OT: Paris 2024 Summer Olympics: Games of the XXXIII Olympiad

[Rebels57]

Steph Curry just hit the best shot i've ever seen in my life to clinch the Gold

 

[DancingPanther]

Medal ceremony starting now. Tune in see a hilarious scene when Embiid gets his medal

 

[Jack Straw]

Medal ceremony starting now. Tune in see a hilarious scene when Embiid gets his medal

Did not disappoint

 

[DancingPanther]

Did not disappoint

Not at all. They joined him lollll

 

[Flybynite]

For now. But Steph/LeBron/KD probably won't be on the next Olympic team. The US will probably still have the edge in depth but now it's looking like they really need the big guns to win this kind of competition. It's not clear that the next generation of "stars" will be good enough. We could probably field 3 teams that would be in medal contention but none of them quite good enough to win.

Watching the lack of speed and size from these foreign back-courts made me think Maxey would just roast these guys.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1822401754945798346

 

[Jack Straw]

Watching the lack of speed and size from these foreign back-courts made me think Maxey would just roast these guys.

France definitey needs guards. I think the best they have right now for 2028 is Ntilikina?

 

[Flybynite]

France definitey needs guards. I think the best they have right now for 2028 is Ntilikina?

Yea. They really weak there. There's a top-5 prospect for the 2025 draft who is a French PG. Nolan Traore so will see how he develops over the next 4 years. 35 year old Tomas Huertel may have seen major minutes for France in the Olympics, but he was banned because he signed with a Russian pro league after having previously signed an agreement by all French national players not to play in Russia after the Ukraine invasion.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

For now. But Steph/LeBron/KD probably won't be on the next Olympic team. The US will probably still have the edge in depth but now it's looking like they really need the big guns to win this kind of competition. It's not clear that the next generation of "stars" will be good enough. We could probably field 3 teams that would be in medal contention but none of them quite good enough to win.

Ant growing out of the games where he looks like Dion Waiters is the thing that can really change this trajectory. He turned 23 this week. He's certainly got the time.

They basically need two guys to step up to bridge the gap to Flagg, Cam Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa. Those last two are shaping up to be Wemby-style tank jobs.

 

[DancingPanther]

Ant growing out of the games where he looks like Dion Waiters is the thing that can really change this trajectory. He turned 23 this week. He's certainly got the time.

They basically need two guys to step up to bridge the gap to Flagg, Cam Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa. Those last two are shaping up to be Wemby-style tank jobs.

You gotta figure 2 of Haliburton, Edwards, and Maxey is enough of a base to build around for the next 2 Olympics. The US won't be as dominant as this generation but these teams are going to be deep enough to be among the favorites for the foreseeable future

 

[JojoTheWhale]

You gotta figure 2 of Haliburton, Edwards, and Maxey is enough of a base to build around for the next 2 Olympics. The US won't be as dominant as this generation but these teams are going to be deep enough to be among the favorites for the foreseeable future

Locks if they want it: Ant, AD, Tatum, Booker, Bam

Would bet money on there being a spot, but not 100%: Morant, Haliburton, Chet, Flagg

Pick X leftovers from this group based on roster construction and who takes a leap: Maxey, Jalen Williams , Mobley, Herb Jones, Bane, Fox, Bridges, Banchero, Suggs, Brunson, Barnes

The young guys who have the talent to explode but aren’t there yet: Amen Thompson, Cade, and this is where Paolo and Barnes should be, but I’m going to get yelled at for saying it.

I don’t think Zion would do it or that his team would ever let him. I don’t think they’d ever take LaMelo.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Another humiliation. At this point they should bring in a 4x1 relay team that is only focused on the relay. You need a coherent team, not four individuals.

Carl Lewis has an insufferable personality which is why he is on TV and not coaching, but he's also right when he says that if you give him that team to coach they could walk to gold. He'd at least force everyone to take it seriously even if that force is driven by his ego. Toxic competence is a step up over what they've been doing.

Relays are not as hard as the US makes them look. The US is filled with thousands of high school 4x100 teams with smoother and more practiced exchanges, because this kind of thing is not difficult.

Each leg needs to know when to go. And where to stand in the exchange zone so that each runner's particular traits for speed and acceleration match and the stick is passed just as speeds match. It takes maybe a week of practice for you to sort out all the positioning and timing for the preferred order and a whole bunch of alternate orders. To rough it in. After that it's fine tuning.

It isn't hard. Honestly, it shocks me how many teams are only average. I think it was at Beijing? Where Japan took a Bronze thanks to flawless handoffs, demonstrating for all how good coordination makes up for lack of speed in individual legs. Being average at this level is kinda annoying but it can be possible if you have the sheer talent. Being the US is inexcusable though.

