2021 USA Basketball @ Tokyo Olympics

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

@Codeine Bryant

I hope you're watching this game, cause this is exactly what I've been trying to tell you about Luka. He's been forcing shyt all game instead of letting possessions develop, organically. He's making a mistake, and then his frustrations are leading to him compounding those mistakes by trying to do too much on the next play to make up for it.

The times that Slovenia looked their best, were when they were moving the ball, particularly when Prepelic was involved. This is a tough lesson for him to learn that he doesn't need to control everything, all the time.

 

[Piff Huxtable]

still feels surreal 19 months later

 

[FcKuPaYmE]

 

[BaggerofTea]

...we did again but soon its gonna have to be our "killa killers" only. The world is catching up especially with our soft ass game these days

Catching up to whom.


This was the weakest USA team in decades and not shyt could be done about it

 

[Yapdatfool]

@Codeine Bryant

I hope you're watching this game, cause this is exactly what I've been trying to tell you about Luka. He's been forcing shyt all game instead of letting possessions develop, organically. He's making a mistake, and then his frustrations are leading to him compounding those mistakes by trying to do too much on the next play to make up for it.

The times that Slovenia looked their best, were when they were moving the ball, particularly when Prepelic was involved. This is a tough lesson for him to learn that he doesn't need to control everything, all the time.

Luka needs to get in better shape too, hes very skilled but part of his mistakes I feel are physical as well.

 

[Codeine Bryant]

@Codeine Bryant

I hope you're watching this game, cause this is exactly what I've been trying to tell you about Luka. He's been forcing shyt all game instead of letting possessions develop, organically. He's making a mistake, and then his frustrations are leading to him compounding those mistakes by trying to do too much on the next play to make up for it.

The times that Slovenia looked their best, were when they were moving the ball, particularly when Prepelic was involved. This is a tough lesson for him to learn that he doesn't need to control everything, all the time.

No. What you tried to tell me and everybody else about Luka was a guy who finished with 18 assists, spent the last 5 minutes of the game distributing, and was a layup away from being in the gold medal game “cost his team the game” by “shooting his team out of the game.” Even though he stopped shooting when it mattered most. Now you’ve moved the goalposts to something that was never contested in the first place.

But get your daps

 

[Stone]

Great Luka didn’t even medal? Patty mills goin off for 42 and he ain’t do nothing?

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

No. What you tried to tell me and everybody else about Luka was a guy who finished with 18 assists, spent the last 5 minutes of the game distributing, and was a layup away from being in the gold medal game “cost his team the game” by “shooting his team out of the game.” Even though he stopped shooting when it mattered most. Now you’ve moved the goalposts to something that was never contested in the first place.

But get your daps

You're only focusing on minutiae because you know I'm right. We had this very discussion before the Olympics even began, so I don't wanna hear this bullshyt about me moving the goalposts. This is about the bigger picture, and you're over here trying to look at this shyt in black and white.

He cost his team the game through his role and actions. Don't simplify it to box score stats and shooting to manipulate what I said because you've got your head in the sand.

who on that roster should have the ball more?

Everybody.

And here's the thing, the simple fact of demanding less of Luka is going to make him a more effective and impactful player from the jump.

I agree with you on the second part

Regarding “everybody,” ideally, yes.
But you saw the Clippers series. Those boys, outside of THJ and DFS, wanted no parts of those big moments. KP and Kleber just playing hot potato as soon as they get the ball. Terrified to even dribble.

Josh Richardson was an immediate turnover/poor decision as soon as he checked in.

Brunson couldn’t even hold onto a 7 or 9 point lead to give Luka a 2 or 3 minute breather.

Fact is, Donnie and Mark did an awful job assembling competent talent around Luka.
It’s a decent regular season ensemble. But come playoff time, almost the entire roster outside Luka is beta role players who didn’t want to be deciding factors in the big moments.

This is simply because they hadn't been put in position to have a greater role throughout the season.

A prime example of this is KP: his possessions are primarily spot-ups, which he's competent in, but you want to utilize him in a greater way to get the most out of him. He's a rhythm and confidence player, so as a coach, you want to make sure you're giving him a platform that curtails the likelihood of his inhibitions coming to the surface. It's all about bringing the players up to an even level, where they get used to that pressure of being depended on, and that's not going to happen with Luka dominating the ball for the entirety of the game. When those players are asked to step up, they more than likely won't, because of the limited roles that have been forced upon them; you can't expect them to run when they can barely walk.

If the players are completely reliant on one player setting the table for them, how do you expect them to rise to the occasion when they're needed most?

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

@Codeine Bryant

I don't know why the fukk you're trying to make me out to be some type of villain here, when you know how much I defend Luka from all the unwarranted hate on this board. You've got to learn to put your bias to the side, and look at this shyt, objectively. These are the type of things all young players go through, and this is one area he needs to get better at in order to take the next step.

 

[daemonova]

 

[ScoopNScore]

for all the hate he has gotten and clowning he has gotten, i've never seen this dude be anything but positive.

glad he got to be an nba champion and now a gold medalist.

couldn't happen to a better coli smiley

He knew it was destiny, with his mom getting a gold in 84 first mother-son gold medal winners in Olympic history

 

[jj23]

Great Luka didn’t even medal? Patty mills goin off for 42 and he ain’t do nothing?

Christ. Australia destroyed them

 

[tremonthustler1]

Christ. Australia destroyed them

The Bronze still means something to countries who never got it

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

No. What you tried to tell me and everybody else about Luka was a guy who finished with 18 assists, spent the last 5 minutes of the game distributing, and was a layup away from being in the gold medal game “cost his team the game” by “shooting his team out of the game.” Even though he stopped shooting when it mattered most. Now you’ve moved the goalposts to something that was never contested in the first place.

But get your daps

And even if we were to play your game, this was the initial post I made that you responded to -

Unfortunately, Luka cost them that game. Overdribbling, taking too many bad shots, and just forcing possessions. And then he wonders why he's so exhausted in the 4th. He needs that shyt drilled out of him.

From the very beginning, I clearly made it about what he was doing on offense, in general, not just about his shooting. The same shyt I argued with you prior to the Olympics. Don't twist my shyt.

 

[El Jefe]

daaamn patty wasnt playin

if steve nash let him play free like this on the Nets