Green Bandwagon: Front Page Posts

This is the ridiculous shot by Zoran Planinic that atthehive referenced in the comment section of...

Jim — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:37:56 -0000

This is the ridiculous shot by Zoran Planinic that atthehive referenced in the comment section of the Croatian preview.

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Germany

Jim — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:42:32 -0000

Another day another Olympic preview. This time it's Germany, courtesy of At the Hive. You can also check our sidebars for previous posts. Or just click on the following links. And stop by here tomorrow for Spain. China, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, Angola, and Croatia.

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Croatia

Jim — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:13:59 -0000

In anticipation of the 2008 Olympics Green Bandwagon and fellow SB Nation blog At The Hive have been alternating previews for each basketball team headed to Beijing. Check out previous posts in the sidebars at both sites or click on the following links: China, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, and Angola.

Population: 4,491,543

Size in Comparison to a US State: About the size of West Virginia (slightly smaller)

Suffrage: Universal at 18, 16 if employed

Interesting Fact: The 1988 Yugoslavian basketball team that won silver in Seoul with Toni Kucoc, Vlade Divac, Dino Radja, and Drazen Petrovic became even more fascinating with the passing of time, the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and the Balkan War that followed suit.

Recommended Reading: How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. The opening chapter focuses on Serbian hooligans and how they played a role in incidents like this.

World Rank (Courtesy of FIBA): 20

Qualified: Earned bid through the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament

Dream Match Up in Beijing: Russia

Dream Match Up That Did Not Qualify: Serbia

Recent News: Croatia proved its mettle by defeating Germany to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Take that Nowitzki, Kaman, and company.

Thoughts on the Team: Croatia strikes me as the classic "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" type team. The Croatians love to run and gun and can be carried by a different player on any given night. Like the Australians, I would not predict them to medal. At the same time I would not count them out against any team.

Marko Banić - Power Forward: At 6-9, 235 pounds Banić is a bit undersized as a power forward. However, he is more than willing to mix it up in the paint. In addition he scores well down low, has a soft touch, rebounds, shoots a high percentage, and plays aggressive defense. Though young (24 later this month), he will be expected to contribute to the Croatian cause.

Stanko Barac - Center: DraftExpress lists Barac's size (7 feet, 235 pounds) and mid-range shooting as his greatest strengths. Unfortunately he struggles when it comes to strength and athleticism. Still legitimate big guys who are young and can shoot get noticed. Such was the case with Barac when the Heat took him with the 39th pick in the 2007 draft and traded him to Indiana. Barac can also add a jump hook, the ability to take defenders off the dribble, and shot blocking to his resume.

Davor Kus - Guard: After backing up Scoonie Penn for a season Kus continued to develop and he became one of the better players in Croatia's professional league. Look for Kus to contribute quickness, passing, and three-point shooting. For what it's worth he was third in minutes played in that Olympic clinching victory over Germany. Also check him out on ESPN Video (odd music and incredibly slow start in all its glory). And yes I was glad to mention Penn because I saw him play in high school.

Kresimir Loncar - Forward: He received a ton of attention from a young age and never quite lived up the hype. DraftExpress essentially attributes the disappointment to the fact that he is average at pretty much everything. He's somewhat undersized for a center, yet plays like one. He's not the strongest guy but passes well, has a nice shot, understands the game, and is by no means lazy. In reading up about him I wondered whether or not Loncar would be more highly regarded if he did not get so much positive buzz as a teenager.

Damir Markota - Forward: Markota's size, athleticism, and perimeter skills led Draft Express (check out his profile photo, it's fantastic) to compare him to Vladimir Radmanovic. Whether this means he does not play defense remains to be clear. Regardless he excited scouts with his excellent skill set and ability to play above the rim. The Spurs drafted Markota and traded him to the Bucks. In Milwaukee he played in 30 games and went to the D-League a few times before he was waived. His EuroBasket 2007 profile delves into a difficult past - fled Sarajevo for Sweden during the war and eventually changed his last name due to some family issues. But if you ignore that it sounds a lot like Gerald Green's MO - good shot, nice first step, ridiculous hops, mixed with concerns about his mental toughness and attitude. In closing he earned a DNP in in the all important game against Germany during the FIBA Qualifying Tournament. Everyone else played.

Sandro Nicevic - Center: I struggled to find anything of substance about Nicevic. Although Luis Fernandez did say he brings size to the table. So yeah.

