does anyone really care about the Olympics?

**capntightpants** · 04-23-2012, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by Weeto

America doesn't dominate basketball now, which could be a side effect of the Dream Team. Sure they win fairly often but Spain and some of the others have the ability to beat the USA on occasion. Britain is a LOT better than they used to be mainly because of guys like Luol Deng.

Yeah, the level of international play has been catching up with the US since the original Dream Team. It's also the fact that most of the other National teams get to play and practice together more often throughout the year.

Team USA has a disadvantage of their players being in a league all season long on separate teams and cities, which means they hardly ever practice together. They might have the most talented team in the Olympics, but without much time for them to gel, they aren't going to be as dominant as they had been 20 years ago. International rules sort of throws them off their game a bit as well.

**dougmac** · 04-23-2012, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Weeto

America doesn't dominate basketball now, which could be a side effect of the Dream Team. Sure they win fairly often but Spain and some of the others have the ability to beat the USA on occasion. Britain is a LOT better than they used to be mainly because of guys like Luol Deng.

if Spain had Rubio with the Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka this year it would have been very interesting, especially with the US losing Howard with the back injury.

**dougmac** · 04-23-2012, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by capntightpants

Yeah, the level of international play has been catching up with the US since the original Dream Team. It's also the fact that most of the other National teams get to play and practice together more often throughout the year.

Team USA has a disadvantage of their players being in a league all season long on separate teams and cities, which means they hardly ever practice together. They might have the most talented team in the Olympics, but without much time for them to gel, they aren't going to be as dominant as they had been 20 years ago. International rules sort of throws them off their game a bit as well.

The lack of time together really is underrated by many fans, but Spain has the same problem

**Weeto** · 04-24-2012, 09:03 AM

NBA fans sometimes forget that Euroleague standards are pretty high nowadays and it isn't impossible to think that top college players and NBA stars could be lured to European basketball in the future rather than automatically playing NBA ball.

America will probably always have some advantage in the sport but leagues in countries like Spain, Greece, Italy, Russia, Turkey and Israel are gradually picking up and if top class play in European competition is expanded, the standards will continue to rise.

I'd love to see some of the top teams in a full season European competition rather than playing a domestic season and some Euroleague games.

I can't see the Great Britain team winning a medal this time round, even at home but a decent showing could help lure some more decent eligible players into the squad in time for Rio 2016. Maybe there is a chance of a medal by then.

**GelfXIII** · 04-24-2012, 09:42 AM

My wife sure does. Synchro swimming, all the way. My wife actually swam in her college's synchro team. Dont tell her it isn't a sport. (Took me almost 20 years to live that one down.)

**DAVE** · 04-24-2012, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Weeto

NBA fans sometimes forget that Euroleague standards are pretty high nowadays and it isn't impossible to think that top college players and NBA stars could be lured to European basketball in the future rather than automatically playing NBA ball.

C'mon, that aint happening. The top European players can't even be lured to stay in the Euroleague.

**capntightpants** · 04-24-2012, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by DAVE

C'mon, that aint happening. The top European players can't even be lured to stay in the Euroleague.

Yeah, I agree with Weeto that Euroleague players are getting much better, but Euroleague is no US player's first choice.

**dougmac** · 04-24-2012, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by DAVE

C'mon, that aint happening. The top European players can't even be lured to stay in the Euroleague.

Remember all the speculation that high school kids would go there for a year before entering the draft? Never happened. Like you said, they can't keep their own top talent. It's too disorganized and unstable there, but it would be interesting to see it become a real threat.

**DAVE** · 04-24-2012, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by dougmac

Remember all the speculation that high school kids would go there for a year before entering the draft? Never happened. Like you said, they can't keep their own top talent. It's too disorganized and unstable there, but it would be interesting to see it become a real threat.

Remember when there was all these rumors that the Russian hockey league was gonna take all the NHL stars over there, especially after the lockout year? Didn't happen with Hockey (except for Jagr briefly), sure aint happening to the NBA, even after their lockout (except for Deron Williams really briefly).

**Marc Lombardi** · 04-24-2012, 12:21 PM

My wife and I agree that the Olympics were more interesting when it was an event that happened every four years. It feels like we're constantly in a state of Olympics now with them rotating Winter & Summer every two years. I'd love to them to go back to the 4-year rotation, but TV wont let that happen.