USA vs Germany
Added 2023-09-09 20:02:11 +0000 UTC
Comments
Only because our team was basically the C team...
Nathan Glanzer
2023-09-15 12:53:51 +0000 UTCThis World Cup was great for basketball. Who needs a sport where the same country wins every title? I hate the phrase but must admit we now have 'competitive balance' in the sport. You don't realize how many great international players there are until you watch these games.
Jerry Heverly
2023-09-14 23:28:20 +0000 UTCbrunson got heat in this one damn
Joseph Krampe
2023-09-11 11:43:45 +0000 UTCYet another time when a traditional big has looked bad in a kerr coached team..
Offtopic K
2023-09-11 00:19:39 +0000 UTCJust embarrassing
Offtopic K
2023-09-11 00:09:06 +0000 UTCGood point.
Hg80
2023-09-10 23:36:23 +0000 UTCFor one... we didnt have stretch bigs that could pull AD out the paint. Hard to exploit Reaves when AD is lurking on the backend. AD cleans up so much shit for that team
Ballin Forever
2023-09-10 21:30:27 +0000 UTCKuminga and Wiggs would eat Austin’s lunch all day
Hg80
2023-09-10 17:36:50 +0000 UTCwe aint got the size that the teams who exploit him do
El_Remolino
2023-09-10 14:41:04 +0000 UTCTotally.
Natto Santo
2023-09-10 09:23:22 +0000 UTCGet Andi to Dub nation
Natto Santo
2023-09-10 09:20:10 +0000 UTCKerr was on auto-pilot last season. Would have been nice had we seen some assistant coaching changes instead of the non-inventive yes man surrounding him right now. The team needs some fresh minds and mouths around the team.
Julian
2023-09-10 06:33:22 +0000 UTCExcellent breakdown. I’m disappointed and I better see some roster changes for Tokyo. I hope this coaching experience really helps the Warriors attack guys like Reaves and JJJ a lot more.
Jansen E
2023-09-10 04:58:55 +0000 UTCHe’d be half the man he is today if the Warriors drafted him. Doesn’t fit the Kerr system at all. He would be put in limbo as a 3 because he doesn’t shoot 40% from 3. He’d have to play off ball when Curry is on the court and he’d be pulled every time he had the audacity to shoot and miss a 3 or midrange. He’s amazing but not a fit for Kerr
Hg80
2023-09-10 04:00:01 +0000 UTCHow does every team exploit Reaves on defense except the Warriors last season?
Hg80
2023-09-10 03:54:20 +0000 UTCInglourious Basterds comment LMFAO. Love these breakdowns. I wonder if Kerr regrets spending his free time this summer working with these dudes. I wonder if he will have a better appreciation for our dudes because of it. Perhaps a Q for the pod.
e40
2023-09-10 02:48:14 +0000 UTCWatching Ant develop I just wish we could go back to the 2020 draft and trade up one spot to get him. I know it's a big jump from 2nd pick to 1st, especially in 2020, but give Minn. whatever it would take and move up one spot. Wiseman is such a Minnesota kind of player..
Russ
2023-09-10 02:24:25 +0000 UTCIt is getting closer in the NBA to say maybe Denver shouldn't be called World Champions as maybe another Pro team in another league could challenge them but I'd put my money on Denver. As far as U.S. Baseball or Football, yeah I'm still good with World Champions. But if we ever give a shit about Soccer then we promise not to call our soccer league champion "World Champion". I'm just trying to say we care.
Russ
2023-09-10 02:20:56 +0000 UTCThe US basketball system tries to make every player "the guy" which the odds on them actually being that if that make it to that are slim. The European system teaches team play and being the best version of you as a role player.
Captain Rossco
2023-09-10 01:55:28 +0000 UTCDoes putting Draymond on this roster help? Seems like there is a defensive breakdown/miscommunication/non-communication every three possessions in this game. Not surprised they would lose this considering the lack of elite playmaking nor chemistry or experience. Great breakdown tho Alc!
Anthony Tsai
2023-09-10 01:32:21 +0000 UTCIt's an interesting concept~that a Nikola Jokić-run squad, surrounded by superior talent would somehow be diminished by FiBa rules against Real Madrid.
