Paris Olympics Discussion Thread | Page 8 | The Boneyard

Paris Olympics Discussion Thread

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Dillon77 said:
Thanks for reporting this early-morning game. Huuuge win for U.S. to try to get into that 4-team battle for the third and fourth slots.
Will need to check out the Canada team.

U.S. has admitted that they were trying to acclimate to each other (remember, three of the four had played with each other, then Brink went down). Maybe they'll get on a run with a few games under their belt.
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A couple notes to help you in your research:

  • Michelle and Katherine Plouffe are long time veterans in the Canada Basketball program
  • Played for Utah in college
  • both play overseas in the French league
  • were both part of the Canadian 5x5 teams for London and Rio
  • Opted to move to 3x3 and have been on the circuit for at least 3 years or more
  • Along with, Paige Crozon, they have been one of the more consistent teams on the FIBA 3x3 circuit
  • Katherine suffered an ACL last year which impacted Canada's performance on the circuit in 2023 (Still amazed she's back in time to compete)
 
I'll be honest. I haven't enjoyed watching basketball (men's or women's; 5x5 or 3x3) during Paris 2024. Hopefully all four teams pick it up, but so far--a HUGE dud. Hopefully both 5x5 teams win gold and we see a surprise gold or two from 3x3, but the excitement just isn't there for me. The women's 5x5 team, especially, is hard to watch with terrible 3-point shooting, poor guard play, questionable coaching, and obvious favoritism.

Women's soccer, women's gymnastics, swimming--all fantastic! Track and field will be exciting to watch as well.
 
The deacon said:
I know it won't sit well with most of my fellow BYers, but I'll ask again, why Is DT on this team? Legacy? Ugh!

Perhaps that beaming smile she flashes when her teammates pick up after her is what some would call leadership?

To me, it's more like the guilty cat that swallowed the canary, knowing she got away with one being named to this team. She'll get her sixth gold medal, but it most likely won't be deserved...
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She's there for 3-point shooting and vibes. So far, the 3-point shooting hasn't been there, so...
 
cancontent said:
A couple notes to help you in your research:

  • Michelle and Katherine Plouffe are long time veterans in the Canada Basketball program
  • Played for Utah in college
  • both play overseas in the French league
  • were both part of the Canadian 5x5 teams for London and Rio
  • Opted to move to 3x3 and have been on the circuit for at least 3 years or more
  • Along with, Paige Crozon, they have been one of the more consistent teams on the FIBA 3x3 circuit
  • Katherine suffered an ACL last year which impacted Canada's performance on the circuit in 2023 (Still amazed she's back in time to compete)
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Crozon played at Utah too. That's kinda crazy the Canadian 3X3 team all played college ball at the same place. I don't think I realized there was a third Plouffe sister. Andrea played at Washington.
 
I thought only one of the Plouffe sisters played at Utah. I think the other one played at a mid west team, maybe NWestern or Purdue?

Note--Katherine played at Marquette, just looked it up.

They had an older sister, Andrea, that played at Washington
 
ochoopsfan said:
I thought only one of the Plouffe sisters played at Utah. I think the other one played at a mid west team, maybe NWestern or Purdue?

Note--Katherine played at Marquette, just looked it up.

They had an older sister, Andrea, that played at Washington
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Thanks for the correction. For some reason I keep forgetting they played at different programs.
 
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Dillon77 said:
The U.S. won in Tokyo with a solid group of WNBA vets, that also included a last-minute substitute (Jackie Young).
I'm still scratching my head about why Allisha Gray, a vet of that team who was not chosen for the 5x5 team, is not on this year's 3x3 team. (Not all Dream players can step in and nail a first-year assignment).
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Yeah, I’m scratching my head wondering how USA Basketball didn’t find a place for Allisha on one team or the other. I’ve thought the world of her since I first saw her. You’ll never convince me she wouldn’t be playing better than Howard is. And if you’re going to take seven guards, I think she’d be a logical choice since she doesn’t mind mixing it up under the basket.
 
maple said:
You bring up good points, but I guess that’s why I’m confused as to why we went from gold last time around to struggling so much this time around. I don’t know. I humbly admit maybe I’m just ignorant and don’t know what I’m talking about here.
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I believe the standard became more strict for this Olympic cycle. They didn't have the same rules about two players being in the top 10 in rankings for your country and the other two being top 50.

That Tokyo team consisted of 4 legit WNBA players that knew their roles. The current standings for 2024 didn't really have that great of options.

This tweet was the best list I could find of what most of the top 50 consist of.

x.com

x.com x.com


It seems as though Team USA goal going forward is to encourage more WNBA players to play 3x3 to ensure they are ranked well come Olympics time.
 
The world gets to see our (Minnesota Lynx fans) frustration with Coach Reeve and how she goes about her lineups and player minutes. As a coach, it is tough blending talents. In the end you want five players on the floor that can play as a unit. It might be your most talented five out there but you want five that are going to blend their skillset well out there and AT is one of those players that should be getting starter minutes. A'ja and Stewie are solid as starters. The other three right now, iffy. We will see what happens in this Germany game.
 
