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  • stretch wrote: View Post
    The French roster includes Boris Diaw, Nicholas Batum, Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert, Nando de Colo and Ian Mahinmi. No Parker but this group has been playing together for years and won Eurobasket last year.
    Of course, Tony Parker did play last year and was tournament MVP. Without him (especially) and Noah, they're just not a serious threat.

    Lots of teams look to be in transition (including some that didn't qualify) or not have their best players available. It doesn't feel like there's a group of teams closely chasing USA and Spain, as there has been for most of the last decade or so. Usually there were 2 tiers of good teams behind those guys, with the first one having teams like Argentina, Greece, France, Lithuania (basically Argentina and the best Euro teams of the year) and the second one mostly being the Euro teams that were good but more longshots to medal. Now it feels like most teams have fallen back to the pack, and most if not all of the group behind the top resembles that second tier.
    Last edited by white men can't jump; Sat Aug 16, 2014, 03:10 PM.

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    • BadDinosaur wrote: View Post
      Yeah, but without Parker they're a completely different team. He was the one that got all the clutch points for France when they needed it most. Also JV and D-Mo were little more than role players last year. Now they play wayyyy better and are leaders of this team, also they're as deep as ever.
      I don't know, I haven't seen this Lithuania team play enough to know what to expect. They're a bit in transition over the last couple of years. Have they improved their guard play? That was an area that was noticeably weakening as Sarunas declined, and it looked like an exploitable weakness last year at Eurobasket (even though they played well and medalled).

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      • Well, right now they still have a point guard issue. The starting PG is really good on D and can shoot the three, he's also athetic, but his passing is average. That being said, the entire team Lithuania is predicated on ball movement anyway. So they make up for this PG flaw through said ballmovement and teamplay. Other than that, they have good shooters at all positions, they are atheltic from 1 to five, pretty skilled at every position and have now dominant post players... a very balanced team that can really go on big runs while playing shutdown D and using tranistion O, while mixing up with 3 balls and aggresive attack on the inside. I don't see no big weakness with this team. The only problem that could screw up their game here and there is when their shooters get cold and the defenses then collapse on the inside players. But they hace so many shooters from 1 to 4 spots that it's not even funny... So yeah, it'll be hard to stop their O for an entire game, maybe a quarter, but not more... coach will always find the necessary adjustments, he's a smart dude.

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        • Jonas looks sleepy tonight

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          • Jonas is getting quadruple-double teams lol
            Last edited by rocwell; Sun Aug 17, 2014, 01:18 PM.

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            • Jonas woke up. Scored 11 pts in a row

              EDIT: Jonas finished with 19 pts, 5 rebs. 15 points in 4th q.
              Last edited by rocwell; Sun Aug 17, 2014, 02:00 PM.

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              • white men can't jump wrote: View Post
                Of course, Tony Parker did play last year and was tournament MVP. Without him (especially) and Noah, they're just not a serious threat.

                Lots of teams look to be in transition (including some that didn't qualify) or not have their best players available. It doesn't feel like there's a group of teams closely chasing USA and Spain, as there has been for most of the last decade or so. Usually there were 2 tiers of good teams behind those guys, with the first one having teams like Argentina, Greece, France, Lithuania (basically Argentina and the best Euro teams of the year) and the second one mostly being the Euro teams that were good but more longshots to medal. Now it feels like most teams have fallen back to the pack, and most if not all of the group behind the top resembles that second tier.
                Poor Nando De Colo broke his hand yesterday.

                I guess this qualifying offer refusal thing worked quite well for us.

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                • Fanchie wrote: View Post
                  Poor Nando De Colo broke his hand yesterday.

                  I guess this qualifying offer refusal thing worked quite well for us.
                  France is done. They are without Parker this year, now De Colo goes down... they got no PG. They already lost to Ukraine @ home. I think Lithuania beat Ukraine by 20+...

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                  • What have I just seen???? so that's why Jonas and whole Lithuania looked so sleepy?

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                    • rocwell wrote: View Post
                      What have I just seen???? so that's why Jonas and whole Lithuania looked so sleepy?

                      That's the haka, a traditional Maori war dance. Most New Zealand sports teams do it before the game, most notably the rugby team, the All Blacks.

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                      • Raptorsnz wrote: View Post
                        That's the haka, a traditional Maori war dance. Most New Zealand sports teams do it before the game, most notably the rugby team, the All Blacks.
                        Not the cricket team ...I dont think...lol.

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                        • The Haka is so much less intimidating when it's not done by their rugby squad.

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                          • Letter N wrote: View Post
                            The Haka is so much less intimidating when it's not done by their rugby squad.

                            Agreed. Infact this 'dance' should be barred. period. unless done by the rugby squad. What is the opposite of intimidation? anyways these guys are that.

                            Oh they got the mean-mugs on but then get thoroughly pummelled on the court shortly after the dancing is done.

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                            • Looks like Lithuania will play today too.. 3rd game in 3rd day, kinda crazy. JV better stay injury-free

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                              • the way he passed out of the double team was nice. It wasn't assist but ball moved and he didn't turn it over
                                Only one thing matters: We The Champs.

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