SB Nation User Blog: Charlie Bury

Liveblog: Spain vs. Croatia

Charlie Bury — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:58:18 -0000

In the first game of the "win or go home" quarterfinal round, second place Group B finishers Spain squared off with Croatia, their third place rivals from group A. These two clubs have some history with one another. At the 2005 Eurobasket, Spain knocked off Croatia in a controversial overtime thriller. Then two years later at the 2007 European championships, Croatian guard Marko Tomas stuck a fadeaway three pointer in the final seconds to stun Spain in an 85-84. With a shot at a medal on the line Wednesday afternoon in Beijing, both countries were ready for the third round.

1st Quarter

Pau Gasol kicks things off for the Spaniards by knocking down a jumper over 7-foot Croatian center Stanko Barac.
Barac doesn’t last long. The 22 year old center fouls Gasol and is benched after an only a minute and 15 seconds.
The only two games Croatia have lost have been contests where they’ve shot under 50% from three.
If it weren't for the whole part about getting tackled, Pau Gasol would make a heck of a tight end in red zone situations. Less than three minutes into the first quarter he's already made some extraordinarily difficult catches in traffic.
Interesting backcourt match-up between future NBA point guards Roko Ukic and Ricky Rubio.
Garbajosa strokes a three over Ukic's outstretched arms. Spain up 6-1.
Rubio comes up with a loose ball and fires a beautiful one handed ally-oop pass to Gasol. Spaniards in control early. Timeout Croatia.
Gasol spins baseline and scores. He's really giving the Croatian frontcourt problems.
Croatia still without a field goal after more than five minutes of play.
Pleased with a traveling violation called on Croatia, Rudy Fernandez claps his hands and gives the referee a pat on the butt. Is that allowed? For his own sake I hope he doesn't try that with Joey Crawford next year. Dick Bavetta on the other hand...
Croatia with six turnovers already and just four shots.
Another ally-oop dunk from Pau Gasol, who has been unstoppable so far around the basket. Spain up 12-1.
With 3: 26 left in the first, Marko Banic gives Croatia it's first field goal on a baseline drive.
Speaking of Pau Gasol and football, his bearded brother Marc just checked into the game. Marc looks like a taller, slimmer version of Green Packers right tackle Marc Tauscher.
Jose Calderon hits a very high arcing thee pointer late in the shot clock. Spain up 15-4.
Calderon backhands Croatian Davor Kus in the face while dribbling past mid-court. Nothing is called and the Croatian bench isn't happy.
Zoran Plananic hits an NBA range thee pointer with two seconds left on the shot clock. Spain up 17-9.
Alex Mumbru answers back a few possessions later with an even longer three pointer. Don't these guys know that they don't have to shoot from so far away? Spain leads 22-9.
Tomas drives into the Spanish defense for a buzzer beating lay-up to end the first. 22-11 Spain.

2nd Quarter

Tomas opens the quarter with a drive and kick to big man Sandro Nicevic, who nails the jumper. Tomas has realty impressed me, both at this tournament and last year's European championships. He's knocked down shots and isn’t afraid of taking it to the basket. I think he has a future as a catch and shoot guy in the NBA if he finds the right situation. At over 6-7 he's also got good size for the two spot. He's not overly athletic, but as a rotation guy he really doesn't need to me.
Kus is fouled on a three pointer and nails all three shots. Calderon comes back on the next possession and sticks another three for the Spanish. 25-16 Spain.
Spanish forward Felipe Reyes forearms the much smaller Kus in the midsection, and Kus is somehow called for blocking. Rudy manages to refrain from giving the ref another pat on the bottom.
Spanish players don’t seem very adept at giving Gasol a post entry pass. Aside from the lobs, all of the passes to Gasol down low have been way too high and nearly uncatchable.
Gasol didn’t need a pass on that one. The Laker center cleans up a missed lay-up for a powerful follow up slam over a couple of Croatians, plus the foul.
Another absurdly high pass to Gasol, another miraculous catch. Amazing catches should at least be a footnote in the box score.
Jorge Garbajosa drives and finds Gasol for another dunk. Gasol already has 14 points with four dunks, and Spain leads 32-18.
On the other end Gasol defends Nikola Prkacin down low and the Croatian sends a sharp elbow to Pau's kidney, yet the Spaniard is whistled for a foul. Gasol's reenactment to the referee of what it was like to be elbowed by Prkacin falls on deaf ears. "In the NBA that's an offensive foul" states the announcer on the USA network.
Rudy has some very long, but very scrawny looking arms. He's going to need to hit the weights in Portland.
Some crafty Croatian passing leads to a lay-up for Marko Banic. Spain up 32-21 with 3:23 left in the first half.
Marc Gasol misses a point blank lay-up. Not exactly Pau-esque. "Marc Gasol should take a page out of his brother Pau's book" proclaims the USA analyst. I agree, but that's probably easier said than done.
Right on queue, Marc catches the ball wit his back to the basket, puts a beautiful spin move on Nikola Prkacin and lays it in for two. Gasol then mutters to himself on his way back up the court. If Marc is going to start talking to himself the way KG does, there will undoubdetly be some terrified children sitting in the lower bowls of NBA arenas next year.
The Croatians seem to be passing up relatively uncontested three pointers in favor much tougher mid-range shots, and it isn’t working.
A Ukic transition lay-up cuts the lead to 11, 37-26 Spain with 28 seconds left. Although Croatia is hanging around, they are really struggling to get into their offense All of their shots are at the tail end of the shot clock and the smothering Spanish defense isn’t allowing many decent looks at the basket.
Croatia is just 8-24 from the floor in the first half, which just isn’t going to cut it against a team like Spain.

