[Bob BallParticipant]

Team USA verse New Zealand. It’s the start of the third quarter and USA looks much better than they did early first turkey. I know New Zealand is a drop in competition but team USA came out with the greater sense of urgency this game what do you guys think?

[ahuang16Participant]

 It’s old news but Davis is just to long and athletic for lower competition.  His impact on the game is tremendous.  And Faried’s energy continues to amaze me as well.

[ahuang16Participant]

 It’s old news but Davis is just to long and athletic for lower competition.  His impact on the game is tremendous.  And Faried’s energy continues to amaze me as well.

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

Just a guess here, but Anthony Davis will be the best player on the 2016 Olympic team in Rio.  Dude is scary good.  

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

Just a guess here, but Anthony Davis will be the best player on the 2016 Olympic team in Rio.  Dude is scary good.  

[Kinguy11Participant]

 I think New Zealand did us proud when we were obviously overmatched.  It will be good experience for the guys and hopefully they can go into the last two games ready to do some damage.

[Kinguy11Participant]

 I think New Zealand did us proud when we were obviously overmatched.  It will be good experience for the guys and hopefully they can go into the last two games ready to do some damage.

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

This is the closest thing to the NBA most of these players will get for NZ. Unlike Australia we don’t have the children of former NBA players and other international basketball players. We just don’t have the talent coming through the ranks to be significantly better any time soon.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

New Zealand has a population of less than 5 million people. If the US were to form a basketball team solely out of Minnesota we’d struggle to put together much of a team as well. Not much that a tiny country like NZ can do on the world stage.  

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

I am well aware of the population of my country. We Kiwis pride ourselves on our sporting achievements. We are leaders in metals to population ratio at Olympic games. Sports is everything to Kiwis.

[Shaquille OatmealParticipant]

Not quite…

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:all-time

[XYRYXParticipant]

I think he meant participants not really medalists or Winners. India for example has very little athletes comparing to their popolation in track or other olympic sports but they have some other things to manage then concentrate on sports I think. The All Blacks or Tall Blacks always had my respect when we talk about competetiveness and the pure will to succeed.

[XYRYXParticipant]

I think he meant participants not really medalists or Winners. India for example has very little athletes comparing to their popolation in track or other olympic sports but they have some other things to manage then concentrate on sports I think. The All Blacks or Tall Blacks always had my respect when we talk about competetiveness and the pure will to succeed.

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

Leaders as in near the top not necessarily the top nation.

2012 Olympics we were 4th in Medals per capita behind the 3 Caribbean Countries who win all the medals due to their sprinters.

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

Leaders as in near the top not necessarily the top nation.

2012 Olympics we were 4th in Medals per capita behind the 3 Caribbean Countries who win all the medals due to their sprinters.

[Shaquille OatmealParticipant]

Not quite…

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:all-time

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Oh I wasn’t suggesting that you wearn’t aware. Maybe my post came off that way.

Here in the US I think sometimes we forget how big we are from a population standpoint compared to the average country. Yes, India and China are massively bigger. But after that: USA USA, We are Number 1!!! 

Here in the US, one freaquently hears announcers talking about the question of "has the rest of the world caught up?" The answer to this is pretty much yes. At least for many countries. The coaching and the preparation is really good. Many countries have legitimate professional basketball leagues and also passionate fans. Of course we will still trounce most countries in international play. When we win by 40 that is used as evidence that that country hasn’t "caught up". But really it is much more just the product of population size.  

And we have Lebron. So in some sense, no the rest of the world hasn’t caught up. 

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Oh I wasn’t suggesting that you wearn’t aware. Maybe my post came off that way.

Here in the US I think sometimes we forget how big we are from a population standpoint compared to the average country. Yes, India and China are massively bigger. But after that: USA USA, We are Number 1!!! 

Here in the US, one freaquently hears announcers talking about the question of "has the rest of the world caught up?" The answer to this is pretty much yes. At least for many countries. The coaching and the preparation is really good. Many countries have legitimate professional basketball leagues and also passionate fans. Of course we will still trounce most countries in international play. When we win by 40 that is used as evidence that that country hasn’t "caught up". But really it is much more just the product of population size.  

And we have Lebron. So in some sense, no the rest of the world hasn’t caught up. 

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

I am well aware of the population of my country. We Kiwis pride ourselves on our sporting achievements. We are leaders in metals to population ratio at Olympic games. Sports is everything to Kiwis.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

New Zealand has a population of less than 5 million people. If the US were to form a basketball team solely out of Minnesota we’d struggle to put together much of a team as well. Not much that a tiny country like NZ can do on the world stage.  

[tblazer_NZParticipant]

This is the closest thing to the NBA most of these players will get for NZ. Unlike Australia we don’t have the children of former NBA players and other international basketball players. We just don’t have the talent coming through the ranks to be significantly better any time soon.

[NZcoachParticipant]

 I thought we did alright. We were never expected to go in there and win or come close but I know lots of people were expecting USA to win by well over 30. Anthony Davis looked just huge compared to our guys but Vukona still played hard and went at it. USA didnt look fully committed but definatly forced us into some bad shots and won well. But I was still impressed at how hard our boys fought.

Also, just because we are a little country doesnt mean we cant produce talent, we havent had top world players or anythign but our crop of young guns coming through is impressive by our standards and given a couple of years I think NZ will be able to manage top 3 finishes in our pool in these events. Not top 3 overall, thats just not happening any time soon haha, but in our pool in a few years I think its possible. We have 7 or 8 forwards/centers that are either in US colleges now or are getting serious looks, its our wings that are lacking.

But overall good showing and it was a good game to watch! Just got annoyed at some peoples reactions to the Haka, psh haha.

 

 

[NZcoachParticipant]

 I thought we did alright. We were never expected to go in there and win or come close but I know lots of people were expecting USA to win by well over 30. Anthony Davis looked just huge compared to our guys but Vukona still played hard and went at it. USA didnt look fully committed but definatly forced us into some bad shots and won well. But I was still impressed at how hard our boys fought.

Also, just because we are a little country doesnt mean we cant produce talent, we havent had top world players or anythign but our crop of young guns coming through is impressive by our standards and given a couple of years I think NZ will be able to manage top 3 finishes in our pool in these events. Not top 3 overall, thats just not happening any time soon haha, but in our pool in a few years I think its possible. We have 7 or 8 forwards/centers that are either in US colleges now or are getting serious looks, its our wings that are lacking.

But overall good showing and it was a good game to watch! Just got annoyed at some peoples reactions to the Haka, psh haha.

 

 

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