# USA vs Brazil 9PM ESPN2



## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

In theory at least this should be the closest thing to a competitive game we've had so far.Brazil hasn't really been extremely impressive in going 3-0.They played close games against both Canada and the Virgin Islands which tells me their talent isn't overwhelming.Playing their fourth game in five days should be a much bigger factor for the Brazilians who rely heavily on a few players while no American players have played substantial minutes due to their depth.


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## ¹²³ (Jan 8, 2003)




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## Hyperion (Dec 5, 2006)

LB will destroy team USA. He's gonna light it up with 50 tonight! Brasil will still lose, but LB will be awesome!


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

IceMan23and3 said:


> LB will destroy team USA. He's gonna light it up with 50 tonight! Brasil will still lose, but LB will be awesome!


LB already destroyed the USA in Athens,but he's not eligible to play for Brazil.He was never a very good scorer either.Pretty decent passer in the ABA,but nothing more


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Leandro Barbosa?


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## dwood615 (Jul 20, 2004)

Diable said:


> LB already destroyed the USA in Athens,but he's not eligible to play for Brazil.He was never a very good scorer either.Pretty decent passer in the ABA,but nothing more



he is playing for them now...

and he never played in the ABA...he plays for the suns ahhaha


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## dwood615 (Jul 20, 2004)

i only get to watch the tail end of it cuz i got a work meeting from 6 to 7 but at least ill get to see some of it


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

link
if you need a gamecast go to that page and click on live now in the scoreboard


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

This got to sixteen pretty quick.I think we were playing too tight to start this game.We should have been forcing the tempo from the jump


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

The US second unit hasn't impressed me at all this tournament. Not that great this game either.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Any update on Prince's injury? Watching this on tivo delay


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

I don't see the US losing a game in this tourney. Teams can hang for a qtr or so but the constant offensive onslaught and defensive pressure just wears them down.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

I like Splitter: he needs to learn how to finish stronger but he's definitely got the height and feel of the game


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Blah I still can't stand these 12 man rotations by Coach K. Just like last year it's hard to get a feel for this game by these players who are only on the court for a few minutes and often with completely different players around them.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Lebron James is REALLY REALLY good. Man, you wonder what he would look like in an offense that actually emphasizes making quick decisions.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

HKF said:


> Lebron James is REALLY REALLY good. Man, you wonder what he would look like in an offense that actually emphasizes making quick decisions.


 He actually looks like a PG when he has players around him who actually can finish and doesn't have to create and score the vast majority of the teams points


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Kobe sure looks real good with less weight man.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Nene is garbage. People keep making excuses for this guy, but damn he is an underachiever. He needs to dunk the damn ball.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Howard's not having the same big positive effect on the game compared to last year. Probably because Amare is in there vs Bosh/Brand. Nothing against Brand or Bosh but Amare has both good bulk and height and outside Howard last year I thought that was a big issue.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

mmm, such a pretty thing to watch. slightly off topic, i love the cut of the usa jerseys, its not all baggy and un flattering, most all the usa players look ripped as hell in them also.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Brazil needs a some serious help at the 2/3 spots. They're pretty solid at C/PF/PG spots particularly if guys like AV get some burn. Strange that they're so weak at the 2 spots where good players are typically abundant.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

wow, when it rains it pours. Who woulda thought our biggest test would in turn become the biggest blowout so far.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Brazil needs a point guard. Barbosa is being spied right now by the USA backcourt guys.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Cleveland plays about the worst possible offense(loosely defined) for Lebron.It's almost as though the purpose is to make everything as difficult as possible for him

God this game really got away from Brazil while I was watching entourage.I'll watch the second half on DVR anyway


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

Pioneer10 said:


> Brazil needs a some serious help at the 2/3 spots. They're pretty solid at C/PF/PG spots particularly if guys like AV get some burn. Strange that they're so weak at the 2 spots where good players are typically abundant.


alex garcia looked alright early on in the game. In the future, marcus vinicious may be able to start at forward for them. he hasnt got any burn this tourney really, but maybe a couple seasons in the NBA will help, if he ever pans out that is.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Man Nene has missed a bunch of bunnies this game: lost points that led to easy US points on the break


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

Pioneer10 said:


> Man Nene has missed a bunch of bunnies this game: lost points that led to easy US points on the break


He looks out of shape..