3rd Quarter

A scramble for a Spanish offensive rebound finds its way into the hands of Garbajosa, who calmly sinks a baseline jumper to start the second half.
Croatia sloppily turns it over a couple times in their first few possessions of the 3rd. If they don’t get things in check soon I have a feeling Spain is going to blow this open.
Spain wisely playing through Gasol down low. Defense reacts to Pau's post-up and he swings it back out to Rudy for a three. Croatia looks slow on both sides of the ball. Spain up 42-26.
Ricky Rubio gets sandwiched in a screen by the wide-bodied Prakacin and falls to the ground. He then gets landed on by the 250-pound Croatian and is inexplicably whistled for a foul. "Rubio isn't big enough to get sat on by some of these bigger players" proclaims the television analyst (these guys aren't announcing their names, so I have no idea what to call them).
Rubio is promptly benched in favor of Jose Calderon after an ill-advised ally-oop attempt to Rudy.
Pau Gasol flies back on defense to swat away the three-point attempt of Kus. Gasol is really giving it to the Croatians from every angle. He's dunking, dishing, blocking, and boarding. Spain up 41-28
Croatia is getting nothing on offense, and as Garbajosa nails a 25 foot three pointer on the other end it appears the rout is on. Spain leads by 19, 47-28.
No joke--just spotted Rudy Fernandez rubbing the lower back of another referee while trying to plead his case about a call. I hope that guy is his uncle or something, or else Spain has been at a real advantage. The Spanish coach has seen enough and promptly takes Fernandez out of the game.
Croatia misses a wide-open jumper and Marc Gasol bowls someone over to grab the defensive board. I'm becoming a Marc Gasol fan, but he needs a good nickname. I think he should be known as either El Leñador Amenazador (the menacing lumberjack) or El Woodsman Enloquecido (the crazed woodsman). Either one. He'll fit right in on a team named the Grizzlies.
Croatia cuts the lead to 14 after a nice feed to Kresmir Loncar and another fast break lay-up from Ukic. Ukic's perimeter shot hasn't been dropping, but he does seem to have really strong ball control, and at 6-5 he has a height advantage over most of the people who will guard him. It will be interesting to see if he gets PT in Toronto next season.
Ricky Rubio looks very unsure of himself when shooting the basketball. He passed up a wide-open three earlier in the game and just now at the foul line his form and release were definitely a little off.
After three quarters Croatia has only connected on 2/14 three pointers while the Spanish are 6/19 from downtown.
The announcers finnaly announce their names. Sounds something like Mike Crispino and Bob Sendly.

4th Quarter

Marko Tomas finally gets a three to start the 4th, and remarkably it's only a ten-point game. Spain leading just 51-41 is pretty shocking considering how thoroughly they seem to have out played the Croatians so far.
Rudy Fernandez answers right back with a beautiful lay-up off a hard cut down the lane. That was an NBA move.
On the very next offensive possession for Spain, Fernandez gets the rock, drives into the Croatian defense, and nails a strong runner despite a lot of contact. Two very impressive moves from Rudy.
Gasol easily puts one home down low and gets fouled in the process. He then scrunches up his nose, shrugs his shoulders and makes a face at the Spanish bench as if to say "I'm by far the best player on the court and this has been way too easy." At least that's way I interpreted that look.
Things get chippy as Tomas and Rudy are tangled up. Both have some words for one another after Tomas is whistled for the foul. Analyst says, "Fernandez has been a catalyst in these situations throughout the entire tournament. He always has something to say after the fact."
Alex Mumbru converts on one of the slowest and most unathletic drives to the basket I've ever seen. Croatians should be ashamed for letting him score that one.
An off-balance Calderon jumper puts Spain up 63-41. Their talent and depth has just overwhelmed the Croatians.
The only reason I'm going to continue watching this is because I'm waiting/hoping to see whether a) any more scuffles breakout and b) Rudy will inappropriately touch a referee for a third time.
The large Lithuanian contingent in Beijing is already in attendance in anticipation for their country's game against China. It would be a fun experience to put on Lithuanian apparel and sit in the middle of all the Lithuanian fans.
That's it, Spain wins 72-59.

Post-Game Thoughts

Spain moves on to the semifinals and sends Croatia packing with a convincing 72-59 victory. Pau Gasol was simply too much for the Croatians to handle, putting in 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and blocking three shots. Croatia struggled to get into their offense, thanks in large part to some very disruptive Spanish defense. The three pointers that were going in for Croatia in their three victories betrayed them against Spain, as Croatia shot just 5/19 from behind the arc.

One key player who surely could have helped the Croatians was Marko Popovic. Popovic, a big time shot taker (and maker), missed the contest after tearing a ligament in his foot. He might have provided some much-needed offensive relief for the Croatians, who constantly found themselves having to force bad shots with the shot clock winding down.

When Spain was able to play through Gasol they were very effective. Particularly when Gasol was matched up against a smaller defender and he required immediate defensive help, he was really able to free up his teammates on the perimeter. Gasol is so skilled around the basket and has such soft hands that it seems absurd to do anything but make him the primary offensive option at all times., though Spain did have multiple miscues trying to get him the ball down low. They threw at least three or four passes that Stretch Armstrong would have struggled to catch. Spain can’t afford to be sloppy like that from here on out if they want a shot at a medal. They now await Lithuania, who throttled the host Chinese 94-68 in the late game.

