Good question. I think if we did knock off the USA then BA would have a much easier time putting a positive spin on campaign!!

Is there any chance we'll come up against NZ in a lower placed playoff? If so then there's certainly a very wrong part of me deep down that would like to see us lose.

Remember when we used to consistantly finish in the top 4 of major international events? Ahh, those were the days, they seem like a distant memory now.

Im not a fan of BG,But goodluck to the boys we are really up against the wall,and thats when us Aussies perform the best in every sport! GO AUSSIE GO

billo,

We've finished fourth three times in Olympic games - 1988, 1996, 2000 (and 2000 we were damned lucky to get into a position to finish fourth).

We've never finished higher than 5th at a WC.

The tourney's are a different structure. The WC's (now 24, pre 16) have always had more teams than the Olympics (12).

In the style of tournament that is run, its actually been much tougher for AUS to finish higher in the WC's than at the Olympics. The structure of the tournament at WC's is more punishing on losses than the Olympics.

This years tournament is particularly punishing in that context - especially with the way the quals are played out. Ideally in this WC, we should actually go into a new round robin seeing as we are "pared down" from 24 to 16 teams. It would be even fairer if the tourney became a double elimination through the 16.

BTW. We have now won more games of basketball at the WC's than Australia did at the soccer world cup.....

I'd consider 3 out of 4 Olympics to be a pretty consistant effort, whether we were lucky or not doesn't matter, we always felt like we were a chance, unlike this time round.

Why does either tournament structure neccessarily favour or disadvantage Australia? I would have thought that a tournament which punishes losses harshly (such as this one) would be a major disadvantage to the top teams, one loss and you gone, rather than a plucky up and coming team like ours who aren't as consistent as the big guns.

Certainly the number of teams in the competition makes it harder to finish higher, the more knockout games you pay the chances you have to be knocked out, but as a comparison the World Cup is knockout from the final 16 onwards. If your team's good enough they'll progress regardless of the format, it just seems like in previous years we've had the expectation to succeed but this time we've had the expectation to fail.

Hope they do well

Will this game be live? Does anyone know of any venue that will be showing it?

bilo

The tournament structure hurts because the representation from the good zones increases.

That is, Europe and the Americas.

Take 1996, in a field of 12 you had China and Korea and Angola and Puerto Rico, all of whom were pretty average at the time. You could get a couple of cheap wins in the pool stages and one upset (maybe beat croatia) and you were in great shape.

The pool Australia is in here may well be one of the toughest pools in WC history - it really is extraordinary considering the more recent development of Brazil and Turkey.

Greece for example were, until about five years ago, considered a bit of a pushover internationally - always had a fine national club comp, but internationally were a question mark - we slaughtered them in 1996.

"What happens if miracles happen and Goorj gets the win?"

There are miracles my friend, and then there are just someeeeeething else!

Just look at the stats, and how we crumble to average teams. 17 turnovers at half time to Greece.. Just when we thought we could only get better then that, its going to be around 74 by quarter time to the US.

Now, we play the best team in the world. Clear favourites at $1.45 or something to win? next closest team was around $7 (going back last week).

Even if they all accidently broke their arms prior the game, the US would just send their second team that would demolish us by 1213425 points anyway. No depth or heart in that aussie side what so ever.

Having aussie spirit of being an underdog or aussie battler is one thing, but seriously.. they have not shown one positive sign yet. Heck, beating Qatar was the miracle! lets not get greedy.

I think, when Australia produced Longley and Vlahov and started getting all those juniors into US colleges, we got overly excited about how much progress we were making internationally. Meanwhile, other countries in, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa were getting guys into the NBA, not just sitting on the bench, but starring in teams.

We did catch up, but many countries caught up quicker and progressed further. Australia finally produced a 1st Draft pick, be he ain't a dominating superstar yet.

Little off topic, what are people's thought on instead of NBA All-Star game, have an US vs World game. What would have been a joke in the 80's, could prove embarassing for the USA now.

look Australia hasnt got anything close to the original intended side.... we may lose by 20 if we play hard... that wouldnt be too bad, i think for all teams but Argentina.... 20 point loss to team USA is good. we can do that if we play hard nosed defense, dribble penitrate and hit our shots, and Australia always turns up vs USA>

in 2000, we had so much talent and we shouldve got a medal,.... the coaching was bad that why we didnt otherwise we wouldve had bronze.;.... imagine having the depth that you can have Ricky Grace, Jason Smith, Brett Maher, Martin Cattilini, Paul Rodgers, and Chris Anstey and Andrew Vlahov playing on the bench! lets face it , we had a great team that drasticly underachieved that year, in my mind we were bronze and silver material.

USA vs Internationals in addition to the All-Star game would be very interesting. I don't know about embarrassing, but it'd be very competitive.

Yao, Dirk, Gasol, Nash, Duncan (?) and more vs Shaq, LeBron, Wade, Kobe, etc. Imagine running that as a touring series of 5-7 games - west coast of the US, east coast, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China? Surely that would sell out any basketball venue?

Ginobili, AK-47 and Parker too. Bogut on the bench? ;)

I agree Isaac, they'd make a fortune and win many fans. But most players (and teams) are unwilling to play outside of the 82+ NBA season that actually pays their enormous salaries.

Today's version better than the 80's version that would have had Bill Wennington, Sabonis and Hakeem. Ewing was born in Jamaica, but was US citizen wasn't he?

Who else from 80's and 90's would be in equivalent of International All-Stars? Help?

Isaac, Throw Manu in that team and you have:
1: Nash
2: Ginobili
3: Nowitzki
4: Gasol
5: Ming
That has to be as good as any starting 5 the US could produce. Add Parker, the big Z and a number of others off the bench and they'd be hard to beat.

Phizzer - Mutumbo, Petrovic, Olajuwon?

I had Hakeem, can't believe forgot Dikembe. Drazen of course (RIP).

Saurinus Marcelonius (sic).

Don and Donny Nelson did a lot to try and pull players out of USSR, and putting their own lives in danger by doing so.

Toni Kukoc???

He was hovering around 90,91,92, Bulls offered him a contract more than Pippen's and close to Jordan's, hence why they were all out to kick his ass in Barcelona!

They just couldn't get him so quickly. In 92, Kukoc was supposed to be the best non-NBA player in the world.

Schrempf was an All star and two time 6th man of the year. Tore it up in 1996 with the Sonics too.

Rik Smits was pretty awesome as as the Dunking Dutchman.

Vlade Divac.

Kukoc

Dino Radja

Detlef, how could I forget!?

Dino was an adequte role player. Smits, similar. Vlade is a bearded legend.

Unfortunately Sabonis was past his prime when he made it the America. Alcohol and communism ruined him, but he was awesome. In his prime with USSR, he would have been a dominating NBA player.

Ahh Detlef. Anyone else get to meet the great man when he came here with Hersey Hawkins back in the day?

Dino was far more than a role player.

He was a brute in the block, and career averages of 16.7ppg and 8.5 rpg and 1.26 bpg in far above a role player. It was a pity that he was injured for the majority of this short career in the NBA.

Considered the No 2 European behind Toni at the time he was drafted.

I meant he wasn't a superstar of all-star calibre. His role was to score 16.7ppg, pull down 8.5rpg and block 1.26 shots a game.

He did it adequately too. ;)

I think we're all forgetting an NBA legend (heck he's a boxing, NFL, trout throwing etc etc legend) who makes regular appearances here on Hoops - Manute Bol

*NHL

Oh, Manute's a given. How lucky we are to have the man himself post on this humble website.

NBA TV WILL AIR THE GAME LIVE AT MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME