OFFICIAL FIBA World Cup Spain 2014 Thread

[osh kosh bosh]

No team has broke 80 against the US yet. Maybe there has been defensive lapses but the defense is hardly vanilla.

USA been going on some nice runs too, must notably that 27-1 turnaround with Finland in the 2nd quarter. I don't think Finland had a field goal in the 2nd quarter. You don't do that playing 'vanilla' defense lol

You need to play defense to make those kind of runs

I do worry about Spain's chemistry.

yeah you misunderstood.

1. vanilla d in terms of scheme. It's a conservative thibaduea d that is standard in the NBA now. past USA teams, employed much more aggressive schemes with more ball pressure, trapping.


2. the teams they have played weren't good enough to take advantage of some mistakes from Harden/Irving/Steph/Faried.


also don't site finland as proof of anything, thery're only in this tournament because the angry birds developers delivered the money bags to FIBA.

 

[arrjae2]

Who would you recommend?

Spo.

jokes lang

 

[everysingletime]

That kind of over aggressive, trapping D that the USA has used in the past wouldn't really work too well against Spain anyway. It'd probably be playing straight into their hands.

 

[cato312]

Spain has the ability to get USA's bigs into foul trouble...home cooking, etc. That may force them to play zone, which may doom them.

Anyways this is all assuming both meet in the final but I see it as a collision course.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

That kind of over aggressive, trapping D that the USA has used in the past wouldn't really work too well against Spain anyway. It'd probably be playing straight into their hands.

It would work fine if they had good defensive players at the wing, which like I said is the one giant advantage USA had over Spain but with no PG, or Durant, Jaun Carlos Navarro and Rudy Fernandez arent as completely over matched as they usually are.

Spain si going to make the defend the whole floor, The Harden slander will go into overdrive if he's blowing rotations.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Right now, I would take Spain over USA. At this point, I know Pau, Marc and Ibaka will be too much for our bigs and I agree with what OKB said on the guard play. Not a lot of mismatches on the perimeter to give USA an advantage.

 

[trueprada]

rewatching this turkey game 

 

[aepps20]

Even when team USA had the elite wing defenders they didn't use intelligent pressure which allowed teams with great continuity on offense to exploit them. Look at the 08,10 and 12 teams and the games against Spain and Lithuania for reference. Team USA would have had a much easier time in those games if they just dropped back into a basic man to man defense and used their superior athleticism to contest shots. I know that the offense is highly predicated on the defense but Spain gets easy shots against Team USA because of the trapping defense.

 

[cato312]

Even when team USA had the elite wing defenders they didn't use intelligent pressure which allowed teams with great continuity on offense to exploit them. Look at the 08,10 and 12 teams and the games against Spain and Lithuania for reference. Team USA would have had a much easier time in those games if they just dropped back into a basic man to man defense and used their superior athleticism to contest shots. I know that the offense is highly predicated on the defense but Spain gets easy shots against Team USA because of the trapping defense.

Yup, Spain ran a lot of good counters.

I'm just going to assume that JC Navarro will be in big game hunter mode too.

 

[trueprada]

asik was causing problems 

 

[aepps20]

Yup, Spain ran a lot of good counters.

I'm just going to assume that JC Navarro will be in big game hunter mode too.

Exactly, he always plays well against team USA. IMO this US team is better equipped to defend Spain's bigs than the 08 or 12 teams. Pau cooked Lebron and KD in 12.

 

[everysingletime]

The USA should just play Spain like how a good NBA team plays another good NBA team. That constant pressuring should only be used for teams that can't handle the ball.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

I need to go back and watch that 08 Gold medal game. That was seriously one of the best games of basketball over the last 10 years. Any level

 

[aepps20]

The USA should just play Spain like how a good NBA team plays another good NBA team. That constant pressuring should only be used for teams that can't handle the ball.

QFT, ball movement and decent guard play will torch pressure defense almost every time.

 

[cato312]

I need to go back and watch that 08 Gold medal game. That was seriously one of the best games of basketball over the last 10 years. Any level

Yup. It was very intense.

Pau taunting Bosh to get up then hitting a banked jumper
Rudy's dunk on Dwight....thanks to Kobe reaching in
Wade off the bench
Kobe's clinching 4pt play

 

[suberzat1]

Never forgot

 

[osh kosh bosh]

QFT, ball movement and decent guard play will torch pressure defense almost every time.

except for the two times the Miami Heat won the championship.

I think the pressure d was important for a team of all stars that had less continuity, it allowed them to get into transition more, less half court, it increased the pace and the amount of possessions.

Everything we know about basketball upsets says decreasing the amount of possessions increases the chance of an upset.

I think they played it the right way with the personnel they had in 08 and 12.

 

[mr marcus]

 

I need to go back and watch that 08 Gold medal game. That was seriously one of the best games of basketball over the last 10 years. Any level

Yup. It was very intense.

Pau taunting Bosh to get up then hitting a banked jumper
Rudy's dunk on Dwight....thanks to Kobe reaching in

Wade off the bench
Kobe's clinching 4pt play

hell yea....game was good as hell 

 

[bhzmafia14]

I'll never forget La Bomba's stint with the Grizz

 

[cato312]

except for the two times the Miami Heat won the championship.

I think the pressure d was important for a team of all stars that had less continuity, it allowed them to get into transition more, less half court, it increased the pace and the amount of possessions.

Everything we know about basketball upsets says decreasing the amount of possessions increases the chance of an upset.

I think they played it the right way with the personnel they had in 08 and 12.

I don't think OKC had great ball movement at all against the Heat, and the Spurs were seconds away from winning with ball movement and good guard play. That and decreasing turnovers is the formula for beating pressure / trapping defense.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

I don't think OKC had great ball movement at all against the Heat, and the Spurs were seconds away from winning with ball movement and good guard play. That and decreasing turnovers is the formula for beating pressure / trapping defense.

well obviously the trap wants to create turnovers and you want t avoid them.

Point is I don't think it would have been better to go half court grind it out with a Spain team with great continuity who've been playing with each other ince they were teens.

 

[rck3sactown]

Courtside buzz in Bilbao is that Francisco Garcia indeed likely to sit out tonight's game vs. Team USA to rest up for DR's Group C finale
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) September 3, 2014

Dominican Republic off to surprising 2-1 start in Group C & still hopeful of advancing, so makes sense for Garcia to rest for a winnable one
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) September 3, 2014

 

[raysweatshirt]

I'm sorry but Steph Curry is cheeks in international play

 

[dman14]

was looking forward seeing cisco unleash the dragon

 

[arturzeee]

Block party