Recap: Bogut shoots Australia into the medal round

Charlie Bury — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:10:02 -0000

After a rocky start with two disappointing losses, Andrew Bogut has put Australia's Boomers on his back. Following his 22-point, 8-rebound effort in Australia's 95-80 throttling of Russia, Bogut was once again the main man as Australia annihilated the previously undefeated Lithuanians 106-75 last night. However, Australia made a scorching 16 of 25 from distance, including an eye-popping 3/3 from Bogut, who made 10/12 shots from the field for 23 points in only 16 minutes.

All told, the Aussies are soaring into the quarterfinals, knocking off European powers Russia and Lithuania, behind (believe it or not) Bogut's three point shooting. The 7-foot center has morphed into a legitimate threat from long distance in Beijing, making 5/6 from behind the arc over the last two games. It's a far cry from the way Bogut began the tournament, putting up a mere 8.5 points and 2.5 boards in 23 minutes over the first two games. The disappointing play of Bogut and his Boomers was enough to make t Australia coach Brian Goorjian came out and publicly defended Bogut, putting himself on the line instead.

"If it doesn't go well, I think you should look at the coach because if the country is not happy with the way Andrew Bogut is playing, I've gone along the same game plan since I've had the team."

Whatever the case, Bogut has responded and keyed his team to three straight blowout victories. He's been driving, dunking and shooting his way to better than 18 points and 5 rebounds in only twenty minutes, on 60% from the field in three straight blowout victories.

Bogut's revived jumper has done wonders in opening the offense up for both he and his teammates. Instead of receiving a pas top of the key, and holding the ball in hopes of finding a cutter, Bogut is going into instant attack mode. He can either pull up for a three if no one's on him, and when he guarded on the perimeter he's used various shot fakes to drive all the way to the basket, where he's been able to do things like this.

Bogut's doesn't get a whole lot of lift in his shot and it seems to be mostly arms, but unlike in the past there doesn’t seem to be any hesitation or hitch, and Bogut is locking and loading very confidently (although he couldn't hold back a smile after sinking his third three against Lithuania). The hot shooting has also helped to open up passing angles for his teammates. With his jumper falling, it's become easier for Bogut to be a more effective facilitator when he does get the ball at the top of the key, as he uses a little shot fake to help create some high-low action. He hasn't been afraid to dribble down the length of the court when the Aussie backcourt needs to get out of a pickle.

In short, Bogut seems to have established himself as the Alpha Aussie. He's ready and asking for the ball and his teammates are really making more of an effort to find him. He's been very vocal during timeouts, and when he isn’t in the game he spends ample time on his feet. cheering on his teammates.

Two years ago at the World Championships, Bogut was badly outplayed by Lithuanian center Robertas Javtokas, who put up 16 and 12 while repeatedly scoring on Bogut down low and snatching rebounds out of his grasp. Last night Bogut got some measure of revenge, having his way with Javtokas around the basket and taking him out to the three-point line to give the Lithuanian's eyes a good rinsing. Bogut has also made much more of an effort to run the court, which has created a number of easy transition scoring opportunities for himself.

And while Bogut has certainly been the big Boomer on campus, he is getting some help. Young backcourt mates Patty Mills and Brad Newley have been taking the ball to the rack with reckless abandon. The 5'11" Mills has been a huge sparkplug for Australia, jittering past every perimeter defender any country throws at him and acrobatically finishing around the basket. The feisty 19 year old has shown no fear, even snapping at Linas Kleiza to let the rugged Lithuanian know he wasn't happy about a foul. Houston Rockets draftee Brad Newley has also done an excellent job of driving to the lane, putting his body on the line and often finishing strongly despite a lot of contact. Mills, Newley, and Bogut should form a nice Australian core for years to come. Of course, that core faces its stiffest test next, as Australia will take on Michael Redd and Team USA in their first elimination game on Wedneday at 10:15 am.

Liveblog: Australia vs. Argentina

Charlie Bury — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:51:41 -0000

Andrew Bogut and his Boomers looked to pick up their first win in Olympic competition on Tuesday, squaring off against Manu Ginobili and the Argentinians. Argentina was hoping to bounce back with a win after losing a tough one in their opener against Lithuania, while Australia aimed to right their ship after an opening day beating by Croatia. However, the defending Olympic Champs were just too much as Argentina cruised to an 85-68 victory. After the jump we've got a blow-by-blow analysis of the action.

