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Post by SamH on Sept 8, 2023 16:29:35 GMT
One of my biggest bug bears about the NBA is how the championship winning team every year seems to refer to itself, and others refer to them as 'world champions' instead of what they actually are - NBA champions.
So now here we are with the REAL world championship final and it's Germany v Serbia, as both USA and Canada go down in the semis. Bit of a surprise, but USA did also lose to Lithuania. Just yet more proof that the world is catching up with the US. There are some superstar players who didn't play for the US but not all the big name players for other countries played in this either.
Anyway, thoughts on the final? Germany a bit of a surprise package for me - they've never really been one of the teams you fancy doing well, it's usually Spain, France, Lithuania and Serbia, and previously Argentina but not at the moment.
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Post by spacejammer on Sept 8, 2023 16:56:42 GMT
One of my biggest bug bears about the NBA is how the championship winning team every year seems to refer to itself, and others refer to them as 'world champions' instead of what they actually are - NBA champions. So now here we are with the REAL world championship final and it's Germany v Serbia, as both USA and Canada go down in the semis. Bit of a surprise, but USA did also lose to Lithuania. Just yet more proof that the world is catching up with the US. There are some superstar players who didn't play for the US but not all the big name players for other countries played in this either. Anyway, thoughts on the final? Germany a bit of a surprise package for me - they've never really been one of the teams you fancy doing well, it's usually Spain, France, Lithuania and Serbia, and previously Argentina but not at the moment. I been following the results of the world cup whilst at work and I was gobsmacked by this one today. And also laughing at the tweets on Google mocking the US. 2nd consecutive world cup the US has now dropped. It's a pity that no UK sport TV channel could show even the Quarter Finals of the Fiba World Cup. Germany vs Serbia sounds like an interest match. Especially since Germany have never won a world cup and Serbia last won it over 20 years ago in 2002. If I was going on recent basketball reputation I would probably back the Serbs to win based on the fact they have had better success over the years. But it could be anyone's game I suppose. Canada vs USA looks interesting as well in the Bronze Medal match too. |
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Post by cosbyrider on Sept 8, 2023 17:47:23 GMT
Serbia looked superb v Canada
Just in control all the way
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Post by dexter on Sept 8, 2023 18:08:28 GMT
I know it's just a bit of banter but I wouldn't mock the US team personally. From what I have seen they are brilliant and entertaining. It's a big ask to be thrown together to play against teams that have been building for this for years.
I did not expect Germany to beat USA. I too was following the score at work. I listened to 5 Live driving home. They were talking about all sorts of sports including the opening game of the NFL and of course build up to the Rugby World Cup, rightly so.
They didn't think USA losing to Germany in the FIBA World Cup deserved a mention. I think it did.
The final, the bronze medal game , and even the fifth place match are really exciting match ups, with Canada and Latvia both wanting to take the opportunity to get one over on their more famous neighbour.
Of course Serbia will want to win their first FIBA World Cup gold since being Serbia (not Yugoslavia). And of course Germany will want to win their first ever FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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Post by voise on Sept 8, 2023 18:36:18 GMT
I was hesitant about investing in Courtside 1891 but am so glad I did now.
Although initially rooting for the Boomers I think Serbia Germany is the right final - they have consistently played the best team basketball throughout the tournament. They have also had the most impactful players in Schroder and Bogdanovic who has simply been unguardable in the latter stages.
Heart says Germany, head says Serbia - even without Jokic and others they have got meaningful contributions all down the bench. Milutinov has been a beast.
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Post by SamH on Sept 8, 2023 18:40:43 GMT
Yeah it's even more impressive that Serbia have done all this without Jokic.
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Post by mac on Sept 8, 2023 21:52:46 GMT
Sam, that's plus one from me on Americans claiming a "World Championship" when only USA and Toronto take part. Same with Baseball, World Series indeed. Hubris in all its glory.
For the final I'm going for Serbia and Canada for third. Is any UK broadcaster carrying the final?
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Post by baldeagle on Sept 8, 2023 22:18:09 GMT
Sam, that's plus one from me on Americans claiming a "World Championship" when only USA and Toronto take part. Same with Baseball, World Series indeed. Hubris in all its glory. For the final I'm going for Serbia and Canada for third. Is any UK broadcaster carrying the final? Mac, I’m afraid we all know the answer to your question, don’t we? |
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Post by spacejammer on Sept 8, 2023 23:29:52 GMT
Sam, that's plus one from me on Americans claiming a "World Championship" when only USA and Toronto take part. Same with Baseball, World Series indeed. Hubris in all its glory. For the final I'm going for Serbia and Canada for third. Is any UK broadcaster carrying the final? To be honest you can't blame the US for calling their leagues the world series. After the losing the Fifa World Cup, Fifa women's world cup and now the Fiba World Cup. I'm starting to think USA just seem to be unable to win world cups anymore. Although jokes aside I believe at the last world cup they did even worse and even crash out the group stage then went on to win at the Olympics the following year. After watching the Redeem team documentary I have a feeling next year for Paris 2024 they are probably going to have a shuffle and comeback stronger. That being said, although the US are still the dominating powerhouse. Alot of other countries particularly in Europe have started to adapt and become more and more competitive to match the US especially countries with alot of players in the NBA, used to play in NBA and Euroleague. It's just a pity one of those countries that is competitive with a lot of current and ex NBA players isn't Team GB right now. |
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Post by spacejammer on Sept 10, 2023 11:51:52 GMT
Canada just beat USA in the Bronze Medal match this morning in Overtime! 127-118.
