People talking about the influx of Internationals and their versatile big men. Why do you think that their big men are more versatile. I think it is COACHING. . not the players. Coaches in the High School, Middle School and below are more concerned about WINNING than player development or fundamentals. Seriously. If a Kid comes in and is 6'6 in the 7th grade. He will make the team. He will play center. He will learn drop steps and back to the basket. NOW! when he makes it to college and has only grown 2 more inches. He is 6'8. No range. No handles. No Perimeter game. Hell. He has no Perimeter defense. He is a BUST waiting to happen. If a Kid comes in and is 5'10. He may learn to dribble. He may learn to shoot some. He may learn quite a few things. Then he shoots up to be a 7 footer. He has no drop step. no post up moves until he is much older. If your team can win by letting LeBron James play 48 minutes and shoot 70% of your shots. The other 4 players are SOL. Rocket River
Great Analysis I'd add Euro players get coached by same coach year round. College coaches can't coach in summer. The great US advantage is the blacktops. I doubt Europe or Asia (despite all the blacktops in China) can match the amateur play in the US. The secret to getting better in the US is by playing older players. Amateur games tend to work on fluidity and one on one skills.
I would agree that coaching is the main problem, not talent. We have plenty of that. I think it probably the coaches in High school/junior high that aren't doing enough. In Europe their game is more condensed. The players are playing at higher levels at younger ages. Wasn't Dirk on the national team when he was 15?? They are getting exposed to better players while our guys are still in high school until they are 17/18 and then go to college. I think that is the main difference.
Also QUESTION: What are the Euro's High school graduation rate? College grad rate? The Euros view basketball as more a career to be started at 12 and worked on daily . .like going to school. It's not just 7th period gym. It's 7th period gym and working afterschool at mcdonalds rolled into one. Rocket River
Joe Joe said I think that is the US's greatest DISadvantage. It's there that young players learn that streetball type of basketball that has made the NBA the ugly, almost unwatchable thugfest it is today. Just my opinion though.
Kenny Smith during the draft said, "This is a big wake-up call for many of the American players coming out of college" What a load of crap! Its just the luck of the group this year, thats all. How can you wake up growth spurts and heredity and natural skill?! Theres nothing lacking in U.S. basketball, thats why the world STILL can't beat us. Its just a fluke, a bizarre chance, a rarity that more than a few big talented Euros and an Asian made it so high in the draft. No big deal, wait a few years when there are no brothas on the court rather a bunch of pasty Euros playing Euro ball on our U.S. B-bal courts, then we can talk about a wake-up call. Everyone sit back down and grab your remotes, theres nothing to worry about!
I remember Rudy saying that the Italian league team he watch that featured Nachbar and Tskitisvilieidjsiejdofidfeialeri (whatever) spent nearly two hours running passing, ball handling and footwork drills. I remember running the cones and using those plastic glasses that blocked your view of the ball while dribbling when I was in grade school and somewhat in high school, but these are pro leagues running that. Granted, they have a ways to go defensively because their primary thrust is offense, but these kids have been running offensive skill drills daily for years. In our grade schools and high schools, the kid with the skills gets the ball and everyone gets the hell out of the way. It's the reason why so many young athletes make it into the NBA without a decent jumper, unable to hit a freethrow and with poor footwork. These are the things that are excluded to emphasize three point shooting, dunks and crossover dribbling.
See it is interesting. People scream about the NBA lacking Fundamentals but what they are talking about is OFFENSIVE FUNDAMENTALS BUT the Euros maybe lacking Defensive FUNDAMENTALS Rocket River
