2008 Olympics Basketball Tournament

We beat Germans heheheh after 12 years we ARE ON THE PLYMPICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (croatia)

GO USA!

Anyone catch the exhibition between the USA and Canada on ESPN? Team USA simply dominated in the second half.

C'mon Andrew, it was against Canada. Ca-na-da, what did you expect?

Well, it was kind of competitive for at least the first quarter. They just started running away with it in the second quarter and then it just got ridiculous in the second half.

I can see the Olympics going like this;

Group Stage

Group A

1. Argentina
2. Lithuania
3. Russia
4. Australia
5. Croatia
6. Iran

I'm set on the top 3 of this group, perhaps not in that order. Australia and Croatia will fight for 4th place and I think the Aussies will come out on top.

Group B

1. USA
2. Spain
3. Greece
4. China
5. Germany
6. Angola

I think Team USA will come out of group play undefeated. Spain will be second. Wishful thinking on my behalf, beckons for Team China to make the cut but Greece and Germany will most probably round out the top 4. However, with 'home country' advantage/host nation status, I wouldn't be surprised if China plays out of their skins. Depends on how the Chinese guards handle the pressure.

If it comes down to choosing Greece or Germany to be knocked out of the top 4 by China; I'm going out on a limb and going with the Germans. It's a hard choice though and I won't be surprised if China doesn't make the top 4. I won't be surprised if they do. Anything can happen!

Quarter Finals

A1 Argentina v B4 China - Remember Yao Ming leading China to a single digit win against the Serbians a few years back? A bit much to ask of him to lead his team against defending Olympic champions and do the same but miracles do happen. Whoever the Chinese play, they will face a tough challenge to win. I'd really like to say China wins but I need to go with Argentina in this one.

A3 Russia v B2 Spain - One of the best defensive national teams against one of the best offensive ones. This would be a good match if it happened. A re-match of the finals of EuroBasket 2007 where Russia held Spain to just 59 points in a 1 point win. I think Spain will want to get their revenge on the Russians here. Hoepfully JR Holden doesn't sink a shot to win it again!

A2 Lithuania v B3 Greece - Another prospective good game between two European teams! I see this as another close game; which should come down to the wire and in the end, I'd have to go with the Lithunaians to come out on top. This one can also go either way!

A4 Australia v B1 USA - In Athens, Aussies were leading after the third quarter until Bron/Wade stepped up to lead USA to the win. If Australia meets the USA in the round robin, I don't think the United States will give them much of a chance to win. I think the Aussies have the potential to go far, as do most of the other teams so it will be disappointing if they draw the Americans in the first round of the knockout stage.

Semi Finals

Argentina v Spain - A game that could go either way. Olympic Champions against World Champions. The last time they met at the World Championships; Spain beat Argentina by just 1 point. I don't think that it would be any different this time around. It's very very close to call and I do believe that if this is the Semi Final that eventuates; whoever wins will give Team USA it's toughest game of the tournament. I can't choose one over the other so I will make a 'weak' excuse and predict Spain will win because Manu will not be at 100% for the Olympics.

Lithuania v USA - I'm going with Team USA on this one. However, this matchup will bring back memories of Athens when Team USA suffered their first Olympic Games loss since they started using NBA players on their squads. I can still remember Saras in that group game. Don't forget the Americans won the Bronze medal match and don't forget that some members of that bronze medal team are on the current one - and are anxious to make amends for 04!

Finals

Bronze Medal Game: Argentina v Lithuania - Whoever loses out of Argentina and Spain will win the Bronze medal game because whoever loses to Team USA (in this scenario: Lithunaia) will still be lamenting and licking their wounds after an embarassing 40 point loss in their semi-final. (Ok, a bit far fetched but you get the idea.)

Gold Medal Game: USA v Spain - Team USA will win this final and reclaim their spot at the top of World Basketball. This team is clearly the most athletic team at the Games and it would be stupid not to label them as favourites. As long as Team USA plays to their strengths (ie. using their quickness, speed, athleticism) and minimise their weakness (ie. no real big men)... they are going to win. This gold medal is Team USA's to lose!

Final Note

I'm really excited for the Olympics to begin. Not just for basketball but for all the other sports. It only happens once in four years and for that reason; it is why people tune in to watch sports they don't usually watch. I bet lots of Aussies will be tuning in to watch Michael Diamond shoot for a third straight gold medal while those who aren't interested in swimming will still crowd in front of the small screen to watch it!

The Basketball competition in Beijing will be very very closely contested. The results could go any way. I seriously wouldn't be surprised if Australia somehow came out of group play as the third best team and made it all the way to the Bronze medal match. I wouldn't be surprised if Spain or Argentina were knocked out by a Russia or a Greece in the first round. This is the beauty of the globalisation of the game.

As I said before, it would be ignorant of you to say Team USA aren't favourites. However, it would be ignorant to say that Team USA are definitely going to roll over all of their oppnents and win back gold. I can't wait for August 8!

I'll be catching whatever basketball coverage there is and probably bits and pieces of other events but apart from that I'll be taking advantage of the Foxtel marathons.