1st Quarter

As was the case prior to the first game, the fans in Beijing greet Andrew Bogut warmly when the starting lineups are introduced.
Early on Bogut is a little slow to rotate and a wide-open Fabricio Oberto banks one through.
For the first few offensive possessions Bogut is camping out at the three-point line.
Luis Scola slips behind the Aussie defense and beats Bogut to the basket for a layup. Bogut is whistled for a ticky-tac foul.
I'm not sure if it's Australia coach Brian Goorjian's defensive philosophy to bring everyone back to prevent transition opportunities, but very few Aussies seem to be crashing the offensive boards after a missed shot.
Bogut just doesn't have the foot speed to get out and challenge these perimeter shooting big men as Scola drains another one. We saw the same thing against Croatia, as their big men were able to step out and drill uncontested jumpers without much opposition from Bogut.
During a timeout, the Aussie coach implores his team to step it up defensively. "We've got to rotate on the ball, we've got to talk, we've got to get there!"
Australia is running all of their post up forward Matt Nielson early on.
Bogut loses Oberto, who slips through the defense for an uncontested lay-up.
Bogut's first touch is on a deep post up. He turns, spins and misses with his left hand. Defended well by Oberto.
Bogut takes a seat with 4 minutes left to play in the first. Argentina thoroughly outplaying Australia, up 18-3 with three minutes left in the quarter. The due of Scola and Oberto are really doing a number on the Boomer frontcourt.
Luis Scola drills Aussie forward Mark Worthington with an elbow to the side of the head, and nothing is called. Worthington goes down in a heap and furiously questions the referee, "You didn't f**kin see that?!"
Argentina up 23-5. Really playing inspired basketball. Ball movement is very crisp and their defense isn't allowing for Australia to get many good looks.
Off a missed Argentina three Patrick mills races down the court and drops it off to Brad Newley for an easy lay-up. Argentina up 23-9.
Wide bodied Argentinean backup center Roman Gonzalez looks like he could either be a professional wrestler from the 80's or a hated villain from an old western film. Either way he looks like he's from a different era.
Speaking of wrestling, this the second time I've seen Australian forward Mark Worthington dive on someone and actually pin them to the ground in an attempt to grab a loose ball. He did it against Lebron James in an exhibition and again today lunged on top of point guard Pablo Prigoni. Somehow it's Boomer basketball.
Patrick Mills needs to work on his jumper. His first three attempts are all well short.
Carlos Delfino air-balls a three and Patty mills hits two free throws to make it 23-11 after one quarter. The Aussies are 0-5 from downtown at the end of one and just 3-15 from the field. The Argentineans are shooting 9-17

2nd Quarter

Oberto kicks off the quarter with an "And one", and Carlos Delfino sticks a three. Argentina up 29-11.
Finally a perimeter shot goes down fro the Aussies. Glen Saville drains a three right in Delfino's eye to make it 29-16, Argentina.
Scola comes right back with a devastating follow up slam.
Bogut back in the game with six minutes left to go in the second. Goorjian is bringing the entire starting five back in using wholesale hockey-like lineup. Not sure I agree with the decision, as this was the unit that let Argentina get off to a 23-5 lead early on.
Bogut catches the ball deep, has it knocked out of his hands by Andreas Nocioni, picks it back up and finally scores underneath the basket. 31-20 Argentina.
Bogut misses a left-handed hook and Nocioni comes back to stroke a three. Argentina leads by 14. As was the case against Croatia, the Aussies are doing a very poor job of defending the three-point line.
Bogut backs down Oberto to get good position down low, but bricks the ball off the front of the rim. Teammate Matt Nielsen is there for the follow.
Ginobili misses a three, Bogut gets the board and the Aussies are off and running. Wait a sec…Pablo Prigioni is putting his hands around his neck like he's just been chocked, so the Argentinians are awarded possession.
Bogut takes a charge on Ginobili and pumps his fists. Australia ball. Chants of "Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie, Oy Oy Oy" can be heard in the background.
Bogut looks like he's starting to feel it. He gets the rock at the three-point line, ball fakes Oberto and puts it some kind of one handed, one-legged runner. On the other end he snatches a big defensive rebound. Ten-point game, 34-24.
Argentina hits a couple of free throws, Scola scores on an inbounds play.
Bogut air balls a wide-open three, but teammate Brad Newley comes away with the rebound and drains a long two. On Australia's next offensive possession the Houston Rockets draftee drives home a lay-up making it a 10-point game heading into the half. Argentina up 39-29.
To be down only ten at halftime despite shooting just 11-31 has to make the Aussies feel like they have a chance here. Argentina has clearly been the better team, but the Boomers have hung tough and kept scraping.

3rd Quarter

Between the extra physical play and the renowned flopping ability of many of these international players, it's tough to determine what is and isn't a foul. Bogut and Oberto are really going at each other, Bogut makes a motion like he's been shoved and Oberto is whistled for the personal. Some words are exchanged between the Australians and Argentinians and Ginobili is hammered in the face at mid court on the next possession.
Bogut provides some nice help defense with a block and scores on the other end.
A Bogut deflection and a CJ Bruton mid range jumper make it an eight-point game. Argentina leads 41-32.
Scola answers back on the other end by posting up, spinning around and scoring on Andrew Bogut. Scola has some really nice footwork on the low block.
Manu being Manu. Gibobli drives into the teeth of the Aussie defense and scores on a reverse lay-up. Just like that it's back to a twelve-point game.
After reserve big man Juan Gutierrez grabs, pushes and tugs at Bogut in what had to be the most blatant moving pick of all time, Bogut sends Gutierrez's shot out of bounds on the other end. The Boomer bench is fired up.
Nocioni responds with a three. Again the Aussies not doing a good job defending the three-point line. That's something they really need to correct if they hope to get out of group play.
Odd sequence as David Andersen tried to back down Andreas Nocioni, Nocioni falls (flops) to the ground, Andersen goes up for a shot and (while still on his knees) Nocioni yanks on Andersen's arm to prevent him from scoring. Nocioni is whistled for an unsportsmanlike like foul, Andersen sinks both free throws and Australia gets the ball.
After another tremendous drive by Manu, Carlos Delfino calmly strokes a contested three. Argentina up 55-38.
At the end of the third Patty Mills explodes to the hoop for finger roll that would make 'The Professor' jealous, but Argentina leads 63-46.

