China vs USA 10 AM Today

[RadyLady]

they get the rebound off the miss, but don't get the put back...USA gets the rebound AND

 

[RadyLady]

Sims misses her shot, Stewey gets a couple of second chance opportunities but misses both,

 

[RadyLady]

another jump ball, then Ms Stewart blocks a 3 (yes!)

 

[RadyLady]

And we are done.

USA wins with a better effort in the 4th 99 - 75

Newbies fouled early on, but got more settled in the 4th quarter.

 

[RadyLady]

Nneka with great stats: 16 points, 4 rebounds 3 assists and 2 steals. Fabulous!
Lavender did well: 14 points, 5 rebounds,
Charles with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and a block

As a team, they are a bunch of thieves: 12 steals with Augustus getting 4 of those

 

[easttexastrash]

Lavender and Nneka had great games and combined for 14 - 15 shooting. Augustus also goes 4-5 from the floor. Sims ties Whalen with 5 assists each.

Starters shoot 38% on 13-34 shooting.

 

[RadyLady]

But again, this is all just box score stuff. We don't know how people moved on the floor, set screens, passing sequences, and other intangibles because we are only fed stats....It stinks because you cannot evaluate the talent on the floor and how well it is working together...or not.

 

[easttexastrash]

Odyssey making her case...feeding the big gals...

She has had a lot of experience at feeding a Big Gal...aka BG.

 

[UcMiami]

Not a great second half by USA and certainly a dreadful start of Q3 by the presumed starting line-up. But the rest of the half was about experimentation and different combos with the 'back end' competition for spots. Based on these two games it is clear to me that international experience is a big factor. I think Lavender is proving that her Euro league success was not a fluke and I think has played herself onto the team if BG is unable to go. Dolson had another three fouls in 8.37 of playing time with zero rebounds. I understand she has the strength that might be useful and is a good screener and passer, but she has no international experience and I don't think she deserves to be on the team.
McBride after having a decent first game did little in this game and I think is probably out because of the three guards she is the one that is 'not a PG'.
So the final question in my mind is Diggins or Sims (besides the obvious BG question.) Diggins played better against AUS, Sims played much better against CHI. FYI - they both got a backcourt TO assigned to them, but that is typically the result of them chasing down someone else's bad pass so without seeing the play I discount those two TOs.

 

[easttexastrash]

Not a great second half by USA and certainly a dreadful start of Q3 by the presumed starting line-up. But the rest of the half was about experimentation and different combos with the 'back end' competition for spots. Based on these two games it is clear to me that international experience is a big factor. I think Lavender is proving that her Euro league success was not a fluke and I think has played herself onto the team if BG is unable to go. Dolson had another three fouls in 8.37 of playing time with zero rebounds. I understand she has the strength that might be useful and is a good screener and passer, but she has no international experience and I don't think she deserves to be on the team.
McBride after having a decent first game did little in this game and I think is probably out because of the three guards she is the one that is 'not a PG'.
So the final question in my mind is Diggins or Sims (besides the obvious BG question.) Diggins played better against AUS, Sims played much better against CHI. FYI - they both got a backcourt TO assigned to them, but that is typically the result of them chasing down someone else's bad pass so without seeing the play I discount those two TOs.

Looks like the next game may decide if Diggins or Sims makes the team. I think that Sims made a case for herself with 5 assists today. Hopefully she played some good defense, despite picking up 3 fouls. However, the 3 fouls leads me to believe that she was being extra aggressive on defense.

 

[RadyLady]

Not a great second half by USA and certainly a dreadful start of Q3 by the presumed starting line-up. But the rest of the half was about experimentation and different combos with the 'back end' competition for spots. Based on these two games it is clear to me that international experience is a big factor. I think Lavender is proving that her Euro league success was not a fluke and I think has played herself onto the team if BG is unable to go. Dolson had another three fouls in 8.37 of playing time with zero rebounds. I understand she has the strength that might be useful and is a good screener and passer, but she has no international experience and I don't think she deserves to be on the team.
McBride after having a decent first game did little in this game and I think is probably out because of the three guards she is the one that is 'not a PG'.
So the final question in my mind is Diggins or Sims (besides the obvious BG question.) Diggins played better against AUS, Sims played much better against CHI. FYI - they both got a backcourt TO assigned to them, but that is typically the result of them chasing down someone else's bad pass so without seeing the play I discount those two TOs.

I would agree except that we are making assumptions based on stats alone. We cannot see the intangibles. Interesting to note that no one linked the post game quotes from yesterday's game (I was off line the rest of the day)...I am reading them now, and I think based upon what I am reading that we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet...

Geno:

"We’re kind of in a little bit of a quandary. We obviously want to win the game, which is priority No. 1. But it’s a little unusual that priority No. 1-A is trying to get 15 players somewhat significant playing time as opposed to garbage time. So there’s no offensive flow, it’s tough on defense and we looked like it at times. But we’re trying to put our team together. We’re trying to find the right combination for everybody, and it’s important that we do that. I don’t want to sacrifice the game to do that, I’m glad we won, but I think you could see some things that we were doing that looked really, really good and some things that obviously we have to work on. Overall, we’re just going to get better all the time. I’ve been doing this long enough with USA Basketball that we don’t expect to look your best early on. As long as we keep improving, then I’m happy."