Zoran Planinic - Point Guard: He is a perfect example of how difficult it is to evaluate players. Some thought he had a brighter future than Tony Parker. Yet Planinic went on to 3 nondescript seasons backing up Jason Kidd in New Jersey before leaving the NBA behind. Regardless he impresses with his size, ball handling, passing, and shooting. He's still young (26) and I'm just going to assume he'll look at Jason Kidd and simply see a bullseye. Check out an interview with him here, which gave rise to several thoughts:

1. If you mention Radja you make the Bandwagon. End of story.

2. Anytime I catch a foreign player do an interview in English I'm thankful because I can understand it. Furthermore, I know my "insert language", in this case Croatian, would be absolutely atrocious.

3. The fact that the title of the YouTube clip said Nicevic would be part of the interview and yet he did not appear, only strengthened my earlier frustrations.

4. I'm really glad his first name is Zoran and not Zohan (you might not want to click on that link).

Marko Popović - Guard: Though not the biggest player Popović excels at play making, dribbling, passing, toughness, and much like his father - shooting. Any interest in some ESPN Video? Ask and you shall receive. As a side note I'm always nervous about guys who play hard, shoot well, and have probably been told one too many times they are too short.

Nikola Prkačin - Power Forward: After focusing initially on water polo he switched over to basketball at age 14. Despite picking the sport up late Prkačin eventually used his size and southpaw approach to excel in Europe before back troubles slowed him. Despite those injuries and an extensive national career that had him contemplating retirement from the international stage following EuroBasket 2007, Prkačin is back in the fold and captain of the squad. And the longest standing member of the Croatian national team (joined in 1997) can still get it done, as his 10 points were second highest in that game against Germany I keep referencing.

Marin Rozic - Forward: Check out his stats from Croatia's big win over Germany. That may explain why there is not a lot written about him at two of the more thorough websites out there - DraftExpress and EuroBasket 2007. Rozic earns praise for his defense and team spirit.

Marko Tomas - Guard/Forward: Somewhat similar to Loncar in the sense that he gained a lot of hype early on and then did not become a mega star. However, Tomas is much further along. He's an excellent shooter that struggles at times to create shots. By all accounts he is a dedicated defender and a player that continues to improve. Bonus points because Tomas is still young (23) and he dropped 21 on Germany. Check out his game winner against Spain. Also as of a couple of years ago Tomas did not see the NBA as his first option (check out his praise of Drazen Petrovic).

Roko-Leni Ukic - Guard: The Toronto Raptors drafted Ukic 41st overall in the 2005 draft and signed him to a three-year deal. He's built like a 2 but dribbles well and plays the point, albeit to mixed reviews. Ukic also finishes with either hand and surprise, surprise is a good shooter. Interestingly DraftExpress argued that Ukic's game is more suited for the NBA than Europe due to his individual style of play.

Poll

How will the Croatians do in the Beijing Olympics?

Thoughts on Team USA

Jim — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:12:56 -0000

For anybody who has been watching Team USA's summer has been all about three words - "redemption", "gold medal". And while numerous individuals - players, coaches, and broadcasters - have acknowledged that the world can play basketball there is still a sense that the US can regain the glory days. But there in lies the problem. Those days are long gone. I'm not saying the US can not or should not win gold. Rather the idea that they can cruise, not study their opponents, and just win on their athleticism is a flawed one. And the Australian game was a phenomenal example of everything Team USA is up against. Consider the following points.

1. The Americans cheat on defense looking for steals and fast break dunks. Against lesser teams it works and the US rolls to victories. But consider what Australia did today. The Boomers refused to be intimidated or back down and hung around as a result. In fact Matt Nielsen and Chris Anstey worked a nice two-man game at times, creating easy baskets in the process. If Andrew Bogut had been around to help with depth, scoring, and passing that would have further complicated things.

2. Rick Kamla pointed out at some point in the exhibition run that Team USA's best lineup might be Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James. Those guys will create match up nightmares. At the same time they'll get worked in the post and on the glass as well. In general the US, regardless of the lineup is susceptible to physical play down low.

3. I think it's safe to assume the Americans will shoot better than 16.7% (3-18) from 3-point range. At least I hope it is. However, it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility that an opponent could best Australia's 40% (8-20). Furthermore, I recognize the fact that the 3-point line is significantly closer. However, the Americans are by and large slashers. Outside of Michael Redd who on the US roster is a pure shooter? Just remember there's a reason the Boston Celtics worked like crazy to make LeBron and Kobe shoot from the outside during the playoffs.

