Team USA

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

I admit, today was the day I learned KD and Giannis are both taller than AD.
That and $2.25 gets me a ride on a bus, a post on here, and a 1.5 second rub of my right eye.

According to the New York Times, these are the odds to win the Gold.
Why even bother playing the games?

TEAM
USA
-400
Canada
+900
Serbia
+1100
France
+1400
Greece
+1800
Germany
+2200
Australia
+4000
Spain
+8000
Brazil
+15000
Puerto Rico
+50000
Japan
+50000
South Sudan
+50000

[twocoach]

Because I would assume the odds were similar every other time that Team USA failed to win an event they were favored in. It's just not that weird for them to come out and looked disjointed and not be cohesive while some other country that has actually played together more frequently beats them.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Because I would assume the odds were similar every other time that Team USA failed to win an event they were favored in. It's just not that weird for them to come out and looked disjointed and not be cohesive while some other country that has actually played together more frequently beats them.

You're probably (at least possibly) right.
Supposedly the select team lost by just 1 point.
International game is different. As I bring up too often, JUNK! https://www.fiba.basketball/news/on-thi ... s-olympics

[randylahey]

No kawhi

Not sure why they ever even bothered naming him to the team. They had an initial 11 man roster, then announced him as the 12th. But there was always a ton of doubt he would play

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Derrick White replacing him. Good for Derrick White.

2 questions I dont know how I would answer.
1. You're an NBA player and have never won a championship. What is more meaningful to you, winning an NBA Championship or a Gold Medal?
I'll lean NBA Championship.
2. You're an NBA player. You get an injury playing on the Olympic team that causes you to miss significant time with your NBA team. You are asked to play in the next (in 4 years) Olympics, do you accept the invitation?
I'll lean towards no.

P.S. I don't know how AD and KD were walking before they showed up to Las Vegas but I saw a video of them walking what I think was yesterday and it looked like they were both either injured or 90 years old. I know they are not 90. Are they injured?

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Derrick White replacing him. Good for Derrick White.

2 questions I dont know how I would answer.
1. You're an NBA player and have never won a championship. What is more meaningful to you, winning an NBA Championship or a Gold Medal?
I'll lean NBA Championship.
2. You're an NBA player. You get an injury playing on the Olympic team that causes you to miss significant time with your NBA team. You are asked to play in the next (in 4 years) Olympics, do you accept the invitation?
I'll lean towards no.

P.S. I don't know how AD and KD were walking before they showed up to Las Vegas but I saw a video of them walking what I think was yesterday and it looked like they were both either injured or 90 years old. I know they are not 90. Are they injured?

Well, I was guilty of what I accuse others of not doing. Taking 30 seconds to do a Google search.
So I did it.
Yep, KD injured. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kevi ... alkthrough.

This was the video I was referring to. Now that I paid more attention, I see AD's knees bandaged/wrapped with ice.

https://twitter.com/WardeIICurry30/stat ... 5574611116

[ousdahl]

Oh hey, basketball’s on!

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Oh hey, basketball’s on!

Yeah, and some of our politicians are loving the opportunity to be seen with the team.

Best speech Kamala has ever given?

https://twitter.com/richmusicworld/stat ... 9250786677

Maybe the best leadership Lebron has ever shown? "Let's huddle up man/men and (get this over? photo? op? with?)"

https://twitter.com/LasVegasLocally/sta ... 4114451722

OBAMA
This is kind of funny...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9Q0OdTP ... BiNWFlZA==

[pdub]

Edwards off the bench.
Booker starts. Jrue starts.

I think if KD is healthy he starts over Booker but Jrue might remain a fixture bc of his defense.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

While I do enjoy seeing the best in the world compete against each other, the old man in me misses the days of amateur athletes performing in the Olympics.

[pdub]

Even if that was the case, the US wouldn’t be sending amateur athletes to play basketball.

The guys making 2 million a year while wearing college jerseys would get to go.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Even if that was the case, the US wouldn’t be sending amateur athletes to play basketball.

The guys making 2 million a year while wearing college jerseys would get to go.

Heck, even a lot of High School kids aren't "amateurs".

[randylahey]

Holiday is a fixture. He's the perfect point guard for this team

I think he's the best true point guard in the nba, although others will argue and point out other guys are better scorers

[pdub]

He’s not the best point guard in the nba.

He’s a great guy for a team full of stars though evidenced by the Celtics run.

[DeletedUser]

He’s not the best point guard in the nba.

He’s a great guy for a team full of stars though evidenced by the Celtics run.

He's in the best spot he can possibly be. They don't need him to do the things he doesn't do well.

[randylahey]

Depends what you want from a point guard. If you want scoring and shooting, holiday is not the best. If you want winning and leadership, he's the best. There's a reason he's won 2 championships with 2 different teams in the past few years

And a reason he's the starting point guard on team usa

[pdub]

It helps that he got to be the third or fourth best player on those winning squads.

He’s great no doubt.
Perfect for the Celtics.
The Celtics aren’t winning shit if Tatum and Brown were gone and Jrue, Porzingis and White were the guys.

[DeletedUser]

Yes. There is a reason he's won 2 championships with 2 different teams.

Their names are Giannis and Tatum/Brown.


I think the Celtics still would have won the championship with Marcus Smart as their PG this season.

[pdub]

"During this tour Kerr has been using hockey-style substitutions, subbing in five players at a time. When the public announcer tells the crowd the line changes and says the names "Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Booker" all at once as the "second" unit, it's a little sobering."

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/i ... win-serbia

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

If you're the 6ers ownership and management, how happy can you be that Embiid is playing?