Olympic Team announced

[LadyVols_WBK]

Great team win over Serbia. Team to play for the medal.

vs Japan which is the bright story of the Olympics they may be undersized but they play team basketball its amazing seeing their style of play

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

 

[madtownvol]

Bird was 0-6 shooting and her legs are shot as far as being an effective defender. She is the only player on that team with a PG mentality though, the other guards all want to play shooting guard. The roster was horribly put together. They likely will not win Gold this Olympics.

Bird has been playing really well since the knock out stage began. When she was off the floor against serbia, the team's offensive execution fell off a cliff. She is showing that her selection was indeed justified (so mea culpa from me).

Taurasi not so much. She still seems really hampered by injury or age or some combination of the two.

 

[Rooster1]

Bird has been playing really well since the knock out stage began. When she was off the floor against serbia, the team's offensive execution fell off a cliff. She is showing that her selection was indeed justified (so mea culpa from me).

Taurasi not so much. She still seems really hampered by injury or age or some combination of the two.

You are correct. Taurasi should not have been on that team, but Bird proved me wrong.

 

[Bakers1]

You are correct. Taurasi should not have been on that team, but Bird proved me wrong.

The fact DT has been injured for months now and the fact she admits to being injured going into the Olympics and at the Olympics - needing to manage her body and playing time tells me two things -

1- The BS about why Nneka isn't on the team is just that BS!

2- With 4 Gold Medals and being injured you'd think you'd give your spot up (a spot she didn't deserve THIS YEAR anyway) to give player like Nneke a shot at a medal. In the past older players have moved aside for younger players. She's shooting 39% from the field and averaging 2 rebounds a game. 33% from 3.

 

[Argonaut]

The fact DT has been injured for months now and the fact she admits to being injured going into the Olympics and at the Olympics - needing to manage her body and playing time tells me two things -

1- The BS about why Nneka isn't on the team is just that BS!

2- With 4 Gold Medals and being injured you'd think you'd give your spot up (a spot she didn't deserve THIS YEAR anyway) to give player like Nneke a shot at a medal. In the past older players have moved aside for younger players. She's shooting 39% from the field and averaging 2 rebounds a game. 33% from 3.

Choosing Nneka over DT isn’t that simple considering they play completely different positions. Arguably, Nneka should be there instead of Collier, but everyone just wants to point fingers at Bird (who is playing really well) and Taurasi.

Which SGs should be there instead of DT is the better conversation. IMO, it needs to be someone who can also run the point, has great court vision, fits in well with the team’s playing style, and has proven themselves in international settings (Euroleague or USA Basketball).

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

Choosing Nneka over DT isn’t that simple considering they play completely different positions. Arguably, Nneka should be there instead of Collier, but everyone just wants to point fingers at Bird (who is playing really well) and Taurasi.

Which SGs should be there instead of DT is the better conversation. IMO, it needs to be someone who can also run the point, has great court vision, fits in well with the team’s playing style, and has proven themselves in international settings (Euroleague or USA Basketball).

Kahleah Cooper is a better fit then DT

 

[Argonaut]

Kahleah Cooper is a better fit then DT

And Copper was in the pool of players for this team. Do you think she is a good enough three point shooter to improve the back court? Or would she be playing more on the wing, which is where Stewart has been through most of the Olympics? Not sure how well she would run the point, but I haven’t watched as many Sky games this year as I have in the past.

Who else?

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

And Copper was in the pool of players for this team. Do you think she is a good enough three point shooter to improve the back court? Or would she be playing more on the wing, which is where Stewart has been through most of the Olympics? Not sure how well she would run the point, but I haven’t watched as many Sky games this year as I have in the past.

Who else?

Cooper was in the pool and Stewie is playing out of position this Olympic because of the lack of wing players she is averaging up to 35 MPG there wouldnt be no need for that if Cooper was on the team...in the Rio Olympics they had Angel,Tamika,and Maya and now for the Tokyo Olympics the only competent player in the position is Stewie which isnt even her primary position

 

[volman128]

Honestly I have a bigger issue with Atkins and Collier being on the team than I do with Bird and Taurasi. They’ve been utter garbage, as has Diggins. And Bird and Taurasi have played much better in Tokyo than Catchings did in Rio. I don’t necessarily have that big of an issue with them rewarding players out of loyalty, given they can still contribute. They did it with Teresa Edwards, too. When people talk about DT vs Nneka, they’re mostly talking about the “injury” angle that gets brought up.

