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USA vs Canada

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easttexastrash said:
You can't go wrong with any of them. Sims will be ready whenever she gets her shot, whether that be now or in 2018.
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you assume Simms ahead of Skylar and even McBride and Bird. Wow I would guess you are from Texas, wait, I'm on to something
 
easttexastrash said:
why not bring the young talent on now for the experience since they will be the PGs of the future.
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By this logic, why not include Moriah in the current talent pool? Or Ekmark, Edwards, Williams, Samuelson and Collier -- if not now, at least for the 2016 Olympic team? After all, several Boneyarders have already destined a few of those named for at least the WNBA, if not for the HoF.

I, for one, doubt that the committee will tell Geno to inform Sue, "Thanks for your service, Sue, but we're taking Skylar to Turkey so she can get some experience.":eek:

P.S. I think Sims will make the team, deservedly, and help earn a gold medal as she gains experience.
 
I love Odyssey Sims' game and I would love to see her on the WC roster and be able to watch her play in Istanbul. I believe Geno loves Odyssey Sims too. I've said before that Sims does things defensively that none of the other guards can do which is one of the reasons I prefer her over Diggins. I look forward to seeing what the committee does.
 
phil sampieri said:
you assume Simms ahead of Skylar and even McBride and Bird. Wow I would guess you are from Texas, wait, I'm on to something
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Actually, I did not. I said in another post that I think Sims will be cut and that Diggins will be on the team.
 
Kibitzer said:
By this logic, why not include Moriah in the current talent pool? Or Ekmark, Edwards, Williams, Samuelson and Collier -- if not now, at least for the 2016 Olympic team? After all, several Boneyarders have already destined a few of those named for at least the WNBA, if not for the HoF."
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None of those are on the current National Team roster, so that would be a little tough. Sims and Diggins are.
 
Orangutan said:
I know, I know. Fools errand.

Just thought I'd try to spark some discussion/shouting me down.
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So, you posted this opinion just to start something?

I like it....lol.

I remember you posting that you are only 25. Not being a Uconn fan, you might not have been following them back in the ice age when Bird was the best point guard in the world.

She's only 34 and is every bit as good as these young whippersnappers.

You'd really cut the captain of the team?

You have to be the only person on this board that thinks that.
 
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It is going to be interesting this year, in 2016 for the Olympics, and in 2018 for the next WC to see how USA basketball handles the 2000 - 2006 stars who are all getting toward the end of very distinguished careers. I believe this year the absentees will only be those that are physically unable to go - Parker, Fowles, and Catchings.
I think this was Catchings last hurrah in the final pool for an international team. She has been fabulous on USA teams for a decade.
I suspect this was the last hurrah for Sylvia Fowles as well. She has been injured for part of just about every year since the 2010 WC and I think healthy is still a monster, but her body just seems to be breaking down.
Parker - really not sure. She is the youngest of the three and should be good to go in 2016, but competition from Nneka, Chiney, Breanna, EDD and others at the forward position is getting fierce. If she wants it she should be able to win through

Of the vet players that I do expect to make the team this year:
Bird - she'll be 36 by the Olympics and she too has been having more physical issue in recent years. I expect she will still be playing well if she is healthy, but this WC may be the last hurrah.
Whalen - she'll be 34 by the Olympics but I suspect she will replace Bird as the Old Hand at PG. (I don't expect both Bird and Whalen to make the Olympic team.)
Taurasi - she'll also be 34 by the Olympics and if healthy I expect to be on the team. The question for me is whether she holds on and is on the 2018 WC team at 36?
Augustus - She'll be 32 in 2016 and will see greater competition for her wing spot, but I suspect will hold on through the Olympics.

The other vets will all be under 30 for the Olympics so Maya, Tina, and Angel will be in the mix I would thing for the 2018 WC as long as they remain healthy.

No question in my mind that the committee wants a young guard on this team. From the televised games it is really hard to say anyone has stood out between Diggins, Sims, and McBride, and Vandersloot is just joining now in France (I assume?) so I don't have any idea who gets selected. Handicapping it, I would put McBride at about 20% just because she is not really a PG and Vandersloot at maybe 20% because she missed this time - that leaves the other two splitting 30% each.
 
Maybe I am in the minority, maybe not, but I do not see either Sims and especially Diggins as being in the same leadership class as Bird. You have DT and Whalen, along with Bird, who can run this team. Who can assume that Sims and Diggins will be those in consideration in the future, USA could go in a different direction.
Being at camp can go both ways, USA could also see things they don't like!
 
doggydaddy said:
So, you posted this opinion just to start something?

