Danny Granger, Team USA Set To Play In Madrid This Weekend
by Tom Lewis on Aug 21, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in Indiana Pacers News
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PrintDanny Granger and Team USA kick it up a notch this weekend with a full dress rehearsal for the FIBA World Championships which tip off next weekend.
On Saturday, Team USA takes on Lithuania in Madrid followed by a showdown with host Spain on Sunday at La Caja Magica ("Magic Box") which is a sweet name for a hoops arena.
BallinEurope.com has been ranking the WC contenders leading up to the big tournament in Turkey and currently slots Lithuania at #6 pending how they show up against the U.S. team. The game tips off at 3:00PM EDT and will be shown on ESPN.
On Sunday, Team USA challenges Spain, considered in the BiE rankings as the #1 team heading into the World Championships. That game also tips at 3:00PM EDT and will be shown on NBA TV. You'd have to think that both teams, especially España, would save some of their game plan for a medal round matchup in Turkey, but the game should still be plenty entertaining.
While Spain will be without Pau Gasol, to 2008 silver medalists will still have several players familiar to NBA fans that have plenty of international hoops experience, including Jorge Garbajosa, Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez, Juan Carlos Navarro and Marc Gasol. Hyped up point guard phenom, Ricky Rubio also plays for Spain so we know Minnesota GM David Kahn will be tuning in with drool bucket in hand.
FIBA.com has everything you need to know about the World Championships and the teams involved.
Nice to have some good hoops action to follow in August and even better to have Danny Granger included in the action. Bruno's latest Caught in the Web shares his thoughts and those of Larry Bird on the benefits of Granger getting as many reps as possible with Team USA this summer.
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Is durant too… thin for internatinoal ball? He is getting out muscled bad. He isn’t built like lebron or Kobe
chauncy billups is playing like crap. Isn’t running an offense. missing free throws. Takign dumb shots and missing them
Still gotta get used to that offensive goal-tending
Iggy hesitated just a bit like he new it was ok but he couldn’t do it.
love hit his head tryign to take a charge
all the tough euros are probably laughing there asses off right now
and he immediately comes in and nails a long three pointer
why isn’t he playing???
id take curry/gordon/westbrooke
over rondo/rose any day of the week for FIBA ball
77-61 USA
and thats the game..
and im done talking to myself lol
IMO
some quick thoughts…
- Gordon has the strength, shot, and driving ability to make a difference and did in this game
- Rondo and Rose were, for lack of a better word, worthless. They just hung off of them and dared them to shoot.
- Granger was ho-hum. He put in the effort on the glass and on the defensive end but he really didn’t make much of an impact. I think I only see him take 3 shots maybe?
- durant is really physically weak for this sort of play. He kept getting out muscled on the blocka nd when driving. He CANNOT play the four for this team. Absolutely cannot
- Westbrooke won player of the game and deserved it. His shot was there, he hustled, went to the rim hard. Played much better than Rondo/Rose but he will probably get cut.
- Gay played pretty well and held his own at the 4. Iggy did as well but to a lesser extent.
- Curry came in late and hit two effortless jumpers. IDK why he didn’t play all game. They need his shooting bad
Overall… if team USA forces turnovers and gets out in the open… they are deadly. Force them into the half court and they looked very very bad.
I'm your Huckleberry
I watched the game and echo your sentiments on Granger and Rondo. This was a really physical style of play and it looked like it took a half to get acclimated. Hopefully they wont come out as slow and Granger can hit a couple of early jumpers to get him going.
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