http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/columns/stor...andy&id=1877625 So they are thinking of having try outs for the future National teams. I love the idea even though a whole bunch of my idols would have their feelings hurt. Alot of the NBA's "superstars" would probably bypass trying out for a team mainly for pride issues. Thats ok though because this process would probably produce a much stronger team. The NBA doesn't really need to have its superstars exposed to the international media anymore anyway, the league is already known in every corner of the planet. So what do we think about try outs?????
i don't know about you americans but us in other countries always hold open tryouts for the national team. the way i look at it, it may not be feasible for NBA pros to undergo some kind of audition to validate if they pass muster to whoever is tasked to coach that particular team. you just might run the risk of NBA pros bypassing altogether such tryouts. if NBA pros turn down invites, what more tryouts? just a thought.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Steely Damned:</div><div class="quote_post">i don't know about you americans but us in other countries always hold open tryouts for the national team.</div> This reminds me of a story about Steve Nash back in 1993-1994. Back then Nash was in college still but hadn't yet played for the Senior Canadian National Team. Back then Canada had a pg named Ronn McMahon, who had played NCAA and was a decent guard (you may remember him as the short little white guy with blonde hair that was guarding Magic Johnson back when Canada played Dream Team 1). Well the coach decided that after watching young Nash and McMahon train with our national program that it was time for Steve to step up and become the pg of the senior team. This McMahon guy was pissed of course, but if seniority played through and Nash hadn't made the jump up to the level where he should have been, who is to say that he would be a first round draft in the NBA 3 years later? My point is spots shouldn't be "given", they should be "earned". The best players for the situation make the team, and egos are to be checked at the door.
like what you canadians do for the olympic hockey team? now that's dedication and pure love for the game. i'm still stunned with the personal anecdotes of jarone iginla and the rest...
it's dumb, Nba players are going to play like NBA players. Just pick the best this time. If that's not possible, then balance the team. The team needs not be balanced if they are the best players. But if they are second tier stars, make the team all around. Bobby jackson, boykins, dampier, mcgloire could of helped. US comittee got **** in their ****** so they are desperate and trying to make it look good. I wouldn't say dream team 1 was a balanced team such as dream team 2, but they all had the best players in the world.
Im goign for national trials here to make the Irish U20s team and i will probably make it,when i climb the ranks to the senior team,hopefully i go from my domestic team to playing pro in Europe...Always go to tryouts,nothing to lose.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting EcinPC:</div><div class="quote_post"> But if they are second tier stars, make the team all around. Bobby jackson, boykins, dampier, mcgloire could of helped.</div> Mcgloire is from Canada. We wish he would have been around last summer for the olympic qualifying.
2 words. ABOUT TIME All the LAZY superstars should stop relaxing on a beach for 2 weeks and go out and win the USA its pride back. The spirit of the olympics is all within us and i would kill to play in the olympics!
They should have try outs. THen you will have superstars and role players making a team. If you look at a successful TEAM you have roll players. Players who know their role and don't BITCH if they dont' play one game.
I think that the tryoust system is a very good one, however, there is obviously going to be priority to top notch pro players. I think the tryout system gives equal oppurtunity for up and comers to help their country's team, but it will come with alot of criticism
I dont think tryouts are a good idea. People want to see NBA stars on the team, even if they are not indeed the "best" team, they are still the best players on the planet.
What's the point having the best players, if they're not gonna be the best team and win? Whoever organises the team (it's USA Basketball and not the coaches, right?) needs to think about putting a winning, competitive team out there, rather than a star studded line-up that's good for marketing.
I actually like the idea. To me I think of them putting a team together with the most chemistry. They'll most likely have mostly superstars and a few all-stars. To me the stars of the league should be up for this kinda challenge. If a few don't make it, it's obviously because they picked a role player who is use to playing with other stars.
