Subject: Las Vegas Pre-Olympic Final Match

USA´s and Argentina´s basketball teams, already qualified to the Olympic games in Beijing, will face each other again tonight, in the final match of the tournament.
Last match Argentina wasn´t effective in 3 points throws, and USA did it very well in this aspect, also Prigioni, our guard, was a bit insecure with the ball and produced to many turn-overs, plus Argentina had to play against Brazil to qualify, and that was the most important game for us, so I think players were careful to avoid injuries.
I know it´s gonna be hard against your Dream Team, but I think Argentina B could manage to give the surprise tonight.

Cheers, lets see what happens tonight, for sure the 2 best teams in America qualified for the Olympic games. ;)
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there's basketball over there?
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Where? Argentina? Of course, we are the present time Olympic Champions, our team will defend the gold medal in Beijing 2008, they were 4th in last World Cup, we lost in semi-finals by 1 point against Spain, that was the champion of the tournament. And with Scola, we will have 6 players playing in NBA next season.

And about today´s match, USA was very strong and won fair and square, again taking the lead and making the difference mostly with 3 pointers, it was barely obsene the effectiveness US´s players had in 3 points throws, specialy LeBrom James. Still was a great performance of our B team qualifiying for the Olympic Games.

Hope we´ll face each other again in the Olympics when we´ll have Ginobili, Oberto, Nocioni, Pepe Sanchez, Herrmann, etc, etc. ;)
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if the US actually plays self-less and without ego - like they did this week, they will be unbeatable.

The USA basketball player of this decade actually cares about playing defense. This team can wear you out. This is what will separate this team from recent history, I believe.

The only way the US will lose is if they run across some unique offense that's run very efficiently. in fact, that's how the 2006 team tripped up in the semifinals if I recall correctly.

I don´t think they are unbeatable, of course extremely hard to beat, I think you need to play very intense defense, making them shoot from uncomfortable positions, wishing that they effectiveness in 3 points throws be a little less than today´s :P, and fighting all the rebounds, then you have to play very calm in offense, choosing your shoots carefuly, and again fighting intensively the rebounds. If you try to run and play at the same pace US does it, you will lose, attack for attack USA will crush you, because of the streght of their individualities.

To me, Greece beat you on 2006 World Cup, thanks to their defense, like Argentina did it on 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, or in 2002 Indianapolis World Cup.
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the big difference to me though Juan, is that the team doesn't play as individuals anymore.

I agree with you in the sense that the best way to beat the USA is to limit their ability to penetrate, force them to beat you from outside.

they'll still beat you most of the time, but not all of the time.

again, to me, the big difference now is that the team plays defense. In past years it hasn't. I think the US ran into a confusing team in Greece in 2006 who played the game of their lives....

Yea, I noticed that, now they tend to move the ball around more than they used to, but still they have a bigger tendency to individual plays than other national teams, cause NBA it is play more individualistic(excepting San Antonio and Detroit) than FIBA basketball. But what I meant with the streght of their individualities, is that player by player USA is more than any other team in the world. And the only way to beat them is matching them up to your team, making a big team and individual effort, to make USA play a little worse than they use to and yours a little better.
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Juan: I agree, but there are several national teams susceptible to this nowadays (individualism). Including Argentina.

The NBA is considerably more a global game then it used to be.

I know, I know, what I don´t know if Argentina is the best example, the one that comes to my mind is Germany, depending almost exclusively of Nowitsky.

Fortunately, we all know Dirk chokes in big games :)

Hehe, luckily and most of the time against San Antonio. :P
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We need a serious coach. Then we can dream with a good team.