The Mess in Detroit is in Search of a Scapegoat

Manu hasn’t changed his game since he was 20.
Dirk has improved his game since he was 17, yeah… but what the hell has he really done? Improved his shot, become more dominate on the boards (but never really learned to box out, just is more physical with them), and recently he can pass out of double teams.
The dude has NEVER learned a lick of defense. The dude still gets clobbered down low. What does that mean to Dirk? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The dude can dominate the L with the skills he has. But don’t feed me that “he’s improved so much!” line. I followed Dirk since he came into the league, hell, ever since he first played in the Nike Hoops Summit. You watched him in DJK? Great. So you know he was a jump shooter and still is.
Also, I don’t watch world basketball. I try to catch highlights and read up when I can, but well, the whole games bore me. It’s an age thing, I guess, I’m to into the whole “better talent” thing.

Belov, Tsosic, Petrovic, Sabonis, Kukoc… so I’m assuming this is a European list, which included Kukoc, who, while spectacular at times, was a professional sixth man. Great.
Enlighten ME SPANOULIS… didn’t McAdoo win two titles and average 25/10 (but was too old to be effective in the NBA)… that’s not “tearing it up?”

@Jukai: After the day Nowitzky has done the same iverson has -> get to the finals one time! Plus: If you look at AIs FG% it seems as his high scoring was always because of his many shot attempts.

Rikson: I’m not sure what you’re getting at. Dirk is a top-10 to top-15 level all time PF. I’m a huge Dirk supporter. What are you trying to convince?
AI does shoot a lot. That’s his job, as a shooting guard. Are you a huge Euroleague fan as well Rickson? Tell me Smodis’ and Jasikevicius’ percentages, how do they compare to Iverson while taking half Iverson’s shots?

with the talent on that team, i DO hold the coaching staff accountable.. yes, Iverson’s not used to playing a certain way.. yes, his teammates aren’t used to playing with a ball-hog.. but, find that middle ground, make Iverson buy into the schemes both offensively and defensively, and that team could pose a LOT of problems in the playoffs.. putting the pieces together IS the job of the coaching staff, no? i understand its hard working with borderline-egomaniacs with a lot of these athletes, but that’s what coaching is all about – getting players to commit to a greater whole.

and Michael Curry should never have been hired, Ive been saying it all season he is to passive and has no control over his team.

SPANOULIS: All three players have comparable shooting percentages (has Smodic made it past 40% yet?) but Iverson takes around three times as many shots while being double teamed nightly. I’m just making my point.
Even Rubio only shoots around Iverson’s level.
HELL, even your PRECIOUS Carlos Delfino shot an ABYSMAL 39% at the Eurocup. That’s downright embarrassing. Isn’t he in your top five small forwards in the world?
Your favoritism makes it really hard for you to have an intelligent debate, SPANOULIS.

I think dude is content in his own little world. Honestly if you think euroball is better then the NBA, when year after year you see NBA players dominate all international tournaments. The best players play in the United States. “Euroball — Where role players are overrated”.

@my beloved kids(nbk,Allenp,etc)….:you make it to the top after 8 years (and that’s because Kobe finally bothered to participate…)and then all of a sudden Euroleague players are “overrated role players”!!! Of course this type of fools’ arrogance is exactly what i was expecting the day Kobe decided to join your team….See you in Turkey next summer…(i hope you spend some time to do your homework also,not just typing responses to a stupid guy from Romania…)

Hey, thanks for not debating any of the points I laid out, SPANOULIS.
What’s up with your obsession with Kobe over all other American athletes? Because he grew up in Spain? I don’t get it. Kobe didn’t do terribly well in the Olympics. He had one good game. The consensus best player was your most hated Lebron James.
Also, we really only waited 4 years, since we won in 2000 and in turn were the best from 2000-2004, but whatever, splitting hairs here.

1)Kobe grew up in Italy (doesn’t really matter but it is strange of you not to know this since it has been stated many times through the years…)
2)Although it seems strange not to know the basics on Kobe’s history, it is not strange(having in mind your age) to not know what happened in 2002 in indianapolis. I’ll give you (and the rest of the young guns here) the summary: 3 loses in 10 days, and first loss ever for a team full of NBA all-stars in the hands of ,guess who,…MANU!!!! I still remember this game, he was constantly driving into the U.S paint protected by the NBA’s top interior defender Ben Wallace (at the peak of his game back then)….come to think about it,MANU is the one who took your v…..y!!!

1994. This is the last time you’ve been WORLD CHAMPIONS (i ain’t talking about those funny banners that the Celtics put on for comercial reasons…). Current world champs: SPAIN. Kobe should have his statue made of gold if he succeeds to take you back on top of the world after 16 years….
@Ben….: i’ll just think that there was somebody else that missinformed you on my comments on your shoe article (it makes no sense for me to think that you intentionally doing this…)

Okay, great, Spain’s the World Champion’s. My response sort of sums up the effort we put into sending a squad to represent these tournaments. I’d be surprised if Kobe even goes to the World Championships. It’s really not worth his time.

It’s a point that has been argued back and forth really… but my view would be that whoever bought AI for Chauncey needs to be accountable… Detroit have had ALL their success with the ultimate example in team play. AI needs a team ‘around him’ to be/look successful and DOES NOT sacrifice in such a way that produces wins. Basically his style of play doesn’t suit the rest of the unit and THEIR STYLE OF PLAY doesn’t suit his. A square peg into a round hole situation (AKA phoenix…with shaq).

i have the time of my life right now reading the arguements bet. this guys span from euro and a bunch of u guys from Us.

There’s really no point in arguing bcoz u both use different methods in backing up ur arguements. Im from the Phil(a 3rd world country some wise ass might say)but we are a b-ball crazy nation and yes many of us are “schooled” when it comes to NBA and euro bball though we might not have necessarily the “tools” like u guys have and readily use in backing up ur b-ball knowledge.
We also have common b-ball sense and i might go as far as say its deep enough.

Spanny is defending his euro roots and players just as much as ur are US. So let me give you a neutral side POV. Asia version.
We all know nba talent is the best in the world. but euro b-ball is more passionate and fundamentally sound. NBA is a commercially-driven league and markets it that way as Stern sees it fit to survive. Euro or even fiba just doesnt have that have much business talent/actual money to make it that way so i guess the type of league enforces the type of players playing in it. Simple as that.
Also it is the difference in cultures that plays a big factor in the kind of players and teams that each country represents. And clearly all this is not a basis in saying one is greater than the other.

But there are exceptions like chris paul who could have charge much higher rate but for a reason choose to stay in hornets and still play amazing point if not d league best. It’s not always bout the money.

When it comes to fiba sanctioned tournaments, it is very clear that some politics always comes into play esp. in the officiating and we would expect that to happen when euro comes into US to play. Imagine what if Olympics and fiba b-ball where to be played in nba-sanctioned tourneys, would euro teams not have to take time adjusting in a different set of rules and officiating? Would that not make a big factor in a team’s chemistry,

what if Pau Gasol would have a say in saying “oh i will not play this year in the world champ. bcoz i might run d risk of getting injured and lessen the chance of my team say Barcelona win the chip this year. Wouldnt that be a big factor to ur conutry’s dominance in a tourney?

One can not just say that oh US is the best since we have the best collective talent readily available at a moment’s notice and we would still win any world tourneys. It has been proven otherwise.

All of these are just some pros and cons that play too in determining a country’s success in any world tournaments but saying immediately that u r the best is just saying your stupid and your downright arrogant. Basketball is more than that fellas.

The Dream Team proved you that.

they should of never traded chauncey i personally would of traded r.i.p