming THIS team cause we are spoiled and expect 92 dream team performance from them. Give this team there due respect and start questioning our NBA "superstars" why they were to "busy" to represent their country when called upon.

Cosmo

They should have let the women's team play in their place. That way if they lost, at least the'd have an excuse.

Seriously, thouhg, everyone knows that on paper the US should have cleaned up because they had the best players. But there were a lot of better teams. Maybe the US should start taking the NCAA championship team as their basketball team. At least they can play together...

Insomniac Desi

that! right there is teh fucking problem, spoiled ass players who think we owe them the world... where is the patriotism??? when people say they didnt' have enuff time to practice, that's total bullshit, how did the previous teams manage to come home winners. when jordan and the team played the olympics,they played their hearts out like they were teh playoffs... not a burden.