Demar and Kyle team USA thread

[Chr1s1anL]

Hard to put any USA player in the HoF based on international play because any single US player is so easily replaceable and not even noticed if they were missing. Like what was said before, based on depth of talent alone, Team USA could easily field 3-5 teams with all of them being legit contenders for the gold.

No one else has ever gotten 3 gold medals. His also the leading scorer and rebounder in USA basketball history.

[rocwell]

The North wins down South! @DeMar_DeRozan @Klow7 �������� pic.twitter.com/9WtuhfUiR2

— NBA (@NBA) August 22, 2016

[KeonClark]

Article on the ringer.com on who's stock went up or down in these Olympics

DeMar DeRozan: Rock Bottom
Danny Chau: DeMar wanted this moment. He wanted it so bad. His run of theatrics during the pre-tournament exhibition games hinted at some sort of breakthrough. Instead, he proved to be one of the most consistent and reliable players on Team USA’s roster — so consistently demure with his defensive assignments and so reliably allergic to anything but midrange jumpers.
He was an embodiment of Team USA’s core struggles during group play. The FIBA 3-point line is more than a foot shorter than the NBA’s when measured from the top of the arc, yet in seven games, DeRozan only attempted two 3-pointers. He missed them both.
International basketball generally gives NBA players a chance to flash other aspects of his game, to moonlight as a specialist when most nights in the league call for them to be Mr. Everything. Sometimes, it lights a new career path, as it did for Andre Iguodala after the 2010 World Championships. DeRozan is who he is. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, but the Olympics offer a chance to reinvent yourself for a few weeks. He wasted his opportunity.

[KeonClark]

Also, I hope this tournament puts to rest the opinion of a vocal minority on here that Kyrie Irving is better ALL AROUND than Kyle Lowry

[Sinbad]

Article on the ringer.com on who's stock went up or down in these Olympics

DeMar DeRozan: Rock Bottom
Danny Chau: DeMar wanted this moment. He wanted it so bad. His run of theatrics during the pre-tournament exhibition games hinted at some sort of breakthrough. Instead, he proved to be one of the most consistent and reliable players on Team USA’s roster — so consistently demure with his defensive assignments and so reliably allergic to anything but midrange jumpers.
He was an embodiment of Team USA’s core struggles during group play. The FIBA 3-point line is more than a foot shorter than the NBA’s when measured from the top of the arc, yet in seven games, DeRozan only attempted two 3-pointers. He missed them both.
International basketball generally gives NBA players a chance to flash other aspects of his game, to moonlight as a specialist when most nights in the league call for them to be Mr. Everything. Sometimes, it lights a new career path, as it did for Andre Iguodala after the 2010 World Championships. DeRozan is who he is. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, but the Olympics offer a chance to reinvent yourself for a few weeks. He wasted his opportunity.

Yikes. That's a scathing take. Accurate though. The American basketball-watching public were really down on him throughout the Olympics, so its not just one blogger running his mouth. DeRozan didn't show us anything we haven't already seen from him. I had hoped that he would concentrate solely on locking up opposing guards on defense, but he was lethargic as ever on that end.

[S.R.]

Article on the ringer.com on who's stock went up or down in these Olympics

I'm not a Danny Chau fan, and am torn between whether that quote is a) just saying what everybody already knows about DeMar, or b) being way too harsh based on the Olympics. The Olympics! Where Draymond Green, so integral to the winningest season of all time and b2b championships in the NBA, just spent an entire tournament riding the pine. You really can't read anything into an international tournament.

[JamesNaismith]

No one else has ever gotten 3 gold medals. His also the leading scorer and rebounder in USA basketball history.

Not as impressive when he's also probably played a lot more minutes/games than anyone else that was in the running.

