Kobe Bryant says U.S. team needs chemistry ahead of 2008 Olympics

[HndsmCelt]

This is unrealistic. The US standard is to BE the standard. The fact that they have lost in the past doesn't change that. The whole point to this year's WC was to field a collection of pros that better resembled a team so we could take the gold. They weren't goin into the tourney for bronze by any stretch. I'd wager that more than one of them felt that they wasted some of their offseason all the way in Japan for 3rd place and an embarrassing loss to Greece of all countries.

I'd say you missed the point. THIS US was put together to to compete in the 2008 Olympics. This team was JUST put togeter and had less than 3 months of pracice before going to play in the WC. The WC ONLY served 2 functions. First and most important the team needed to nap a top slot to quallafy for the Olympics-done. Second it acted as a test run for the newly minted US "Team" See how the team played together, see it's strenths and weakneses against the top natioanl teams-done. Any player who felt it was a waste of his offseason playing in the WC for the NECESSARY experience to win in 2008 is too thick skulled and selfish to be a usefull part of a TEAM. The Greek team was a perfect example of the word TEAM where a cohesive selfless group of players practice hard, execute well and become greater than the sum of their parts, the same can be said for Spain who went into the finlas with out Gasol and never missed a beat. For further instruction on how a TEAM can decimate a mere collection of BETTER players please see NBA Finals 2004.

 

[hoopsfan]

The WC ONLY served 2 functions. First and most important the team needed to nap a top slot to quallafy for the Olympics-done.

Not done. Only the top 2 teams automatically qualified for the Olympics. The US still has to qualify in another tournament next year, the 2007 Tournament of the Americas in Venezuela. (Well, at least we don't have to play Greece again.)

 

[HndsmCelt]

Oppps my bad I thought all 3 medal teams automatically quallified. But you are rigth TOA should not present a big problem.

 

[hoopsfan]

Oppps my bad I thought all 3 medal teams automatically quallified. But you are rigth TOA should not present a big problem.

One would hope.

 

[VF21]

TOA should not present a big problem.

There was a time, long, long ago, when those few words wouldn't have made me nervous.

 

[Gargamel]

I'd say you missed the point. THIS US was put together to to compete in the 2008 Olympics. This team was JUST put togeter and had less than 3 months of pracice before going to play in the WC. The WC ONLY served 2 functions. First and most important the team needed to nap a top slot to quallafy for the Olympics-done. Second it acted as a test run for the newly minted US "Team"

We're gonna end up disagreeing it appears. I doubt the US goes into any tournament SOLELY w/ the plan of preparing for the next one, esp. after all the crap they got after losing the 02 WC.

 

[Gargamel]

Not done. Only the top 2 teams automatically qualified for the Olympics. The US still has to qualify in another tournament next year, the 2007 Tournament of the Americas in Venezuela. (Well, at least we don't have to play Greece again.)

I hear Guatemala and Nicaragua are lining up for the next crack at LeBronze's crew.