Why I can't Respect Coach K

[X*Cell]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

I don't think Bowen would have been the better choice over Brad Miller. Bowen is a good one-on-one defender, but he struggles against cutting, Euro style offense. He's also too much of a liability on the offensive end.

If you want to criticize Coach K for letting his team shoot 25+ threes in the game against Greece, or for not getting the ball in the post enough, go ahead... but to criticize him for cutting the worst overall basketball player on the original roster is not a legitimate reason why he shouldn't have been the coach for the job.

This is our biggest problem though. Why do we have to look at the overall picture and talent level? Isn't that what's driving U.S.A. basketball into the ground compared to the other elite countries? We NEED role players, and Bruce Bowen is the poster-boy of role players, and would have had an impact moreso than Brad Miller. I'm not saying that Bowen alone would change that loss to Greece to a win, but we needed more players like Bowen with specialties. That's all these foreign players are, and we have seen this when they transfer to the NBA too... they are all Specialists.

[TreyFury97]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

and battier, which is a bowen wanna be, was one of the best USA players in the tournament.

bowen should be in. instead of one of the 3 superstars. you´re fine with 2 of them and a role player.

redd would also help, but you can also have a spot up shooter role player type of guy. wasen´t redick cut also?

hmpf, hate coach K

Can we get off the whole Michael Redd bandwagon? I love him as a shooter, but he wouldn't have made all of his outside shots. Joe Johnson two years ago shot 48%, and is known as a shooter. Until the Greece game, we were fifth in the World Champsionships shooting 37.5% from three. The problem was the one on one spread offense where people camped around the 3 point line, not moving and setting picks to give open three point looks. Also that short 3 point line makes people who aren't shooters(Dwyane, Lebron), think that they'll make it b/c its closer. Those shots are a lot harder to make when the pressure's on, and when you're contested.

As for Bruce Bowen, I would've taken Battier(and if you know me, you know that's hard for me to say as he's my most hated college players of all time), b/c not only can he body up, he makes all the hustle plays, and takes charges and things like that.

Coach K is to blame b/c he didn't play any sort of organized offense, and really didn't try to change up his defenses. Until the US game, Greece wasn't that good of a perimeter team, but when they got successful making shots, they gained the confidence to step up at hit their threes. Maybe if the Rudy T, the head of U-S scouting could have scouted better, they would've known to zone them with a 3-2 setup, and make them set their offense up outside their comfort zone.

Coach K, stick to the College game.

[Brankles]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

This is our biggest problem though. Why do we have to look at the overall picture and talent level? Isn't that what's driving U.S.A. basketball into the ground compared to the other elite countries? We NEED role players, and Bruce Bowen is the poster-boy of role players, and would have had an impact moreso than Brad Miller. I'm not saying that Bowen alone would change that loss to Greece to a win, but we needed more players like Bowen with specialties. That's all these foreign players are, and we have seen this when they transfer to the NBA too... they are all Specialists.

I agree, to a certain extent, about the specialists. It would be great to have a "specialist" who hustles, can hit threes, and can move the ball around on offense.

But if you look on these other international teams, there aren't any players like Bruce Bowen who ONLY play defense. Most of their sets rely on a lot of ball movements and cuts, so they need guys who can do more than one thing on the defensive end (Bruce Bowen is specifically a one on one defensive player.)

There was a reason he struggled in the preliminary games, and it's because his defense was taken away from him. He was basically worthless.

Shane Battier is a player with a higher basketball IQ than Bowen, and he was one of the bright spots on the team. Players with good basketball smarts succeed in these international tournaments... and I think Bruce Bowen is lacking in that area.

[X*Cell]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

I agree, to a certain extent, about the specialists. It would be great to have a "specialist" who hustles, can hit threes, and can move the ball around on offense.

But if you look on these other international teams, there aren't any players like Bruce Bowen who ONLY play defense. Most of their sets rely on a lot of ball movements and cuts, so they need guys who can do more than one thing on the defensive end (Bruce Bowen is specifically a one on one defensive player.)

