Olympic Basketball Thread

[Wickzki]

Can the Opals still make next round?

Yes. We'll have to beat the Septics in the semi final to get into the gold medal game, however.

 

[Warsaw]

Epic moment, but seriously losing to 8th seed France.

Thought they were certs for the silver but now that's in big jeopardy.

 

[Wickzki]

Thought they were certs for the silver but now that's in big jeopardy.

Pre-Taylor injury I thought that they were certs for the gold this time.

Now we'll have to make this US women's team the modern version of the 1988 Seoul men's team.

 

[red+black]

To snatch an incredible victory!!!!!!

 

[DJMacca]

To snatch an incredible victory!!!!!!

Shame it wasn't for the win

 

[red+black]

You'd think a commentator watching the game would have realised that!

 

[ashley12]

Important result for us now is hoping that Russia beat France and that we beat Russia (assuming that the other results go to plan.

With 3 teams at 4-1 we have a 2/3rds chance of avoiding America until the finals, either by finishing 1st or 3rd in our pool.

 

[jod23]

I reckon the boys want to finish 4th in our group. They have a very small chance at a medal but a strong chance of saying in 40 years I played against LeBron, Durant, Kobe. Something to tell the grandkids about.

 

[Seth]

Seriously. Why is Kath Macleod sitting on the bench for the whole game? She is the point guard all star 5 for the last 2 years running in the WNBL. Harrower didn't do much nor did Sam Richards. Macleod is a much more dynamic player and at least needs to get onto the court.
Harrower is not the player she used to be and there needs to be some youthful enthusiasm brought into this team.

 

[Falchoon]

That missed layup was a disaster. Go Snell. Lack of Penny is showing though

Very good point, we don't seem to have anything in between running the shuffle for 15 seconds & a Cambage/Batkovich post up.

Where's the slashing?

God damn Kristi. Too be expected with her though. Cannot believe she made the team again.

she has been horrible.

 

[Whowants2know]

I think the opals are going the same way as the rest of the olympic team, are not coping with the pressure. At the moment anybody who said we going to win this or going to medal in this event, have failed.

 

[The King!]

the opals fall away a bit when Jackson is off the floor, I expected more from them in both games.

Even though the boomers lost I was impressed with the effort and guts.

Though both teams put up so many threes, and it seemed a bit early in the shot clock, maybe that was just me.

Patty Mills is great to watch but a bit Iverson as a point guard at times.

 

[djrossie16]

I reckon the boys want to finish 4th in our group. They have a very small chance at a medal but a strong chance of saying in 40 years I played against LeBron, Durant, Kobe. Something to tell the grandkids about.

Yeah if you can't play off for medals the exposure of playing the US is the next best thing

 

[underthestars]

No Taylor - no chance. Be lucky to get a medal. Fingers crossed.

 

[SdKfz 181]

I reckon the boys want to finish 4th in our group. They have a very small chance at a medal but a strong chance of saying in 40 years I played against LeBron, Durant, Kobe. Something to tell the grandkids about.

4th is a bit generous, we will be lucky to get that close..

 

[djrossie16]

4th is a bit generous, we will be lucky to get that close..

Spain
Brazil
Russia
Australia
China
Britain

Seems reasonable to me

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

I think the opals are going the same way as the rest of the olympic team, are not coping with the pressure. At the moment anybody who said we going to win this or going to medal in this event, have failed.

I pretty much agree. The media is basically strangling the athletes with pressure, seriously some of the claims made after they didn't win the men's 4X1 were ridiculous "darkest day in aus swimming" I heard on ch 7. Honestly, they can get farked, they tried, we can't win all of them. We do very well for a country of only 22 mil, its not a disaster if we don't do well at one Olympics. You almost get the feeling they've been talking about the Opals a bit in the same manner, especially with all the hype around Cambage. The way they talk about our tennis players is just as bad and then they bag the shit out of them all over the newspapers etc.

Anyway, I only ever watch Basketball come the Olympics so I know very little about it, but with no Jackson in the overtime it was always gonna be a tough ask.

 

[CHBench]

No Taylor - no chance. Be lucky to get a medal. Fingers crossed.

The loss of Penny is massively underestimated. If the media actually looked at the players and ignored past achievements they would've realized the Opals squad is very very ordinary. It's pretty much LJ, a teenager thats no where near her potential, a couple WNBA bench players and mostly old GOP locals.

Opals walking away with a medal would be a massive win.

Really wouldn't surprise me if they dropped Basketball soon given the stranglehold the US have on it, the women could cut off their arms and still romp in the gold.

 

[djrossie16]

I pretty much agree. The media is basically strangling the athletes with pressure, seriously some of the claims made after they didn't win the men's 4X1 were ridiculous "darkest day in aus swimming" I heard on ch 7. Honestly, they can get farked, they tried, we can't win all of them. We do very well for a country of only 22 mil, its not a disaster if we don't do well at one Olympics. You almost get the feeling they've been talking about the Opals a bit in the same manner, especially with all the hype around Cambage. The way they talk about our tennis players is just as bad and then they bag the shit out of them all over the newspapers etc.

Anyway, I only ever watch Basketball come the Olympics so I know very little about it, but with no Jackson in the overtime it was always gonna be a tough ask.

Good post. Penny Taylor is the difference she is a 3 time WNBA all star and not having her was a massive blow to our medal prospects. She is probably the only one who can consistently make things happen off the dribble. Cambage is quite immature imo. Hopefully a few years in America will improve her game.

 

[smoovy]

Good post. Penny Taylor is the difference she is a 3 time WNBA all star and not having her was a massive blow to our medal prospects. She is probably the only one who can consistently make things happen off the dribble. Cambage is quite immature imo. Hopefully a few years in America will improve her game.

No shit, she needs to go and drink a cup of HTFU.

 

[Matthew2708]

The loss of Penny is massively underestimated. If the media actually looked at the players and ignored past achievements they would've realized the Opals squad is very very ordinary. It's pretty much LJ, a teenager thats no where near her potential, a couple WNBA bench players and mostly old GOP locals.

Opals walking away with a medal would be a massive win.

Really wouldn't surprise me if they dropped Basketball soon given the stranglehold the US have on it, the women could cut off their arms and still romp in the gold.

Fun Fact about the Women's National Basketball Team in the Olympics since 1996.

1996 - Semi Finals: Australia 71 def by USA 93 (Australia won the Bronze Medal next match)
2000 - Gold Medal Game: Australia 54 def by USA 76
2004 - Gold Medal Game: Australia 63 def by USA 74
2008 - Gold Medal Game: Australia 65 def by USA 92

USA is the only team that can beat us in the Olympics until last night. USA Women's team will win easy. They won 90-38 over Angola yesterday.

 

[XFactor1979]

Boomers starting well against Spain

 

[XFactor1979]

How did a guy like Baynes slip through the AFL recruiting net?

He could have revolutionised the game as a centre

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

That has got to hurt thank god for the pading

 

[djrossie16]

Offensively we couldn't suck much worse. But this is the best defense any Boomer team has ever played. International basketball is a funny game. Maric the only big not in foul trouble. We need him to fire in this second quarter. Newley hasn't done much either. Joe Ingles has kept us in it particularly in that second half.