US/Aussie Game Thread

[easttexastrash]

The last foul on Griner was bogus.

 

[Blueballer]

Yet another bad call on Griner

 

[sarals24]

Geez...that was a terrible call on Griner.

 

[easttexastrash]

Maya and Charles showed great chemistry today.

 

[pap49cba]

Sims and Stewie have not played.

 

[sarals24]

Angel with another dumb play. Foul her 90 feet from the basket? Put Whalen back in.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

I don't know why Sims isn't playing more. She is a much better on ball defender and doesn't give up height to Erin Philips or Leilani Mitchell who are burning USA from the outside.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Good USA. 82-70 win

 

[pap49cba]

82-70 final. Stewie played last minute. 0-1.

 

[sarals24]

I agree. Sims could have easily taken Angel's minutes, she plays better defense and makes better decisions on offense.

 

[easttexastrash]

I don't know why Sims isn't playing more. She is a much better on ball defender and doesn't give up height to Erin Philips or Leilani Mitchell who are burning USA from the outside.

I was just wondering why Geno would put Stewart in for the last 50 seconds and leave Sims as the only player not to get into the game.

 

[pap49cba]

Whalen and Dupree didn't play all that many minutes. Wonder if Geno was trying to rest certain players.

 

[UcMiami]

I don't know why Sims isn't playing more. She is a much better on ball defender and doesn't give up height to Erin Philips or Leilani Mitchell who are burning USA from the outside.

Because it isn't the on-ball defense but the defense off of screens which USA still doesn't play very well, though better than last week.

I was just wondering why Geno would put Stewart in for the last 50 seconds and leave Sims as the only player not to get into the game.

Not sure he thought of it and really 50 seconds wouldn't have mattered - not sure why he put Stewart in to be honest.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Because it isn't the on-ball defense but the defense off of screens which USA still doesn't play very well, though better than last week. Not sure he thought of it and really 50 seconds wouldn't have mattered - not sure why he put Stewart in to be honest.

Hmmm. I see your point but I think I would have like to see Sims try. Can't do anything sitting on bench and to be fair she is the quickest and best defensive guard.

 

[easttexastrash]

Because it isn't the on-ball defense but the defense off of screens which USA still doesn't play very well, though better than last week.

Not sure he thought of it and really 50 seconds wouldn't have mattered - not sure why he put Stewart in to be honest.

Interesting that he would have thought to put Stewart in, but not Sims. Can't be a very good feeling to be the only player that didn't get a second of playing time when the person that you sat next to for 39 minutes was inserted. I'm pretty sure that also putting Sims in was going to put the game at risk. Just seems like it would have been the right thing to do.

 

[UcMiami]

I agree. Sims could have easily taken Angel's minutes, she plays better defense and makes better decisions on offense.

They were switching on a ton of screens so he may have preferred to have a taller player with more experience to guard Taylor or other wind/forwards on the switches.
And for a lot of the second half he was harping on rebounding which I think is why Dupree played less than Nneka - though per minute in this game Dupree was more effective rebounding and much more effective scoring.
I thought the rookies that played in this game really struggled - Nneka - 1-5 and 3 rebounds and three turnovers and 2 fouls in 18 minutes; Griner 3-5 with 4 rebounds and three turnovers and five fouls in 17 minutes. They both had 3 assists but especially with Griner just never looked like she got into the game.

 

[UcMiami]

Interesting that he would have thought to put Stewart in, but not Sims. Can't be a very good feeling to be the only player that didn't get a second of playing time when the person that you sat next to for 39 minutes was inserted. I'm pretty sure that also putting Sims in was going to put the game at risk. Just seems like it would have been the right thing to do.

Probably. I don't think it was an intentional diss, unless something happened in practice. In checking the number of games played by Bird I realized that she must have been held out of two of 2002 WC games so maybe it is a guard thing?!

 

[easttexastrash]

Looking at the box score, Whalen and Bird had a combined zero assists and 3 TOs. How can the two PGs for a team with this many offensive weapons have zero assists?

 

[easttexastrash]

Game ball goes to Tina...what a performance she had today with 18 points and 9 rebounds. And Maya with 16 points and a team-high 5 assists. Looked like their days together at UCONN.

 

[alexrgct]

Well if anyone needed a reminder as to how Maya and Tina managed 78 college-level wins in a row together, they certainly got one today.

 

[alexrgct]

Game ball goes to Tina...what a performance she had today with 18 points and 9 rebounds. And Maya with 16 points and a team-high 5 assists. Looked like their days together at UCONN.

HA! Great minds...

 

[easttexastrash]

One more to go! Is Spain better than the Aussies? Sancho Lyttle is a very good player but Tolo is bigger and stronger and probably played BG as well as anyone has in a long time. Who is going to guard Torrens? She seems to be a better player than anyone on the Aussie squad.

 

[UcMiami]

Fiba posted video of the press conference:
http://www.fiba.com/world/women/2014/0410/Australia-USA
USA runs a lot of plays that involve two passes and three players - there was one beautiful one where Bird in a transition situation dribbled across the free throw line made a pass back to Taurasi who because bird had crossed and shifted the defense to the left had a perfect angle for a great assist to Tina cutting to the basket from the right. It is plays like that which do not get told in statistics and one of the reason USA basketball is so good.

 

[UcMiami]

One more to go! Is Spain better than the Aussies? Sancho Lyttle is a very good player but Tolo is bigger and stronger and probably played BG as well as anyone has in a long time. Who is going to guard Torrens? She seems to be a better player than anyone on the Aussie squad.

I think Australia displays more confidence in playing the USA than any other country in the world and that is a big thing. I do think Spain will be at a disadvantage in the low post with Charles and Griner against Little and Nichols. Torrens is very good but I think a combination of Maya, Augustus, and maybe Angel and DT will end up causing her problems. And I don't think Spain is as deep as Australia.
And Australia was really hurt by Taylor's foul issues - I thought they were legit fouls, but also very unfortunate.

 

[UcMiami]

Hmmm. I see your point but I think I would have like to see Sims try. Can't do anything sitting on bench and to be fair she is the quickest and best defensive guard.

Not trying to knock Sims, but I am not sure she is the best defensive guard in that she has tended to pick up fouls very quickly - she is absolutely the fastest, but not necessarily the smartest or best defender at this point.