# Team USA Vegas Practices



## hugeeug (Feb 9, 2006)

Does anyone know if the Team USA practices will be televised anywhere? I would love to be able to watch them....


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## Nuzzo (Jul 11, 2005)

It will be better if they dont televise them becuse all so-called "ultra stars" will be pulling slamma-jammas and not practicing how to run zone-buster plays


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## matt! (Feb 21, 2005)

Nuzzo said:


> It will be better if they dont televise them becuse all so-called "ultra stars" will be pulling slamma-jammas and not practicing how to run zone-buster plays


And all Italians are good for is spaghetti sauce and greasy hair.

Whoops! A stereotype slipped out from me, too!


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## CrookedJ (May 8, 2003)

*Pictures*

Some pics from the first practise




























Joe Johnson Brad Miller, Chris Bosh and Antawn Jamison 's blog on the first day

http://www.nba.com/usabasketball/blogs_060719.html#060719_johnson


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

*Re: Pictures*

Brad Miller is going to stink it up.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

This was posted by Hairy Midget in the Orlando forum ... presenting, Dwight "_The Beast_" Howard and CP3.


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## upscalator (May 23, 2006)

The extra muscle makes Dwight Howards' head look disproportionate.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

:rofl:

good one ...


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## f22egl (Jun 3, 2004)

I'm surprised that they couldn't get Arenas his number.


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: Pictures*



HKF said:


> Brad Miller is going to stink it up.


whatever happened to "support the troops"


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: Pictures*

Who to cheer for?

Hmm, England is going to have Luol Deng....and maybe Ben Gordon if Deng can convice Gordon to join the team. Argentina has Nocioni. Italy will probaly have Thabo on their team. The Confederacy will have Chris Duhon, PJ Brown, and Tyrus Thomas on their team. Kirk's on Team USA....hmm.


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## f22egl (Jun 3, 2004)

*Re: Pictures*

If Texas had a team, maybe the Lone Star State could find a way to persuade Yao, McGrady, Dirk, Howard, Duncan, Ginobli, Parker, and others to represent them.


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## DuMa (Dec 25, 2004)

*Re: Pictures*

molten is the new FIBA international basketball now?


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

*Re: Pictures*



HKF said:


> Brad Miller is going to stink it up.


Because he is suddenly going to forget how to pass or how to hit open jumpers?

His play in international basketball is what got him into the NBA in the first place.


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## CrookedJ (May 8, 2003)

f22egl said:


> I'm surprised that they couldn't get Arenas his number.



For practise they are wearing numbers starting at 21 going alphebetically. In the actual games they can only wear #4-15, FIBA rules.


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## New Jazzy Nets (Jan 25, 2006)

Whats with the numbers? Why is paul 37 and bosh 24 how are numbers picked in usa basketball?


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

*Re: Pictures*



cpawfan said:


> Because he is suddenly going to forget how to pass or how to hit open jumpers?
> 
> His play in international basketball is what got him into the NBA in the first place.


Have you watched him the last three years? His lack of rebounding and overall soft play in general is what has killed the Kings. Being here will only mean he will start sucking before the all-star break, instead of come playoff time.

I am not a fan of Brad Miller at all.


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

*Re: Pictures*



HKF said:


> Have you watched him the last three years? His lack of rebounding and overall soft play in general is what has killed the Kings. Being here will only mean he will start sucking before the all-star break, instead of come playoff time.
> 
> I am not a fan of Brad Miller at all.


Forget the Kings and forget NBA basketball as International basketball is a different animal. With the players on the US roster, they don't need much rebounding from Miller. Rather, they need his ability to hit open shots.

Also, it is the Kings, who cares


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## CbobbyB (Feb 16, 2006)

*Re: Pictures*



f22egl said:


> If Texas had a team, maybe the Lone Star State could find a way to persuade Yao, McGrady, Dirk, Howard, Duncan, Ginobli, Parker, and others to represent them.


