pantherhawkrolling (August 21, 2008 at 5:05 am)

I never said Greece was lucky, I just said that they shot the ball better than normal that game. Shooting is part of the game, I understand that. I disagree about the US being lucky (you seem to forget that they nearly came back at the end), let's just stick to the results, which is one six-point Greek win (with no international golds) and many thrashings by the American side (with so many golds I can't even keep count).

pantherhawkrolling (August 21, 2008 at 5:03 am)

I don't disagree with that; the USA has not been shooting that great and in 2006 USA could not stop the pick and roll. That's the thing though, all the Greek fans thought this meant their players played so intelligently when in reality the Americans had just not practiced enough. The pick and roll, properly executed, is very tough to defend. However, once you get it down (provided you have the athletes), you have it down. That's why Greece would never be able to repeat this.

mpleportals (August 21, 2008 at 1:58 am)

Also the high field goal percentage was due to the consecutive pick and rolls. Same as the US team. They've got very high field percentage this year due to their numerous dunks not due to their good shooting

mpleportals (August 21, 2008 at 1:54 am)

The team did not loose control at any point in the match. I could claim that Argentina was lucky today since Delfino did hardly miss any shot. But I won't! We should have been better prepared against Argentina and not to stand behind the score on the last quarter. That happened to the US team in the whole match and to be honest they were lucky to loose by 6 points

pantherhawkrolling (August 21, 2008 at 1:40 am)

The Greeks were better prepared, but dominance? They couldn't miss, but that is not the same thing as dominance. It was still a game decided in the last minute, the Greeks' high field goal percentage notwithstanding.

mpleportals (August 21, 2008 at 1:29 am)

I think that Galis was able to become a protagonist in the NBA. He could beat himself (his teammates were always dummies) european superstar teams (The Yugoslavia of Divac, Kukoc, Radja, Paspalj etc, The USSR of Sabonis, Marculionis etc., The Phillips Milano of Bob Macadou and Dino Menegin, Yugoplastica etc). His career average was 33 points!

mpleportals (August 21, 2008 at 1:17 am)

Theoretically the teams have got to play infinitive number of games in order to find the exact probability of one team beating the other (that is not something deterministic). I agree however that the result of one game does not always show much. However what I say is that given how both teams played in the preceding matches and the dominance of the Greek team in this match somebody can draw that the Greek team was far more prepared for this competition.

pantherhawkrolling (August 21, 2008 at 12:47 am)

I am not saying that Europe does not have its stars or never produces good players. But you are reaching back to a time when American basketball was truly dominant, beyond what it is now, so it is difficult for me to believe that the players you mentioned are on par with the players that I mentioned. I have seen Radja and Kukoc play many times, and they are not even in the vicinity of being in the same class of players like Bird and Stockton. So while my point is a bit arrogant,it is correct.

pantherhawkrolling (August 21, 2008 at 12:42 am)

To continue, that is why any respectable professional league plays series, where it is not uncommon for the inferior team to win one or more games. One victory does not in any sense indicate that team is 'better', it only shows that they are good enough to win one game on a given night. You are right on the last part, though. America clearly has a more cohesive and motivated team, and Greece is probably not quite as good. But this just supports my main point: America wins when it prepares.

pantherhawkrolling (August 21, 2008 at 12:40 am)

Sorry to butt heads with you again, but that is completely and utterly ridiculous. You cannot, at any level or in any sport, say that a single game, much less a close one, determines the relative ability of two teams to the point where it is a 'fact' that one is better than the other. There might be an exception when the result is a blowout, but certainly not the 2006 game. All that game showed was that USA could not defend the pick and roll and Greece got really hot when USA was cold.