Team USA 2024

ifmanis5

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 29, 2007
66,732
Rotten Apple

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
10,157
Oakland
Tatum is starting. SoSH's long national nightmare is over.

Edit: Embiid benched. Someone owes someone a log of poop, or something.
This annoys me even more, somehow (Tatum starting, not Embiid being benched). When a player goes from a DNP-CD to starting the very next game, it means that the coach has no idea WTF they are doing. And any BS about "matchups" is total trash, because Jayson Tatum is arguably the most malleable superstar in the league.

*fake edit - and Jrue is sitting, despite being arguably the 3rd most impressive player on the team over the last month (after Lebron and AD)? Ok.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
32,428
This annoys me even more, somehow (Tatum starting, not Embiid being benched). When a player goes from a DNP-CD to starting the very next game, it means that the coach has no idea WTF they are doing. And any BS about "matchups" is total trash, because Jayson Tatum is arguably the most malleable superstar in the league.

*fake edit - and Jrue is sitting, despite being arguably the 3rd most impressive player on the team over the last month (after Lebron and AD)? Ok.
Yeah! To hell with matchups…..just…I dunno, coach.

How are matchups trash? This game is literally all about matchups and why Embiid probably won’t play at all. Now where’s my log of shit? I gotta go scroll for it? Wtf
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
10,157
Oakland
Yeah! To hell with matchups…..just…I dunno, coach.

How are matchups trash? This game is literally all about matchups and why Embiid probably won’t play at all. Now where’s my log of shit? I gotta go scroll for it? Wtf
Embiid might not play because he's been awful. I'm glad he's finally out of the starting lineup, but if he was playing well, no one would care about the matchups.

I didn't 'say to hell with matchups, I said "matchups" aren't a good reason for a player as versatile as Tatum to go from DNP to starting. That's gonna be the party line for this move, but he defended 1-5 for most of the playoffs. He's not the type of player whose minutes should ever be jerked around because of matchups. If you don't like the way he plays (or the way he's currently playing), then just sit him. Own it, don't pretend that he's sitting because the matchup is unfavorable.
 

the moops

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 19, 2016
5,486
Saint Paul, MN
When a player goes from a DNP-CD to starting the very next game, it means that the coach has no idea WTF they are doing.
I find it laughable that anyone would characterize Steve Kerr as a coach who has no idead what he is doing. You may disagree with his rotations but the man is a great coach and most assuredly knows WTF he is doing
 

radsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 9, 2009
14,912
Yeah! To hell with matchups…..just…I dunno, coach.

How are matchups trash? This game is literally all about matchups and why Embiid probably won’t play at all. Now where’s my log of shit? I gotta go scroll for it? Wtf
Matchups matter to some degree, especially with an MVP like Jokic.

But it’s missing the forrest for the trees to over emphasize a lot of these matchups. Serbia, South Sudan etc need to worry about how to match up with Lebron, Tatum, Durant etc, not the other way around.

The idea that a 1st team all NBA all around versatile star should be benched or even worried about “matchups” is just silliness from Kerr.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
32,428
He’s about to be benched again for good if he keeps clanging open 3’s off the side of the backboard. FIBA don’t care about 1st Team All-NBA.
 

TheGazelle

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 17, 2009
1,381
This. It is a different game and folks need to come to that realization. Just as we shit on Embiid because he is a bad fit, maybe the same can be said about Tatum
Tatum played extremely well in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His game matches up with FIBA just fine.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
32,428
Tatum played extremely well in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His game matches up with FIBA just fine.
He just took a corner 3 off the side of the backboard after how he played in the 4 lead up games. He’s in a post-Title funk and isn’t Jayson Tatum right now. He also had the ball in his hands in 2020 and did a lot of initiating.
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
10,157
Oakland
I find it laughable that anyone would characterize Steve Kerr as a coach who has no idead what he is doing. You may disagree with his rotations but the man is a great coach and most assuredly knows WTF he is doing
It's all relative obviously, but he's changed 40% of his starting lineup, left Embiid in the lineup far after the rest of the world noticed how bad he's played, and called himself an idiot after game 1. He's got the best coach in the league next to him (Spo), so that's something.

