Basketball World Championships

[GVGjr]

Just watched a replay of the Australia vs Jordon. Very lucky to get away with a win after trailing all game.
The bigger blokes did well but the guards struggled.

Any interest in it?

[mjp]

Re: Basketball World Championships

Just watched a replay of the Australia vs Jordon. Very lucky to get away with a win after trailing all game.
The bigger blokes did well but the guards struggled.

Any interest in it?

I watched the replay this morning as well.

Lack of a quick first step by the guards really shone out - they are good steady players but not enough of a threat off the dribble which is closing up the defence.

I thought Jordan should have won.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Basketball World Championships

Didn't know it was on! Would've had a look...been a bit crook this morning, so would've missed the replay too.

[EasternWest]

Re: Basketball World Championships

I struggle to watch Australian basketball. It frustrates the hell out of me.

The inability of our big guys to actually impose themselves physically on a game drives me insane.

Cases in point:
Chris Anstey - preferred to shoot from the perimeter and commit cheap, nasty defensive fouls than bust his ar$e in the paint.
Luc Longley - I read a college review of him that called him a "great high post passer with a lousy feel for the game". Spot on.
Mark Bradtke - Shoulders like a manta ray. Liked it physical in defense, but offensively had no capacity to break a guy down.
Andrew Bogut - Great player, really developing well before his terrible injury, but prefers little jumpers and hooks.

The problem with all these players (and Australian big guys in general) was their preference to take little jump hooks when they found themselves two feet from the hoop. You're all 8 foot 20 FFS, get up there and dunk it. Be a physical presence.

Our big guys get pushed around, and as a result we invariably end up playing an outside perimeter based game that is so one dimensional good teams just let us shoot from outside and mop up the boards. Usually easily because it was our biggest guy that shot the f@#ing thing.

End rant.

[GVGjr]

Re: Basketball World Championships

Maric and Andersen did well today and from what I have seen of Baynes he is a monster on the boards. Nielsen had a good run in the 3rd quarter. Maric had a monster dunk in the 3rd quarter as well.

As MJP mentioned, the guards are a step slow and couldn't hit their shots. I'm not sure Newley and Ingles will ever be good shooters anyway.

Worthingtons selection seems to be a bad one.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Basketball World Championships

I struggle to watch Australian basketball. It frustrates the hell out of me.

The inability of our big guys to actually impose themselves physically on a game drives me insane.

.

Love this post.
Couldn't agree more.

But having watched the Oz v Arg game today, I was hanging for the Boomers to really clear out and isolate Andersen one on one to see how he went, he's got some moves to counter his smaller frame for a low post play. But alas that never came either.

[GVGjr]

Re: Basketball World Championships

But having watched the Oz v Arg game today, I was hanging for the Boomers to really clear out and isolate Andersen one on one to see how he went, he's got some moves to counter his smaller frame for a low post play. But alas that never came either.

I watched it this morning and once again the guards didn't do enough. Nielsen did well as did Andersen. Maric couldn't get on a roll. Mills took some shots at the wrong which just kept us behind. Would have been a good game to pinch the win.

[Mantis]

Re: Basketball World Championships

Had a big win (78-43) against the Germans o/n.

A good result which means we need to win one more game to ensure a place in the KO round.

Remaining games are against Serbia & Angola.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Re: Basketball World Championships

We are in a good position. The Argentina game would have set us up beautifully but we could have lost a disasterous game to Jordan so we have to accept splitting a two point win and a two point loss.
Although Gibsons triple at the buzzer against Argentina was damn close

We will need to play well to beat both Serbia and Angola

Serbia will require a disciplined performance at both ends, and we will need to have a few perimeter guys shoot well.

Angola are arguably a team we may not match up that well with, and may cause us difficulties by going small, but we should be able to topple them.

[Mantis]

Re: Basketball World Championships

Australia have beaten Angola 76-55 to finish 3rd in group A. A good win taking into account that Andersen missed with a stomach complaint and I think Maric might have missed too.... Having visited Turkey a few years back I can atest that the stomach bugs over there are pretty severe.

We now face Slovenia in the 2nd round.