Defensive NBA? Looking for defensive players but they're losing in International Basketball?

Question

American coaches, media, basketball gurus mostly underestimated the defensive prowess of Europeans, South Americans, Asians aspiring to play in the NBA. They insisted that their American players are better defender, more athletic but how can USA suffered debacles in international play of basketball. They cannot defend the 3-point line, the back door play. So how come those so-called experts are calling those Americans the best but actually their team are walloped by the teams from Greece, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Spain during the span from 2002-2007. Over-rated NBA Players, tsk. .tsk.. tsk
(Those who answer this must know their basketball, i don't need a moron-like answer and a broken english).

Answer 1

Kobe will be playing this year, so all that stuff will be comming to a hault...USA in a clean sweep.

Answer 2

You didn't really ask a question, but I'll sum up the problem with NBA players: They aren't that good at basketball. They're extremely athletic and big, but they aren't that skilled. They aren't great shooters, defenders, ball handlers, passers, or anything else. They're great dunkers though, and they're the players that sell the most tickets.

In addition, the US National Team plays together for a couple weeks per year. Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni, and the Argentinean national team have played together for over six years. That explains why they play with such great chemistry and so well as a team. They also send all of their best players to the tournaments (although the team sent to the World Championships was almost the best possible team the US could send) and their players really want to win. Consider the fact that 8 of the 13 players from the Spanish national team have been drafted into the NBA, and 8 of the 12 players from the Argentinean national team have been. If these players are fundamentally sound enough to get drafted into the NBA, they are at the same (or perhaps even greater) skill level as our favorite NBA stars.

At the same time, a team like Greece has only one NBA player on its roster, and still beat the United States. They play together, are extremely tough on defense, and simply outplayed the United States in that game. Not that that's something to be embarrassed about, the Greeks are the current European champions. Regardless, until the US starts to get more skilled, rather than emphasizing on athleticism, then they have really no chance of being better than any of the other top national teams.

Answer 3

It is because they only focus on offense. Look at the first Dream Team, that team had great offensive players that knew how to play defense. In fact defense was a focus for most of the players in the league at that time. Today's game is all about offense. And that is mostly because there are to many fake fans that watch the game. The NBA has changed the rules so that their is more scoring, and not enough d-fence. The league needs to go back to the rules of the early 90's. Allow hard noise d-fence, make players earn their points. This is why when today's players score 50 or more points I am not impressed.

Answer 4

On a team of Stars, who's going to do the little things that win games???? I think if the Americans took there top players (eg Duncan, Bryant, Kidd, Garnett) they would still win. But they keep taking kids that don't have the experience required to win tough games. eg C Anthony and L James won everything before making NBA. They could always "athletic out" the opposition. But what do they do when they meet an old man who's played around the world for 15 years and refuses to let a spolit brat beat them?

The Americans need experience in the team. Maybe they should grab some guys who actually play in Europe. Don't limit it to these kids in the NBA. They simply do not know the game. Look, Phoenix is probably considering a Stoudamire-Garnett trade because Stoudamire still disappears in games. Garnett doesn't. Why? Garnetts experienced. He knows he needs to take every opportunity to win. Stoudamire still thinks he can "athletic out" the opposition. That's what happens when you allow boys to play with the men.

Inexperience rules unfortunately.

Answer 5

USA teams are made up of NBA team superstars and leaders. Who is the leader on a team of leaders? Nobody from the NBA is selected because of there defence. Plus they don't have a chance to gel to one anothers playing style, its there first time playing with each other. Alot of these players are just finishing the intense NBA playoff battles, they don't wanna injure themselves (who would want a major injury in international play) that could affect the NBA careers. All the international teams look forward to playing against the best so they come with there A-game. The win means alot more to the international players than it does to the NBA players.

my first team would be: Kobe, KG, Durant, Oden, and Williams from Utah!
thats two great veterans who are still hungry, and dominate on both ends of the court, and three young players with unbelievable talent who will listen and learn, and take constructive critism from there teammates.

Answer 6

Its not that Americans in general can't play defense, its just that the one's they select for international play refuse to "D-up." Carmelo Anthony refuses to care about defense, Iverson, Marbury, McGrady and even Kobe are lackadaisical and only wait for opportunities to get the ball in their hands and cast up 3's. I think the coaching staff feels to much pressure to put "Stars" on the team that don't want to play D. But its not their fault it ours. As basketball fans we are uneducated on how games are actually won. We get too excited by dunks, threes, blocks and things that aren't that important, so we lobby for these types of playes and when it comes down to it they just don't cut it.
Case in point, the San Antonio Spurs. Not the most exciting team to watch unless you truly understand basketball. They win because they have 5 guys doing what it takes all the time.
But we get excited and pick the Suns to win every year because Nash throws behind the back passes and Amare throws down alley oops all year.........well guess what? That doesn't cut it.
If the media wouldn't criticize the selections, team USA would be totally different. If McGrady, Marbury, Iverson, Melo, and Kobe don't win in the NBA, what makes you think they will in international play? So I say we give Manu Ginobli and Pau Gasol US citizenship, get them on team USA and learn from their examples.

Answer 7

there are 2 kinds of defense.One is team defense;the other is individual defence.NBA is a league where you show yourself individually.That's why in NBA there are a lot of good individual defenders.For instance,bowen,jkidd,artest, etc..

In Europe the defensive concept is a little different from NBA.European National teams concentrate on team defense.They rely on the help that comes from 2 or 3 teammates.that's why NBA experts are wrong.But don't think there are no individually good defensive players.For instance, Euroleague's best defender dimitrios diamantidis .

Answer 8

nba players can't defend their jock straps, so how can they play defense, or hit a 15 ft. jump shot, or make a bounce pass, or bounce the ball before taking four steps, or not going to strip clubs....

Answer 9

Maybe they just don't want to accept the real fact that Europeans are better than them! they don't want to share their secret when it comes to basketball.