LINK

So it will be interesting to see what he has to say after today's game...

 

[UcMiami]

Interesting that all three guards in the running have a combined zero games of international play. That was one reason that I thought Vandersloot had a chance of making the team over them - the finals put paid to whatever chance she might have had I think.
I think I go with Sims but that might be my aversion to Kelly Green talking. I think it is a very tight competition between Diggins and Sims and Sims response to a nothing first game in Paris was quite impressive.

 

[doggydaddy]

I've never seen such marvelous box score analysis. I don't even need to see the game to make roster decisions.

 

[doggydaddy]

I've never seen such marvelous box score analysis. I don't even need to see the game to make roster decisions.

I can't believe this sarcastic post was my 6000th.

Well, maybe I can. The odds were pretty good.

 

[RadyLady]

I can't believe this sarcastic post was my 6000th.

Well, maybe I can. The odds were pretty good.

congrats on the 6K..and I wasn't surprised...

 

[easttexastrash]

"We’re kind of in a little bit of a quandary. We obviously want to win the game, which is priority No. 1. But it’s a little unusual that priority No. 1-A is trying to get 15 players somewhat significant playing time as opposed to garbage time. So there’s no offensive flow, it’s tough on defense and we looked like it at times. But we’re trying to put our team together. We’re trying to find the right combination for everybody, and it’s important that we do that. I don’t want to sacrifice the game to do that, I’m glad we won, but I think you could see some things that we were doing that looked really, really good and some things that obviously we have to work on. Overall, we’re just going to get better all the time. I’ve been doing this long enough with USA Basketball that we don’t expect to look your best early on. As long as we keep improving, then I’m happy."

I've seen more "offensive flow" right here.

 

[UcMiami]

I think we can look at the play by play to get some idea of the 'preparation of the national team' for the WC at this point. I think it is pretty clear that 10 players have secured spots based on the first 15 minutes of the game and the first 5 minutes of the third quarter. There might be a minor tweak to the starting line-up (Dupree out Nneka in? for example), but those 10 players have established themselves. And Geno is using at least half of these games to work specifically on the chemistry for those 10 players. And I would not be surprised if tomorrow he devotes 3/4s of the game to those ten players. The last two spots are important, but not more important than building the chemistry of the first 10.
And I think it was significant that Lavender came in first and played 5+ minutes to Dolson's two in the first half, and that Lavender was the first to be subbed in in the 3rdQ. And that through two games in terms of stats Lavender has put up impressive ones and Dolson has not.
The discrepancy in timing and minutes for OS, Diggins, and McBride was less apparent as are the statistic that they have put up.

 

[OneTrickPony]

And I think it was significant that Lavender came in first and played 5+ minutes to Dolson's two in the first half, and that Lavender was the first to be subbed in in the 3rdQ. And that through two games in terms of stats Lavender has put up impressive ones and Dolson has not.

Jantel's stat sheet today looks great...

 

[ThisJustIn]

Couple of random observations - The Olympic team under Geno had a history of slow starts... And, in 2006 short tall folks, Donovan ended up losing a FIBA game.

None of that means anything... just remembering.

 

[vtcwbuff]

". . . significant playing time as opposed to garbage time"

I can't believe that a coach would make such a demeaning, derogatory comment.

 

[RadyLady]

Couple of random observations - The Olympic team under Geno had a history of slow starts... And, in 2006 short tall folks, Donovan ended up losing a FIBA game.

None of that means anything... just remembering.

I don't know TJI - it has as much value if not more in my opinion then most of that which is posted on this thread today

 

[RadyLady]

". . . significant playing time as opposed to garbage time"

I can't believe that a coach would make such a demeaning, derogatory comment.

Well if it's good for the boneyard...

 

[UcMiami]

Couple of random observations - The Olympic team under Geno had a history of slow starts... And, in 2006 short tall folks, Donovan ended up losing a FIBA game.

None of that means anything... just remembering.

I think the slow starts speak to the strength of other team's starting five and the depth of the second wave of USA players in comparison to the other teams - the slow start was in comparison to the separation achieved when both teams went to their benches.
That 2006 team was the 'transition' team when the old guard from 1996 was gone and the new core was being formed - something that is beginning to happen now, but will gather speed in 2016 and be very apparent in 2018.

 

[RadyLady]

I think the slow starts speak to the strength of other team's starting five and the depth of the second wave of USA players in comparison to the other teams - the slow start was in comparison to the separation achieved when both teams went to their benches.
That 2006 team was the 'transition' team when the old guard from 1996 was gone and the new core was being formed - something that is beginning to happen now, but will gather speed in 2016 and be very apparent in 2018.

It could have something to do with the fact that they've only been playing together as a team for a couple of days...possibly

 

[Zorro]

I've never seen such marvelous box score analysis. I don't even need to see the game to make roster decisions.

Bad Doggy!!