<<<Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski is aware Durant isn't the most vocal leader, which may be why he said Anthony will be the team's leader alongside KD. But in reality, it may be neither taking a dominant role. In just the first couple days of workouts, it has become clear that the only guy here with a 2016 NBA championship on his resume is ready to be more vocal.
It was Irving, already connected to Krzyzewski through Duke, who plopped right down in a seat next to Coach K to watch the USA Select Team scrimmage Tuesday. And it was Irving whom Krzyzewski repeatedly talked to as opposed to assistants Jim Boeheim, Gregg Popovich and Tom Thibodeau on his opposite side.
The dynamic makes sense given the role Irving has assumed.
Unlike Durant, who suddenly bowed out of 2014 U.S. camp citing fatigue after seeing George suffer that gruesome broken leg in 2014, Irving was a starter on that '14 team that won the FIBA Basketball World Cup. And this year, a reasonable guess at the Olympic starting five was grouped on the same team for the first workout: Cousins, Anthony, Durant, Thompson and Irving.
An emboldened Irving has been doing a lot of talking to these teammates and frankly looks like the alpha male on this UNLV campus, organizing post-practice drills and ribbing select team member D'Angelo Russell as "rookie" at one point.>>>
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Fri Jul-22-16 11:34 AM
7. ""sometimes when i wake up in the morning, mr mccracken's already there"" In response to Reply # 6
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Fri Jul-22-16 09:07 PM
18. "yup. CA is legit. france got goons on deck too." In response to Reply # 16
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it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
17. "The rest of the world only fields LEGIT teams generations apart" In response to Reply # 12
>"catching up with us"?
Argentina has no replacements for the "Golden Generation" & Spain's best player is still Pau who is at the end of his career. Most of the Eastern Euro powers have Euro league superstars that can't handle NBA athletes on the perimeter. France has NBA athletes in Batum/Fournier/Gobert who could all become All-NBA type players but they are about to lose Parker/Diaw.
Maybe if Rubio panned out & Ibaka/Marc were on the roster then Spain could have been a threat.
21. "It's a tournament so even a stacked team can get knocked off" In response to Reply # 20
>guys coming off the bench
Most of the teams have boarder-line All-Star frontline players but in order to beat Team USA they need to find a playmaker who can take over a game & a couple of 2-way wings.
Canada kinda has the pieces/athletes but they need Jamal Murray turns into an All-NBA guard.
22. "Only a poorly coached team like in 04 when you had Larry Brown's..." In response to Reply # 21
dumbass trying to run some half court "play the right way" bs when he had the 2 quickest guards in the league and keeping Lebron, Wade & Carmelo on the bench in favor of people like Richard Jefferson and Carlos Boozer
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