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Terrific game v USA.

Would have loved to have seen Butler, Green and Lowry specifically get more minutes for USA. Just seeing those guys with Delly, Baynes and Bogut on the Aussie team. That's probably 6 of the hardest 10 basketball players in the world right there.

I love the hard nosed style of basketball the Aussies play. Playing hard on D, getting in the USA's faces, not backing down, moving it on offense.

Even if I wasn't Australian this is a team I'd support.
 
Knightmare said:
Terrific game v USA.

Would have loved to have seen Butler, Green and Lowry specifically get more minutes for USA. Just seeing those guys with Delly, Baynes and Bogut on the Aussie team. That's probably 6 of the hardest 10 basketball players in the world right there.

I love the hard nosed style of basketball the Aussies play. Playing hard on D, getting in the USA's faces, not backing down, moving it on offense.

Even if I wasn't Australian this is a team I'd support.
Click to expand...
We are a big chance of getting the silver medal with the way we are playing
 

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nahnah said:
We are a big chance of getting the silver medal with the way we are playing
Click to expand...

It's possible.

And it's crazy to think about when you look at how ordinary the roster seems on the surface.

Only one NBA starter. Some bench players. Half the team not good enough to play in the NBA. That's not a team that should be remotely competitive in the Olympics let alone v Team USA.

It's seriously impressive that they're performing as well as they are.
 
Knightmare said:
It's possible.

And it's crazy to think about when you look at how ordinary the roster seems on the surface.

Only one NBA starter. Some bench players. Half the team not good enough to play in the NBA. That's not a team that should be remotely competitive in the Olympics let alone v Team USA.

It's seriously impressive that they're performing as well as they are.
Click to expand...
Same amount of NBA champions as team USA though ;)
 
nahnah said:
Same amount of NBA champions as team USA though ;)
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The Aussies are a popular choice to have on the end of benches.

Luc Longley from the late 90s with the Bulls.

Pretty incredible that Aussies have been part of the last three NBA championships.
 
Knightmare said:
The Aussies are a popular choice to have on the end of benches.

Luc Longley from the late 90s with the Bulls.

Pretty incredible that Aussies have been part of the last three NBA championships.
Click to expand...

The Boomers are Full of NBA Bench Warmers
 
Knightmare said:
It's possible.

And it's crazy to think about when you look at how ordinary the roster seems on the surface.

Only one NBA starter. Some bench players. Half the team not good enough to play in the NBA. That's not a team that should be remotely competitive in the Olympics let alone v Team USA.

It's seriously impressive that they're performing as well as they are.
Click to expand...
Team chemistry is a wonderful thing. Australia has plenty, and Team USA has next to none. Australia also has great leaders all round. The US have no leaders. Someone like Kobe, LeBron or even CP3 would be handy on the US just to provide some sort of leadership.

Im seriously excited to see this Australian team play. According to some reports, this match has been the best rating olympic event in Australia for this Olympics (including the opening ceremony). If Australia do manage to get a silver medal (Or if we dare to dream, gold) basketball's popularity will skyrocket in Australia.

I'm genuinely excited by this team's future, and where basketball is at in Australia!
 
TradeDraft said:
The Boomers are Full of NBA Bench Warmers
Click to expand...

Basically.

boxmatrix said:
Team chemistry is a wonderful thing. Australia has plenty, and Team USA has next to none. Australia also has great leaders all round. The US have no leaders. Someone like Kobe, LeBron or even CP3 would be handy on the US just to provide some sort of leadership.

Im seriously excited to see this Australian team play. According to some reports, this match has been the best rating olympic event in Australia for this Olympics (including the opening ceremony). If Australia do manage to get a silver medal (Or if we dare to dream, gold) basketball's popularity will skyrocket in Australia.

I'm genuinely excited by this team's future, and where basketball is at in Australia!
Click to expand...

You've hit the nail on the head about team chemistry.

Leadership is a big part of it. They lack the veteran presence - Mello is said to be their veteran guy playing in his 3rd Olympics but I don't view him as that real leader myself for this kind of stage/environment.

