2021 USA Basketball @ Tokyo Olympics

[Codeine Bryant]

Luka shot them out of the contest, and his teammates were the ones making shots to keep them afloat. A few of his assists were him running into dead ends and getting rid of the ball, with his teammates hitting timely shots. France's offense was organic; Slovenia's wasn't. That's because Luka just tried to do far too much.

A couple of possessions?

He was 5-18, and wouldn't really allow anyone else to create offense. It was essentially what he does on the Mavs: let Luka rebound the ball and call for multiple picks until there's a mismatch. No matter which way you cut it, it's poor offense.

And this is the EXACT reason why I want to get rid of the box score. Far too many folks have a distorted view of the game because of it. The exact same type of reasoning folks use for Westbrook when thinking he had a good game.

He was 2/6 from 3 at half.

He finished 2/9 from 3 for the game. He didn’t attempt one in the last 5 minutes of the game.

He made the right decision not chucking 3s and stepbacks and facilitating late in the 4th. It was a double digit game that should have been out of hand but all his assists and creating offense got them back in the game.

He had a poor shooting night and did the right thing that was in the best interest of the team.

Last possession he got locked up at the arc similar to Curry and KLove at the end of 2016. It happens.

Maybe France is just better than Slovenia.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Lmfao man y’all be ready for the hot takes

This nikka 2nd best player was Goran Dragic brother

His teammates were hitting tough, contested shots all game. Luka shot 27% from the field, whereas his team shot 52%, collectively. They did more than enough to help him. His effort can't be questioned, he always leaves it out there on the floor, but that's also the sword that cuts his team too, because he feels like he must do everything, which isn't a successful means to winning the game.

 

[Jeshaman]

Nice job USA. In hindsight the three losses were a blessing in disguise, got the bad games out of the way and were able to focus.

I cant see them losing twice to France.

 

[Apprentice]

This really isn't a hot take.

Luka's comp has always been Harden. In NBA and in FIBA. They're very similar players given their scoring and play making ability and have similar flaws.......and those flaws cost Slovenia the game tonight.

@Gil Scott-Heroin summed it up well. These are all things we've seen from Harden too.

Luka and Harden are not similar, Luka is way more of a 3 level scorer type while Harden legit plays like a wing runnin the PG, he had a off scorin night, that don’t gotta be an indictment on his entire game

We seen Harden flame out wit elite teams around him, U can’t say the same for Luka, using this game as “he’s Slovenian Harden” is a hot take, Luka is 22 and has already scored more points in a G7 than Harden ever has and was doin it vs 2 of the best perimeter defenders in the league

 

[Georgiamuscle]

He’ll make it next olympics and your smelly cac ass will be

 

[Box Factory]

He’ll make it next olympics and your smelly cac ass will be

Lol no he won't. He can't even make the all star team as a backup

Everyone recognizes that his foul baiting, not playing defense, turnovers and 30% 3 point shooting wouldn't fly in FIBA.

He's the embodiment of the NBA struggles in FIBA. He would be a walking disgrace to his country if he got in any of these games

 

[ALonelyDad]

Great block by Batum

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

He was 2/6 from 3 at half.

He finished 2/9 from 3 for the game. He didn’t attempt one in the last 5 minutes of the game.

He made the right decision not chucking 3s and stepbacks and facilitating late in the 4th. It was a double digit game that should have been out of hand but all his assists and creating offense got them back in the game.

He had a poor shooting night and did the right thing that was in the best interest of the team.

Last possession he got locked up at the arc similar to Curry and KLove at the end of 2016. It happens.

Maybe France is just better than Slovenia.

When you control the ball as much as Luka does, it's only natural that he's going to accumulate a high volume of assists with the flow of the game. Even an above-average passer can get assists dominating the ball, let alone someone like Luka.

But here's the problem, individual assists =/= good offense.

If you have a look at France's offense during this game, all their actions were intent on trying to get the best shot possible, and not overlying on just one player to create for them; they ran their actions early and they made sure they weren't running the same shyt over and over. De Colo had five assists, Batum, Gobert, Heurtel and Fournier all had three assists, respectively, and that was because they moved the ball more and didn't allow Slovenia to get into a groove on the defensive end. It's a lot easier to defend a team where there's one person doing everything. We all know how great of a passer he is, but he shouldn't be monopolizing the possessions like that because it'll only lead to the dilution of shot quality, which it did for Slovenia.

It also means he can't distribute his energy properly, which leaves him gasping for air and ineffective during the most important stages of the game.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

All those fast-break buckets that he created were great; all those long, drawn-out, tedious possessions where he's dribbling the air out of the ball aren't. That is something that he needs to work on. He doesn't need to be all up in the videos on every possession. Come off the ball, set screens, be a distraction running around picks and cutting down the lane and baseline. His game won't take that next step until he does that.