I tihnk Argentina's got the best chance to knock off the Americans, though I think the US is stacked enough to win the whole thing. I'd say US over Argentina in the final.

and Jing is Chinese-American. so he supports both i guess.

I think USA will lose one game in the whole tournament....the real question is when....I think it will be in group stages & they will finish either 1st equal or 2nd in their group....if they lose in group stage, they'll win gold....otherwise, they won't....

I too think Australia will advance to the quarter finals....they either finish 5th in their group or 2nd or 3rd, it's either a struggle in group stages or they pick up some surprise wins....

as for rest of Olympics, am a bit apathetic on Aussie Olympic team at the mo....maybe that will change when Olympics start....usually I'm a bit more pumped for Olympics, but then again, I didn't watch one second of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, so who knows....I'll probably end up watching a bit more than usual just due to fact that I don't have Foxtel anymore....I just hope they don't show non-stop swimming & show basketball at a reasonable hour....

Will, isn't Michael Diamond an alleged criminal?!? I can't remember facts & for conversation sakes, I won't Google it....

I don't know, with all the preparation and the team they're fielding I'm still picking the US to win the tournament.

I don't know, with all the preparation and the team they're fielding I'm still picking the US to win the tournament.

I agree, that's why I said that I expect US to lose a game in group stage but win gold.

USA all the way!

I too think Australia will advance to the quarter finals....they either finish 5th in their group or 2nd or 3rd, it's either a struggle in group stages or they pick up some surprise wins....

I've always thought of Goorijan to run guard-orientated offenses and is more of a guards-favoring coach. The national team has great big men but lacks depth at the 1 and 2 spots. I don't know how Patty Mills will handle playing against seasoned European pros and NBA PGs... on the flipside, I am not a fan of CJ Bruton (I'm not a fan of his even though he played for the Brisbane Bullets). Let's just say I don't think his 'skills' justify him being one of the leading scorers for Australia.

Aussie's ability to play well depends on the guards. We are very thin at SG too. The big men can only do so much; considering the guards need to get them the ball. China faces the same problem as Australia.

Yep, if Patty Mills, CJ Bruton, Brad Newley and Co step up and get the ball to the likes of Nielsen, Anderson, Bogut and Anstey (who is still a dickhead) - Aussies have good chance of causing some upset wins.

as for rest of Olympics, am a bit apathetic on Aussie Olympic team at the mo....maybe that will change when Olympics start....usually I'm a bit more pumped for Olympics, but then again, I didn't watch one second of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, so who knows....I'll probably end up watching a bit more than usual just due to fact that I don't have Foxtel anymore....I just hope they don't show non-stop swimming & show basketball at a reasonable hour....

I'm very pumped for it! And since China is close to our timezone, many of the events will be shown live on TV b y 7 and SBS. I checked a guuide and each day, we will get at least 2 or 3 basketball games broadcast. Don't forget group matches are played throughout the day. The US team plays in the last session every day and other quality teams play during the day. I saw that 7 or SBS will show games at like 11am and the like during the day when they are being played live. I hope it happens.

Swimming/Athletics will take out chunks of the 8-12 time slot I believe. Team USA will be shown every morning from 12 am I think and the Boomer's games will be broadcast live when they can. I remember seeing Argentina v Australia at 4 pm. I will be watching that.

I mean, so many big things happening at these games. The Aussie swim team will be huge. And Phelps going for 8 gold is gonna be interesting! What about the most popular Asian male athlete not named Yao? The Hurdler guy! I can't even remember his name but he's gonna defend his 110 m hurdles crown and since the Athens Olympics, I think someone new has broken the world record for the race!

I will be catching the football just to see Messi and Ronaldinhio play for their respective countries and see if there's any difference between those over-23 yo players compared to the rest of the teams. I want to see some of the tennis and hope it's a preview of the US Open (Wonder if Fed will add to his trophy cabinet with Olympic gold).

And only once every four years, do people tune into random sports and still get captivated. That's the beauty of the Games. I will be watching badminton, table tennis, hockey, diving, and other random sports and probably be glued to the screen cheering on whoever is in the final and learning about the sport at the same time.

I don't know, with all the preparation and the team they're fielding I'm still picking the US to win the tournament.

I'm glad that Team USA is preparing for the Olympics in the fashion that they have. It shows that they intend to take this seriously! In the past when they thought gold was theirs before they even played a match in a tournament; that was their downfall. I like how the USA will respect all of their opponents now and have a true understanding of the privilege they have in participating in international competition.

As I said, if you don't pick the USA as favorites, you would be ignorant. You can't look past the talent of this team (I'm loving Jason Kidd as starting PG). However, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't bring home gold. It makes for an exciting Olympic tournament. Either Team USA beats all the teams by 20+ point margins or they scrape through the end of the tournament winning/losing by single digits. Anything could happen!

I'm looking forward to seeing Spain play. Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez are the future of Spain. Not to mention I've been a big fan of the Juan Carlos Navarro and Jose Calderon backcourt. Eric, I think Spain poses a big threat to Team USA but you are right that Argentina are gonna be huge as well.