4th Quarter

Mark Worthington gets his revenge on Scola with a forearm shiver to the chest, but unfortunately for the Aussie he is caught in the act. "I was just standing there!" exclaims Worthington. By the way, if I'm ever Down Under and get into some kind of pub fight, I want Mark Worthington on my side. He has this aura about him that says, "Yeah, I'm not afraid to fight, mate."
An exhausted looking David Andersen rests his hands over his head, revealing shaved armpits. Interesting…
Bogut checks back into the game at the 6-minute mark and immediately miss a hook shot.
Delfino with another three. Argentina up 20 with 5:36 to go in the game.
Tremendous two-man game between Delfino and Ginobili leads to a three from Manu. Argentina up 21.
Argentina leaving their starters in this late in a 20 point contest may seem like they're rubbing it in the faces of the Boomers, but point differential is a big deal in this tournament and could serve as a tie-breaker, so it behooves the South Americans to keep piling it on.
Bogut air balls from 4 feet. Ouch.
Patrick Mills has a couple of great drives to the Basket, and Bogut finds a cutting Brad Newley. All of a sudden it's a 12-point game with just over two minutes left.
A Patrick Mills steal and lay-up cuts it to ten. Mills has been fantastic in the fourth, getting to the basket at will. He's clearly the best slasher on the Australian side, and when he drives the defensive help from the Argentineans has been non-existent.
Ginobili hits a three over Bogut's outstretched arms. Argentina up 77-64
Bogut misses another one. He sure hasn't going up with a lot of authority today. I'd like to see him try to dunk on someone.
With 25 seconds left and Argentina up 80-66, the Argentina fans erupt in song. Some of the players start clapping along in rhythm only to be quickly hushed by the coaching staff.
It's a wrap, Argentina wins 85-68.

Post-Game Analysis

Bogut finishes with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks on 3-10 shooting. The Boomers shot just 2/13 from beyond the arc, and once again made life easy for their opponents by failing to consistently challenge them at three point line.
The Boomers frontcourt defense wasn't much better, giving up 29 points and 11 rebounds to the starting tandem of Scola and Oberto.
As was the case with Croatia, Bogut struggled to move his feet and defend perimeter oriented big men. His low post help defense was pretty good however, resulting in three blocked shots.
It may be Australia's strategy to get back on defense and prevent transition opportunities, but in my opinion it would serve the Boomers well to make more of an attempt at some "reloads" as Jonny Mac would say. It's not that they're getting beaten that bad on the offensive glass as a team, but Australia doesn't have enough else going for them to make up for not battling for an extra possession on every shot.
Bogut has just one offensive rebound in two games. He needs to do a better job of going after missed shots he so that can utilize his soft hands around the basket. A couple of put-back dunks or tip-ins might help give him confidence and open up the rest of his game offensively. There have been multiple possessions throughout the first two games where he hasn't been in good enough position to grab a rebound and has instead been forced to bat the ball to his teammates (volleyball style) instead of just grabbing it.
Offensively, Bogut just isn't a threat to shoot the ball from the perimeter and it's been a detriment for him and his team so far. When Bogut gets the ball up top he's usually been limited to holding it and trying to find cutters (who often aren't there). Other than one play where Fabio Oberto went for a head fake and got beat off the dribble ((must not have read the scouting report) Bogut's opponents have really sagged off of him, for good reason. Today against Argentina today he air-balled a wide-open three pointer.
The jump shot is really a great equalizer among big men in FIBA competition. Throughout the first couple days of competition I've watched traditional back to the basket centers like Yao Ming and Chris Kaman rendered ineffective due to their lack of shooting ability. Obviously those guys are extremely effective NBA big men, but FIBA is a whole different ball game. If I can put on my coaching hat for a second-Australia might be well served to utilize a little high low-two man game between Bogut and frontcourt mate David Andersen. Andersen is one of the better jump shooting big men in the world and could really free Bogut to do some work down low. If Bogut doesn't have a good look, kicking it back to Anderson for a mid-range jumper is a fine an option.
When Bogut does go up, he's got to hold the ball tight and go up hard. The one handed flip shots just aren't getting it done. In my opinion he's got to try to back people down and dunk on them.
The pressure is really on for Australia, as another loss would make it very difficult for them to advance out of the group stage. Their next game is against Iran, a team that features 7-2 NBA hopeful Hamed Ehadadi at center. Iran is considered one of the weaker teams at the Olympic, so this should be an easy in for the Aussies…but based on their play so far the Boomers shouldn't take anyone lightly.

Liveblog: Germany vs. Angola

Charlie Bury — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:49:06 -0000

Throughout the course of the Olympic games, Brew Hoop will provide live blogging, recaps, and analysis of select basketball contests. We kicked off our coverage last night with the not-so-heavyweight battle between Angola and Germany. As both teams are set to compete against Team USA in group B action, we thought it'd be a nice opportunity to provide some armchair scouting and get a closer look at a couple of our upcoming opponents.

Although Time Warner Wisconsin dropped the ball by failing to provide it's customers with the HD Olympic Basketball channel that NBC is offering, all of the games can be streamed live online (or in full replay) at NBCOlympics.com. Also, check your local listings for select games to appear on NBC, USA and Universal HD.