[JamesNaismith]

Article on the ringer.com on who's stock went up or down in these Olympics

"DeMar DeRozan: Rock Bottom
Danny Chau: DeMar wanted this moment. He wanted it so bad. His run of theatrics during the pre-tournament exhibition games hinted at some sort of breakthrough. Instead, he proved to be one of the most consistent and reliable players on Team USA’s roster — so consistently demure with his defensive assignments and so reliably allergic to anything but midrange jumpers.
He was an embodiment of Team USA’s core struggles during group play. The FIBA 3-point line is more than a foot shorter than the NBA’s when measured from the top of the arc, yet in seven games, DeRozan only attempted two 3-pointers. He missed them both.
International basketball generally gives NBA players a chance to flash other aspects of his game, to moonlight as a specialist when most nights in the league call for them to be Mr. Everything. Sometimes, it lights a new career path, as it did for Andre Iguodala after the 2010 World Championships. DeRozan is who he is. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, but the Olympics offer a chance to reinvent yourself for a few weeks. He wasted his opportunity."

Sorry but I find that a bit ridiculous even though I'm not a huge fan of DeRozan. Why the hell would the expectation be that he "reinvent" himself?! Like that is incumbent on him to do. Nobody on the USA roster did so and being that who they are got them on the roster why would they feel so compelled to "reinvent" themselves. Of course, we all absolutely want DeMar to be a (much) better defensive player and 3pt shooter but to EXPECT to see that is silly. Not to mention why is Kyrie not called out more, his impact was atrocious on BOTH ends but even more so defensively. He proved again that LeBron makes him as a player and without him he is just an overglorified scorer that doesn't actually know how to win but LBJ knows how to use him.

Bringing Iggy's name into the equation also didn't help his point. Hate DD as much as you want but AI was never the same level player offensively as DeMar, it was almost necessary being that he DID disappoint in terms of his offensive potential that he quiet that compliant by improving in other aspects of his game. For those that recall, when he played with Iverson they were hoping Iggy would become an offensive threat at least at the level of DeRozan but he never refined his footwork (DD's probably biggest improvement) and ball handling to become a consistent 20+ppg scorer. But yes I would absolutely love if DeMar would take a page out of Iggy's book and suddenly key into becoming a better defender (although I would say even when AI was younger he was still a bit better as one). Anyways that's my 2c, I'd love to see DD try to be like Iggy but expecting to see that is a ridiculous assertion.

[rocwell]

DeRozan was horrible. You only get few minutes to show what you got when you play for Team USA. Fancy stuff don't count

Kyle tho

[JamesNaismith]

The North wins down South! @DeMar_DeRozan @Klow7 �������� pic.twitter.com/9WtuhfUiR2

— NBA (@NBA) August 22, 2016

We just need to add PG in the middle n Raptor life would be amazing.

[MixxAOR]

Deserving the most credit was the combination of Kyle Lowry at the point and Paul George at the wing — they changed games. Plural. Lowry is a better, more tenacious on-ball defender than Kyrie Irving. Paul George can guard multiple positions and was the best individual defender on Team USA. Often Jimmy Butler, another good defender, would be part of that mix. DeMarcus Cousins grew into that role throughout the games. When they came in the USA was a tougher team who could grind out a win.

Look at it this way, against Argentina in the quarterfinals the lineup of Lowry, Butler, George, Durant, and DeMarcus Cousins was +20 in 12 minutes, the rest of the team was +7 for the remainder of the game.

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/08/21/...a-gold-in-rio/

[rightsideup]

Also, I hope this tournament puts to rest the opinion of a vocal minority on here that Kyrie Irving is better ALL AROUND than Kyle Lowry

Man that's a bold statement!!! There games are similar yet different I enjoy the skills of both fellows but for different reasons. Kyrie will never be the physical presence on defense that a locked in kyle is. Check out previous post

[Letter N]

DeRozan was horrible. You only get few minutes to show what you got when you play for Team USA. Fancy stuff don't count

Kyle tho

Sick, wicked and nasty right there boy!!!

Lowry was great on the team, he really earned that gold.

[tDotted]

If Lowry didn't carry such a load offensively during the season, he'd probably make an all-defensive team

[McRealistic]

If Lowry didn't carry such a load offensively during the season, he'd probably make an all-defensive team

In order for that to happen, we need much better offensive production from our SF and PF. Our PF does not give us much on the offensive end. The SF position was also decimated with the injury to DC.

I really hope we see a much better production from SF,PF and C this season.

Our back court of Lowry and DD is set for years to come and we should NOT EVEN think about changing that ...