4. Patrick Mills blew by Jason Kidd and Deron Williams. Fair enough. The latter is older and the former is a bigger guard. But Mills left Chris Paul behind as well. Now Mills made some mistakes, missed some shots, and the Australians definitely needed C.J. Bruton to run the point and hit some 3s. Still Mills turns 20 in 6 days. He's going to get better. There will come a time when another squad matches an American roster athlete for athlete. And yet the bigger concern should be who plays the game better.

5. Realistically Team USA and its NBA players will have to adjust and mimic their opponents (Hat tip TrueHoop) at some point.

6. In closing, I realize Zyrdunas Ilgauskas stayed home, at last in part, because of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet that may be more the exception than the rule. Jorge Garbajosa left the Toronto Raptors to represent Spain and Matt Nielsen paid his own way. In the back of my mind I can't get over the fact that some of these international guys want this well beyond rhetoric. Of course I could be way off on this one. The Americans are giving up their free time and working hard as well.

7. Actually one more point. I'm really concerned about the Americans' offense and defense. At times I was reminded of Kobe Bryant versus the Celtics when he settled for deep shots. For stretches he made some, but they're low percentage shots and over the course of a game and definitely a series they simply were not enough. Meanwhile, I learned a great deal about defense from the Celtics this past season. They rotated like crazy, cut down passing lanes, talked, and outside of Rajon Rondo rarely gambled for steals. On top of all that they were physical. Does Team USA do any of that?

USA vs. Australia Live Blog

Jim — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:05:31 -0000

Andrew Bogut is out for this one due to an ankle injury from a previous game against Angola. As a heads up this will probably be the worst live blog ever.

Kobe Bryant gets the US going with a bucket and 1. CJ Bruton answered with a 3.

Kobe misses his next 2 freebies and Rick Kamla points out that he's "shooting blanks from the line." So that happened.

Jason Kidd of all people sends Andersen's fast break attempt into the expensive seats.

Carmelo just earned a trip to the line and the ball because of an intentional foul. For some reason he did the Lamar Odom tongue thing.

Almost 3 minutes in and it has been a sluggish affair.

Kobe forces a shot, misses, and hits the floor. Lakers fans gasp while Brad Newley gets a transition bucket.

We're watching the 2006 Kobe Bryant on the offensive end right now. Someone must have mocked him after the 2 missed free throws.

Patrick Mills in the house. As expected he's not a big guy. I'm excited to see what he can do. Meanwhile, Newley nails a 3. Australia 10, US 7.

The 2008 Jason Kidd can not stay with Mills. Australia leads 10-9 at the first commercial break.

LeBron James just pulled a "nobody else in the world can do this" move and Mills responded with a "I'm the fastest man alive" move. Seriously Mills has jets. I'm going to have to catch a St. Mary's game next year to see what he can do against college kids.

Australia up 17-13. Mills is all over the place and the Americans are simply not taking care of the ball.

Bosh goes 1-2 from the line and then Carmelo attacks the offensive boards to make it 17-16. On the flip side no one can guard Mills.

Wade gives the US the lead with a fast break bucket.

Wade earns a foul on a three-point attempt as time expires in the first. Misses the first. Makes the second 2.

After 1: USA 22 - Australia 19.

Deron Williams finds Dwyane Wade for a fast break dunk to start the second.

And we've got words between Chris Antsey and seemingly all 5 US players. Not sure entirely what happened but Fran Fraschilla explains that it is classic Aussie ball.

The Americans are throwing up bricks. Aussies trail by 3. Can we get some Michael Redd?

LeBron travels after an air balled finger roll by Glen Saville.

We gets some Michael Redd and he misses a 3. In other news the Aussies are doing a great job preventing fast break dunks. Newley gets a fast break lay up and trail by 1 (24-23).

US 26 - Australia 25 and it's a physical affair.

Kobe hits 3 free throws. Apparently he's going by Doberman now. I wish I had a joke. To his credit Kobe picks David Barlow's pocket and assists a LeBron dunk. Another Aussie turnover and the US has the ball up 6. LeBron nails a 3. Up 9, can they pull away?

Kobe is extending some half to 3/4 court pressure.

LeBron misses a three, gets it back and creates an and 1 on a play that few, if any other players can make. Commercial break.

As a side note I'm feel less and less confident about Dwight Howard dominating the Olympics. Damn you atthehive for being right. US up 12.

Williams and Paul check in together as they did in the first.

Williams goes 1 of 2 from the line. Kamla discusses some cryptic Carlos Boozer statements related to his Jazz contract.

LeBron absolutely attacked a Mark Worthington shot and sent it into the third row.