1st Quarter

Los Angeles Clippers center and quasi-German Chris Kaman opens the game in dominant fashion on the low blocks, scoring easily and repeatedly over the much shorter Angola defenders with either hand.
The much smaller Eduardo Mingas of Angola returns the favor by scoring over Kaman, after which someone screams "He's 6'5!"
Dirk Nowitzki casually dribbles up the court and strokes a three pointer. While we're on the subject of Dirk, I guess it was kind of a cool thought for the big German and many of his teammates to shave Olympic rings into their hair, but the end result kind of makes them look like they've recently had brain tumors operated on. The styles would have looked fly on a guy like D-Wade, but the look doesn't really work on the big blond noggins of the German frontcourt.
Angola playing with a lot of movement on offense.
Joaquim Gomes (one of Angola's top players) takes Kaman outside and hits a jumper in his grill.
Germany really having success posting up Kaman on the low blocks. He's taking part in a personal tip drill with himself down low, and no one on Angola is able to match up with in the paint.
Eduardo Mingas splashes a three…and another three. Really quick shots from Angola. The perimeter defense for Germany is not looking good here in the first quarter.
At the end of the first, Germany leads 25-21. Both teams are hot from behind the arc. Angola has connected on 3/5 threes and Germany is 3/4 from downtown.

2nd Quarter

Yao Ming is in attendance to check out his future Olympic opponents, and gets a big round of applause when shown on the Jumbotron (or whatever they call it in China).
Angola's offensive philosophy is beginning to take shape. They really push the tempo and seem to be looking for three pointers at every turn. When they don't have a good look at a three, they drive into the teeth of the defense and kick it out until a shot becomes available.
Kaman goes out, and Germany offense becomes much more guard-oriented. Not quite as effective.
I get the feeling that Mike D'Antoni would love to coach this Angola team. They're really trying their hardest to dictate an up-tempo ball game and continue to stay in the game with their three point shooting.
Kaman is back in the game continues to be unstoppable down low. The 7-0 Center twists and turns for an acrobatic double pump lay-up.
Germany is beginning to pick up their perimeter defense, as Angola is not getting as easy looks from downtown here in the second.
Dirk effortlessly drains another triple, putting Germany up 41-27.
Kaman scores down low, Angola forces a bad shot and Kaman comes right back with an "And one." Kaman already with 17, all of them from point blank range. The game is starting to slip away from Angola with just over three minutes left in the first half.
Germany's head coach Dirk Bauermann speaking impeccable English during the team's huddle. That should make things a bit easier for Kaman, a Michigan native and non-German speaker.
My main man Mingas with another three for Angola.
Former Buck Yi Jianlian is shown on the Jumbotron and also receives a tremendous ovation from the fans in Beijing.
Dirk Nowitzki caps off the first half with a ridicules contested falling down three.

Halftime: After a 25-21 first quarter, the Germans outscored Angola 29-13 in the second. Dirk and Co. are 8/10 from behind the arc and destroying their African opponents on the boards 20-6. Dirk and Kaman each have 17 after two quarters, and Eduardo Mingas is the only thing crackin' for Angola with 15 points (on 3/5 from behind the arc) at the half.

3rd Quarter

Chris Kaman is up to his old tricks to start the third, scoring easily down low over an undersized Angolan defender (what else is new?).
In what has to be the greatest single performance that I've ever witnessed…by player from Angola, Eduardo Mingas takes a German off the dribble and splashes a mid range J.
The German guards are not very physically imposing, but they are starting to play more effectively. Steal and an alley to Nowitzki.
More Mingas! Eduardo hits a three! Angola (bless their hearts) is still playing very hard. They continue to scrap and dive for loose balls despite the large deficit. Their effort draws some applause from the Chinese fans.
Germany up 65-43. During a time out, half of "Team Angola" watches some kind of mascot skit with Benny Hill music blasting in the background. They must have been studying Bucks' huddles over the lasts couple of years.
Benny Hill proves to be inspirational, as Angola is making a mini run. They nail a three, get a stop, and connect on a lay-up to cut the deficit to 17 with three minutes and change left in the third. The crowed really seems to be pulling for the underdogs here.
Steffan Hamman and the German guards are really starting to put pressure on Angola offensively and defensively during the closing minutes here in the third. Germany up 78-52 after three.

4th Quarter

Honestly, it's tough to keep watching this. I'm beginning to drift, but after Googling "Angola" I did stumble across Micela Reis, a former "Miss Angola" from 2006. I wonder if she's watching…
The lone highlight of the fourth quarter is Olimpio Cipriano's failed attempt to throw down a vicious jam over German backup Tim Olbrecht. The play resulted in missed dunk and a foul, but Cipriano still felt the need to stare Olbrecht down, despite his team being down by nearly thirty.
It's over (finally). Germany tops Angola 95-66 behind 24 from Chris Kaman and 23 from Dirk. Angola just had no match for the two NBA seven footers, and was out-rebounded 39-22. Eduardo Mingas led the way for Angola with 24 on 4-8 three pointers.

