USA Basketball

i think thats the problem here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw57_mRh6tc

obv not USA basketball but thought I'd keep Olympic hoops in general over here

understood, and also wow at luka

great, exciting game yesterday v france. good d near the end from USA i thought but no offensive rhythm at all

as always, luka's game is so weirdly, casually, consistently excellent and slow.
he's looking a little chunky atm?

brian windhorst does not really get mad about stuff normally but his disgust with coach pop and the way he is handling team usa was not really concealed in windy's latest pod.

From today's Athletic

TOKYO — Months after LeBron James lost a Finals, he’d always say it was something he’d never get over. Good thing he never had to be Devin Booker, who barely had 10 minutes to try and put it behind him.

“I’m a forward thinker and able to move onto the next thing, and be able to take my ‘L’ and move on,” Booker said Wednesday, in his first comments since the night his Phoenix Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, eight days ago.

Booker’s situation is unprecedented, not because his team lost an NBA Finals or even because he had to follow it by playing for Team USA, but that he had to do so in the same week. And two players from the Bucks are not only also on the American team, but circumstances were such that the three had to share a private plane ride across the Pacific last weekend — a day after the Bucks’ championship parade.

“The memories are there, but it’s nothing personal between us,” Booker said. “We lost and that’s it, and I’m man enough to accept that and move on. There’s no hate towards Jrue or K Mid.”

A couple of naps later, and Booker is now a starter on the USA Basketball team that’s trying to win gold. He scored 16 points in a win over Iran Wednesday. During his remarks to media members after the game, the tone of his voice sounded like he was indeed still hurting and searching after a crushing Finals loss in which the Suns took the first two games of the series.

He talked about how “it’s not going to be easy to ever even get the opportunity to be there again,” and if his teams do reach another Finals, and winning it, “you look back at the one that you lost and say what could have been.”

Booker’s coach on Team USA, Gregg Popovich, and teammate Draymond Green (not to mention assistant coach Steve Kerr, but we digress) have been in Booker’s shoes, having lost a Finals. He said Popovich and Green discussed it with him “in short conversation.”

“Talkin’ about it with Draymond, and him stressing the fact that it’s not gonna be that easy to get back to the Finals,” Booker said. “I remember us as a team saying that in the locker room after we lost — you know we’ve got to understand, it’s going to be even harder to make it to the point we were at. … But I’m excited for the experience. It was great. I am glad I got to do it, obviously ended up on the wrong side of the stick, but that’s life.”

Booker said he watched Team USA’s exhibition games on off nights during the Finals. Asked about playing alongside Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and the rest of his American teammates, Booker said he was “just soaking it all in.”

“Usually you’re not on the same side as these guys,” he said. “Any short conversation or anything they say, I’m a sponge to it. I’m listening, and not just asking all questions, but observing from the side and taking bits and pieces. … Any bits and pieces I can take that I can learn from and I can take back to my team when we go back, I am trying to take advantage of that.”

K Mid is a solid nickname

Lol

Colangelo not holding back on Kevin Love 😳 pic.twitter.com/dmIepxpJaj

— Crow (@Crowitzki) July 30, 2021

I am glad I got to do it, obviously ended up on the wrong side of the stick, but that’s life.

As I've pointed out, the NBA season and playoffs is mostly about identifying which 29 teams lose. Getting to the Finals doesn't change that, but makes it hurt more.

good game between spain & USA, we can’t make a three & the spanish we’re going nuts but cooled off

This is nuts. Rubio is outshooting everyone

these goaltending rules are fun

NBA gotta bring that over

rubio was unguardable haha

the garuba kid the rockets drafted is gonna be a really good defender in the NBA, only 19 and he was matching bam athletically. not sure if he has much offensive skill at the moment but he looks like an ideal small ball 5 as far as defense goes

good win for USA, spain was playing really confidently and crisply in the first half. the US basically needs to play like the heatles and just force a bunch of turnovers w/ pressure on defense and get out in transition. the half court is still a bit junky tho frankly they had some sick team possessions in the second half but when they have guys like jrue, KD, bam, tatum, draymond etc out there they can really leverage their athleticism and get easy baskets.

they were simply just not shooting well in the first half. bam had fumble fingers last night.

semis vs the Aussies just started

Bam really cant hold the ball at all

i wonder if it’s something about the bell

australia is playing a great game so far

this is brutal down 12 and 0-9(?) from three

ugly first half

hard to win a basketball game not making threes but the USA also is getting killed at the rim

getting killed in every aspect of the game

hate pop benching lillard for this entire stretch

lillards been bad tho

he needs to play bam too they need his size on his court, aussies had a lay up line to the rim with dray at center

felt pretty similar to the spain game, just needed the three point shooting to normalize. australia is a better team tho

dray got into foul trouble and played soft and pop stuck with him cos of how bad bam was playing. this team is just so poorly put together

all these guys are just used to having the ball in their hands all game and getting into a rhythm. dudes like jrue, book, draymond, middleton keep the ball moving (generally) cos they play off ball some. dame, lavine, tatum are stuck in mud out there

and KD just washes it all away lol

KD is really remarkable

one of a kind

well that escalated quickly

this team is kinda janky and has had some rough starts but i’ve grown an affinity for them. when they play well they’re fun to watch, a lot of guys i like rooting for

Feels so good watching all good vibes olympics KD

this team is kinda janky and has had some rough starts but i’ve grown an affinity for them. when they play well they’re fun to watch, a lot of guys i like rooting for

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, August 4, 2021 10:34 PM (forty-eight seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

i agree, i like how imperfect it is. makes for more interesting games if anything

lmao draymond

it’s a great context for him you get the full KD experience in an unimpeachably positive format

my heart is so full of love for draymond and his many strengths and weaknesses

not a revelation but if the USA hits threes they aren’t going to lose

nets getting patty mills is kinda unfair

i see jrue still cant make layups

my heart is so full of love for draymond and his many strengths and weaknesses

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, August 4, 2021 10:37 PM (seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

otm

Relentless pursuit. pic.twitter.com/hFGPqt2RNU

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) August 5, 2021

watching france vs slovenia right now. i love how these games are reffed. they just let them play for the most part but 'non basketball' plays like hacking on fast breaks are two shots and the ball which is awesome.

USA starting this game 2 for 37