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

If you added Splitter to the Spurs roster they'd probably be a juggernaut based on the way he's played tonight.Of course his buyout is so huge it's never happening this year...he's still only like 23 or 24 isn't he?


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Spurs already are a juggernaut


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## 22ryno (Mar 17, 2003)

Kobe showed why there is no need for Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen anymore. He just clamped the best player in the tournament not on the USA team. If he does that to the Spanish guards or Ginobili, USA will rout their way to gold next year. It also looks as if Coach K has somewhat cut the rotation.


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## kzero (Apr 30, 2006)

22ryno said:


> Kobe showed why there is no need for Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen anymore. He just clamped the best player in the tournament not on the USA team. If he does that to the Spanish guards or Ginobili, USA will rout their way to gold next year. It also looks as if Coach K has somewhat cut the rotation.


I was half-expecting Kobe to get lit up, but he was really impressive. Out with Bruce Bowen  Kobe is like Bowen with offensive skills.


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## DuMa (Dec 25, 2004)

okay i really liked kobe's defense today but lets be real. his defense is still overrated. he just knows how to play defense with a shot blocking big man behind him. hes always knew how to play this type of defense. if he didnt have howard or chandler or amare behind him, his defense would still be overrated. 

and Brazil is way overrated. Barbosa is an up and coming talent that is getting all the shots on a bad offensive team. Nene has dropped off way from his 07 playoff shape. Splitter is the only highlight of the team besides Barbosa. 

There is no team that can scare team USA in this tournament. i want to see 50 point wins every game. anything less i would be dissatisfied.


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## Yoyo (Oct 16, 2005)

2nd team needs some work, but excellent win. If we keep playing the way we've been playing, we're looking at a new Dream Team. Good to see that happening again.


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## M0J0 (Apr 2, 2003)

DuMa said:


> okay i really liked kobe's defense today but lets be real. his defense is still overrated. he just knows how to play defense with a shot blocking big man behind him. hes always knew how to play this type of defense. if he didnt have howard or chandler or amare behind him, his defense would still be overrated.




All good defenders need weak side help.


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

What I've loved about this team is that the best players in the world can focus on some of their best attributes. 

Kobe has been a beast defensively because he hasn't had to carry the full offensive load.
LBJ (to me) looks like the second best point guard on the team. He's making plays and passes out there that only Kidd could make.
Melo can focus on nothing but scoring, and he's damn good at that. 
JKidd has only taken like one or two shots in the entire tournament and he's been one of the best players.

I love getting to watch these guys do what they do best. We're looking very, very good so far.


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## Feed_Dwight (Oct 14, 2005)

Pioneer10 said:


> Howard's not having the same big positive effect on the game compared to last year. Probably because Amare is in there vs Bosh/Brand. Nothing against Brand or Bosh but Amare has both good bulk and height and outside Howard last year I thought that was a big issue.


He had an off night tonight, but he played well the first three games. At least on the defensive end.


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## DuMa (Dec 25, 2004)

M0J0 said:


> All good defenders need weak side help.


good defenders can shut down penetration and get steals without gambling too much. kobe gambles too much.


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## Wilt_The_Stilt (Jun 7, 2002)

> To prepare for Sunday night's assignment, Bryant had Team USA video coordinators prepare him a DVD of Barbosa's offensive repertoire, comprised of some 200 plays from tapes of the Phoenix Suns and the Brazilian national team. Some paperwork came with the DVD, too -- an accompanying chart listing Barbosa's efficiency percentage for each of his favorite moves.


http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb...s&page=USA-Brazil&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos2

I think his defense goes beyond just having a good shot-blocker behind him.


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