What Team USA Should Expect from Spain Tomorrow
Pau’s not everything for SpainThough this game is being hyped as the showdown between Pau Gasol and the U.S., the Spanish national team isn’t completely reliant on their star 7-footer, even if he’s tallied 17.7 points per game thus far.
A month and a half ago, however (reportedly owing to internal politics in the federation that runs the team) Coach Pepu Hernandez was replaced by Aito Garcia Reneses.
Aito, as he is known, has a vastly different approach that wholly deemphasizes any single player’s role.
Thus, this squad focuses on playing team basketball, using all of these weapons: Jose Calderon, J.C. Navarro, Rudy Fernandez, Ricky Rubio, Jorge Garbajosa, Pau and Marc Gasol. In their three wins so far, they’ve been led by three different scorers (Fernandez, Gasol, Calderon).
But the biggest question for Spain is not what they’re going to do with the rock. Instead, how can they try to keep the Americans from pouring points on them as they have done to their previous three opponents on the fast break?
By having five fresh players on the floor at all times, Spain hopes to be able to get back on defense and slow the American offense.
“With the short minutes,” explains Munoa, “everyone should be fresh. Lots of zone defense, with high intensity, and a lot of activity.”
The slower the game, the better it is for Spain. Can they slow Team USA down?
Source: True Hoop
August 15th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
I thinks team USA really had them in their sights the whole time. With everyone saying how Spain is the real competition, I think USA has been wanting to play them more than anybody else.
USA is gonna slap the shit out of them. I never liked Gasol, I recognize that he’s a good scorer, I just personnaly think that he’s a soft ass pussyhole.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Jah says:
They have good, NBA experienced guards who will give Team USA a bit more difficulty…
…but those guards have not had to play a virtual All-NBA backcourt that Team USA is sporting.
I predict Team USA FTW.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
doc says:
Can they slow team USA down?FUCK NO!Next question.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Allan says:
US should win by 10 pts at least. It will be a close match as Spain can rally and put on a run really fast so the US better watch out for this momentum and find ways to offset that with good defense and also clutch shooting just to silence any runs the Spaniards might make. The US has too many weapons at its disposal. Melo and Lebron have not gotten any really good offensive games yet . . . .The US will win this one, whether it matters or not for the Spanish team.,US should win by 10 pts at least. It will be a close match as Spain can rally and put on a run really fast so the US better watch out for this momentum and find ways to offset that with good defense and also clutch shooting just to silence any runs the Spaniards might make. The US has too many weapons at its disposal. Melo and Lebron have not gotten any really good offensive games yet . . . .The US will win this one, whether it matters or not for the Spanish team.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Allan says:
I like the strenght of the Spanish team, but going up against the US with a more matured core of players from 2006, I doubt Team USA will lose this one.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Bruce says:
I want to see Marc Gasol. Is he any good?
August 15th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Allan says:
Kwame Brown is Better than Marc Gasol in talent, but Marc Gasol makes himself better because he plays with heart and passion. Marc Gasol is also better than Darko Milic . . .
August 15th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
D.H. says:
Well seeing as the US beat China by 30+ and it took Spain OT to get by the Chinese I don’t see them having much trouble. Greece was supposed to be a “challenge” and look what that game turned into . . .
August 15th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
GEE...I will break you. says:
LOL @ post 1. I agree somewhat. I been cool on Gasol till the whole playoff dissappearance and slant eye thing.
Anyway I am just glad I get to watch this whole game and they are showing it on Sat. Hope I don’t be sleep lol.
They might slow USA down but they ain’t gonna win.
August 15th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Allan says:
Spain will be competitive up until the 3rd quarter and then fatigue will set in for the USA team to make their run . . .
August 15th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
daquest?on says:
i think the US will win but spain is definitely better than the other teams, mainly because they have legit centers and guards, their talent level is kinda up there with team usa, its not the same but its closer than the other teams. Plus spains bench is almost as deep as team usa’s bench
August 15th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
doc says:
Spain players good and everything,but they are nowhere near as talented as this team..How many Top 10 players they have in the world?They up there past Argentina but we got some of the best ever on that court.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Mo says:
Lebron needs to run over Spain like the freight train he is and Kobe will dunk all in Gasol’s face! Let’s go USA!
August 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
D.H. says:
I wanna see Bosh work over Garbagehosa!
August 15th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
daquest?on says:
kobe will take all his frustrations from the nba finals that he had on gasol on spain
August 15th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
Wouldn’t that be great to see?
Imagine Kobe just slamming that rock over Gasol’s head for playing like a bitch in the Finals, ha ha
August 15th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Igor says:
USA will lose
August 15th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
djKianoosh says:
someone said it. i think it was lebron. NO other team in the olympics has a guy coming off the bench that’s even close to how good Wade has been playing.
Wade, Bosh, CP3. these guys are making an impact.
I would expect them to be the difference makers.
August 16th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Raul_Barcelona says:
Bruce: He is As tall as his brother, but stronger. He will imoprove a lot @ nba, no doubt. But must be patient with him. He will need a year of addaptation, minimum.
Doc: This depends on what do you think about a “top 10 player”. There are lots of excellent defenders in Europe, wich by the way, are real leagues, with not only a champion, but also the risk to go down to 2nd division if you’re doing bad. In addition to this, I always thought (and stats are in my favour) that the most skilled shooters are from ex yugoslavia…
Anyway, in my opinion Ricky Rubio is as good as any american teen player, future mega-star with huge Contract$$$ from McDonald’s, Nike or Wall-Mart…
Concerning the match, USA should win, obviously. We here in Spain admire your dream team, and respect it. For us, to lose -10 down, will be a good result. We are not at the same level. BUT sometimes sport is more than 12 stars… if not, remember the long time ago hockey gold medal against the Powerfull USSR, with an USA team full of Univs…
Sometimes illusion and being a team is more usefull than spectacular dunks.
I will lie down and match this match, which by the way is the best we can see nowadays. Moreover, I think Spain is the only team with small possibilities to beat USA…
Regards
Saludos (desde Barcelona / Spain)