Stevie Ray
2023-09-10 00:33:47 +0000 UTCKlay will on all his own:)
Stevie Ray
2023-09-10 00:18:03 +0000 UTCThe longevity of the last great era may be overshadowing the talent of the current stars in their early to mid-20s. The twilight of a Hall of Famers prime is often where he wins chips yet they usually exited this sweet spot around 32-34. Now with the combination of modern sports medicine and load management, it seems to be extending not only careers but primes. Just a theory that popped into my head reading your comment (not sure if it holds water). Be interesting to see how long the Giannis/Embiid/Jokic class dominates once Curry/KD/Bron/Kawhi fades away.
Stevie Ray
2023-09-10 00:09:52 +0000 UTCSaying, it's the only league that matter is just disrespectful in so many ways, damn... Of course the money attracts the best players usually. But it's also about roster construction and playing style, this year's Real Madrid would have a good shot under FiBa rules against the majority of NBA teams. But Euroleague rosters aren't constructed for NBA play. There are so many players in the world that are much more skilled than many NBA players, they just don't fit the style. Not everyone is made for the athletic, iso centristic play of the NBA, nor have they too. There are a lot of very attractive, interesting leagues all over the world where they fit in. It's just not comparable, therfore, yes the NBA is the best league but it's a domestic league, Call it whatever you want, but there ain't no world champion at the end of a nba season...
Toulivinho
2023-09-10 00:06:09 +0000 UTCYou think Kerr will learn to attack Austin Reaves in the post after FIBA?
Jimmy Ji
2023-09-10 00:03:36 +0000 UTCBecause the NBA monopolies 99% of the tier 1 talent globally, the idea that the Nuggets need to "prove" they're better than the Champs of the leagues in Europe simply because some people are sensitive about wording is an unfortunate discourse in our off-season boredom. This is a complete non-issue that someone created for attention. If one wishes to point its finger at the States there are fair more effective ways to do so rather than questioning the NBA's dominance over basketball.
Stevie Ray
2023-09-09 23:58:22 +0000 UTCFew thoughts: 1) Only players id like to see on team USA for olympics are - Ant, Bridges and Haliburton (maybe reaves off the bench since his offense has been elite lately) 2) Never liked JJJ as a high level player, he doesnt have an offensive bag or atleast it wasnt shown at all in this tournament. As for defense he just is only hunting for blocks, he cant handle guys his size even from taking tough shots or grab a damn rebound. 3) Thoughts on Kerr... im gonna shoot him some bail cause I think at the end of the day its about the players. He made lineup changes, he founds some decent rotations and he empowered Ant to be the guy but its about the players on the team and this roster just wasnt it How much does this hurt the BI stock too? Man he was a bum on this team wow.
Matt Hanna
2023-09-09 22:49:47 +0000 UTCSo 6 years ago. The point I’m getting at is that the NBA doesn’t view defense as a skill to be developed fr fr. Bunch of scorers with poor defensive fundamentals.
Andre Brooks
2023-09-09 22:47:38 +0000 UTCToo me Smart is high iq, like Draymond tho he has trouble controlling his emotions
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 22:43:37 +0000 UTCSame here. I didn't even recognize him until they said his name. No problem about the bronze medal game. Had the same feeling.
Nick Elliston
2023-09-09 22:43:29 +0000 UTCI think it’s just typical US marketing, you say what ever you can get away with to make the product sound great.
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 22:42:24 +0000 UTCRight it’s the ability to be a threat in a traditional sense. It also helps guys like Obst get free, can’t just jump him.
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 22:40:42 +0000 UTCHa I remember Bonga! Don’t know why I didn’t recognize that was him, I guess the Bleach. I’m not going to cover the bronze game, I suspect both teams will be looking to get home.