With USA from a match play perspective it starts with the lack of ball movement and off ball movement. These guys for the most part don't know how to move without the ball, and you've got a team in the most part filled with isolation players who get into isolation and go 1v1 and try to score. It's an unattractive an ineffective style of basketball to play.

On the defensive end I'm also seeing a lack of effort from team USA.

I also agree with you about Australian basketball. There is no star power at all, but it's a terrific team when you put all the pieces together with the unselfish way they play on offense and with the hardness and intensity with which they play defence. It's a team I'm well and truly behind.

Per capita Australia outside the US have the greatest viewership of NBA league pass subscribers and NBA fans. So basketball is already big here, but with a medal it continue to grow bigger.

With Ben Simmons and Thon Maker coming through over the coming years. Australian basketball has the scope to continue to improve.

Outside of USA, Canada are the other team that look good for the future. It's surprising to me they're not competing in this Olympics in the men's with Andrew Wiggins, Tristian Thompson, Kelly Olynyk, Anthony Bennett, Nik Stauskas, Robert Sacre, Dwight Powell, Andrew Nicholson, Jamal Murray, Cory Joseph, Tyler Ennis and Joel Anthony among those in the NBA from Canada.
 

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We weren't given much of a chance before the tournament so to play off in the Bronze Medal game is a great achievement. But the fact we played so well during the group stages it was disappointing to end like this. We just couldn't hit a shot against Serbia and their defence was awesome and really put us under pressure.

Heartbreaking to lose the way we did this morning though with that foul being called.

The positive is that in 4 years time we can hopefully add Exum, Simmons and Maker to the team to help Delly and Mills so we should be very strong again in 2020.
 
TradeDraft said:
I think Boomers played above Themselves until the Semi-Finals
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Don't agree. We just had a bad shooting night against Serbia. It happens in basketball I've seen it happen heaps in the NBA. Just look at how we played against Spain who are number 2 in the world and you can see we didn't play above ourselves.
 
MJC23 said:
We weren't given much of a chance before the tournament so to play off in the Bronze Medal game is a great achievement. But the fact we played so well during the group stages it was disappointing to end like this. We just couldn't hit a shot against Serbia and their defence was awesome and really put us under pressure.

Heartbreaking to lose the way we did this morning though with that foul being called.

The positive is that in 4 years time we can hopefully add Exum, Simmons and Maker to the team to help Delly and Mills so we should be very strong again in 2020.
Click to expand...

To me it shows they Peaked To Early and Teams Under-Estimated us and got big heads
 
Australia are just a good team. Lacking talent, but they have cohesiveness (play well together) so they have as a result overachieved.

With team sports results there is an element of randomness.

v Serbia they just didn't play well and from a gameplan and gamestyle perspective didn't play the right way with Serbia aggressive of defence and Australia weren't looking to get to the rim. The element of randomness also comes into it.

In AFL there was a study conducted that I recall reading several years ago where there is on average a randomness of around 20 points (sometimes greater, sometimes smaller, but that's about what it comes down to when all the results are logged). In basketball likewise there is that element of randomness and you'll have your good days where things click and days where you can't make a shot.

With all the media talk and Australia previously in the tournament beating Serbia they probably went into the game thinking that they could win. But they're not delusional, understanding the talent of both teams going into the game, thinking for certain they would win. So being big headed I wouldn't consider much of a factor if at all.

Team USA I would have considered and continue to consider big-headed. But in their case having won something like their last 76 international basketball games. There is a reason why they are like that and disrespect other nationals with sub-par effort.
 