That would be sick..just plain ol' nasty.


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## bootstrenf (May 24, 2006)

*Re: Pictures*



CbobbyB said:


> That would be sick..just plain ol' nasty.



an LA team wouldn't be bad either.

pg: cassell/livingston
sg: kobe/mobley
sf: maggette/odom
pf: odom/brand
c: brand/kaman


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

*Re: Pictures*



sloth said:


> Who to cheer for?
> 
> Hmm, England is going to have Luol Deng....and maybe Ben Gordon if Deng can convice Gordon to join the team. Argentina has Nocioni. Italy will probaly have Thabo on their team. The Confederacy will have Chris Duhon, PJ Brown, and Tyrus Thomas on their team. Kirk's on Team USA....hmm.


Thabo Sefolosha is Swiss.


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: Pictures*



HKF said:


> Have you watched him the last three years? His lack of rebounding and overall soft play in general is what has killed the Kings. Being here will only mean he will start sucking before the all-star break, instead of come playoff time.
> 
> I am not a fan of Brad Miller at all.


he's a lot of things but soft wouldnt be one of them.


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## dwade0003 (May 30, 2004)

New Jazzy Nets said:


> Whats with the numbers? Why is paul 37 and bosh 24 how are numbers picked in usa basketball?


The numbers are alphabetical, Anthony has 20 and Wade has 43


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: Pictures*



Premier said:


> Thabo Sefolosha is Swiss.


But he's lived in Italy too. He could probaly play for either, and Italy is generally better.

Kind of like how Luol Deng is from Sudan, but playing for England.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

*Re: Pictures*



sloth said:


> But he's lived in Italy too. He could probaly play for either, and Italy is generally better.


He has lived in Italy for one year [previously playing in France].



> Kind of like how Luol Deng is from Sudan, but playing for England.


Deng's family was granted political asylum in England after spending six years in exile in Egypt. Also, FIBA has yet to rule on Deng's eligibility for England's NT, but they will, most likely, as Deng has played for England in international competitions before. It is a very special circumstance.


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## BullsPro27 (Jul 19, 2006)

Nuzzo said:


> It will be better if they dont televise them becuse all so-called "ultra stars" will be pulling slamma-jammas and not practicing how to run zone-buster plays


No they would practice because these are guys that work hard that they brought like kirk hinrich. and Coach K wont allow them to be messing around like that in practice. i believe this is a great thing that they started here. i dont kno y they picked vegas for the practices but o well it still works for me


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

*Re: Pictures*



cpawfan said:


> Forget the Kings and forget NBA basketball as International basketball is a different animal. With the players on the US roster, they don't need much rebounding from Miller. Rather, they need his ability to hit open shots.
> 
> Also, it is the Kings, who cares


The guy still sucks and will be a non-factor. If you wanted someone to make shots, they would have been better off with Raef Lafrentz. Heck Miller is 7'0 and doesn't even block shots.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I would take Bosh over Miller even though Miller's skills are better suited to the FIBA game.Miller just hasn't been that productive recently,especially not compared to his career averages.Besides that Bosh is going to be in his prime in 2008.Judging by his recent performance you have to wonder if Miller's prime hasn't run off and hid.


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## DuMa (Dec 25, 2004)

miller will hit that open shot.


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

Diable said:


> I would take Bosh over Miller even though Miller's skills are better suited to the FIBA game.Miller just hasn't been that productive recently,especially not compared to his career averages.Besides that Bosh is going to be in his prime in 2008.Judging by his recent performance you have to wonder if Miller's prime hasn't run off and hid.


miller is a center and bosh a forward simple as that, for all the bashing of brad miller i would like someone to list better centers that arent foreigners and who wanted to be there. i cant name any.


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## bootstrenf (May 24, 2006)

chris kaman?


