For the Gold
by Matt Lawyue / @mlawyue
The United States of America vs Turkey for the 2010 FIBA World Basketball Championships.
It just sounds right. If there was a dream match-up organizers prayed for before this tournament began, it was this one. Two years after reasserting itself as the alpha basketball nation in Beijing, Team USA sent an inexperienced, unsure team to Istanbul. Coach K was expected to turn a cast of Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose and Rudy Gay into contenders. Well, mission accomplished. It also helps when you have the most dominant international basketball player suiting up for you and dropping a seemingly effortless 38 on the competition. Kevin Durant, this is the world. The world, Kevin Durant.
Turkey, in one of the most emotional displays of basketball I’ve ever seen, willed their way into the Finals during last night’s come from behind win over Serbia. If there’s a team that can match up with Team USA, it’s the host nation. Their suffocating 2-3 zone defense with feisty, aggressive players will look to wreak havoc on Coach K’s (lack of) half-court offense, while their front-court will try and establish an inside presence against the smaller American’s. Throw in absolutely raucous Turkish fans and an off shooting night from Team USA, and you have your upset in the making.
ESPN will air this game live at 2:30 PM EST and ESPN 3 will carry it online.
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TEODOSIC (sorry Dark), KLIEZA, SCOLA,HEDO and KD.
USA!!!!KD!!!USA!!KD!!!!USA!!!!KD!!!!
But Lebron, and to a lesser extent, Carmello were the real leaders of that team.
Not to take anything away from KD. My opinion on KD is realllly really high. My big complaints from KD is that he was a lousy passer and a lousy defender. You know what? HE HAS IMPROVED. Still weak passing on double teams, still needs some work manning up… but man, his help defense has REALLY skyrocketed, and he is seeing the open floor better than I have ever seen him. He’s patching up his game slowly but surely. He may not Paul/Howard/Williams/Carmello out of that top-5 tier and be a household name VERY soon.
very happy for your accomplishments.. you deserve it for all your humility ant team first attitude… hope you will play with kd and iggy in the nba one day.
- Durantula stroking over your country like a nerd on Saturday night
- Odom & Iguodala making hussle play after hussle play
- Westbrook making the zone defense his b!tch
- Gordon scoring and locking mo-fo’s down
- Kevin Love rebounding like a beast
- Tyson Chandler looking like at least 30% less of a douche
- Billups taking horrible shots just to give himself more of a challenge
We did it for the Collective Bargaining Agreement!
What this team really only needed was a true point who can shoot. Deron Williams would be perfect. My 2012 starting five would be Deron, Wade, Durant, LeBron and Carmelo/Iggy for offense/defense.
Durant is Larry Birds game with kevin garnets body. And the Argument continues
Melo is a Big Freaking Bully, who is also pretty clutch.
Their game really aren’t that similar at all.
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