Dwight Howard - still bad from the line. Americans up 38-25.

I demand to know how fast Mills is. He just left Williams in his dust.

Aussies creeping back into it with the ball and down 11. And here comes Kobe Bryant. He joins LeBron, Wade, Anthony, and Williams. Prince replaces LeBron.

After 2: USA 44 - Australia 29.

Quick Analysis - The American defense picked up and LeBron got hot.

Second half after the jump.

Barlow gets the party started and Australia within 12 with a 3.

LeBron misses, Newley hits. US lead cut to 10.

Australia down 6 with the ball after another US turnover.

Beautiful back door cut by Barlow brings Aussies within 4. Anthony answers. And Nielsen goes right back at him. Anthony gets a foul and a trip to the line. The crowd boos.

Coach K calls the first American timeout of this Olympic tour. Further proof, as if any was needed, that it is no longer 1992.

US up 9 after the Carmelo freebies and a Kobe 3.

Really impressed by Nielsen and Antsey right now.

Are we sure CJ Bruton and Andre Miller are different people?

via www.hoopsvibe.com

via www.abc.net.au

Okay we're sure. But still.

Kobe puts US up 9 at the line. Worthington is not deterred and cuts it to 7. LeBron misses, Bosh fouls Antsey, and the Aussies look to cut the lead again.

Mills dares Paul to stay with him. Paul can't and Mills goes to the line.

Wade assists on a Bosh dunk, Wade scores, and Newley puts back his own missed shot. US up 11.

Barlow knocks down a lay up. He's come to play in the second.

LeBron finds Bosh for a bucket.

Shawn Redhage (of ASU fame) in the house and much like the 1st, the third will end with Wade at the line. He makes 1.

After 3: USA 65 - Australia 55

This is my first live blog and it has reminded me that blogging is best when it kills the time between games. So I'm going to bring this to a close and just enjoy the 4th. That's it for now until possibly a brief recap later.

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Angola

Jim — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:52:56 -0000

Fellow SB Nation blog At The Hive recently posted an in depth profile of Angola. It marked our 8th preview, in as many days, in the build up to the Beijing Olympics. Check out previous posts in the sidebars at both sites or click on the following links: China, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Iran, and Lithuania. Drop by here tomorrow for Croatia.

Paul Pierce Cuffed and Released

Jim — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:40:23 -0000

This post was originally titled, "Is Boston's 2009 Season Doomed?" But that seemed a bit too reactionary and over the top. Still it's never good to read about a team's star player getting pulled over at 3 in the morning, cuffed, and then released. In Vegas no less. My question, why was he pulled over in the first place? Meanwhile, it's important to keep in mind that Pierce was not arrested and simply went on his way in a cab. Still this is not the type of story I want to read. Thankfully no one was hurt. In closing it will be interesting to see if this becomes a huge story over the next couple of days.

[Update: As if the best player in the world thing was not a big enough story already. Hopefully The Truth's off season settles down from this point forward.]

Carlos Arroyo Leaves NBA

Jim — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:28:22 -0000

I should have mentioned this earlier but Carlos Arroyo has signed a contract to play overseas. This probably has not come through on Green Bandwagon but I've always been fascinated by Arroyo, from his time in the NBA to his national team career. He needs at the very least a Beyond the Glory episode.

Revisiting My Australian Preview

Jim — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:25:21 -0000

In Saturday's Australian preview I included a section at the end about a reader's dislike of Australians. The post took off and generated some hits. In the process it became less about an Olympic bound team with an interesting mix of experience, size, and youth and more about Australians - their accents, colonial history, etc. In an attempt to reclaim the post I simply deleted the final section, which in hindsight I should not have done given my take when this went down. Some background. I spent 6 weeks during each of the past 2 summers working in England on a diverse staff - English, French, German, American, Australian, India, South African, probably more. And throughout my time there we had a back and forth that never bothered me. Of course it does not translate all that well to this format. And as is expected people take nationalities seriously, which I will be reminded of while profiling Wednesday's featured country - Croatia.

Some related thoughts:

1. I definitely underestimated both the history and the current bigs depth of the Boomers. To that end I really enjoyed this preview from A Stern Warning (hat tip Ball Don't Lie) as well as this one from JR, On Fire (hat tip A Stern Warning). There is more info out there than I realized. Half the battle is just knowing where to look.

2. Andrew Bogut and company (David Andersen, Matthew Nielsen and Chris Anstey) represent possibly the best Australian front line ever. Factor in the Boomers tradition of playing physical basketball with a chip on their shoulders and I'm really intrigued to see how the Americans fare on Tuesday, particularly with the make up of Team USA (primarily wings and guards).