Final Thoughts

Unless three or four guys get red hot for Angola, I think they are going to have a tough time getting a single win at this Olympic tournament. The African squad just doesn't have the size, guard play, or depth to compete against the world's best. Watching Angola tonight also dampened a little of my excitement about the 32 points Andrew Bogut put on them at the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament a few weeks ago. I didn't catch that game, but watching the tiny frontcourt Angola trotted out tonight made me think any 7 footer with a pulse could get over twenty against them.

Germany will be an interesting test for TEAM USA and it's other Group B opponents. They really do have as legitimate of a frontcourt as there is in this competition, and their guards have the ability to knock down open shots. If I were team USA I would really try to make the German guards put the ball on the floor and play the passing lanes when they attempt to isolate Kaman or Nowitzki. TayShaun Prince might be a nice weapon for Coach K to utilize against Nowitski because of his ability to defend out on the perimeter and use his length to bother Dirk when he pulls up.

Kaman might be a problem for Dwight Howard one on one, so I'd try to strike first. Germany's guards didn't seem to have particularly quick feet defensively, so attacking rim and taking the ball right at the Kaman to try to get him in foul trouble early could be the way to go. With Kaman out of the game the Germans seem to be at a huge loss offensively.

Team USA set to square off against Turkey, Ilyasova

Charlie Bury — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:19:58 -0000

Michael Redd and Team USA will face the Turkish National team today in Macau (7 am CT, ESPN2). The Turkish squad features former (and future?) Buck Ersan Ilyasova, along with the NBA's reigning "Most Improved player" Hedo Turkoglu and 2008 second round draft picks Omar Asik (Chicago) and Semi Erden (Boston).

Many Bucks fans have kept close tabs on Ilyasova since his departure from the team last summer, and although the 6-10 forward has opted to spend another season in Spain, don't think the Bucks have forgotten about him. Ilyasova spent much of his summer working out in Milwaukee at the Cousins center and "boy did he look good," according to Director of Player Personnel Dave Babcock.

Babcock maintains that Ilyasova is still very much in the Bucks plans, and quite possibly would have been back with the team this summer if money weren't an issue. "If our financial situation was better we would have re-signed him," stated Babcock. "Everybody here likes him. Our hope is to get (Ilyasova) back with the Bucks next year."

Financially, Ersan had much more to gain by continuing to bank Euros in Barcelona rather than return to the NBA, where he remains a restricted free agent. As such, the Bucks have the right to match any NBA offer, and Ilyasova's new two-year deal reportedly allows him to leave next summer if he has an NBA offer he prefers. Ilyasova's situations has become something of a theme in the NBA this summer, with Josh Childress and Nenad Krstic the most notable examples of quality players opting to take the tax-free riches of European clubs over the cap-constrained offers they received in the NBA.

"He got such a great offer over there," says Babcock. "What are you going to do, have the kid leave multi-million dollars on the table? You can't ask him to do that."

Babcock followed Ersan's season with FC Barcelona intently and noticed substantial progress in his game. "His quickness, mobility and speed are much improved from a year ago."

While he finished his season on a strong note, helping lead the club to the ACB finals, the transition from the NBA back to Europe wasn't exactly seamless for the young Turk. "The coach Ersan played for at first (Dusko Ivanovic) really liked him, but he doesn't like young players, so he didn't get to play. Ersan would play five minutes here and there, you know how that goes..."

But by mid season Ivanovic had gotten the boot and Ilyasova's minutes started to increase. "Once they made the coaching change, Ersan was starting and he was basically one of the best players in Spain for the last month and a half," proclaimed Babcock. Being one of the best players in Spain is no easy feat, as the Spanish ACB league is generally thought to the second best league in the world after the NBA.

Ilyasova's run with the Turkish national team has been inconsistent. At just 19 years old he was one of the team's best players at the 2006 World Championships in Japan, averaging 9 points and 4 rebounds in 25 minutes. Ilyasova helped lead an undermanned squad (without either Hedo Turkoglu or Mehmet Okur) to a surprising 5th place in the tournament. But at last year's Eurobasket in Spain, Turkoglu and Okur did suit up for Turkey, and Ilyasova was a complete non-factor, putting up just 2.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in over 17 minutes of action. There have been rumors that Turkoglu and Okur don't exactly see eye to eye with head coach Bogdan Tandjevic, and the Turkish team has not been very successful when the two prominent NBAers have been in the lineup.

Okur is not with the team this summer, but Turkey should still be a nice tune-up for the Red, White and Blue. Most of the Turks play professionally in their country, which "is a good league" according to Babcock. "I don't think it's quite as good as Spain or Greece, but it's right up there. It's a physical league".

You can read more about Turkey's disappointing performance at Eurobasket last year from Jonathan Givony of Draftexpress. In his account of the tournament, Givony called out Turkoglu, Okur and Tandjevic.

Bucks ready for Vegas

Charlie Bury — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:36:44 -0000

The Milwaukee Bucks' summer league team took part in their final tune-up Friday before shipping off to play five games in Las Vegas. The Bucks open their schedule Saturday night against the Grizzlies at 9 pm, and though none of the games will be televised, you can watch them all live at NBA.com.

Talking to players and coaches at the Cousins Center on Friday, It quickly became evident that Scott Skiles and his staff have taken this week's preparations very seriously. If you've ever watched a summer league game, you know things can tend to get sloppy. With just a week to prepare as a team and a host of NBA hopefuls aiming to prove their worth, it's not uncommon to see sub-par ball movement or non-existent defensive rotations. But members of the coaching staff seem determined not to let those things happen.