 

[Embiid]

Carl Lewis has an insufferable personality which is why he is on TV and not coaching, but he's also right when he says that if you give him that team to coach they could walk to gold. He'd at least force everyone to take it seriously even if that force is driven by his ego. Toxic competence is a step up over what they've been doing.

Relays are not as hard as the US makes them look. The US is filled with thousands of high school 4x100 teams with smoother and more practiced exchanges, because this kind of thing is not difficult.

Each leg needs to know when to go. And where to stand in the exchange zone so that each runner's particular traits for speed and acceleration match and the stick is passed just as speeds match. It takes maybe a week of practice for you to sort out all the positioning and timing for the preferred order and a whole bunch of alternate orders. To rough it in. After that it's fine tuning.

It isn't hard. Honestly, it shocks me how many teams are only average. I think it was at Beijing? Where Japan took a Bronze thanks to flawless handoffs, demonstrating for all how good coordination makes up for lack of speed in individual legs. Being average at this level is kinda annoying but it can be possible if you have the sheer talent. Being the US is inexcusable though.

Sounds like more of a job for Torts...

 

[DancingPanther]

Speaking of relays, the US women did their best Secretariat impression today in the 4x400. I just watched the replay. The camera was zoomed out so much that you could hardly see the runners anymore

"(s)He is moving like a treMEDNOUS machine!"

 

[Beef Invictus]

Sounds like more of a job for Torts...

Nah they need actual coaching and he doesn't do that

 

[ellja3]

That marathon climb gives me flashbacks to course of 2nd best half-marathon I've ran; except it was 2x less steep and not on goddamn 30th kilometer

 

[Flybynite]

Carl Lewis has an insufferable personality which is why he is on TV and not coaching, but he's also right when he says that if you give him that team to coach they could walk to gold. He'd at least force everyone to take it seriously even if that force is driven by his ego. Toxic competence is a step up over what they've been doing.

Relays are not as hard as the US makes them look. The US is filled with thousands of high school 4x100 teams with smoother and more practiced exchanges, because this kind of thing is not difficult.

Each leg needs to know when to go. And where to stand in the exchange zone so that each runner's particular traits for speed and acceleration match and the stick is passed just as speeds match. It takes maybe a week of practice for you to sort out all the positioning and timing for the preferred order and a whole bunch of alternate orders. To rough it in. After that it's fine tuning.

It isn't hard. Honestly, it shocks me how many teams are only average. I think it was at Beijing? Where Japan took a Bronze thanks to flawless handoffs, demonstrating for all how good coordination makes up for lack of speed in individual legs. Being average at this level is kinda annoying but it can be possible if you have the sheer talent. Being the US is inexcusable though.

The Japan example shows why the US can be bad at relay exchanges and still win 4x400.

4x100 is a blink of the eye. Mistakes are significantly amplified because of how short it is. If you have a runner who is .25 secs faster than the other guy, but the exchange slows down the handoff you just gave away your advantage.

In the 400m there's often enuf time to overcome sloppiness and there is a bigger gap between runners.

 

[Embiid]

Congrats to Italy for the Gold and US for the Silver!

https://x.com/i/web/status/1822614948230611040

 

[Rebels57]

Basketball when no one can shoot or dunk is not a lot of fun lol

 

[JojoTheWhale]

HC, don’t read this post.

The Super Bowl 53 of basketball games. One team dared another to do something they can’t and France couldn’t make the 3s. Fun game. Full on dog fight.

 

[Rebels57]

A small part of me was rooting for France in this game. Gabby Williams has a ton of heart. A foot on the line away from sending the game to OT.

 

[Beef Invictus]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1822415769226936766

 

[Beef Invictus]

The Japan example shows why the US can be bad at relay exchanges and still win 4x400.

4x100 is a blink of the eye. Mistakes are significantly amplified because of how short it is. If you have a runner who is .25 secs faster than the other guy, but the exchange slows down the handoff you just gave away your advantage.

In the 400m there's often enuf time to overcome sloppiness and there is a bigger gap between runners.

What kills me is that there is little in track more satisfying than nailing a handoff and hitting the next guy the second your speeds match. Do these slobs not want that bliss? Are they simple?

My old second leg and I have been friends for 24 years now and we are both ripping out our skulls watching US relays.

 

[Embiid]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1822415769226936766

No sacré bleu?

 

[Kermit the Prog]

What kills me is that there is little in track more satisfying than nailing a handoff and hitting the next guy the second your speeds match. Do these slobs not want that bliss? Are they simple?

My old second leg and I have been friends for 24 years now and we are both ripping out our skulls watching US relays.

My third leg and I have been friends for much longer.