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 22:38:56 +0000 UTCThis upcoming crop of US born stars is kind of disappointing after a generation featuring guys like Lebron/Steph/KD/AD/Kawhi/Harden/Paul etc. It feels like the true unique/game-breaking talents are more prevalent internationally these days
Jacob
2023-09-09 22:35:17 +0000 UTCIt's not whether they can or not, it's that you're not the world champions until you beat the rest of the world so until that's done then their not world champs. In sports you always have to prove it on the pitch, field or court. Championships aren't won on paper. We wouldn't just assume Usain Bolt would win the world championships or Olympics even though we know he's the best. He has to prove it.
lance chichester
2023-09-09 22:08:56 +0000 UTCI agree wholeheartedly as a big fan of Arsenal in the premier league. Btw, Barcelona is in la liga, which is the Spanish league. No other league champions in the world would go around calling themselves the world champions, yet in the US it's routine across their major sports league to call themselves the world champions. It's like the US is the whole world to them. You see it in how little Americans know about sports or anything outside of the US, the arrogance is palpable.
lance chichester
2023-09-09 22:04:40 +0000 UTCThe problem comes with the assumption that NBA is still synonymous with the States despite the last 5 NBA MVPs being international players. In the Olympics nearly every 1st and 2nd option on all contenders for the gold will be NBA players. It is the only league currently that matters. If the 2023 Nuggets and 2022 Warriors were put on opposite ends of the brackets of a huge 7-game series tournament against all the best Euro, Australian, etc leagues from these 2-years, the odds of the two NBA champions not matching up for the "world championship" would be astronomical.
Stevie Ray
2023-09-09 22:01:53 +0000 UTCThis whole bs of the NBA champions being the world champions is annoying af. In every team sport on earth, the world championship is about COUNTRIES fighting it out in a tournament. The Dutch women's hockey league ('Hoofdklasse Hockey') is the strongest in the world, but no one in their right mind would say that the champion of that league is the world champion. Sure, the Denver Nuggets might beat Germany or Serbia, but so what? FC Barcelona might be considered stronger than the national football team of Argentina, but do we consider Barcelona world champion because of this? Stop it.
Michel ten Voorde
2023-09-09 21:51:59 +0000 UTCIt really depends on how deep specific franchises get in the playoffs. Bam is the ideal candidate to take JJJ's spot at center, but if Miami makes another deep run (which I'm not predicting just as an example), then he may sit out, and filling the front court again becomes a difficult task. Booker is the obvious best young American scorer that could tip the scales in the Olympics, but his hammy rarely holds up through the playoffs let alone into late July and early August. Steph says he's interested in playing but won't if they make a deep playoff push and the same with 39-year-old LeBron. But honestly, if you just put Haliburton at the 1 and Ant at the 2 the Js from Boston at the 3/4, it's just too much talent. And even if the Celtics go deep, Tatum and Brown both need their own golds for their historical accolades and are young enough to deal with the mileage.
Stevie Ray
2023-09-09 21:46:53 +0000 UTCTotally agree. I've only seen a handful of NBA games on live tv, but man, it takes SO much time for only 48 minutes of basketball!
Michel ten Voorde
2023-09-09 21:44:56 +0000 UTCJJJ's a legit 6'10" with a 7'4" wingspan, the measurements aren't the issue. On paper, he appears to be an ideal archetype as a closing small-ball 5. But similar to Giannis, these are On Paper 1-5 defenders. They excel at 2-4 coverage, but their defensive superpowers are as a free safety rover. They aren't actually suited to shut down 1s and suffer inside when getting consistently matched up against skilled centers with substantially more size. Unlike JJJ, however, Antetokounmpo has one of the most elite combinations of IQ + Motor + Athleticism the league has ever seen - and as Alch pointed out here, Jaren Jackson Jr. is a low-IQ basketball player. He a block-hunting rover who can't help but get himself in foul trouble. The measurements always come up because Prime Dray could run center for title teams at 6'6" and yes he has the 7+ wingspan, but Dray has a low center of gravity. The fat boy strength that Giannis will never have and Jackson doesn't have balls to carry. But also, prime Dray was a tier 1 perimeter defender 1-4 on top of being a great paint presence against elite centers. Going small is all about giving something up to gain an advantage somewhere else. So, with JJJ or Giannis, they appear to be 1-5 defenders because they can cover 1s adequately - in comparison, Draymond at 33 years old is still able to cover Fox on an island in Sac in the playoffs better than any small ball-5 possibly in history. JJJ is special because of his two-way capabilities and the offensive ceiling he needs to reach in order to have All-NBA impact. But the idea he's already there as Thinking Basketball and others have suggested simply because of his overwhelming regular season defensive metrics - sometimes the numbers lie.