I said when the team was chosen I had no idea why Atkins and Collier were on the team and I stand by that. They don’t belong on this team at all.

 

[Argonaut]

Cooper was in the pool and Stewie is playing out of position this Olympic because of the lack of wing players she is averaging up to 35 MPG there wouldnt be no need for that if Cooper was on the team...in the Rio Olympics they had Angel,Tamika,and Maya and now for the Tokyo Olympics the only competent player in the position is Stewie which isnt even her primary position

The problem is this part of the puzzle is where the elite talent currently is — in the front court. If Stewie isn’t on the wing, that puts Griner or Wilson on the bench for a lot of minutes. That becomes even trickier if Delle Donne was available for this Olympics.

Personally, I was hoping that Ionescu would be the next guard up for this Olympics. I think she provides an edge similar (although a little less... sharp) to Taurasi.

Honestly I have a bigger issue with Atkins and Collier being on the team than I do with Bird and Taurasi. They’ve been utter garbage, as has Diggins. And Bird and Taurasi have played much better in Tokyo than Catchings did in Rio. I don’t necessarily have that big of an issue with them rewarding players out of loyalty, given they can still contribute. They did it with Teresa Edwards, too. When people talk about DT vs Nneka, they’re mostly talking about the “injury” angle that gets brought up.

I said when the team was chosen I had no idea why Atkins and Collier were on the team and I stand by that. They don’t belong on this team at all.

And I agree that Nneka should definitely be there over Collier, but I’ve read a lot (here and elsewhere) about how Taurasi was on the team instead of Nneka, which just doesn’t add up.

 

[Bakers1]

Choosing Nneka over DT isn’t that simple considering they play completely different positions. Arguably, Nneka should be there instead of Collier, but everyone just wants to point fingers at Bird (who is playing really well) and Taurasi.

Which SGs should be there instead of DT is the better conversation. IMO, it needs to be someone who can also run the point, has great court vision, fits in well with the team’s playing style, and has proven themselves in international settings (Euroleague or USA Basketball).

You make a good point. So in my opinion - I would take Ionescu and put her under Bird's wing for next Olympics or Arike Ogunblowle. I think USA needs Bird way more than Taurasi. As I said DT is playing at less than 100% and is injured. Her playing time has to be managed . Considering the overall make-up of this team and with her injuries I'd easily take either of those players at this point in time. You have Bird and Gray to play the point. Arike has a long history of success with USA basketball. Vandersloot is another player but I believe she played with Hungary since USA basketball passed on her so many times.

Lastly , the fact they are allowing DT to go into Olympics injured yet using the injury excuse for Nneke is a joke and very hypocritical. Nneka did everything right to make this team. To use the injury excuse is BS.

 

[Argonaut]

You make a good point. So in my opinion - I would take Ionescu and put her under Bird's wing for next Olympics or Arike Ogunblowle. I think USA needs Bird way more than Taurasi. As I said DT is playing at less than 100% and is injured. Her playing time has to be managed . Considering the overall make-up of this team and with her injuries I'd easily take either of those players at this point in time. You have Bird and Gray to play the point. Arike has a long history of success with USA basketball. Vandersloot is another player but I believe she played with Hungary since USA basketball passed on her so many times.

Lastly , the fact they are allowing DT to go into Olympics injured yet using the injury excuse for Nneke is a joke and very hypocritical. Nneka did everything right to make this team. To use the injury excuse is BS.

Ionescu learning under Bird is what I was really hoping for this time around. As for Arike, I think she’s going to have to prove she can contribute to a team without being a high volume shooter. Unless they change the offense (and they might...), I just don’t see her working well within the existing structure. FWIW, I actually think she’s a better fit for 3x3.

I 100% agree that Nneka was snubbed, but I also think that this bunch needed DT’s edginess. Replace Collier with a healthy Nneka and I think we have a much stronger team.

 

[volman128]

You make a good point. So in my opinion - I would take Ionescu and put her under Bird's wing for next Olympics or Arike Ogunblowle.