Will, isn't Michael Diamond an alleged criminal?!? I can't remember facts & for conversation sakes, I won't Google it....

I think he was in the paper for something a few years ago. Maybe a lil before Athens? I can't remember the details either but he will be in Beijing going for a third straight Olympic gold medal. No one gives a shit about shooting but since it's the Olympics, I bet more people than usual will be watching Diamond shoot for gold. If he wins, he will get 15 seconds of fame before he fades back into obscurity. That's in contrast to Grant Hackett. If he wins 1500m again, he will write his name in the stars as one of the greatest Aussie athletes of all time!

I don't know, with all the preparation and the team they're fielding I'm still picking the US to win the tournament.

I agree, that's why I said that I expect US to lose a game in group stage but win gold.

I reckon they could go undefeated in the group stage and still win though. It may not be giving enough credit to the teams other countries are fielding but I reckon this US squad is better equipped to replicate the success of earlier squads of NBA players, though perhaps not in quite as dominating a fashion.

how will they defend the pick and roll, that's what I'm curious to see....

they have soccer/fútbol in the olympics? would it be like a mini-warmup for the 2010 World Cup?

they have soccer/fútbol in the olympics? would it be like a mini-warmup for the 2010 World Cup?

Yes, they do. But only 2 players on the team can be older than 23 years old.

After watching the Boomers kicking China's behind, I came away very impressed with their defense. China's ball handlers can't handle pressure, and I pity them if they ever cross a team like the USA. I loved the Aussies mean streak and all their sweet shooting bigs (even with than Bogut's air-ball). I didnt think Chris Anstey had such a shot. Nevertheless, it's funny how a player like Andersen can outshine Bogut in such a setup.
Australia seems to me to be built in a very similar way to China: good bigs, questionable guards, but I felt like their belligerence offset China's superior shooting skills.

I feel like China will fall flat in this olympics, like, in the first round.

As for the USA, they will face the usual suspects on their way to the Gold, but some of the most fearsome, like Argentina, are limping.
I suppose they will try to pressure teams to oblivion with the team they brought, because they surely lack some size and ability to bang in the post. Not sure how it will affect them...

David Andersen is an NBA player playing for the best teams in Europe (CSKA & now FC Barcelona)....the Hawks were idiots not to go after him....idiots....then again, they passed on guys like Chris Paul & Brandon Roy, then let Josh Childress walk away with no compensation....yes, idiots....I hope they rot at bottom of the East....

as for Chris Anstey, yes, he's always had a good jumpshot, since his days in NBA....as for Bogut, the way the team plays, they don't go through him, so he's more or less same role as with Bucks....Boomers tend to play a more guard-oriented offence despite the fact their strength lies in their frontcourt....

I thought Andersen wasn't interested in going to the NBA?

I thought Andersen wasn't interested in going to the NBA?

I'm sure if Hawks offered him good money, showed a willingness to try & persuade him to sign & promise a big role on team, he might've been tempted....then again, I guess he has Euro blood (Danish), so maybe you're right....

I think they'd be restricted as to what they can offer him for the first year as a rookie they've drafted so they wouldn't be able to match the money he's getting in Europe, at least not right away. The opportunity to have a prominent role might be enough for the short term, I thought they made a play for him but he indicated he'd rather stay in Europe. I could be wrong though.

Andersen was a 2nd Round pick, so he wouldn't be under rookie salary scale....so I'm assuming they could sign him for whatever they wanted, within the realms of salary cap that is....at worst, they surely could've got him for MLE....given that solid bigs command that with no trouble, I'd say he'd be a worth a punt at MLE on a short contract....

but yep, you might be right, he might be over the NBA dream & be happy to see out his career in Europe making Final Four every year

Ah, of course. In that case the MLE sounds like a good bet but it probably wasn't offered. I'd like to see him have a shot at the NBA one day but he's getting the PT and money in Europe so it's probably a tough sell at the moment.

Andrew and Andrew, the Hawks did go after Andersen and they are still in discussions now. It's just that Andersen went on to sign a new European deal. He still says playing in the NBA is a dream of his and that if it's not this season (which clearly it isn't), it should be next. He's got a 'going to the NBA' clause in his contract so I would imagine the Hawks will try to sign him after this season.

About China losing to Australia, don't forget that the starting PG Liu Wei, I think he's the starting PG, got 'injured' by running into a screen in the game and went to hospital... so I think we lost our most 'dependable' guard for the game. I didn't see the game but it was a 6 point margin late in the game. Wasn't really a big loss (judging from scoreline) but again, I didn't get to see it so I can't comment on that. It came down to Australia shutting the Chinese guards down. Yi and Wang have to play a big role to help Yao and China but that won't happen unless the guards play well.

That said, Del Harris has said that the Chinese have improved over the last few years and that they could cause some surprises come the Olympics. I'm hoping he is right.

And about Bogut, Coach Goorijan said that he is still trying to integrate him into the team. Hopefully thats true and the big man is the 'man' for the Aussies in a week's time!