I like it....lol.

I remember you posting that you are only 25. Not being a Uconn fan, you might not have been following them back in the ice age when Bird was the best point guard in the world.

She's only 34 and is every bit as good as these young whippersnappers.

You'd really cut the captain of the team?

You have to be the only person on this board that thinks that.
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Nah, I posted it because it was my honest opinion. I just knew that I wasn't going to find much agreement.

I didn't follow women's basketball closely when Bird was at her best by I know that reputation of hers and her statistics going back are impressive. They weren't as impressive last year, though.

I didn't know she was the captain. That obviously carries weight. But you could appoint a new captain. Taurasi would be a fine choice.
 
JS said:
If the team has a captain, Sue seemed to be it when she came out to deliver the "welcome/thanks for your support" introduction before the game. Don't know whether that was televised.
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Yes, Bird is the captain. Probably along with DT. It was Bird/DT/Catchings. Now it's Bird/DT's team. After the USA-USA scrimmage, it was Bird who called everyone (both teams) in for word after the game.
 
Orangutan said:
Nah, I posted it because it was my honest opinion. I just knew that I wasn't going to find much agreement.

I didn't follow women's basketball closely when Bird was at her best by I know that reputation of hers and her statistics going back are impressive. They weren't as impressive last year, though.

I didn't know she was the captain. That obviously carries weight. But you could appoint a new captain. Taurasi would be a fine choice.
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You are welcome to your opinion. At least when I thought you were just rattling the cage here I could buy into it. But really?

Making the call on cutting the captain based on one years stats is an interesting way to do it.
 
Wbbfan1 said:
Geno says there may be travel issues with Griner's eye that could impact her playing. Would be a huge loss for Team USA if Griner and Fowles don't play. Should still win the Gold Medal.

EDD also may not be able to travel due to her back injury.

Info came from John A tweets
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Found the tweetys

upload_2014-9-16_15-41-21.png

upload_2014-9-16_15-42-20.png
 
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Bird and DT not on this WC team, is just nonsense. They are the captains, it's their team. They are as locks as locks can get. Hell, Bird is probably in on the discussion with Geno and Dawn on who the "heir apparent" is gonna be.

Anyone think if Geno says "starting 5 on the floor", Bird and DT are not gonna get up and go? You think Whalen, Diggins, Sims, McBride, Vandersloot would dare move?
 
doggydaddy said:
You are welcome to your opinion. At least when I thought you were just rattling the cage here I could buy into it. But really?

Making the call on cutting the captain based on one years stats is an interesting way to do it.
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I'm a big fan of advanced stats. Maybe too big. That being said....Bird graded out as a below average PG this year by PER. Her shooting stats fell off a cliff. Maybe there was something seriously wrong in Seattle? Maybe she was playing hurt. There are possible explanations.

But she wasn't good this season in the WNBA. I know Team USA is a different team, but there is a chasm in between the performance level of Bird this year and the levels of Taurasi, Diggins, and Whalen.
 
So as of now is it your opinion that Bird is playing better than Whalen?
 
DishNSwish said:
That goes both ways...

If they can win gold now without experience, why can't they do it then?
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Who knows what the supporting case will look like then. Will DT be available, Whalen, Bird, ? None of them are getting younger and their bodies may not let them play at that point. And the young players may not have the same supporting cast and may need to be ready to take control by then and not have the luxury of being "eased" into their roles. And let's not pretend that Whalen and DT are incapable of tutoring these young guards now.
 
meyers7 said:
Bird and DT not on this WC team, is just nonsense. They are the captains, it's their team. They are as locks as locks can get. Hell, Bird is probably in on the discussion with Geno and Dawn on who the "heir apparent" is gonna be.

Anyone think if Geno says "starting 5 on the floor", Bird and DT are not gonna get up and go? You think Whalen, Diggins, Sims, McBride, Vandersloot would dare move?
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IMO, Whalen is the bet PG in world at this point.
 
meyers7 said:
Anyone think if Geno says "starting 5 on the floor", Bird and DT are not gonna get up and go? You think Whalen, Diggins, Sims, McBride, Vandersloot would dare move?
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I assume that if they were told prior to the game that they were starting that they would have no choice. :)
 
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meyers7 said:
Yes, Bird is the captain. Probably along with DT. It was Bird/DT/Catchings. Now it's Bird/DT's team. After the USA-USA scrimmage, it was Bird who called everyone (both teams) in for word after the game.
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Maybe Bird will also have a place as a coach on the team if she is cut from the final 12. She would probably have more value coaching these young players than mentoring them as a teammate.
 
warbler13 said:
Wow, I like Whalen a lot. But to put her ahead of DT and SB is pure insanity.
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Let me clarify. I doubt that DT will play much PG on the team. I would take her at the point over anyone else in the world, but she most likely will not play that role on this team. Based on the game vs. Canada, the US needs some wings who can stroke the 3, which is what DT will be asked to do.