Arike will never be on the team as long as Geno is involved with Team USA. He hates her as much if not more than he hates Candace. And if people don't think he still has a large voice in who makes the team, then they're probably the same idiots who acted like he didn't have a say so when he was literally the head coach of the team and picked washed up ass Swin Cash and Ashja Jones to ride the pine in London after not being on the team in Beijing.

 

[volman128]

And I agree that Nneka should definitely be there over Collier, but I’ve read a lot (here and elsewhere) about how Taurasi was on the team instead of Nneka, which just doesn’t add up.

If I was making out a roster with the best players available, Nneka would be on it and DT wouldn't be, at this stage in their careers. There are certainly players I would take off ahead of Diana (as I have already mentioned), but while I don't think Taurasi took Nneka's spot, I think Nneka deserved to be on the team over her without question.

 

[Argonaut]

If I was making out a roster with the best players available, Nneka would be on it and DT wouldn't be, at this stage in their careers. There are certainly players I would take off ahead of Diana (as I have already mentioned), but while I don't think Taurasi took Nneka's spot, I think Nneka deserved to be on the team over her without question.

And that’s just it — from the pool of players, you’d get a lot of different roster combinations based on whose choosing. Your roster would have Nneka and not Taurasi. My roster would have Nneka and Taurasi. The best twelve players don’t always yield the best team of twelve.

USA Basketball is an embarrassment of riches and we’re lucky to be able to enjoy it and have these conversations. So many players devote a lot of time to the system, and they don’t always get the rewards we think they deserve.

 

[37620VOL]

Stewart, Griner, and Wilson have been great.

Bird, Gray, and Charles have been awful.

 

[37620VOL]

Stewart is so freaking good

 

[Defaultuser]

Believe it, this team will not win Gold..if National team organizations will stop focusing on Uconn players things will be ok.. Diana, Bird & Collier are not supposed to be in that team.

Brilliant observation.

 

[JustaChicken]

 

[Darth_Vol]

Brilliant observation.

To be fair, he was certainly not the only one here to predict this team wouldn't win gold...

 

[madtownvol]

Stewart, Griner, and Wilson have been great.

Bird, Gray, and Charles have been awful.

Sue Bird had a slow start but finished strong. She was the team's best option at PG. I was impressed at how well Japan managed to hang in being so outrageously overmatched. They made some very high degree of difficulty shots but had no answer for Griner, Wilson, and Stewart. Chelsea Gray had a nice game too.

 

[dapeak]

To be fair, he was certainly not the only one here to predict this team wouldn't win gold...

I don’t think Gold was in question… it’s if certain players could’ve and should’ve been substituted for others. After these games it’s evident that Taurasi could’ve been replaced as well as Collier. To a lesser extent Bird could also have been replaced. No matter how “bad” people feel Skylar Or Gray played both would have outplayed any other PG in the tourney given the minutes/opportunity

 

[wcbbfantalk]

Arike will never be on the team as long as Geno is involved with Team USA. He hates her as much if not more than he hates Candace. And if people don't think he still has a large voice in who makes the team, then they're probably the same idiots who acted like he didn't have a say so when he was literally the head coach of the team and picked washed up ass Swin Cash and Ashja Jones to ride the pine in London after not being on the team in Beijing.

The revisionist history is just unreal here. People will just literally make up whatever story suits their preexisting biases and loyalties.

Re. "washed up ass" (such a lovely turn of phrase!)
Swin Cash was a WNBA All-Star in 2011, the last season before the 2012 Olympic team was announced. Did she go from WNBA All-Star to "washed up ass" in just 9 months? Or was this another evil Geno-orchestrated conspiracy to get her named to the WNBA all-star team as well?

Ashja Jones was MVP of the EuroLeague "Final Eight" in spring 2012, just before the roster was announced. Again, not exactly evidence of a player who was "washed up".

It's unbelievable how in 2016 people tried to say it was all Geno's fault because he actually picked the team. But now that Dawn's the coach and Geno is 1 of 5 committee members, now the coach has no power at all. And I guess all along the other committee members are somehow under some hypnotic spell where they decide whatever the evil Geno tells them to.

All the haters can just go kick rocks. People actually cheering for the USA to lose so that they can say "I told you so" and score petty points. Disgusting.

 

[PG1]

Great win Like Kara Lawson said this is the toughest team in the world to make. Dynasty