Team USA Wins Gold!
August 22, 2008 by Evil E
I hope you didn’t miss the United States vs. Spain, because it was one of the most entertaining Gold medal games of all-time. U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!
Here are some of my thoughts on 15 players from the medal-winning countries…
United States (GOLD)
-Kobe Bryant took over. Props to my friend Dave for telling me last weekend that Kobe wouldn’t let Team USA lose the gold medal. I kind of dismissed that idea because A) I didn’t think the U.S. would ever be in a tight spot like Spain put them in, and B) I thought Kobe’s defense and team play would be more important than him hitting key shots down the stretch. When the Olympics started, I also wondered why the Chinese basketball fans were admiring Kobe so much more than everyone else, but he pretty much proved why he’s the best player in the world.
-Dwyane Wade is back! He looks better than ever right now and if you think the ‘08-09 version of D. Wade & the Miami Heat is going to even remotely resemble last season’s version, I suggest you think again.
-Even on the highest stage, LeBron James never fails to amaze. What if LeBron could have played other sports in the Olympics. Team handball? LeBron could beat handball teams single-handedly probably!
-Chris Paul & Deron Williams are just going to get better and better, mainly because they have each other to learn from & compete against.
-Chris Bosh played very well in these Olympics. He was very active on both ends of the floor and physically, Boshosauras looks stronger than ever.
-Dwight Howard didn’t dominate the paint as much as I expected him to in the Olympics and he’s shooting free throws worse than ever before. Unless Jameer Nelson has improved by leaps and bounds, I’m not sure if the Man-Beast will be much better in ‘08-09 than he was last season.
-I feel bad for Carlos Boozer. The guy barely played at all and the man responsible is his former college coach. The most minutes he played was 11 against lowly Angola, and in that game, he had 2 points, 3 fouls, and 2 turnovers. Ouch!
Spain (SILVER)
-I don’t see why there’s so much hype surrounding Ricky Rubio. I realize that he’s only 17 so it’s way too early to jump to any conclusions, but the last time I checked, it took more than just nice ball handling ability, court vision, and an excellent “feel for the game” to prove worthy of being a #1 overall pick. He’s listed at 6-feet-4, 180 pounds, but he doesn’t look that tall and seems pretty weak physically. I don’t think he has the body type to put on a lot of muscle either, so he better work on his core strength and balance a la Steve Nash. Of course, one area where Rubio can’t even sniff Nash’s game is shooting ability. In the Olympics, Rubio shot just 9-32 from the field (28.1%) and 2-12 on threes (16.7%). It’s easy to see why Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James are #1 talents, but it’s going to take a lot more for someone to sell me on Rubio.
-Rudy Fernandez is no joke. I was highly intrigued by his YouTube highlight videos, but now I’m downright impressed. His offensive repertoire is sick and he’s a lot of fun to watch (did you see his dunk on Dwight Howard?!?). His moves seem unorthodox at times, but it obviously works for him. With him and Brandon Roy playing together, that’s an extremely versatile backcourt. I’m tired of people calling BOTH Jerryd Bayless & Fernandez sleepers, because more than likely, only one of them will get enough minutes in ‘08-09 to make a major impact. I’ve already made my decision, and that man is Fernandez.
-To follow-up on Jose Calderon, the guy averaged just 7.3 points, 3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, .5 steals, 1.3 turnovers, and 20.5 minutes in 6 Olympic games before partially tearing the adductor muscle in his groin. Is this the same guy people are considering using a Top 20 pick on?
-Marc Gasol is definitely a big dude with a nice shooting touch and some offensive skills, but he doesn’t seem like much of a shot-blocker, which is going to limit his fantasy value.
Argentina (BRONZE)
-If the Bulls don’t want to give Andres Nocioni big minutes, then someone needs to trade for the guy and let him loose. As a 6th man bruiser/energizer alongside talented teammates, Noce could have a killer season.
-Luis Scola is an incredibly skilled offensive player. With he, Yao, Artest, and Battier, the Rockets have one of the most talented frontlines in the league.
-Manu Ginobili is awesome, but can he go more than a month without injuring something?
No related posts.
I think people are hyped about Rubio, because he plays controlled and poise! He not a really an impact, but rather chill!
Rubio’s behind the back dribble drive is ridiculous. He left the US defense nailed to ground…didn’t do shit after he broke them off…
…and what about Juan Carlos and the floater. He was on fire the first 3/4 of the game. He was dropping runners left and right.
OT – E do you get paid for banner clicks?
Yeah, Navarro’s floater is pretty slick, but he was bricking his threes during the whole tournament.
I’m just saying that people are talking about Rubio as a #1 pick, when the only PG’s who have proved worthy of that in recent years are: Paul, Deron, Nash, and Kidd. Even at 17, I’m sure all of those guys had at least one extra superb skill that Rubio lacks. What else do people see that I’m missing?
No, I don’t get paid for clicks, but supposedly, if they never get clicked on I run the risk of losing certain advertisers. So feel free to click on one if it interests you, but don’t feel obligated. But more forum page loads would be excellent.
About Rubio,
I think he will be the #1 next year or whenever. You never saw Paul, Deron, Nash or Kidd play in a real game against the best players in the world at the age of 17. I would not look at a bad shooting % against older and stronger professional players as a measure of his skill.
When he played in the under 16 European championship game against his peers, he went off for 51 pts 24 boards and 12 assists and 7 steals and had a quad-double the game before. Bottom line is he held is own against one of the best teams in the history of basketball at the age of 17, thats impressive!