3. Like I said I may be guilty of underestimating the Boomers. Yet I currently believe in Greece, Spain, the US, and to a lesser extent - due to injuries, age, and retirements - Argentina.

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Lithuania

Jim — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:01:17 -0000

This marks the 7th preview in as many days in a collaborative effort with fellow SB Nation blog At The Hive. Check out previous posts in the sidebars at both sites or click on the following links: China, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Australia, and Iran.

Population: 3,565,205

Size in Comparison to a US State: About the size of West Virgina (slightly larger).

Suffrage: Universal at 18.

Interesting Fact: In 1990 Lithuania was the first republic to declare its independence from the Soviet Republic. Soviet troops did not get the memo and stayed for 3 more years.

Recommended Reading: Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure - Sarunas Marciulionis makes a cameo in this one and quite frankly he deserves his own definitive biography. He had a few great seasons off the bench in Oakland, helped build the Lithuanian National Team, and worked with the Grateful dead on warm ups:

via www.sfgate.com

Marciulionis is awesome.

World Rank (Courtesy of FIBA): 5

Qualified: European Champion Runner up

Dream Match Up in Beijing: Russia

Dream Match Up That Did Not Qualify: Latvia (I always link them.)

Recent News: The Lithuanian team was on a roll preparing for the Olympics until it ran into the Spanish buzz saw. This happened too.

Basketball Note - The Lithuanians love to shoot three-pointers. Bonus points because they're good at it. Unfortunately, with apologies to Sarunas Jasikevicius, they could desperately use some high caliber dribbling. They must hate the Paul/Kidd/Williams trio.

One More Guy I Should Mention: I'd be remiss if I did not give a shout out to my favorite Lithuanian center of all time - Arvydas freaking Sabonis. Why you ask? Why not? Touché

via www.nba.com

Player info after the jump...

Notable Misses - The Cavaliers strongly disagreed with Zydrunas Ilgauskas suiting up for the homeland. Darius Songaila is hurt and Arvydas Macijauskas appears to be injured as well. Of the three Macijauskas is the least familiar to me, but he was a favorite of Simone Sandri,

I think Macijauskas is going to be one of the key guys. Two years ago, he basically lost the whole year (with the Hornets), then came back (to Europe) and got injured, and this season, he’s playing well. He’s one of the guys who has a lot of prove. With the national team his play has been very up and down. I think he’s arguably one of the best pure shooters in the world. - Simone Sandri

Simas Jasaitis - Guard/Forward: It's been a big month for Jasaitis between his preparation for the Olympics and new contract with DKV Joventut. At 26 he's got history on both the national team (been a fixture since just missing out on the 2004 Olympic squad) and a few high powered clubs. He's also no stranger to winning. While few denied his talent, Jasaitis was inconsistent as a young player. However, over the last few years his reputation has improved with his play on Maccabi Tel-Aviv and his upcoming career with an elite Spanish squad does not hurt either. Catch a bonus interview here.

Sarunas Jasikevicius - Point Guard: Jasikevicius went to high school in Pennsylvania and played his college ball at Maryland. That time in the states produced this profile (scroll down for a list of "prospects" that ultimately did not make it - I see you Mateen Cleaves) and a great quote from the young Lithuanian,

"My parents want me to come here because of education. Basketball comes second to them. But for me, it comes first. [The NBA] has been my goal from the first time I knew what it was all about." - Sarunas Jasikevicius

Love the honesty. Following his Terrapin career Jasikevicius went back to Lithuania to play professionally before signing with the Indiana Pacers in 2005. After a couple of nondescript seasons he was part of the epic Stephen Jackson deal, eventually got bought out by the Warriors, and returned to Europe. Regardless of what happened in the NBA Jasikevicius dominated European ball (reigning Euroleague MVP) and got white hot against Team USA in Athens. He's a legend in Europe that will contribute even if he is aging. Bonus points because he loves the no look pass. As a side note I encourage you to do a Google image search of Sarunas Jasikevicius. One warning though: You will be amused, decidedly unimpressed, or both. And yes the following picture killed me:

via media2.feed.gr

[Update: Reader gsdubs passed along some helpful corrections on Jasikevicius in the comments section. I will paste them in here as well:]

I hate to be rude but you are a bit off on your Jasikevicius info. He played for teams in Lithuania , Slovenia, Spain and Israel before going to the NBA. In Israel he was one of the best players on two dominant Euroleague title teams. He is not the reigning Euroleague MVP, that honor belongs to Ramunas Siskauskas. He does however have a Euroleague final four MVP and earned the MVP of the 2003 Eurobasket tournament. - gsdubs

