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Team USA (Official Thread)

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crazybuckfan40;1230413; said:
Does anyone notice the talent drop off when LBJ and Kobe go off the floor...The other guys are good, but LBJ and Kobe are just special...
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I've noticed it even more in the opposite case with Dwayne Wade. The team plays more energized when he is on the floor. He has been the biggest surprise on this team in my opinion. I am still harboring an awful lot of resentment for D. Wade (and Bennett Salvatore, Dick Bavetta, And David Stern) as a result of the '06 Finals, but to me he has been the most outstanding player for this team. He has been getting to the rim at will, creating scoring chances for himself and the other four on the floor. Wade has also been exerting equal effort defensively, locking down whoever he is on and creating turnovers.
 
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txbuckeye1983;1230464; said:
I've noticed it even more in the opposite case with Dwayne Wade. The team plays more energized when he is on the floor. He has been the biggest surprise on this team in my opinion. I am still harboring an awful lot of resentment for D. Wade (and Bennett Salvatore, Dick Bavetta, And David Stern) as a result of the '06 Finals, but to me he has been the most outstanding player for this team. He has been getting to the rim at will, creating scoring chances for himself and the other four on the floor. Wade has also been exerting equal effort defensively, locking down whoever he is on and creating turnovers.
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Absolutely. Wade has been the MVP thus far, by far. He is playing out of his mind in all areas of the game. Well, all areas except maybe free throw shooting, which apparently has afflicted all of Team USA.
 
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Trying to pressure and trap this team, like Spain did, is suicide. Team USA has far too athletic a backcourt for this type of defense to be effective. If this team keeps playing defense and shooting the three like they did yesterday, no one will come within 30 points of them.
 
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yahoo.com

US pulls away from Australia, moves to semis

By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer 9 minutes ago


BEIJING (AP)?Don?t doubt this U.S. men?s basketball team?and sure don?t challenge them, either.
Especially if it?s going to make Kobe Bryant flash his NBA MVP form.
Bryant scored 25 points in his best game in Beijing, and the men?s U.S. Olympic team advanced to the semifinals by beating Australia 116-85 on Wednesday night.
The United States will play defending champion Argentina or Greece on Friday night for a spot in Sunday?s gold medal game.
Locked in what looked like another tough game in Australia, the Americans sent the Aussies? upset hopes down under with a 14-0 burst to open the second half, featuring nine points from Bryant.
LeBron James added 16 points for the Americans, who are guaranteed a chance to play for a medal. They need two more wins for their first gold medal in a major international competition since the 2000 Sydney Games.

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yahoo.com

US beats Argentina, shoots for gold Sunday

By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer 57 minutes ago

BEIJING (AP)?The climb back to the top is nearly complete. One more win and U.S. basketball is golden again.
The Americans ended their streak of final four flops and Argentina?s hopes of an Olympic gold-medal repeat, starting fast and finishing strong in a 101-81 semifinal victory Friday.
All that?s left is what the U.S. players came for: a gold medal.
The United States scored 21 of the first 25 points, got a big break when Argentina star Manu Ginobili reinjured his left ankle, and surged into its first gold-medal game in eight years.
There?s still 40 minutes to go, but this U.S. team looks good as gold. All the Americans have to do now is beat Spain, who they clobbered by 37 points in pool play, on Sunday to win their first gold in a major international event since the 2000 Olympics.

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ABJ

Setting the gold standard
Team USA rolls past Argentina, into final against Spain
By Pete Thamel
New York Times

Published on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008

BEIJING: Sometimes, a game that determines a gold medal does not end with athletes standing proudly on a podium and a national anthem echoing through the arena.
With the U.S. men's basketball team rolling through this Olympic tournament as if it were the Harlem Globetrotters, it appeared that defending Olympic champion Argentina would be the only remaining test.
The Argentines forced the Americans to play under pressure for the first time in this Olympics, but the game ended in a comfortable 101-81 U.S. victory on Friday.
Even with the Argentine star Manu Ginobili leaving the game late in the first quarter with an apparent left ankle injury, Argentina played the United States closer than any team in this tournament.
The Americans will now play Spain (2:30 a.m. Sunday on WKYC, Channel 3), which they beat by 37 points during pool play, for the gold medal. Behind a scintillating fourth-quarter performance by the 17-year-old guard Ricky Rubio, Spain beat Lithuania, 91-86, in the other semifinal Friday.

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That game was a thing of beauty. Both teams played at such an incredibly high level. It was nice to see D. Wade, LBJ, and especially Kobe step up down the stretch. And I have to say, the Trail Blazers got a steal with Rudy Fernandez. That kid has game untold.
 
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txbuckeye1983;1237310; said:
That game was a thing of beauty. Both teams played at such an incredibly high level. It was nice to see D. Wade, LBJ, and especially Kobe step up down the stretch. And I have to say, the Trail Blazers got a steal with Rudy Fernandez. That kid has game untold.
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All I kept thinking is the Blazers are going to be really good this year.
 
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They sought redemption, and without a doubt, got it. This team blew out everyone until the title game - then showed that it could win while facing a worthy opponent with clutch playmaking down the stretch.

This run showed me two things:

1. Coach K is a really good ego manager.

2. Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury should never have been on that 2004 team.
 
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exhawg;1237612; said:
All I kept thinking is the Blazers are going to be really good this year.
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Maybe the Cavs should try and grab 17-year-old Spain PG. Hard to believe that he was only 17 years old. I would not mind him running my high school, not even to mention college, basketball team.
 
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LitlBuck;1237928; said:
Maybe the Cavs should try and grab 17-year-old Spain PG. Hard to believe that he was only 17 years old. I would not mind him running my high school, not even to mention college, basketball team.
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that kid would start for half the NBA teams now. He played like a pistol pete. Team USA needs a big tough man down low. Its sad Lebron had to be the tough guy down low
 
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