2014 FIBA World Cup

[LazarusLong]

what about a FIBA scouting report on dante exum?

According to Atlanta Hawks team of scouts, he has some “Australian” in him but not in a bad way. They compared him to a koala bear; he looks all nice and cuddly, and nurses in his young in a pouch but he would mess you up hardcore if you got near him.

Post of the day!

[Superbone]

what about a FIBA scouting report on dante exum?

According to Atlanta Hawks team of scouts, he has some “Australian” in him but not in a bad way. They compared him to a koala bear; he looks all nice and cuddly, and nurses in his young in a pouch but he would mess you up hardcore if you got near him.

Post of the day!

Ha ha. Yep!

[SDC]

it's either going to be a USA blowout or a close win by serbia.

if the game is close with 3 minutes to go in the 4th, USA will choke this one.

[Cap]

if the game is close with 3 minutes to go in the 4th, USA will choke this one.

They need Diana Taurasi.

[INFORMER]

This kid Bogdanovic, you know, I wasn't in love with him around draft time, and he's really grown on me in this tournament. I think the Suns may have gotten a, I don't want to say a "steal." But you talk to people close to the Serbian team, they think Bogdanovic has the chance to be the next Teodosic, in the sense that he's going to be a high level international player. He already is a very good player. And the interesting thing about him is he had to play point guard all season for Partizan.

So does that mean your opinion is changing as well? Last we heard from you, we didn't get the "good" Bogdanovic which implies we got the "bad" one.

That implication is your own. My point was/is that, of the two, Bojan is the impact player; Bogdan is a marginal prospect and, at the NBA level, is a role player at best. My contention is, and has been, that there were better prospects available, which is becoming the theme of Ryan's draft selections.

No, I don't think so. It's simple logic. If you had said Bojan was the "better" one, then you would be correct but you didn't. If Bojan is the "good" one, that implies that Bogdan is not a "good" one. Here endeth thy lesson.

There are plenty of players that, while I wouldn't say they were good, I wouldn't say they're bad either.

[Superbone]

it's either going to be a USA blowout or a close win by serbia.

if the game is close with 3 minutes to go in the 4th, USA will choke this one.

Disagree. It's not either or. It will be a USA blowout. MAYBE within 6 at halftime.

[sunset rubdown]

This kid Bogdanovic, you know, I wasn't in love with him around draft time, and he's really grown on me in this tournament. I think the Suns may have gotten a, I don't want to say a "steal." But you talk to people close to the Serbian team, they think Bogdanovic has the chance to be the next Teodosic, in the sense that he's going to be a high level international player. He already is a very good player. And the interesting thing about him is he had to play point guard all season for Partizan.

So does that mean your opinion is changing as well? Last we heard from you, we didn't get the "good" Bogdanovic which implies we got the "bad" one.

That implication is your own. My point was/is that, of the two, Bojan is the impact player; Bogdan is a marginal prospect and, at the NBA level, is a role player at best. My contention is, and has been, that there were better prospects available, which is becoming the theme of Ryan's draft selections.

INF, you are a little bit off the mark here. I have watched both of them a lot and Bogdan is actually one with higher potential. Better all around game, much better defence, better leadership and intangibles... I cannot see Bojan starting in the NBA (but he can be valuable as a 3pt specialist from the bench) unlike Bogdan who can be a solid starter for a winning team, in my opinion.

[Superbone]

it's either going to be a USA blowout or a close win by serbia.

if the game is close with 3 minutes to go in the 4th, USA will choke this one.

Disagree. It's not either or. It will be a USA blowout. MAYBE within 6 at halftime.

It was close for all of five minutes. What a dismantling!

[Mori Chu]

Wow, how anti climactic. This just shows that the best of our players don't really even need to go to this tournament for us to win. Kevin Durant was right to bow out.

[SDC]

bogdan's turrible! 5/17. i think impf is right, bogs is just draft and stash. there were better players out there.