Robertas Javtokas - Center: The man has ups. In fact he threw down a nice dunk for Lithuania's first basket in the friendly against Team USA. It's even more impressive given the fact that he had a nasty motorcycle accident back in 2002 (hat tip Fran Fraschilla). In fact some questioned whether he would ever walk again. Despite his stunning return Javtokas is not getting any younger and you have to wonder if he will ever join the San Antonio Spurs, who still hold his rights from the 2001 draft. Overall look for Javtokas to make an impact on the defensive end while throwing it down on offense as well.

Rimantas Kaukėnas - Guard: After playing his college ball at Seton Hall Kaukėnas played for a ton of teams in Europe and appeared to retire from the national team in 2003. Obviously he's back in the fold. Check out some video highlights of Kaukėnas here and an interview with him here. In closing some consider him amongst the world's elite, particularly of players not currently in the NBA.

Linas Kleiza - Forward: He played his high school ball in Maryland and went to Missouri where I recall watching him play and thinking, "That guy's a bad ass." Seriously Kleiza is a tough player. I absolutely love his game and wish he did not play the same position as Carmelo Anthony. He has made noticeable improvements from deep and proved he can score at the NBA level. Check out this old interview conducted by Marc J. Spears for great info on Kleiza. Everything from his adjustment to the US, to how many languages he speaks (4 and part of a fifth).

Darjus Lavrinovic - Center + Ksistof Lavrinovic - Forward/Center: These twin brothers both had a hiatus from basketball because of legal problems. With Ksistof it was serious enough (rape charges that led to a conviction before being recanted) that he missed his shot at joining the NBA. This profile of Darjus makes the case that they are roughly the same player but I don't get the same notion from reading Ksistof's where he is praised for his height, defense, hands, and overall body.

Mindaugas Lukauskis - Shooting Guard: Is known as one of the better players that continues to compete in the Lithuanian Basketball League. However, unlike many of the players on this roster, Lukauskis does not have a strong history of national team play. Though he made the Olympic squad this time, after several misses, Lithuania will not be relying heavily on him in Beijing.

Jonas Maciulis - Forward: Known more for his defense, wing-span, basketball IQ, and competitive nature than for his ball handling or shooting, particularly from deep. On the plus side he is young and constantly improving.

Marijonas Petravicius - Center: Went to New Hampton (of Rashad McCants fame), played his college ball at South Carolina, and has been a professional in Europe ever since. I was impressed by his willingness to mix it up against the Americans, even with the modest stats (7 points, 5 rebounds).

Marius Prekevicius - Center: Spent some time in the US playing ball (Weatherford College and South Florida) and then returned to Lithuania to play. Not a lot of info out there about him.

Ramunas Siskauskas - Guard/Forward: Rick Kamla called him one of the toughest players in the Euroleage during the recent USA/Lithuania friendly. More importantly he is known as "The Baltic Pippen" for his all around versatility, which is evident in his leaping, quickness, and defense. Siskauskas can also create his own shot. Lithuania will need him to step up to relive any of its past Olympic success.

Poll

How will the Lithuanians do in the Beijing Olympics?

TEAM USA Round table at Upside and Motor

Jim — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:05:54 -0000

Head over to Upside and Motor for a round table on Team USA. It features well known bloggers like Henry Abbott and lesser known bloggers such as me. Check it out. How's that for a gratuitous name drop?

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Iran

Jim — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:24:08 -0000

Fellow SB Nation blog At The Hive stepped up to the plate and researched a mysterious Iranian squad for our 6th preview in as many days, in the build up to the Beijing Olympics. Check out previous posts in the sidebars at both sites or click on the following links: China, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Australia.

Boston Celtics YouTube Magic: The Big Ticket

Jim — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:00:06 -0000

I wanted to go with one or two (love the footage) of Ray Allen's layups from Game 4 of the Finals. But KG hasn't had a moment all week. Until now that is...

Kevin Garnett drops Zaza Pachulia (via Odenized)

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Australia

Jim — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:22:13 -0000

This is the 5th preview in a series here at Green Bandwagon and At The Hive, as we anxiously await for Olympic basketball to get under way. You can check both of our sidebars for the archive or simply click on these links: China, Greece, Russia, and Argentina. Catch Australia here today and head over to At The Hive tomorrow for the next installment.

Population: 20,600,856

Size in Comparison to a US State: A little smaller than the US, minus Alaska and Hawaii.