I know the NBA season doesn't start for almost two months but I want to do my predictions so am going to:

East:
1. Cleveland
2. Toronto
3. Boston
4. Indiana
5. Atlanta
6. Detroit
7. New York
8. Charlotte

9. Chicago
10. Milwuakee
11. Washington
12. Miami
13. Orlando
14. Philly
15. Brooklyn

West:
1. Golden State
2. LA Clippers
3. San Antonio
4. Dallas
5. Houston
6. Memphis
7. Utah
8. Oklahoma

9. Portland
10. New Orleans
11. Minnesota
12. Denver
13. Sacramento
14. Phoenix
15. LA Lakers

Cavs def Warriors in Finals and go back to back (no bias)

MVP: Lebron (cant see them giving it to a warriors who will finish with best record)
ROY: Kris Dunn
6th Man: Brandon Knight
DPOY: Kawhai Leonard
MIP: Dennis Schroeder

*subject to change up until 25th oct
 
Last edited:
nahnah said:
I know the NBA season doesn't start for almost two months but I want to do my predictions so am going to:

East:
1. Cleveland
2. Toronto
3. Boston
4. Indiana
5. Atlanta
6. Milwaukee
7. New York
8. Detroit

9. Charlotte
10. Chicago
11. Washington
12. Miami
13. Orlando
14. Brooklyn
15. Philly

West:
1. Golden State
2. LA Clippers
3. San Antonio
4. Dallas
5. Houston
6. Memphis
7. Utah
8. Oklahoma

9. Portland
10. New Orleans
11. Minnesota
12. Denver
13. Sacramento
14. Phoenix
15. LA Lakers

Cavs def Warriors in Finals and go back to back (no bias)

MVP: Lebron (cant see them giving it to a warriors who will finish with best record)
ROY: Kris Dunn
6th Man: Brandon Knight
DPOY: Kawhai Leonard
MIP: Harrison Barnes

*subject to change up until 25th oct
Click to expand...

I've got (currently)

East:
1. Cleveland
2. Toronto
3. Indiana
4. Boston
5. New York
6. Chicago
7. Detroit
8. Atlanta

9. Milwaukee
10. Washington
11. Charlotte
12. Orlando
13. Miami
14. Brooklyn
15. Philly

West:
1. Golden State
2. San Antonio
3. LA Clippers
4. Dallas
5. Houston
6. Minnesota
7. Memphis
8. Portland

9. Utah
10. Oklahoma
11. New Orleans
12. Sacramento
13. Denver
14. Phoenix
15. LA Lakers

NBA Finals: Warriors defeat Cavs 4-1.
Finals MVP: Steoh Curry
MVP: Kawhi Leonard
ROY: Kris Dunn
6th Man: Andre Iguodala
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Zach LaVine
Coach of the year: Tom Thibodeau
 
Knightmare said:
I've got (currently)

East:
1. Cleveland
2. Toronto
3. Indiana
4. Boston
5. New York
6. Chicago
7. Detroit
8. Atlanta

9. Milwaukee
10. Washington
11. Charlotte
12. Orlando
13. Miami
14. Brooklyn
15. Philly

West:
1. Golden State
2. San Antonio
3. LA Clippers
4. Dallas
5. Houston
6. Minnesota
7. Memphis
8. Portland

9. Utah
10. Oklahoma
11. New Orleans
12. Sacramento
13. Denver
14. Phoenix
15. LA Lakers

NBA Finals: Warriors defeat Cavs 4-1.
Finals MVP: Steoh Curry
MVP: Kawhi Leonard
ROY: Kris Dunn
6th Man: Andre Iguodala
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Zach LaVine
Coach of the year: Tom Thibodeau
Click to expand...
Pretty similar this year, I was considering Iggy for 6th man
 
East:
1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Toronto
4. Indiana
5. Atlanta
6. Charlotte
7. Milwaukee
8. Washington

9. Detroit
10. Chicago
11. Miami
12. New York
13. Orlando
14. Philadelphia
15. Brooklyn

West:
1. Golden State
2. LA Clippers
3. San Antonio
4. Memphis
5. Utah
6. Portland
7. Minnesota
8. Houston

9. Oklahoma
10. Denver
11. Dallas
12. New Orleans
13. Phoenix
14. Sacramento
15. LA Lakers


NBA Champions: GSW
MVP: Russell Westbrook
ROY: Ben Simmons
6th Man: Brandon Jennings
DPOY: Rudy Gobert
MIP: Dennis Schroder
Coach of the year: Tom Thibodeau
 
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