If they will make the tryouts system then it is geting scary! It will limit the number of teams who will be able to give fight to USA. But still I think that after 4 years Europe will have more NBA talent (not more than USA, more than now). There are a lot old europe basketball players, and it should change in these few years! But I would like to se the fight for gold, it would be more interesting even if USA wil win. I don't whant to hear anymore: "Ha I knew that they will lose. If we would send KG, Kobe and Shaq.... hell thend La Clipers and they will be stomping everybody by 30 points!"
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hipokrat_x(LV):</div><div class="quote_post">If they will make the tryouts system then it is geting scary! It will limit the number of teams who will be able to give fight to USA. But still I think that after 4 years Europe will have more NBA talent (not more than USA, more than now). There are a lot old europe basketball players, and it should change in these few years! But I would like to se the fight for gold, it would be more interesting even if USA wil win. I don't whant to hear anymore: "Ha I knew that they will lose. If we would send KG, Kobe and Shaq.... hell thend La Clipers and they will be stomping everybody by 30 points!"</div> How bout' sending Redd,B.Barry,Mobely,Jacobson,Walt Williams and Voshon Leanrd,practicing under the RIGHT american coaching and than winning by 30 points?? It can be so simple for team USA...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rod:</div><div class="quote_post">How bout' sending Redd,B.Barry,Mobely,Jacobson,Walt Williams and Voshon Leanrd,practicing under the RIGHT american coaching and than winning by 30 points??</div> lol sounds like a 3 pt shootout. but seriously the tryouts is actually a very good and solid idea. with tryouts, players best suited for olympics are selected. but i got a feelin many superstars will turn it down, due to pride and conditioning issues. yet, i feel the next usa team will not be that loaded with talent, but will be mature and a better unit overall
I don't know how the logistics of the tryouts would work, and the article doesn't spell that out at all. Is it a tryout among invitees? That is, USA Basketball selects x number of players (maybe 100 or something) that then tryout against each other? Or is it open to all? If it's open to to all, I suppose you could have little mini-tryouts in lots of big cities, and then kind of narrow down the field again and again. But that would still be hard, and where would the NBA players come in? Would they even tryout that many times knowing they risk injury each time? If not, then where would they be slotted? Automatically put in the final tryout? In my opinion, the logistical mess just makes this too confusing of a possibility. In theory however, I still don't think it's the best idea, but it is an intriguing one. The question to ask is, what element does a tryout add that we're currently missing? I believe one is competition - that people will be competing to be on the team rather than competing not to be there. It makes it exclusive - you have to prove yourself to be on the squad. It (perhaps) allows non-NBA players to join - definitely another interesting addition, but could the non-NBA players even hang with the pros? And lastly, it lets the coach choose how to build their team with chemistry. Of these, I think all could be implemented in a less logisticly confusing format. You could still have the coach choose from among NBA players who he wants on his team. You could have invite-only scrimmages to see what happens when you mix and match certain players, and even invite CBA players or NBDL players who might bring something to the table that you don't have - the desire to play, to win, to prove themselves, and to prove the doubters wrong. But most importantly, I think, is letting the coach choose the players he wants. I'm not sure how much input Larry Brown, Roy Williams and Gregg Popovich had on selecting the players for the USA Olympic Team. Let the coaches decide how to build a team that they would be able to coach, and that fits their system. I just don't think a tryout would necessarily solve the woes that plague USA basketball. What's not solved by this, too, is the problem of the players not playing together for long enough. No matter what, if you use NBA players, there just isn't enough time to practice together. And if you don't use NBA players, I don't think you're tapping into the amount of talent you have. That's as if a team like Argentina decided not to use their A team, but decided to use their B team instead. Overall, I believe that the USA Basketball team mainly suffered from two things - lack of chemistry and lack of practice. I think the former could be solved by simply getting a GM (perhaps a retired one who's only job is to scout European teams, and decide what kind of roster he wants to put together), and the latter - well, I don't have an answer for that. As I see it, you need to use NBA players, but the long season, and the fear of injury/lack of rest for some of those players would probably keep them away. The best bet is just to go with the same format as the other international teams - that is, most of them have one or two NBA players on their teams, and they all seem to play well.