Suffrage: Universal and compulsory at 18.

Interesting Fact: Utah Utes went first in the NBA (Andrew Bogut) and NFL (Alex Smith) drafts back in 2005. Are the 49ers and Bucks happy with their decisions?

Interesting Fact #2: I realize that the Simpsons have faded when it comes to animated TV shows. As far as I can tell Family Guy and South Park have left it in their dust. Long gone are the days when the Simpsons were must see TV for me every week and some of my friends were not allowed to watch it. As a side note I can't imagine how the people who were offended by, "Eat my shorts man" are dealing with the South Park era. Yet I digress. Even though it's odd to reference the Simpsons in back-to-back previews, I want to point out that the Australian episode was easily in the top 5 all time. For what it's worth the Prohibition/Beer Baron episode is #1. It's not close. And yes I feel good about taking the high road and not talking about a certain Paul Hogan movie for my obligatory pop culture reference.

Recommended Reading: Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel is an interesting read, whether you agree with it or not. Meanwhile, On the Beach is a classic, albeit a depressing one.

World Rank (Courtesy of FIBA): 9

Qualified: Oceanian Champion

Dream Match Up in Beijing: China

Dream Match Up That Did Not Qualify: New Zealand or UK

Recent News: The Australians are known as the Boomers and have quite a streak going in terms of qualifying for the Olympics.

Catch player profiles after the jump.

Australian Roster - These previews continue to evolve, sometimes in painful ways. Hence it took my third preview before I thought, "Maybe I should include the players' positions." So there you go. Meanwhile, it's important to note that the Aussies have a lot of young guys that spent time together at the Australian Institute of Sport and could help them someday get over what will most likely be a disappointing 2008 Olympics

David Andersen - Forward/Center: A former teammate of Marko Jaric and Manu Ginobili in Italy, Andersen recently entered his prime and is well regarded as a big man in the Euroleague. At this point he's moved on to Russia. It's important to note that throughout his time in Italy and the Oceania Championships (2005, 2007) Andersen has also done plenty of winning. Still there is only one star on this team.

Chris Anstey - Center: Throughout the research for these previews I've noticed that website rarely want to say anything bad about a player. In Anstey's case he receives a good deal of positive buzz for his time in the NBA. To be fair his numbers were nothing to be ashamed of in limited time. On top of that Anstey played well in Russia and Spain for stretches as well. Still he was traded with some cash for Kelvin "The Ultimate Project" Cato. Let's just not pretend that he took the NBA by storm.

David Barlow - Guard/Forward: He spent a few years in the States playing for Metropolitan State College in Denver. Outside of that Barlow spent the bulk of his basketball career in the homeland. Turns out this profile is a goldmine. Barlow tore his ACL in each knee (separate incidents), holds a few shooting records in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), played in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, is superstitious, appreciates Jay-Z, and is not afraid of bland answers to questions.

Andrew Bogut - Center: Unlike the majority of the players on this list Bogut is a household name. He's a talented big man that passes well, recently got a new deal, and flirts with the double-double. Realistically a NBA team can't feel good about him being the franchise player. I like Bogut, you like Bogut, but he definitely has a ceiling. Ironically Michael Redd is not that guy either. Still I admire Bogut. He had the guts to say this, rolled with the negative feedback, and, as Chris Kaman recently learned, will probably enjoy more camaraderie in the international game than he did stateside:

Andrew Bogut High Fiving Himself (via ProtestTh3Hero)

C.J. Bruton - Guard: He was born in Kansas, lost his NCAA eligibility playing pro in Australia, attended Indian Hills Community College, was drafted by the Grizzlies, traded to the TrailBlazers, and went on to an illustrious career as a point guard down under. Though his height may have hurt his cause at times Bruton is an emotional guy that played in the '04 Olympics.

Joe Ingles - Guard: Ingles attracted the attention of NBA scouts with his athleticism, basketball IQ, fundamentals, and outside shooting (solid to international range). At the same time he is small, frame wise, for the NBA and even at 6-8 will be a wing throughout his career. It will be interesting to see if he's worth the late 1st/early 2nd round pick that he has been projected as. He is very much a work in progress and is a name to keep in mind for the future.

Patrick Mills - Guard: He had a solid, under the radar freshman season for St. Mary's College in California and made some noise debuting with the Boomers at such a young age, which was notable for both his play and indigenous background. DraftExpress raves about his shooting touch, scoring ability, and comfort running the point. Though not particularly large or overly athletic Mills has an excellent wingspan and is known for his toughness. Much like Ingles he could have a bright future but has a lot of development ahead of him.