"One of the things we try to do in our practice sessions is talk with the players about the way we want to play, and that's with a lot of ball movement and player movement," said assistant coach Jim Boylan. "We did a lot of drills with that in mind. When things start to break down a little bit, we're able to give our players a reference point, pull them back and say 'we want to do things the way we did them back in the Cousins Center.'"

Added player development coach Bill Peterson, "Scott's done a really good job of making them understand that we're running these sets and we're doing certain things [for a reason]. We said to the players,'This is what we need to do: we need to do a better job of taking care of the ball and getting certain guys shots.'

"We're just not going to run around helter-skelter. If the ball is on one side, drive and kick it to the other side instead of guys taking it and dribble dribble dribble dribble. It's [Skiles'] system and what he wants, and the players have to adhere to it."

Director of player personnel Dave Babcock--the man largely responsible for putting the summer league roster together--emphasized the amount of work the coaching staff has done to make sure the team plays the right way. "We've spent a lot of time on defense and a lot of time on executing some stuff in a half court offense, more time than any summer league team I've ever been with."

The team's preparations have made a positive first impression on lottery pick Joe Alexander as well. "This week has been really fun, especially since we've put in so many plays. I'm really getting a sense of what we're going to do during the season. They've kept a tight handle on us, and if we aren't doing what we're supposed to be doing then they set us straight. But from what I've seen this team seems to be on the ball and everyone is out here picking stuff up quickly."

Along with getting a look at his draft picks, GM John Hammond will be keeping a close eye on the summer league as a whole. "It is definitely [an evaluation tool]," noted Hammond. "Any time guys are out on the floor, whether it be our players or other players around the league, guys are always being evaluated. Any time you go out there and say 'I'm willing to compete,' people are going to judge you on doing so."

Rookie Report

Rookie forwards Joe Alexander and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have made positive impressions on both the Bucks' staff and their fellow players during their first week on the job.

"Joe is crazy athletic" said former Vanderbilt star Matt Freije, Alexander's summer league teammate. "There would be times when he would post up and then turn around to shoot it and I'd be like 'What are you doing?' because I'm thinking he's going to get his shot blocked, but next thing you know he's jumping over you and actually shooting down at the basket."

Ramon Sessions also seemed excited about the new rookie additions. "Both are very talented. Both are very long and they both defend well. Their offense is going to come and they've got potential. They're both great guys and it's been fun playing with them."

Babcock was equally impressed. "This week has been great for them. Luc and Joe are both hardworking, they're both athletic and they've been exactly what we wanted when we picked them."

Bill Peterson Keeps It Real

Long after the other players had left the court, I spotted Alexander working with development coach Bill Peterson on his post turnaround jump shot. I asked Peterson if that was Alexander's current go-to move, and he responded bluntly.

"No. I don't know that he has one right now. It will kind of be determined as he goes and where his role fits in, whether he's playing 3 or 4. If he's playing the 4, I think his advantage will be stepping out on the perimeter and making an 18-foot jump shot. He's got a good stroke and he's pretty quick . If he's playing a smaller 3, maybe he pulls up and shoots a turnaround jumper, but I'd say right now he doesn't really have a go to move."

Peterson is also continuing his work with Sessions and offered more real talk on what he thinks the second year point guard needs to improve on.

"He's got to be more vocal and step up and run the team. He's got to make better decision and be more juiced. He's not a rookie any more, so he can't make rookie mistakes. He's got to be willing to get in there and be more authoritative, and he's got to have a better defensive presence.

"Scott's going to really make our guys accountable for defense, and Ramon's got to be a guy who really gets after his man, and more than that he's always on the help-side, so he's got to learn how to be better on the helping out."

Sessions smiled when asked about the work he's been working on with Peterson. "Coach Pete...man. I've been doing everything. Left handed, right handed dribbling. Shooting. He's giving it all to me and I've just got to put it all together."

Awvee's Storey

Awvee Story, a member of the Bucks' less-than-memorable 07/08 campaign, is trying to keep his head up after the Bucks declined to pick up the option on his contract for next season. "I'm just staying positive. If it's not going to be here than somewhere else. Staying positive is how I've gotten myself this far in my career."

When asked about what went wrong last season, a pained expression appeared on Storey's face. "I've really closed that chapter of the book. I've let that go. It was very frustrating, especially not playing much. That was a really painful experience and I don't even want to get into that. That's the past."

Veteran Thomas Opening Eyes

When asked separately who's stood out to them throughout the week, both Boylan and Freije were quick to name John Thomas, the former Minnesota big man and a veteran of four NBA seasons. Said Boylan: "John Thomas is a guy who has some experience and has played well. He has just has a leg up on most of the guys here because he's been around and understands the NBA game. He's definitely played well."

Teammates Happy for Bogut

Both Awvee Storey and Ramon Sessions seemed genuinely pleased at the news of Andrew Bogut's contract extension.

"I'm very excited. He's very worth it," said Storey. "Bogut's a great guy, definitely a good player. Just a great guy. I've grown to like him a lot during the season and had a good relationship with him. I'm very happy for him."

I asked Storey if he thought Bogut could become a leader on the Bucks. "Bogut's leadership comes on the court and in the huddle he'd say some stuff to guys. He's definitely got leadership skills."

Ramon Sessions echoed Storey's thoughts about Bogut's extension. "I'm happy for him. I've been talking to him over e-mail. Bogues is definitely worth it."