Stevie Ray
2023-09-09 21:33:54 +0000 UTCWas Draymond the last high IQ DPOY?
Andre Brooks
2023-09-09 21:27:47 +0000 UTCSteve Kerr, Ty Lue, and Eric Spoelstra. 3 of the top 5 coaches in the league… and they can’t figure out how to use a big? Is it a skill issue with American bigs? I think it is
Andre Brooks
2023-09-09 21:25:50 +0000 UTCI think ant might be my favorite non warriors players now lol. When he first got drafted and you had him talking crazy in interviews I had 0 expectations but dudes a certified baller and hilarious off the court. Did not expect him to develop this much this quickly considering how much he could’ve just coasted on his athleticism alone
Connor H
2023-09-09 21:19:48 +0000 UTCAlch what you think of the sprinter's comments about NBA champs not being world champs. Stephen A. said it was ignorant, then walked it back on his podcast. I think the US has been arrogant in their entire approach. These other teams play together for years.
lance chichester
2023-09-09 21:14:49 +0000 UTCI know I'm spamming now, but this is just my typ of basketball. This whole thing about the size being an issue, is only valid to some degree. The thing is that eurpean centers are just way better developed. Every team has at least one guy that can turn over either shoulder in the post, has a refined footwork, understands rebounding angles, all kinds of PnR coverages and isn't afraid of the physicality. Its only a dying art in the NBA.
Toulivinho
2023-09-09 21:11:35 +0000 UTCThis was low key satisfying after watching them act so out of pocket in that Italy game. Shit maybe I’m an oldhead now too but that just felt lame af lol
Connor H
2023-09-09 21:05:37 +0000 UTCThis was the US's C or D team for sure, but most of the other countries' superstars didn't play either, so not sure how much of an excuse it is
james v
2023-09-09 21:04:12 +0000 UTCI don't know if yall been watching these games Live. But Anyone that actually likes watching basketball, has to admit, that FiBa rules and the environment is so much more fun to watch, its not even close. The flow of the game, the smaller court so players actually have to move the Ball, only 5 Timeouts per team, that are 1 minute MAX. No cut aways for commercial, at least on the world feed, mic'd up timeouts, refs. Games only last 2 hours, with the only break being a 15 minute Halftime... I could go on. How can anyone say a 3 hour NBA game is actually enjoyable to watch if you only wanna watch the Basketball. I only watch Re-live NBA games, with all the Crap cut out...
Toulivinho
2023-09-09 21:04:00 +0000 UTCThx for the breakdown Alc. Just fyi, while the US is out of the gold medal game, they do have the 3rd place game against Canada. Not sure if you'll do a breakdown for it, but it could be worth checking out. It'll be on tomorrow morning before the gold medal game. I do have some random thoughts & observations from the game. Feel free to check out below: The lack of size hurt USA in the end. It was very Dubs like in a way: no size in the middle leads to the defense collapsing and then a kick out for an open 3. Of course, JJJ being ass didn't help, either. More Kessler could've helped, but who knows. Looking more big picture, I do wonder if Team USA needs to go back to having player commitments like they did for the 2008 Redeem Team after failing to win gold in the 2004 Olympics (see The Redeem Team Netflix doc for more info). Where teams like Germany, Spain, Serbia and Slovenia have long term commitments from their players who are used to playing with each other and have only gotten better, USA teams are often put together a few weeks before the whole tournament and they never look in sync. That's not to say Team USA will never stop being favorites in these tournaments, but the gap has gotten so much smaller to the point where, the further they get into these tournaments, not even talent is enough to overcome it. And lastly, big props to Germany and best of luck to them in the Gold Medal game vs Serbia. Like you said, they have 4 active NBA players on their roster, but the rest of their roster all play for teams in Euroleague, including Obst. The only ex-NBA player of that group is #8 Isaac Bonga, who's only really known for being part of the Lakers trade package for Westbrook. Had a 4 year stint in the league from 2018-2022 with LAL, WAS and TOR before returning to Germany to play for Bayern Munich. Never developed offensively, but he has the length to defend and that block on Brunson showed it.
