Make no mistake, w/ Kobe the USA easily comes home w/ gold

<div class="quote_poster">kevingar77 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">they needed a bit more then the amazing Kobe, if they had garnet and shquile oneal nobody would score more then 60-65 points against them, the team was to offensive and the D was horrible</div>
Kobe had what i took to make that team better. They were simply too young and inexperienced.

 

I'm just wondering, but where do you get proof like this? Can you foresee something that never happened? Can you actually see them winning gold with Kobe? Cause I can't. They weren't good enough, even with Kobe. The teamwork wasn't there. The defense wasn't there. In general, the U.S. was not the best team, nor would they have been with Kobe. You have no legitimate proof that the U.S. would have won gold with him, unless you are psychic and can see things that never happened.

 

All thses "facts" as to why Kobe would make this team an instant winner haven't helped him lead an inexperienced yet talented sqad out of the first round yet...

If will to win and leadership from your best player is all it takes to win, then the finals would be Kobe vs KG every year except maybe AI vs TD every once in a while.

 

Sometimes you need more than will to win. Sometimes you actually need help from others, and Kobe (or KG) never got that consistently last year. That's why Kobe didn't make it out of the first round and KG didn't even make the playoffs.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Moo2K4 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Sometimes you need more than will to win. Sometimes you actually need help from others, and Kobe (or KG) never got that consistently last year. That's why Kobe didn't make it out of the first round and KG didn't even make the playoffs.</div>

This is exactly my point. A bunch of people on this thread act like Kobe can just will a team to victory, yet the lakers weren't very successful last year. So why would the USA team be that much better off with him? They didnt need scoring, or defense, or anything else. The USA team needed teamwork, not will to win.

 

<div class="quote_poster">TheFreshPrince Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">All thses "facts" as to why Kobe would make this team an instant winner haven't helped him lead an inexperienced yet talented sqad out of the first round yet...</div>
Yet? He's been with that team only 2yrs. AND for the record, they weren't even SUPPOSED to make the damn playoffs. The team isn't very talented compared to the elites. But yet they MORE THAN exceeded expectations last year. Be realistic

<div class="quote_poster">TheFreshPrince Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">If will to win and leadership from your best player is all it takes to win, then the finals would be Kobe vs KG every year except maybe AI vs TD every once in a while.</div>
Big difference. The Lakers are different than Team USA. Team USA actually has enuff talent to win. My point was that they needed the WILL power to stay together during that crucial stretch they got down.

 

Kobe's will has nothing to do with helping a team. Kobe's will oculd only help if team usa was down 1 with one play reamaining. O, wait, we have melo for that who is already better. We need to play as a team, no other individual skill will contribute anthing to this team.

 

<div class="quote_poster">TheFreshPrince Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe's will has nothing to do with helping a team. Kobe's will oculd only help if team usa was down 1 with one play reamaining. O, wait, we have melo for that who is already better. We need to play as a team, no other individual skill will contribute anthing to this team.</div>
So you'd take Melo over Kobe to make and big shot? The team went on a terrible dry spell. During that time they missed free throw, layups, assignments. With Kobe, those layups would've been points. You can't isolate the incident to being down 1pt.

 

I take kobe over melo for the big shot anyday of the week.....

 

That isn't what I was saying. I was saying that we don't need clutch shooting, we already have a very clutch scorer (in melo, who is statistically better, but I would prefer Kobe) so what would Kobe bring to the table? We didn't need anything except teamwork. I don't think any ONE player could do this, and if you do, that really doesn't make sense.

 

<div class="quote_poster">TheFreshPrince Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">That isn't what I was saying. I was saying that we don't need clutch shooting, we already have a very clutch scorer (in melo, who is statistically better, but I would prefer Kobe) so what would Kobe bring to the table? We didn't need anything except teamwork. I don't think any ONE player could do this, and if you do, that really doesn't make sense.</div>
Teamwork? With a couple rebounds, made free throws, or momenum breaking shots we'd had won that game. The "Team" was created strictly for teamwork, that wasn't the problem. The problem is they couldn't hit a shot or stay in front of their man. Kobe eliminates that off the top.

