A Sea Of Red

Spot on article about basketball in the US. As for the AAU, I was an assistant coach an AAU boys team for one season in North Carolina. I developed a strong dislike for the AAU. It was more about winning the tournament than teaching fundamentals.


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Never use fundamentals and AAU in the same sentence. Summer ball is the antithesis of sound basketball.

I personally think the shot clock ruined basketball. The shot clock was introduced to end the four corner offense at UNC. What most people don't understand, that you cannot run a four corner offense, unless all five players can pass, catch and drill the ball in other words you have to teach fundamentals. If you think you can, just put one player out on the court and your four corner offense is neturalized.
Also just raise the rim a foot and you will see how many big guys in college and NBA can really play the game. Take away their dunk and most will be ineffective. Just my thought.

I'm willing to wait to pass judgment on USA basketball until this upcoming team is complete. The Suns GM (name escapes me) has done a good job at putting together a team of solid players. We really need a big to step up and commit to being the man for this team or USA is going to get destroyed on the glass.

TDDance234 wrote:I'm willing to wait to pass judgment on USA basketball until this upcoming team is complete. The Suns GM (name escapes me) has done a good job at putting together a team of solid players. We really need a big to step up and commit to being the man for this team or USA is going to get destroyed on the glass.

I am willing to pass judgement. US basketball sucks. Until someone can prove otherwise the only reason i can figure that it is so bad is because of AAU, which is too focused on highlighting the skills of players and not teams.

AAU is what it is. Players are ranked down to the 7th grade. Its all about showing off your skills and making it to the next level (or so I've heard). Fundamentals are lost and that's the only reason I can give as to why team USA has floundered against worldwide competition despite having far superior talent. Rick Barry pointed out on the MIKE and MIKE show this morning that Lebron James doesn't even know how to use a screen. Pathetic.

USA basketball and Lebron aside, never ever ever ever listen to any member of the Barry family for any reason.

the usa basketball squad just needs to be the right players, ghetto ball isn't going to win

Libertine wrote:USA basketball and Lebron aside, never ever ever ever listen to any member of the Barry family for any reason.

Easy now, the Barry boys can be highly entertaining. I know having covered some of them over the years. The apples didn't fall far from the tree.

RubberMallet wrote:the usa basketball squad just needs to be the right players, ghetto ball isn't going to win

I agree. I do not like the style of basketball being played today.

I cannot bear to watch the NBA. I would rather watch Portland St. vs. Gonzaga @ midnight on ESPN Ocho, than the NBA playoffs. That being said, if more players played the way Steve Nash does, it would be a better game all around. He knows how to involve his teammates and make them better.

Sly Fox wrote:

Libertine wrote:USA basketball and Lebron aside, never ever ever ever listen to any member of the Barry family for any reason.

Easy now, the Barry boys can be highly entertaining. I know having covered some of them over the years. The apples didn't fall far from the tree.

Entertaining, yes. Mentally and logically stable, no way.

Libertine wrote:

Sly Fox wrote:

Libertine wrote:USA basketball and Lebron aside, never ever ever ever listen to any member of the Barry family for any reason.

Easy now, the Barry boys can be highly entertaining. I know having covered some of them over the years. The apples didn't fall far from the tree.

Entertaining, yes. Mentally and logically stable, no way.

My experience with the Barry family is limited so you may be right. The point he was making though, is still valid, that much of the fundamentals of team basketball has been lost in the NBA.

blwall1416 wrote:

RubberMallet wrote:the usa basketball squad just needs to be the right players, ghetto ball isn't going to win

I agree. I do not like the style of basketball being played today.

I cannot bear to watch the NBA. I would rather watch Portland St. vs. Gonzaga @ midnight on ESPN Ocho, than the NBA playoffs. That being said, if more players played the way Steve Nash does, it would be a better game all around. He knows how to involve his teammates and make them better.

there are some really really good pg's in the nba right now and watching them ball is enjoyable....you are missing out if all you watch is steve nash....

RubberMallet wrote:

blwall1416 wrote:

RubberMallet wrote:the usa basketball squad just needs to be the right players, ghetto ball isn't going to win

I agree. I do not like the style of basketball being played today.

I cannot bear to watch the NBA. I would rather watch Portland St. vs. Gonzaga @ midnight on ESPN Ocho, than the NBA playoffs. That being said, if more players played the way Steve Nash does, it would be a better game all around. He knows how to involve his teammates and make them better.

there are some really really good pg's in the nba right now and watching them ball is enjoyable....you are missing out if all you watch is steve nash....

Yeah, I know. I just used him as an example. But, I still can't bring myself to watch the NBA. The link to paint drying on the WBB thread would hold my interest more.

i played aau for 4 years, and couldn't stand it. same thing with the prep all-stars camp... i never liked it. although both are used by coaches to get a look at available talent, fundamentals and team ball are totally thrown aside. as i player it seemed necessary to play selfish in order to catch more than a glimpse from a college coach.

although it obviously works in getting players looked at, neither of the two ever did anything for me. i played team ball. i wasn't EXTREMELY athletic, but was a hustler. unless you were VERY athletic or you could take over a game by yourself, it seemed like you never got a look.

... just my opinion. i'm not bitter that i'm not playing college ball. after all, i'm tall, white and skinny.