FIBA World Championships 2010 coming at the right time for USA
Basketball is a big deal in Turkey, and the arenas while smaller than most NBA stadiums have a modern standard. The Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul is the largest one, seating 16,000. I would expect most of the games to be sold out, at least those featuring attractive teams. Turkey is also a major tourism destination, so a lot of fans (and media people) won't mind traveling there to combine basketball with historic sightseeing or a short beach holiday
USA Basketball team TEAM: When has Team USA last won the FIBA world championships? Beep beep beep time is up. 1994. In 1998 they came in third. In 2002 a somewhat misconstructed team (featuring our own Andre Miller and former Blazers Jermaine O'Neal and Raef LaFrentz) lost 3 times in the tournament at home in Indianapolis and came in 6th. In 2006, a Team USA that looked great on paper with Paul, Wade, LeBron, Melo, Howard, Bosh, Brand and more stars lost to Greece in the semi finals in Japan behind a great performance of their physical wing players and an undersized center named Sofoklis Schortsanitis (see below) who never made the NBA to date. They won the bronze medal game again. Greece lost to Spain in the finals, half drunken from their victory against the mighty USA and half because the Gasol brothers were able to do what the US big men could not to: Rule the paint. This is finaly the time when USA can Win FIBA World Championship 2010 Live Stream
GROUP C TEAMS: A really physical and usually well-organized team that is tough to score against. E.g. Greece routinely defended Dirk Nowitzki as good as any team in international competitions, constantly doubling and hacking him. A team with just one or two star players typically stands no chance against them. Greece absolutely killed in some preparation games, including a 123-49 over Canada which itself didn't have a bad test phase. Another big semi final against the US or Spain wouldn't surprise any international observer at all.
Group D TEAMS: Lithuania this year does not have a lot of players you will know by name aside from forward Linas Kleiza (Nuggets, now Raptors), but they always file a team that "can do some things" and is "scrappy" to use a few McMillanisms. With 3.2 million people the country has a smaller population than the city of LA, but with one of the best youth systems in the world is able to produce quality basketball players over and over again. This year is not an exception, giving Team USA some problems in a test game this weekend especially with athletic forwards who can hit from outside or drive. Only their guards turned it over a bit too much and didn't create major damage offensively. But veteran Renaldas Seibutis (SG) is still a strong player able to put Rudy-on-a-good-day performances on the court.
CHANGES IN THE RULES ?: Yes, FIBA is working to make its rules much more similar to the NBA rules. But the bulk of those changes won't go into effect until October 1st, immediately after these world championships. Key changes include extending the three point line from 6.25 m to 6.75 m (22 ft), a rectangular restricted area instead of the current trapezoid from the free throw line, and a no-charge semi circle. But again, all of this is not in effect yet for this tournament.
USA Basketball team TEAM: When has Team USA last won the FIBA world championships? Beep beep beep time is up. 1994. In 1998 they came in third. In 2002 a somewhat misconstructed team (featuring our own Andre Miller and former Blazers Jermaine O'Neal and Raef LaFrentz) lost 3 times in the tournament at home in Indianapolis and came in 6th. In 2006, a Team USA that looked great on paper with Paul, Wade, LeBron, Melo, Howard, Bosh, Brand and more stars lost to Greece in the semi finals in Japan behind a great performance of their physical wing players and an undersized center named Sofoklis Schortsanitis (see below) who never made the NBA to date. They won the bronze medal game again. Greece lost to Spain in the finals, half drunken from their victory against the mighty USA and half because the Gasol brothers were able to do what the US big men could not to: Rule the paint. This is finaly the time when USA can Win FIBA World Championship 2010 Live Stream
GROUP C TEAMS: A really physical and usually well-organized team that is tough to score against. E.g. Greece routinely defended Dirk Nowitzki as good as any team in international competitions, constantly doubling and hacking him. A team with just one or two star players typically stands no chance against them. Greece absolutely killed in some preparation games, including a 123-49 over Canada which itself didn't have a bad test phase. Another big semi final against the US or Spain wouldn't surprise any international observer at all.
Group D TEAMS: Lithuania this year does not have a lot of players you will know by name aside from forward Linas Kleiza (Nuggets, now Raptors), but they always file a team that "can do some things" and is "scrappy" to use a few McMillanisms. With 3.2 million people the country has a smaller population than the city of LA, but with one of the best youth systems in the world is able to produce quality basketball players over and over again. This year is not an exception, giving Team USA some problems in a test game this weekend especially with athletic forwards who can hit from outside or drive. Only their guards turned it over a bit too much and didn't create major damage offensively. But veteran Renaldas Seibutis (SG) is still a strong player able to put Rudy-on-a-good-day performances on the court.
CHANGES IN THE RULES ?: Yes, FIBA is working to make its rules much more similar to the NBA rules. But the bulk of those changes won't go into effect until October 1st, immediately after these world championships. Key changes include extending the three point line from 6.25 m to 6.75 m (22 ft), a rectangular restricted area instead of the current trapezoid from the free throw line, and a no-charge semi circle. But again, all of this is not in effect yet for this tournament.