 

Horrible logic. You can't just see the game and then insert Kobe at a particularily oppurtune time. Putting Kobe in the game would change how the game would go, and who knows if he would've been shooting every single free throw or game-changing shot.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Horrible logic. You can't just see the game and then insert Kobe at a particularily oppurtune time. Putting Kobe in the game would change how the game would go, and who knows if he would've been shooting every single free throw or game-changing shot.</div>
Why? It's perfect logic. You have a player who could change the whole direction of the game, and do the things neccesary to win. We don't know if he'd be shooting those free throws, but we know that he'd prolly be doin most of the creating in that situation. Not taking anything away from Lebron, Wade, or Carmello, but Kobe's better than all those guys.

 

No, it really is terrible logic. Cause what about the rest of the game? How do we know he doesn't play like crap? Shoot 0-10 and have a half dozen TOs? That's terrible logic to assume the game would be going smoothly prior to that point. We don't know how he would have played for the rest of the game prior to the point, so I don't know where you come up with these things.

 

karma for lack of arenas

 

<div class="quote_poster">Moo2K4 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">No, it really is terrible logic. Cause what about the rest of the game? How do we know he doesn't play like crap? Shoot 0-10 and have a half dozen TOs? That's terrible logic to assume the game would be going smoothly prior to that point. We don't know how he would have played for the rest of the game prior to the point, so I don't know where you come up with these things.</div>
No it's great logic. Kobe is known to have big games in the most hostile situations. The chances of him not being a factor on that team are minimal considering the fact that he's prolly the best playmaker on the team, plus the best momentum breaker. Meaning with one big play the game could've swung in USA's favor. The so called clutch players disappeared in the clutch and couldn't even play defense. Nobody on that team can hold Kobe and his range can stretch out that pissy zone they used on us. It all comes back to Kobe.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Rock4life Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe is known to have big games in the most hostile situations.</div>

Finals 2004, Game 7 last season.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The chances of him not being a factor on that team are minimal considering the fact that he's prolly the best playmaker on the team</div>

Nope, that goes to Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, or LeBron James.

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">plus the best momentum breaker</div>

Your telling me LeBron or Dwyane can't be a momentum breaker?

Sorry man, you can think these hypothetical's up all you want, but your not going to change my mind and I'm sure a lot of other people's minds on this subject. Kobe on Team USA doesn't make the gold medal a lock.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Bobcats Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Finals 2004, Game 7 last season.</div>
Stop it already. If would of scored 81pts in game 7 you'd bein crying he's a ballhog. He made an effort to get his team involved and they didn't come to play. That's what happened.


<div class="quote_poster">Bobcats Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Nope, that goes to Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, or LeBron James.</div>
Maybe on NBA Live. But in real life Kobe's the best playmaker. Chris Paul? You can't be serious


<div class="quote_poster">Bobcats Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Your telling me LeBron or Dwyane can't be a momentum breaker?</div>
I'm tellin you they can be, but weren't in the olympics. They choked under pressure.
<div class="quote_poster">Bobcats Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Sorry man, you can think these hypothetical's up all you want, but your not going to change my mind and I'm sure a lot of other people's minds on this subject. Kobe on Team USA doesn't make the gold medal a lock.</div>
You think Chris Paul is a better playmaker than Kobe Bryant. I'm not sure I even need to debate that.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Rock4life Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Stop it already. If would of scored 81pts in game 7 you'd bein crying he's a ballhog. He made an effort to get his team involved and they didn't come to play. That's what happened. </div>

He should have had the basketball IQ/awareness to know that his team was struggling to score, so he should have put the scoring load on his own shoulders like he did in 95% of the lakers games.

And yes, CP3 is a much better playmaker than Kobe. I don't think I even have to debate it. Check out APG, and A/TO ratio if you think it is debatable

 

Fact 1. Kobe wasn't on the team. Fact 2. The team that was sent was capable of taking the gold. Fact 3. Kobe's presence would definitely be a plus for the team.

Here's the bottomline. The U.S. team could have won the gold without Kobe. The team had better balance of superstars and role players. I think that the U.S. team's process is heading to a right direction. The last few teams that was sent and that went home empty handed (not to mention a horrific 6th place finish) were loaded with stars, which in turn were loaded with ego's. The 1992 Dream Team are composed of players that are on a different plateu. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, arguably are 3 of the best in the world. Along with Pippen, Malone, Stockton, Drexler, Ewing, Robinson, Barkley, who are among the 50 Greatest Players in the NBA. These players had the ability to co-exist. They were able to put their ego's aside and play as a team. The last teams that were sent was all about showing off. They were more bullies than anything else.

While Kobe would have been a big factor, it would not have been a guarantee to winning the gold.