Nick Elliston
2023-09-09 21:01:38 +0000 UTCI've been following the German league for the past few years and Andreas Obst (42) is just 2-3 inches to small for the NBA but he's an incredible shooter, probably up there with Davis Bertans as the best of the tournament. This wasn't a fluke, every other team had him pretty much behind schröder at the top of their scouting report.
Toulivinho
2023-09-09 20:56:48 +0000 UTCThe way alchemy described jjj reminds me of wiseman and a little bit of kuminga….can’t put everything on inexperience…this squad needed a dominant PG with ant as the closer….that’s how you can mask the connectivity issues and lack of overall talent….
Rug Ntar
2023-09-09 20:51:19 +0000 UTCAwesome Breakdown Alch! Andi Obst is him! You’re right, lets put some respect to No. 42s name! As always very objective, real and fun Video commentary! Let me point out what seems to be more and more obvious. Andi Obst and lot of european teams seem to have watched Steph, JJ Redick, Rip Hamilton More closely than others. A couple of years back, Andi was just a simple sniper, now he understands What off ball movement, Drive and Kick, quick release, and high endurance can add to any Team. Wonder who he learned that from…
Bensation
2023-09-09 20:45:32 +0000 UTCProblem is-other nations teams can’t get away with playing no defense so they play great defense-and they care more. Especially at the start of games. Where the hell was the urgency?!?
Paul Hanson
2023-09-09 20:45:01 +0000 UTCThanks, it's not my home country but our neighbours, so to say. But yeah, they're fun to watch. 👍
Michel ten Voorde
2023-09-09 20:40:01 +0000 UTC😂 fax… they got everything they wanted the whole way
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:39:32 +0000 UTCCongrats Michel.. they play so well as a team and deserved to win
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:38:46 +0000 UTCYeah idk, you are right it seems to be in Kerr’s DNA as a coach. My guess is he is too laxed pre game, it’s his nature. Calm, confidence. I think Steph plays a part in that as well. There both not the rah rah type. The scouting stuff, I put in the players. There is no way the staff hasn’t given them the proper info.
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:37:21 +0000 UTCThis German team was so in sync they probably could've marched on Poland right after the game
james v
2023-09-09 20:36:56 +0000 UTCLol, this was weird to watch as I'm normally rooting for the same team as Alch, not this time though. Anyway, it's clear that team USA doesn't get away anymore with sending their B-team.
Michel ten Voorde
2023-09-09 20:33:51 +0000 UTCI didnt catch this one live, but is there something you saw in maybe the coaching staffs approach to the game as far as effort level at the beginning of the game? Weve seen the warriors get off to plenty of slow starts and underestimate their opponents, not read the scouting reports, etc
Abhi Kelkar
2023-09-09 20:30:59 +0000 UTCHali and Bridges would be my guess.. but again lets see what these vets talk n bout after a long season. I could see a bunch back out.
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:30:33 +0000 UTCWho on this USA squad other than Edwards is even gonna sniff the roster for the Olympics next year?
Omer Ali
2023-09-09 20:28:46 +0000 UTChe's like a puppy, he follows whatever he sees. You can fool him over and over with the same trick
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:28:18 +0000 UTCaye I told ya!
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:27:24 +0000 UTCJJJ a certified Scammer
richard phan
2023-09-09 20:27:13 +0000 UTChis lateral foot speed make Moody look like prime Pippen
Athletic Alchemy
2023-09-09 20:27:11 +0000 UTCJJJ isn't even small. He's basically a 7 Footer and he's the DPOTY. Asking him to play center shouldn't be a tall task but as we know there's some fraud in his game.
Omer Ali
2023-09-09 20:27:00 +0000 UTCBeen waiting for this breakdown since the moment them boys choked
richard phan
2023-09-09 20:12:57 +0000 UTCThere's no D in Austin Reaves.
Major Powers
2023-09-09 20:05:21 +0000 UTC