Whalen convinced me in the WNBA playoffs that she is the best PG not named Diana in the league, and it wasn't even close, IMO.
 
easttexastrash said:
Maybe Bird will also have a place as a coach on the team if she is cut from the final 12. She would probably have more value coaching these young players than mentoring them as a teammate.
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Geno already has a complete supply of proven and experienced coaches, so there is no room for another, no matter who it is.

Sue Bird's place is on the court as captain and point guard and leader of the 2014 National USA Women's Basketball Team to a gold medal victory in Turkey.

Case closed!
 
It's called "the big picture"

in color for some

black and white for others

and snow for the rest.
 
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Orangutan said:
I'm a big fan of advanced stats. Maybe too big. That being said....Bird graded out as a below average PG this year by PER. Her shooting stats fell off a cliff. Maybe there was something seriously wrong in Seattle? Maybe she was playing hurt. There are possible explanations.

But she wasn't good this season in the WNBA. I know Team USA is a different team, but there is a chasm in between the performance level of Bird this year and the levels of Taurasi, Diggins, and Whalen.
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I do find stats interesting though I have a hard time going with some of these at this point. Based on Win Shares and Defensive Win Shares for example Tiffany Hayes should definitely have been in camp this year. And a stat like PER which is supposed to be measuring all players equally but ends up with forwards and centers as the top 8 players obviously is doing something a little screwy. And based on this measure i can't understand why Jia Perkins isn't in camp as well as she is clearly superior to Diggins and both are clearly better than Whalen or Taurasi as well as Bird.

The thing is USA basketball is like a F1 car and not something you really want to turn over to a person who just got their drivers license, or even to someone who has just finished their first year in CART ranking at the bottom of the table. You bring that person in and give them a year or two doing test laps.
Diggins had a nice year after having had a dreadful year as a rookie and her team lost 22 games. Sims had a nice rookie year on the same team. Sue had an OK year for her on a team that also lost 22 games, but she has 12 years of international experience and 12 years of USA basketball experience to go with a very good understanding of what the USA coach wants from her position and the strengths and weakness of her veteran USA teammates who she has played with for 4 - 12 years. She knows where DT wants the ball, or Angel, or Maya, or Tina, etc. And she knows what playing 9 games in 11 days is like at the WC having done it three times before. Neither Sims or Diggins has played a single professional international game.
And this is not an 'all star' team where scoring is king - this is an international competition with all star players trying quickly to become a team to compete against other teams that have been practicing for months. The USA team needs organization as much as anything because while they have a lot of talent, if they are not organized offensively and defensively they will not win. We saw that happen to the USA men's team not that long ago because all the players figured all they had to do was show up. USA lost three international competitions in a row from 2002-2006. At least the women only lost the 2006 WC.
 
"I trust Sue, I trust Diana [Taurasi] against anybody, anytime, anywhere, regardless of their age," Auriemma continued. "And Lindsay's in that category. When Lindsay's on the floor, I have complete trust in her." (Geno)

LINK
 
Whichever PGs you put out there with Maya, DT, Charles, Griner, Dupree, Nneka, etc., the US will bring home gold. Even if it were Diggins and Sims instead of Bird and Whalen, the US would still win gold. So no matter who makes the team, I will enjoy seeing a gold medal at the end of the WC.
 
pap49cba said:
"I trust Sue, I trust Diana [Taurasi] against anybody, anytime, anywhere, regardless of their age," Auriemma continued. "And Lindsay's in that category. When Lindsay's on the floor, I have complete trust in her." (Geno)

LINK
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And it is true. Those players are very trustworthy.
 
pap49cba said:
"I trust Sue, I trust Diana [Taurasi] against anybody, anytime, anywhere, regardless of their age," Auriemma continued. "And Lindsay's in that category. When Lindsay's on the floor, I have complete trust in her." (Geno)

LINK
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"That young backcourt looked really good, but I don't know how good they would look playing against 30-year-olds in Turkey," Auriemma said. "So I think trying to have a combination of the [youth and experience] might be really good. But it's going to be really hard. I've always said when you have experience, age and experience tends to win out over youth and talent. I'm glad we're adding somebody who is pretty good to our backcourt later in the week because it all starts with your guards."
 
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