GCKSFN4L said:
I believe the standard became more strict for this Olympic cycle. They didn't have the same rules about two players being in the top 10 in rankings for your country and the other two being top 50.

That Tokyo team consisted of 4 legit WNBA players that knew their roles. The current standings for 2024 didn't really have that great of options.

This tweet was the best list I could find of what most of the top 50 consist of.

x.com

x.com x.com


It seems as though Team USA goal going forward is to encourage more WNBA players to play 3x3 to ensure they are ranked well come Olympics time.
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Not sure if you were implying this but the Unrivaled league could be another way where this would be addressed going forward.
 
cancontent said:
Not sure if you were implying this but the Unrivaled league could be another way where this would be addressed going forward.
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Unrivaled could be good practice for that, but I think the points come from FIBA sanctioned events. I should have said * what Team USA should do, is encourage more WNBA players to play 3x3 to ensure they are ranked well come Olympics time. I just realized how that read earlier. I have no clue if they are actually doing that.
 
cancontent said:
Doubt it will be unless someone is able to find a source from Spain, who are hosting these games. CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) have all the Olympics broadcasting rights for anything related to Canada Basketball.
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Sounds a little like SNY, not allowed to post their games on YouTube either.
 
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Bigboote said:
Yeah, I’m scratching my head wondering how USA Basketball didn’t find a place for Allisha on one team or the other. I’ve thought the world of her since I first saw her. You’ll never convince me she wouldn’t be playing better than Howard is. And if you’re going to take seven guards, I think she’d be a logical choice since she doesn’t mind mixing it up under the basket.
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When you think of the ball handling guards from Tokyo to Paris, you have Plum and Gray vs Van Lithe and I am not sure who the second USA guard is on this team. If Van Lthe sits, on the rotation in and out, who is the USA ball handler?
 
JellyBean said:
The world gets to see our (Minnesota Lynx fans) frustration with Coach Reeve and how she goes about her lineups and player minutes. As a coach, it is tough blending talents. In the end you want five players on the floor that can play as a unit. It might be your most talented five out there but you want five that are going to blend their skillset well out there and AT is one of those players that should be getting starter minutes. A'ja and Stewie are solid as starters. The other three right now, iffy. We will see what happens in this Germany game.
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The USA has had 2 bad 1st quarters, and 1 bad start to the 3rd quarter.
There needs to be a change to the starting lineup. That needs to change, and I don't know if anyone is willing to see the change made.
They do that against France and they might lose.
 
USA beats Canada in OT 18-17
First time USA has scored more than 17 pts in prelim round.
USA now 3-3 and should make the next round.

I believe the USA has one more Prelim round game, vs China today.
Not sure of the start time.
 
The rules on 3x3 player selection really hamstrings the use of 'great' basketball talent - the players themselves have to want to enter 3x3 tournaments during off season vs. playing overseas or making money doing other things in the US. And the 3x3 skill set/mentality isn't quite the same as 5x5 - it can be 'complementary' but not the same.

The US men's team is a perfect example - these are not basketball stars, but guys who have fully committed to 3x3.

As far as the Women's 5x5 - they have played two very different opponents and had different players step up in support of A'ja and Stewie. AT and Collier both proved their worth against Belgium where height and the ability to defend the whole court were a premium. While scoring is always important I thought Loyd's defense was the key to her selection as with Copper.

Every team that plays USA is going to try to 'ugly-up' the game because they know that is their one chance of winning and they are going to rely on tossing threes up in hopes of having one of 'those nights'.

While USA is still bringing the most talent, the biggest difference isn't in the other top teams, but in the bottom half of the teams at the Olympics - more talent, better coaching.

The group stage is also a chance for experimentation and working on chemistry. I like this team, but they do not yet have that go to outside shooter to punish teams packing the paint.
 
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cancontent said:
USA wins an entertaining 3x3 game against Canada in OT thanks to Howard's clutch 2 pt shot. Will the angst over this roster die down a bit now? ;):p
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Relaxed Chill Out GIF by VH1
 
UcMiami said:
The rules on 3x3 player selection really hamstrings the use of 'great' basketball talent - the players themselves have to want to enter 3x3 tournaments during off season vs. playing overseas or making money doing other things in the US. And the 3x3 skill set/mentality isn't quite the same as 5x5 - it can be 'complementary' but not the same.

The US men's team is a perfect example - these are not basketball stars, but guys who have fully committed to 3x3.

As far as the Women's 5x5 - they have played two very different opponents and had different players step up in support of A'ja and Stewie. AT and Collier both proved their worth against Belgium where height and the ability to defend the whole court were a premium. While scoring is always important I thought Loyd's defense was the key to her selection as with Copper.

Every team that plays USA is going to try to 'ugly-up' the game because they know that is their one chance of winning and they are going to rely on tossing threes up in hopes of having one of 'those nights'.

While USA is still bringing the most talent, the biggest difference isn't in the other top teams, but in the bottom half of the teams at the Olympics - more talent, better coaching.

