Re: Could an all world team compete?

[Sean Giovanello <sean.giovanello@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello everyone, this is my first post since joining the list last week.

In reading some of the posts on this and the thread about last night's 
loss, I think its clear that the international talent pool is getting 
not only better but deeper.  Its still far off (overall) from that of 
the US, but I think a world team could certainly be competitive against 
the NBA's best.  
This is due not only to talent, but also to the  focus on fundamentals 
and team play, which I can only dream of seeing again some day in the USA.

Anyway, I think all the panic and hubbub is overblown.  It was bound to 
happen at some point, but I really hope it serves as a wakeup call.  If 
the pros continue to send second tier guys and show little interest in 
working hard and as a team, I would like to think that sending a college 
all-star team would be revisited.

Roy Enrile wrote:


> Someone on the list was saying the international players aren't really 
> catching up because even an "all world" team would have no chance of
> staying within 20 pts of the U.S. if they sent their best players:
> Shaq, Duncan, KG, Kobe, Kidd.
>
> I would disagree and say that a healthy team of
> Ilgauskas,Divac,Ming
> Gasol
> Nowitzki,Kukoc
> Stojakovic,Kirilenko
> Nash,Parker
>
> could compete with the best from the U.S..   The 5 starters are
> better than alot of U.S. allstars.  They'd be favored over the current
> team USA.
>
> Vlade did a better job on Shaq than Mourning or any American center.
> And anyway, I believe the U.S. players above, were defeated by Iverson's
> mini-mite eastern-allstar squad a couple of years ago, so our 5 megastars
> aren't invulnerable.
>
> I think the media is right on, when they say the International
> players improving talent pool can eventually get some team a win over
> America.