This topic contains 11 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by 
King Calucha 9 years, 10 months ago.
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- Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 5:09am #64877
Andrew1984ParticipantI know yesterday’s game was close, but it looks like the U.S. is going to have a cake walk to a gold medal. It’s quite boring. Here’s the problem: when the top-level NBA players are involved, the games are all cupcakes. But when the top-level players are expected to compete, but only second-tier NBA players participate, it’s a letdown (early 2000s), because expectations are so high. Going back to the ’80s and only allowing college players isn’t a viable solution, because that didn’t deliver either.
I say take that year’s NBA champ, minus their starters. The starters would be tired from playing so much basketball, but the bench would be relatively fresh. Keep their entire coaching staff in place, for continuity and system. Let international players represent their own country, and sign FAs to replace them. New draftees also eligible.
It would be a good balance between the old system of college players, who weren’t quite ready to compete against other country’s older veterans, and this current blowout party. The U.S. team would probably win gold medals occasionally, but not often. It would be more exciting when they do get that far, but if they lost, it wouldn’t be embarrassing. This would apply for FIBAs as well.
This year’s team would field:
PG: Mo Williams
SG: Iman Shumpert
SF: James Jones
PF: Richard Jefferson
C: Channing FryeBench: Kay Felder, Jordan McRae, Jared Cunningham, Dahntay Jones, Mike Dunleavy, Chris Andersen
2014’s FIBAs team would’ve been tricky because San Antonio had so many international players, but it still would have been competitive:
PG: Kyle Anderson
SG: Danny Green
SF: Austin Daye
PF: Jeff Ayres
C: Matt BonnerBench: Shannon Brown, Othyus Jeffers, Damion James, Malcolm Thomas
This would level the playing field and make it exciting when we happen to have an awesome team, but understandable when we don’t. Thoughts?
0 - Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 6:53am #1085600
Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipantThere is absolutely no way in hell the USA will send an team to the Olympics headlined by Channing frye and mo Williams. The idea of just sending the NBA champion to compete would be interesting but that would have to include starters and reserves. It would undoubtedly be tricky because pretty much every team has a few key pieces who are international players and it would be completely unfair to expect a team that just played until the end of june to basically give up their offseason. It just wouldn’t work.
Just leave it as it is now. I don’t really see why there is this big need for a change to make things more competitive. Isn’t the purpose of the Olympics to put your best possible team on the floor to represent your country and bring home the gold medal. Why attempt to level the playing field for other countries?
0 - Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 7:25am #1085601
Andrew1984ParticipantIf Patty Mills and Luis Scola can drop 30, then Channing Frye and Mo Williams can play at a high level.
It’s not that there’s a NEED to level the playing field; I’m certainly no radical egalitarian. But it gets much less interesting when it’s lopsided and predictable.
0- Posted on: Tue, 08/16/2016 - 8:51am #1085761
King CaluchaParticipantScola put up to 18ppg in Houston. He’s several miles ahead of Channing Frye in every category.
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- Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 7:46am #1085602
Memphis MadnessParticipantTo post what I did in another thread: guys can only play on the Olympic team ONCE. Then you still need to have two college players on each team.
So, on the current team you would have your 10 guys minus Carmelo and Durant then you add Buddy Hield and probably Brandon Ingram.
More players get an opportunity to play, and you still have some really good players like Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Cousins, and Draymond Green.
You would get a good mix of college kids, young superstars, mid-career all stars, and high level veteran role players.
Carmelo Anthony would like this idea because no one would be able to break his record of 3 gold medals (if we win) and his all-time scoring record for Team USA.
If this were to happen, our 2020 team would be led by (I am guessing) Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Karl Anthony-Towns, Andre Drummond, and some other guys. I would also put Kris Dunn, D’Angelo Russell, Jabari Parker, Blake Griffin, Brandon Ingram, Jahlil Okafor, plus two college players.
0 - Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 8:35am #1085603
GronounoursParticipantThis is a competitive sport. If a team crushes weaker sides, so be it.
0- Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 9:43am #1085605
XYRYXParticipanttotally agree.
There is no need to change the whole thing just to make it less hard for the US team. Avery other sport is working this way. The rest of the world is still catching up and the fact that the NBA is by far the only league with almost exclusive world talent (international and national) just doesn’t help. Let them play and at some point they will lose and the streak is gone. Spain, France, Argentinaand especially the Aussies and ‘We The North’ will have some good teams going forward not to mention that some countries in the Balkan region or from Eastern Europe will continue to rise and will have ‘golden’ generations at some point.
Maybe less competition is not as exciting to watch but the FIBA rules will for sure aren’t so easy to handle for the inexperienced Americans and on a bad day from outside and their bigs in foul trouble other teams are not chanceless to me.
Just leave it how it is and with a ton of top tier players from year to year passing on team USA what almost every athlete in the world embraces will mix up these US teams every tournament and this will also be clear disadvantages.
0 - Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 3:02pm #1085613
StephGoneStephParticipantNot to mention that it would be incredibly disrespectful to other teams. Should we be forcing Michael Phelps to swim with one hand tied behind his back as well?
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- Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 10:49am #1085609
ChoppyParticipantHaving the Team USA bar set so high it should inspire the teams playing them to raise the level of their game to try and match them, thus improving the overall level of play. Just look at how the Aussies rose to the challenge.
0- Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 2:17pm #1085612
Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipantExactly. And it makes things more exciting too when the us actually gets into a close game because you know their not supposed to lose. I have to admit I was kind of hoping for Australia to pull the upset yesterday if for no other reason than it would have been cool to see an underdog win. If the us sends a half ass squad then you take away that suspense and for whatever team does win the gold, it will come with an asterisk.
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- Posted on: Thu, 08/11/2016 - 11:07am #1085611
goldie92689ParticipantSo maybe spend should send the Real Madrid bench too? Or is it just the USA expected to downgrade their roster?
0 - Posted on: Fri, 08/12/2016 - 3:36am #1085627
JoeWolf1Your proposal is to put out a team that would lose to international competition?
Competition is the key word here, why shouldn’t team USA just keep Simone Biles, or Michael Phelps at home too? They’re just too dominant, it’s not that fun to watch….comon’
I think you’re also slighting international competition. Team Australia would definitely beat the Cleveland bench, so your solution to make everything fair is to put out inferior competition? USA basketball is at an awesome place right now with the select team, and the structure and leadership it has with Jerry Coloangelo. Put out your best to beat the best, period.
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