He just took a corner 3 off the side of the backboard after how he played in the 4 lead up games. He’s in a post-Title funk and isn’t Jayson Tatum right now.
I know I'm not the only who is worried that his shot is truly broken. This now qualifies as a LONG slump, I don't know if he needs a couple of months off or if he needs to get back in the lab with Hanlen or whomever to fix this thing.

Love to see White and Holiday on the floor at the same time, just completely changes the defense.
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
10,157
Oakland
This. It is a different game and folks need to come to that realization. Just as we shit on Embiid because he is a bad fit, maybe the same can be said about Tatum
Embiid has been trash on both ends, and anyone whose watched him knows his game isn't suited for this environment (the rules and the way the team was going to play). He also seems to be either hurt or out of shape, either way he just doesn't belong on the court (plus, Bam/AD have both looked excellent). Tatum is in a brutal shooting slump, but the potential for him being a great FIBA player is there, because we saw it 3 years ago. He's far better on the defensive end than Embiid is in this setting as well (and maybe in general, but that's another topic).
 

Justthetippett

New Member
Aug 9, 2015
3,608
He just took a corner 3 off the side of the backboard after how he played in the 4 lead up games. He’s in a post-Title funk and isn’t Jayson Tatum right now. He also had the ball in his hands in 2020 and did a lot of initiating.
His shot looks totally busted at the moment. Either needs lots of reps to integrate whatever new stuff he's trying or to stop trying to make the changes. I would also like to see him out there without LeBron so he can more creating.
 

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
14,718
SF
As long as we're going to be worried about Tatum's shot being busted, we should be excited about how good Jrue and DWhite have been.
 

Jace II

no rules
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
1,218
I love KD so much. Is anyone more enjoyable to watch that isn't on your favorite team? He plays almost angry on D and obviously effortless on offense
 

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
14,718
SF
You can put any 2 decent guys around Durant, Bam, and DWhite and you're going to destroy people. Such a good fit.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
24,612
Durant is the perfect Team USA player because he is the greatest all-time great scorer at not needing to have the ball all the time. His game is super malleable and he loses none of his volume or efficiency regardless of situation.

For example, I think a big part of Tatum's issue is that he doesn't have the ball nearly as much. Conversely, LeBron looks great in some part because he does have the ball all the time. Durant could take it or leave it--he could play with a bunch of all-stars, or a bunch of scrubs, he is going to be Durant no matter what.
 

kfoss99

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2009
2,373
His shot looks totally busted at the moment. Either needs lots of reps to integrate whatever new stuff he's trying or to stop trying to make the changes. I would also like to see him out there without LeBron so he can more creating.
I was talking to a friend and said why change the shot before the Olympics? But, also, why change his shot mechanics at all? Go out there and don't think about it. He'd still be a 36 - 38% 3-point shooter.
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
10,157
Oakland
As long as we're going to be worried about Tatum's shot being busted, we should be excited about how good Jrue and DWhite have been.
It's great how White has shoved his way into the rotation. It's amazing how two guys that are about the same size, play the same position and seem to have the same general strengths can play so differently. One is a combo guard that can potentially guard centers, the other is a combo guard that is an above average rim protector. Crazy stuff.

I'm trying to be optimistic about Tatum's shot. We've seen him slump plenty in that regard, he's gotta shoot his way out of it. He won't have the opportunity to do that when his teammates are all all-stars, so it's gonna stay a mess for the time being.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
82,390
It's great how White has shoved his way into the rotation. It's amazing how two guys that are about the same size, play the same position and seem to have the same general strengths can play so differently. One is a combo guard that can potentially guard centers, the other is a combo guard that is an above average rim protector. Crazy stuff.

I'm trying to be optimistic about Tatum's shot. We've seen him slump plenty in that regard, he's gotta shoot his way out of it. He won't have the opportunity to do that when his teammates are all all-stars, so it's gonna stay a mess for the time being.
Better in July-August than in April-May-June
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
10,157
Oakland
I don't think Curry/Haliburton are gonna work as a defensive backcourt. I get giving Haliburton some minutes, but he should be out there next to White or Holiday.
 

TripleOT

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 4, 2007
8,515
I can’t believe NBA pundits actually claimed that Tatum wasn’t played against Serbia because he might have had trouble defending the tremendous guard combo of Micic and Bogdanovic.

Tatum looks to be taking on a connector role at both ends in the first half of the South Sudan game