There was a reason he struggled in the preliminary games, and it's because his defense was taken away from him. He was basically worthless.

Shane Battier is a player with a higher basketball IQ than Bowen, and he was one of the bright spots on the team. Players with good basketball smarts succeed in these international tournaments... and I think Bruce Bowen is lacking in that area.

Well put...

but if intelligence is our problem... then Coach K needs to bounce... he didn't even know what kind of a player Joe Johnson was before this whole thing started... that to me is unacceptable.

[Brankles]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

Yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of Coach K either.

Which makes me wonder... who would be the best coach for the job? I think Mike D'Antoni's high tempo theory of "the more shots both teams take, the more likely we are to win" method would be successful, as long as we took good shots. When the US ran breaks, we were absolutely unstoppable. I'm not sure if D'Antoni was part of the coaching staff already... but I think he'd be a great head coach of the US team.

[X*Cell]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

Yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of Coach K either.

Which makes me wonder... who would be the best coach for the job? I think Mike D'Antoni's high tempo theory of "the more shots both teams take, the more likely we are to win" method would be successful, as long as we took good shots. When the US ran breaks, we were absolutely unstoppable. I'm not sure if D'Antoni was part of the coaching staff already... but I think he'd be a great head coach of the US team.

Yeah, he was an assistant coach, but how much say do they get in the matter. I think he should have been the headcoach as well.

[Muzyk23]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

Why is Redd so hyped here? bring AI and KG together

[P2K]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

Why is Redd so hyped here? bring AI and KG together

AI didn't work last time. Why use him again?

[Streets]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

Brad Miller, Bruce Bowen... Honestly, it doesn't matter. People are whining and complaining about the last man off the bench for god's sake, like that would've made a difference. I know you're a Spurs fan and wanna see your boy represented, but I guarentee that Bruce Bowen (who was the worst player on the roster) would not have made a difference. He was cut for a reason and it was the right choice. He does one thing on D (pesky one-on-one defending), and one thing on offense (shoots threes from the corner). This is not some big travesty and definately is not the reason to hate coach k.

Now, not switching up the defense, and not being able to defend the same play over and over again (the PNR), thats another story entirely...

[CMH]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

Maybe NBA players can't guard the pick-and-roll.

[Pointguard]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

I know Dallas has a hell of a time trying to guard the PnR, but with the athleitc abilities that team US had, it shouldnt have been the problem it was.

[thenbagamer]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

miller over bowen is so dumb...considering Lebron james was playing center...

[PdiddyPop]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

redd would also help, but you can also have a spot up shooter role player type of guy. wasen´t redick cut also?

JJ didn't tryout, because he had back surgery.

[skitch]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

I'm definitely a big Coach K fan, loving the teams he's put together at Duke for years and years... but this was stupid. I really don't see how it makes sense picking up Miller, not playing him, and casting off one of the best defenders in the league. Bowen has proved himself in the NBA time and time again, defending some of the best offensive players in the league, as well as being able to shoot the three-ball. He could definitely have helped Team USA.

[PdiddyPop]

Re: Why I can't Respect Coach K

I'm definitely a big Coach K fan, loving the teams he's put together at Duke for years and years... but this was stupid. I really don't see how it makes sense picking up Miller, not playing him, and casting off one of the best defenders in the league. Bowen has proved himself in the NBA time and time again, defending some of the best offensive players in the league, as well as being able to shoot the three-ball. He could definitely have helped Team USA.

Yeah, but he was the only player that didn't score a point in the exhibition games, and plus Battier is almost as good defending, and is a way better offensive player, and shooter than Bowen was. I could see K going for Miller over Bowen, but he should have played Brad more. He kinda just stuck him on the bench like he did Chris Burgess a few years ago, and Casey Sanders. Only way those guys could have learned to play was to get some serious court action. I'm not going to second guess K on anything, because again had they hit their free throws....we would have won the Greece game, and more than likely the gold medal. Esp after the way we took it to Argentina in the bronze medal game.