[carey]

You guys have to read Woj's newest article. He rips USA basketball and coach K pretty spectacularly.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-needs- ... 17393.html

[Shabazz]

Woj loves going after sacred cows.

[Mori Chu]

I like Woj in general, but just like in some of his other articles, Woj sounds a little too bitter and caustic here for my taste. Yes, coaching USA Basketball gives prestige to the coaches like Coach K. So? Why shouldn't it? Why should he coach the team if he gets nothing back in return? I don't think Coach K does anything unfair toward Duke players or something like that. How is it bad that Coach K and Duke gain repute by being associated with this tournament?

And yes, it'd be good to make it be under-23 or somesuch, so that we just send our young players. So okay, do that. But that is not a scandal or anything that merits trashing USA basketball.

Also, he claims that interest is low all over the world. Well, interest is low in the USA, but every other source I've read claims that Europe is paying a lot of attention to this tournament and that the crowds and ratings in Europe are great. So I don't think it's fair to say that nobody cares about this tournament.

[Dan H]

"And yes, it'd be good to make it be under-23 or somesuch, so that we just send our young players. So okay, do that. But that is not a scandal or anything that merits trashing USA basketball."

That's just stupid of Woj, IMO. Other countries have been sending their pros for years, that's why we quit sending college players and started the Dream Team in '92.

[ShelC]

Woj is digging. Acting like Coach K and Boeheim are using the USA Basketball platform to enhance their coaching profiles and recruiting is ridiculous. As if those guys need any help in those areas.

[In2ition]

Woj just comes off as a hater that needs to find whatever he can and twist it in his own point of view. If Coach K is violating any recruiting rules, call him out, otherwise stfu. Funny how problems have always followed how Coach Cal, but he is sympathetic to him. This whole thing was about putting USA basketball back on the right track, and off the "me first/AAU/And1/youtube" train. Nearly unanimously, development of players throughout the country and USA basketball was cringe worthy. They are making strides to fix that throughout the country. Teamwork on both sides of the court, skill were all taking a hit, and now they are starting to be fixed at the lower levels that eventually funnel to the USA Basketball team. I still think it's years to a decade away from getting it all together, but it's turned the corner on getting it back on the right track.

[Superbone]

Yeah, that was out of line and makes a lot of accusations. If you read the comments, the readers are about 100 to 1 against his opinion.

[INFORMER]

This kid Bogdanovic, you know, I wasn't in love with him around draft time, and he's really grown on me in this tournament. I think the Suns may have gotten a, I don't want to say a "steal." But you talk to people close to the Serbian team, they think Bogdanovic has the chance to be the next Teodosic, in the sense that he's going to be a high level international player. He already is a very good player. And the interesting thing about him is he had to play point guard all season for Partizan.

So does that mean your opinion is changing as well? Last we heard from you, we didn't get the "good" Bogdanovic which implies we got the "bad" one.

That implication is your own. My point was/is that, of the two, Bojan is the impact player; Bogdan is a marginal prospect and, at the NBA level, is a role player at best. My contention is, and has been, that there were better prospects available, which is becoming the theme of Ryan's draft selections.

INF, you are a little bit off the mark here. I have watched both of them a lot and Bogdan is actually one with higher potential. Better all around game, much better defence, better leadership and intangibles... I cannot see Bojan starting in the NBA (but he can be valuable as a 3pt specialist from the bench) unlike Bogdan who can be a solid starter for a winning team, in my opinion.

I guess we'll see.

[INFORMER]

As the hours passed that August night, Krzyzewski changed the conversation about his involvement in the NBA losing a $100 million star in a worthless scrimmage. At the foot of George's hospital bed, someone had been waiting to snap the photo of the U.S. national coach reaching down and embracing his stricken player.

[Superbone]

As the hours passed that August night, Krzyzewski changed the conversation about his involvement in the NBA losing a $100 million star in a worthless scrimmage. At the foot of George's hospital bed, someone had been waiting to snap the photo of the U.S. national coach reaching down and embracing his stricken player.

I read somewhere that that "someone" was a Paul George family member.