The group stage is also a chance for experimentation and working on chemistry. I like this team, but they do not yet have that go to outside shooter to punish teams packing the paint.
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I agree. The rules require experience at 3x3, but the reality is that the top tier players play 5x5. The marginal talents gravitate to 3x3 because they get cut from the W.

Looking at 3x3, I’d like to see a team with A’ja, Stewie, Nneka, and Paige. They would beat any 3x3 team in Paris.
 
MilfordHusky said:
I agree. The rules require experience at 3x3, but the reality is that the top tier players play 5x5. The marginal talents gravitate to 3x3 because they get cut from the W.

Looking at 3x3, I’d like to see a team with A’ja, Stewie, Nneka, and Paige. They would beat any 3x3 team in Paris.
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Per your 3x3 All-Star Team, we can all dream, right? ;)
Heck, I thought the Tokyo personnel of Stef Dolson, Allisha Gray, Plum and KLS/Jackie Young was just fine.

If Cameron Brink hadn't had the misfortune to blow out an ACL, I think this team would've had smoother sailing in the beginning because three of the team had played/were familiar with each other (Howard being the exception). Knock on wood, the extended pool games breed familiarity and -- knock on half-court -- it looks like they're getting the proverbial act together. If they can get into the playoffs, good.

I still subscribe to my two-tier plan in an earlier post: try to work FIBA and get the stringent qualification rules loosened; and, or come up with a system to put more players into the 3x3 pool.
 
One other thing about the 3 x 3 events. There is no "in game" coaching.
Coaches are allowed to sit in the stands but cant coach the team.
If adjustments have to be made, on both O and D, you better have some players with High BB IQ's who know how to make the adjustments, and relay it to the other players.
 
ochoopsfan said:
One other thing about the 3 x 3 events. There is no "in game" coaching.
Coaches are allowed to sit in the stands but cant coach the team.
If adjustments have to be made, on both O and D, you better have some players with High BB IQ's who know how to make the adjustments, and relay it to the other players.
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Stewie, A'ja, Clark, and Paige would destroy the competition.
 
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cancontent said:
I get your point, but in some cases I don't have an issue with it. I look at the men's team from South Sudan. Majority of those players come from families who had to leave the country to find a better life out of desperation. They're taking advantage of the opportunity to compete and represent their homeland for their families.

Several of these players likely wouldn't get a chance to play for the country they immigrated to. I look at a Montreal kid like Shayock and I know his chances making the Canadian squad are slim. I respect his decision.

That team has been solely funded by former Blue Devil and NBA player Loul (sic) Deng. They are a great example of the Olympic ideal as they doing whatever they can to be competitive with the limited resources they have.

They've represented themselves well and have given their home country something to root for. It's also helping to grow the game in Africa which is starting to pay off. If I recall correctly, one player will be a freshman at Duke this year.

And for players like Gustafson, Vander Sloot, etc., who also have dreams of competing at the Olympics what should they do? Their opportunities via the US process are nil. Maybe for a country like Spain, it shouldn't be possible but for a lot of these other countries, having them on those rosters doesn't seem like it's ruining the sport to me.
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South Sudan guys have familial connection and some were even born with dual citizenship. Clearly different than the situation I was criticizing.
 
GCKSFN4L said:
I believe the standard became more strict for this Olympic cycle. They didn't have the same rules about two players being in the top 10 in rankings for your country and the other two being top 50.

That Tokyo team consisted of 4 legit WNBA players that knew their roles. The current standings for 2024 didn't really have that great of options.

This tweet was the best list I could find of what most of the top 50 consist of.

x.com

x.com x.com


It seems as though Team USA goal going forward is to encourage more WNBA players to play 3x3 to ensure they are ranked well come Olympics time.
Expand ...
Changing the roster rules after Tokyo makes it pretty clear the entire purpose is to give a basketball gold to anybody but the US.

Either change qualification to by players, like beach volleyball, or let qualifying nations name anyone they want.
 
JstVisiting said:
South Sudan guys have familial connection and some were even born with dual citizenship. Clearly different than the situation I was criticizing.
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I did note "some" situations. And like I said about Gustafson and others, I also get why they look at playing for other countries. If they don't have a realistic option through their home country and can help another nation, I get it. For countries like Spain, France, and the US (Embid), where they have a good development pipeline, it shouldn't be allowed though.
 
Back in 2008, a 31 year old Becky Hammon played for Russia. She had no ties to the country.
I believe, then USA coach Anne Donovan lambasted her for that decision.
 
Either it is an organized sport or it isn't. If it isn't an organized sport than it doesn't belong in the olympics.

3x3 is an organized sport with dedicated athletes who take their participation and progression within it seriously. As opposed seemingly to American fans who view it as just another venue to make up a team at the last minute with fan favorites with no experience. That is called poor sportsmanship.
 
It appears that the USA team is in to the play-in round regardless of whether they win or lose against China. So the number 2 ranked USA is still alive.
 
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