 

[King Static X]

The audacity of NBC for not airing this game on live TV



They're really trying to force this stupid Peacock app

 

[Primetime]

True but he had to know they were down one point right? Drive past Rudy and get the bucket at the rim

Rudy’s entire MO is to pin that shyt against the back board. The intimidation factor had Luka overthinking it; once he couldn’t treat Gobert like Zubac on the perimeter, all that “3-level scoring” ish went out the window.

In truth you don’t play Rudy and Zubac the same way. Zubac is slow so you can force the switch and attack but we saw in the Utah/LAC series it’s better to force Rudy to stay offball on the weak side perimeter with a spot up shooter... bc we know Rudy will always creep to the paint.

So if Doncic forces the switch on Rudy, swinging the ball early on would be best. Or have another shooter do PnR to get Rudy, then swing to Doncic to attack.

 

[CarltonJunior]

Luka and Harden are not similar, Luka is way more of a 3 level scorer type while Harden legit plays like a wing runnin the PG, he had a off scorin night, that don’t gotta be an indictment on his entire game

We seen Harden flame out wit elite teams around him, U can’t say the same for Luka, using this game as “he’s Slovenian Harden” is a hot take, Luka is 22 and has already scored more points in a G7 than Harden ever has and was doin it vs 2 of the best perimeter defenders in the league

Harden is also a 3 level scorer breh. They have similar skills as playmakers, are strong players, the difference is that Luka is taller. They even do a lot of the same moves.

They are very similar. That's undeniable. Whether or not Luka has better intangibles and play better or worse with better teams around him is irrelevant to how similar their game is.

 

[Apprentice]

Harden is also a 3 level scorer breh. They have similar skills as playmakers, are strong players, the difference is that Luka is taller. They even do a lot of the same moves.

They are very similar. That's undeniable. Whether or not Luka has better intangibles and play better or worse with better teams around him is irrelevant to how similar their game is.

Harden not on Luka’s level in the midrange and Luka a below avg FT shooter while Harden elite

Only reason y’all sayin they play alike cuz the stepback and playmakin

Harden virtually has no post game and no mid range game, can’t let a couple moves make U think they game identical

 

[CarltonJunior]

Harden not on Luka’s level in the midrange and Luka a below avg FT shooter while Harden elite

Only reason y’all sayin they play alike cuz the stepback and playmakin

Harden virtually has no post game and no mid range game, can’t let a couple moves make U think they game identical

Prior to him playing D'antoni ball Harden was taking mid range jumpers and postups often actually.

And no one said identical, we said similar. And no one gives a fukk about FTs in this conversation, that has nothing to do with game. If 2 guys played exactly the same but one was horrible from the FT line, they still play the same.

People make the Kobe and MJ comparison all the time, are there differences in their games? Yes. There's differences in everyone's game. But they are similar. Undeniable.

 

[Codeine Bryant]

When you control the ball as much as Luka does, it's only natural that he's going to accumulate a high volume of assists with the flow of the game. Even an above-average passer can get assists dominating the ball, let alone someone like Luka.

But here's the problem, individual assists =/= good offense.

If you have a look at France's offense during this game, all their actions were intent on trying to get the best shot possible, and not overlying on just one player to create for them; they ran their actions early and they made sure they weren't running the same shyt over and over. De Colo had five assists, Batum, Gobert, Heurtel and Fournier all had three assists, respectively, and that was because they moved the ball more and didn't allow Slovenia to get into a groove on the defensive end. It's a lot easier to defend a team where there's one person doing everything. We all know how great of a passer he is, but he shouldn't be monopolizing the possessions like that because it'll only lead to the dilution of shot quality, which it did for Slovenia.

It also means he can't distribute his energy properly, which leaves him gasping for air and ineffective during the most important stages of the game.

Maybe he does so much because he has to do so much? Or do you not think that's valid?

Durant had Russ, Curry, and now Kyrie/Harden
Bron had to wait, but eventually got ISO-Wade and then Kyrie.
Curry had Klay and Livingston.
Harden had CP3 and then Westbrook. Now Kyrie.
Damian has CJ.
Booker has CP3
Mitchell has Conley.
Tatum had Kyrie and then Kemba.

Luka has who? Brunson? THJ?
And now you're talking like he can count on Prepelic or Blazic
They should somehow grab a hold of the tempo of a game and lead an offense, something neither one of them ever did in qualifying or the 5 games thus far of the tournament? Let me guess, that's Luka's fault as well...

Slovenia had the same drive and kick out to 3 offense the entire qualifying and Olympic run. They never had an offense like France. They don't have the personnel of France. Clearly they don't have other ballhandlers and ISO players and a paint presence like France. So why compare the two?