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

bootstrenf said:


> chris kaman?


maybe


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

*Re: Pictures*



HKF said:


> The guy still sucks and will be a non-factor. If you wanted someone to make shots, they would have been better off with Raef Lafrentz. Heck Miller is 7'0 and doesn't even block shots.


You are past your prime.

In what limited world do you live in where it is required for a 7 footer to block shots? Especially in international competition where spacing is complete different.

Raef isn't the passer Miller is.


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## bootstrenf (May 24, 2006)

maybe duncan can play the pivot for us.


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

More pics from practice..


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)




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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)




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## bootstrenf (May 24, 2006)

look at elton, in the back, all out of focus. same ol' clippers.


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## bootstrenf (May 24, 2006)

i think i see part of elton's left index finger... yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Starbury03 (Aug 12, 2003)

It's cool that at least Greg Oden gets to be around those guys while he cant play. Where is Kobe? Reddick and Oden are in the team picture.


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

Im laughing at the person who said Brad Miller would suck it up, because he is the big man the USA team needs. A guy who can hit shots, and make good passes. You said he was killing the Kings in the playoffs, well i'll tell you without him they aren't in the playoffs. Team USA doesn't need the top 12 scorers in the NBA it needs a combination of scorers, playmakers, rebounders, defenders, and intangible players. If you want another disaster like 2004, then fine your opnion is right, but I'm gonna have to agree with Coach K and Bryan Colangelo because they know 25 times more about basketball than you do. So quit hating and support your troops.


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## JoeD (Sep 2, 2004)

Support your troops? LOL... come on.


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## Thuloid (May 12, 2004)

Yeah, actually Brad Miller makes sense to me. And I think he sucks for the Kings.

Unfortunately, I still think this will be another struggle. Once again, the team is practicing together for the first time just a month before the start of the competition. Maybe this will pay off for the next Olympics, but this World Championships will be an uphill climb.


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## TwiBlueG35 (Jan 24, 2006)

I used to think why NBA champion is called world champion. Are they equal? D Wade was in 2004 Olympic team, but he couldn't do much to save the U.S team, and yet he got the NBA champion this year. Has he improved so much in these two short years? What if the U.S.A team couldn't get gold in the world champion again? Not that I care, I just think people should stop calling NBA champion a world champion. This sounds too cocky, as if U.S.A is without any doubt being able to beat anyone else in the world in basketball.


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## B-Ball Fan 1 (Jun 29, 2006)

I understand that the USA team is going to Japan with 15 players but the roster will be cut to 12. What happens if one of the 12 players gets injured (E.G. rolls an ankle in the first game of pool play) and can't play the rest of the time in Japan? Does the USA get to remove that player from the active roster and put one of the inactive guys on in his place???


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## jokeaward (May 22, 2003)

I'm seeing Redd! w00t! Outside shooting!

Practice outside, weed out the weak. jk

Brad Miller is a great fit, assuming he's still good in 08 (and he has been since 04). I'm not worried about shotblocking, the team will probably have Elton Brand, Howard, Bosh, probably Oden. Oden! They could use a change of pace. Guys like Nene and Varejao will probably not be dominating inside.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Figured someone may like this...

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<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y5oKtP0BQS4"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y5oKtP0BQS4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fOm5HaKKPE8"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fOm5HaKKPE8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>​


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## lw32 (May 24, 2003)

Was that Paul Pierce with braids? At 00:27 in the last video above.


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## upscalator (May 23, 2006)

lol


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## upscalator (May 23, 2006)

lol, look at Marion laughing at Dwight

Dwight is either outworking everybody, or he's about to be lapped.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Lachlanwood32 said:


> Was that Paul Pierce with braids? At 00:27 in the last video above.


That's Carmello


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## lw32 (May 24, 2003)

TM said:


> That's Carmello


You sure? Boy it looks like Pierce. I don't think it could be though, saw Pierce 3 days ago with short hair!


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Pierce isn't at the USA camp - I believe minor surgery kept him out this time around. He's still on the full roster though.


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