Just got beat by Nigeria in an exhibition game. Not exactly an auspicious debut.

29.5 pt favorite lost! Pftthhahaha!

Nigeria has 5-7 NBA players although none are the caliber of the players on the US team. I think the US team has had very little practice.Nigeria has had more. Saying all that, still an unexpected loss. Many teams now have NBA players but none have an entire team of NBA players. The US should still expect to win Gold but it is getting more difficult. Hopefully they get it together.

Ag9701 said:

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Nigeria has 5-7 NBA players although none are the caliber of the players on the US team. I think the US team has had very little practice.Nigeria has had more. Saying all that, still an unexpected loss. Many teams now have NBA players but none have an entire team of NBA players. The US should still expect to win Gold but it is getting more difficult. Hopefully they get it together.

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Down Booker, Holiday, and Middleton due to the finals right?

Most of these other international teams get the same commitments from year to year unlike the United States. With the talent gap shortening, cohesion matters a lot more than it used to. Not really surprising to see them drop this game. Nor will it be surprising if they don't take the gold.

USA about to lose to the Aussies.

What a F****** joke this is. Need to go back to the days when the NCAA selected a team of all stars to play in the Olympics. Popovich a HC? Where is Coach K when we need him?

When do we start letting college kids play again? Or maybe McDonald's All-American high schoolers?

We are starting to approach the years of when the best players dont care about the olympics. We need guys like kobe who care about representing their country. Used to be lebron but he is old so get he doesnt want to play. Plus some guys want rest. Even then no reason they cant put together a team that can win gold

Like I said, we need coach K and a team of college players.

A team made up of college players thrown together 2 weeks before the Olympics playing against professional players from other countries would get crushed, regardless of who is coaching them.

Watching the game tonight, there didn't seem to be much of a sense of urgency from the USA team. Green and Tatum played hard; the others, not so much. Fatigue from the season, fatigue from staying up late in Vegas, or just disinterest, I don't know. Hopefully there is a switch they can flip when the real games start.

No.

When we played strictly collegiate guys we mowed people down every year. At some point in time we started playing NBA guys and after awhile the NBA guys started losing interest in playing. The evidence is on the court today. Give me people who want to playnot the guys out there now.

monarch said:

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No.

When we played strictly collegiate guys we mowed people down every year. At some point in time we started playing NBA guys and after awhile the NBA guys started losing interest in playing. The evidence is on the court today. Give me people who want to playnot the guys out there now.

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All the leagues around the world have improved, and more of them are sending players to the NBA as well.

And all of those players take great pride is representing their country. Very rare for other countries super stars to sit out the olympics imo

Lol watching Sportscenter for the HR derby highlights. Caught the Olympic Team loss and Pop got heated with a reporter.

monarch said:

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When we played strictly collegiate guys we mowed people down every year. At some point in time we started playing NBA guys

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The "some point" we started playing NBA guys was when the college guys started losing. Other countries (USSR) have been sending pros for a very long time, and they eventually caught up to our college guys. In 1988 we won bronze. The next Olympics we sent the NBA. After a couple of Olympics, most NBA guys didn't care anymore. In 2004, we won the bronze as most of the top stars didn't play. That loss got the best players of their asses again.

Huh...guess I'm un-American because I'd actually like to see our team do well.

I think the team will pick up their intensity as the real games approach. These exhibition losses are a good thing. The rest of the world has caught up in terms of top tier basketball talent. This might be the best basketball Olympics tourney in history.

The team only practiced for 2.5 days before their Nigeria game. This is a completely different team from last year that has never played together. You really think coach K would change that fact?

This isn't 1992 where you are going to see thrashing after thrashing. It's just not like that anymore. Other international teams are good. Even our two previous Olympic teams, which were markedly better than this team, didn't just walk into a gold medal.

Temper your expectations.

South Platte said:

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Aggie95 said:

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I think this is hysterical.

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Same. I've never rooted for USA basketball in the Olympics. Idiots playing a child's game against severely undermanned 3rd world countries just to glorify the USA. Hoops doesn't belong in the Olympics.

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This is no longer the case. The Olympic basketball teams are France, USA, Germany, Australia, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Japan, Nigeria, Iran, and Argentina. I guess Iran and Nigeria fit as third world. Japan's team is terrible and only qualified as the host, I'm assuming.

Spain, France, and Australia have quite a bit of NBA talent. Argentina is always good, too. Slovenia has a 1st Team All-NBA guy in Doncic, so they won't be pushovers. Obviously the USA should win and it is absurd to have lost as many games as they have under Pop, but the competition has improved dramatically since the days of the original Dream Team.

Enzo The Baker said:

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Temper your expectations.

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The people that typically complain or are surprised by the two losses have no notion about the international competition. This is why Coach Pop flew off the handle at one of the reporters after the game against Australia. It is a disrespect to those countries whose players have worked hard to represent their country, yadda yadda yadda.

We cannot just show up anymore and expect to dominate on talent alone. We need chemistry and we don't even have a full squad yet. I'm not as concerned as some people are and I think it's a matter of time before this team gels together.

Plus, what do we win if we show everything we have during exhibition games? Might as well play some of the players that aren't even going to sniff the floor during the Olympics.

Note to add: I'm very excited to see what Lillard can do during the Olympics. I've become a huge Damian Lillard fan.

On top of that, do you think Pop totally just ignores any input from Kerr, Pierce and Wright?

I love Draymond's role on this team. He's going to be very important for us.

I like DG's role too. He actually plays defense.

Enzo The Baker said:

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On top of that, do you think Pop totally just ignores any input from Kerr, Pierce and Wright?

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When it comes to X's and O's, no. When it comes to dealing with the media, yes. However, I don't think they would advise Pop on what to say or not to say. They know their place and respect Pop.

I wonder if NBA players, whether playing for USA or their own country, have now become the softest in the world, and the reputation that used to be placed on skinny Euros now should actually apply to NBA perimeter players.

If the NBA ref can see Devin Booker 6th foul and not call it, they need to start FIBA - play on- with the jumping into defenders stuff NBA players do.

LOOK AT THE GLORIOUS FIBA SHOOTING FOUL RULES. NO FREE THROWS FOR YOU pic.twitter.com/Qkx0YEBvqA

— Fastbreak Breakfast (@fastbreakbreak) July 13, 2021