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Post by SamH on Sept 10, 2023 17:36:31 GMT
Amazing end to the game for the US to force overtime, but glad Canada still won with my man SGA leading the way! Looking forward to him leading the Thunder to good things this coming season too. Be interesting to see if the US can rebound from this in time for the Olympics, they don't have a lot of time to do so...
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Post by cosbyrider on Sept 10, 2023 22:56:24 GMT
Didn’t expect the Germans to win it but they do have an incredibly solid NBA playing core. Schoder was superb all tournament
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Post by dexter on Sept 11, 2023 8:09:39 GMT
Didn’t expect the Germans to win it but they do have an incredibly solid NBA playing core. Schoder was superb all tournament 4 NBA players and 7 Euroleague players. Spain 2019 World Cup winners had almost exactly the same composition. |
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Post by SamH on Sept 11, 2023 11:41:41 GMT
I think I read that Germany finished 18th last time and didn't even qualify for the 2020/21 Olympics? So it's a remarkable turnaround by them, they went 8-0 across the tournament. Very impressive. I like Schroder, he's a former OKC player too.
I still think pound for pound, the US is easily the most talented, but they always seem to have issues with chemistry and gelling properly. Also height seems to have been an issue this time around, which isn't surprising as the NBA has been shifting away from being a big man league for years. It's starting to return again now, with Jokic, Giannis and Embiid but of course none of them are on the US team! There aren't really any decent 6'10 or taller, heavy set Americans who could be drafted in, although apparently Embiid might be eligible for some reason.
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Post by dexter on Sept 11, 2023 12:16:38 GMT
I think I read that Germany finished 18th last time and didn't even qualify for the 2020/21 Olympics? So it's a remarkable turnaround by them, they went 8-0 across the tournament. Very impressive. I like Schroder, he's a former OKC player too. I still think pound for pound, the US is easily the most talented, but they always seem to have issues with chemistry and gelling properly. Also height seems to have been an issue this time around, which isn't surprising as the NBA has been shifting away from being a big man league for years. It's starting to return again now, with Jokic, Giannis and Embiid but of course none of them are on the US team! There aren't really any decent 6'10 or taller, heavy set Americans who could be drafted in, although apparently Embiid might be eligible for some reason. It's interesting that Germany's tall players play in the NBA. Team USA actually has more tall players but maybe the German bigs are better. Thinking of a tall player that might be useful to Team USA, maybe Jonathan Motley who plays for Fenerbahce. He's not huge, only 6'9, but he plays as a big in Euroleague so is used to the physicality of FIBA rules. |
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Post by D44 on Sept 11, 2023 13:52:16 GMT
The impact of playing with each other at age group level etc as a national team/academies as opposed to high school, college, then drafted must give the European teams an advantage in terms of cohesion when the US doesn't have their superstars playing.
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Post by LTfan on Sept 11, 2023 15:09:07 GMT
Regarding the USA's performance - is it a sign of the rest of the world catching up, or a sign that the USA don't take these global competitions as seriously as other countries?
Personally I'd say a bit of both, but admittedly I haven't really been following this World Cup.
What do others think?
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Post by dexter on Sept 11, 2023 15:33:13 GMT
Regarding the USA's performance - is it a sign of the rest of the world catching up, or a sign that the USA don't take these global competitions as seriously as other countries? Personally I'd say a bit of both, but admittedly I haven't really been following this World Cup. What do others think? I think it's both. USA needs a Dream Team to win gold medals now. But I don't mind what they're doing. This group of players had a chance. They just weren't good enough. If they had've won all their games and won the tournament that would have been amazing and they would be legends. |
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Post by SamH on Sept 11, 2023 15:41:58 GMT
Yeah, I mean there are loads of elite players who didn't play on the team who could have. It seems the veterans aren't interested, its mainly younger guys. But imagine if they added the likes of LeBron, Durant, Zion, Steph, etc. you would then expect a USA gold quite easily.
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Post by dexter on Sept 11, 2023 16:08:20 GMT
Yeah, I mean there are loads of elite players who didn't play on the team who could have. It seems the veterans aren't interested, its mainly younger guys. But imagine if they added the likes of LeBron, Durant, Zion, Steph, etc. you would then expect a USA gold quite easily. Add just one of those players and USA would have won imo. I watched the last Olympic Games tournament. Kevin Durant was dominant. He was just on another level to the rest of his team and every other player in the tournament. |
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