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Spain 2014 FIBA World Cup

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The Top 10 scorers so far in the World Cup includes no USA player. (AD23 ranks 11th with 18 ppg)

And all of them except for 2 players (Eugene JETER, Ukraine & Renaldo BALKMAN, Puerto Rico) are playing in the NBA.

This to me tells that some US players haven't been able to show what they can do yet. And like an All-Star game, nearly no one is go-to. So high scoring might not be on their way at the level they do in in the NBA. But I can see at least 6 of'em going 30 points per game in a go-to role. This is USA's biggest problem in my opinion. Too many stars, not knowing what to do the best way with'em. So far, they don't look like they are playing in top form, except for the last quarter of the Turkey game. When their shooters step in, expect a bunch of crazy deficit games.


Another example to this no one being a got-to guy shows itself on rebounds individually. The Manimal leads the US with 7 rpg and ranks only 14th in the competition. Cousins have 6.5 and AD23 has 5.


Blatche of Nets (Philippines) leads the tourney with 13.7 rpg.


In Blocks per game, AD23 and Manimal are 15th and 16th. This category is lead by 23 year old 6-9 Jongkyu Kim of South Korea. The 7 foot center of Senegal, Hamady Ndiaye (plays in D-League, 27 years old) lead the category per minutes. Rudy Gobert is 13th.


Harden & Kyrie add 9.5 apg for the US. Another example to me that a player like Harden, who can pass really good but doesn't always prefer, leads his team in apg.

And steals. James Harden leads it. 3.5 steals per game from the guy that does not defend cutters. 3 steals from Steph Curry.
 
And when we come to team stats, this is where we see USA's ranking. 106 ppg, leading the tourney by far. 2nd in FG%, shooting 55% , (1st Slovenia). Home team Spain shoots 50%.

USA is 12th with 35% 3 point percentage (Turkey 14th). 3 pointers are lead by Aussies with a crazy near 52 % !!

US team also leads the tourney in apg. Distribution goes decent enough to find the athletic players and we all know how their fast breaks are (leading the steals by far 17.5 spg). The US NT averages 20.5 apg, a team who can get back to the other end and shoot the ball in 4 seconds, really hard for opposition to keep up with the endurance.
 
Ukraine wins. 64-58.

A nice close end game.

Ataman, Turkish NT made mistake by not stopping time with tactical fouls.
 
LT Australia game might be the one where Exum can do something as LT backup pg's are small and physically weak. Kalnietis was getting to Aussies rim at will in friendly game when LT won, but now he is gone... I still expect LT to win just because of much deeper bench and better front court.
 
Australia does what every team should do pressure PT pg, Vasiliauskas is skilled kid but to weak and to small. He can't handle physicallity.
 
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