Brad Newley - Guard: In 2007 the Houston Rockets took a flier on Newley late in the second round. Though he's known as an excellent scorer and slasher in the NBL it will be nice to see him play against some stronger competition in Beijing. He's a part of this clip, which has the dual purpose of showing Newley's athleticism and simultaneously reminding everyone that the NBL may be a scoring league, but it is not an elite league.

Matthew Nielsen - Forward: He has played professionally for 12 seasons and chose to blog about the most recent one, which took place in the Euroleague. In addition Nielsen was on the '04 squad in Athens and has been involved with the Boomers in some capacity since 1998. With Andersen, Anstey, and Bogut he is part of the deepest front line in Australian history.

Shawn Redhage - Forward: He was born in Nebraska, was the Nebraska Player of the Year in 1999, attended Arizona State where Eddie House nicknamed him Charlie Hustle, caught on playing basketball in Australia, and eventually became a naturalized citizen down under. Almost every one of his profiles mentioned his 3.61 GPA and 76 blocks (9th in school history) at ASU. Still it's been hard to get a read on his actual game.

Glen Saville - Guard/Forward: At 32 Saville is another one of the Olympic veterans on the roster and also someone with a great deal of professional experience. Though he has toured with the Boomers Saville has never played professionally outside of Australia. Back home his strength, quickness, and size lead to a lot of different defensive assignments. Australia will need that versatility in Beijing.

Mark Worthington - Forward: He also attended Metropolitan State College (Denver) before kicking off a professional career and later a Men's National Team career back home in Australia. This Australian forum makes him out to be a cheap shot artist and also shows that it is not just American comments sections that degenerate quickly at times. Although to be fair Worthington was eventually cited for throwing an elbow. And interestingly enough the recipient of that elbow is current Boomers teammate Redhage.

Final Thoughts: During the USA/Lithuania friendly Fran Fraschilla talked about the cyclical nature of national teams. For example Spain is just entering a strong era, while Lithuania and Argentina are on the downside of one. It will be interesting to see exactly where the Australians are. They finished 4th in Seoul, Barcelona, and Atlanta but fell to 9th in Athens. Still the players and Australian national team legend Andrew Gaze believe a medal is possible. I don't see it. The fact that the bulk of the roster plays professionally in Australia appears to be a bad omen. Incidentally it is also bad for getting info on their playing styles, as NBL teams does not provide the same analysis as many European squads. So maybe I'm severely underestimating them. Furthermore, there is a lot of young talent on the Boomers and they could be laying the foundation for a strong era of Australian ball.

Poll

How will Australia do in the Beijing Olympics?

Boston Celtics YouTube Magic: The Truth

Jim — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:00:06 -0000

In hindsight you could make the argument that I did not play up Paul Pierce's playoff run enough. He had a ton of huge moments, particularly over the final three series. So let's watch some highlights from the Finals.

Paul Pierce Pierces the Lakers Again (via NBA)

Some Celtics Related Links

Jim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:48:43 -0000

A while back I wrote a post about brining Delonte West back into the fold. At the time I thought there was a 0% chance. Well it turns out that the Celtics expressed some interest. Of course nothing materialized. Hat tip to CelticsBlog and Red's Army. Not sure why I didn't touch on that earlier.

Of course the bigger concern is the fact that the 15th anniversary of Reggie Lewis' death has come and gone. I'll send you to Red's Army or Loy's Place because for once I'm speechless.

Finally I haven't had much to say about the Paul Pierce Spanish interview that exploded on the scene over the last day or so. I was naive enough to think it wasn't a big deal and also touched upon it back on the 26th. I still don't care.

2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Preview: Argentina

Jim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:28:33 -0000

At The Hive's look at Argentina is the fourth in our series previewing the basketball teams bound for Beijing. You can check out previous posts in the sidebars at both sites. Or if you're too lazy click on the following links: China, Greece, Russia. And drop by here for Australia tomorrow.

Boston Celtics YouTube Magic: Eddie House's Son

Jim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:12 -0000

I wrote off Celtics Now before I ever watched it, only to see it surprise me on numerous occasions. In the long run I was wrong. It had plenty of nice moments, including a story on Eddie House's son, Jalen, attending home playoff games. It killed me for three reasons:

1. Tony Allen knocked Jalen down during one mini-celebration.

2. Jalen took part in one of the shirt throwing promotions.

3. I sat in the second row once last season and expected to hear a ton of swearing from Kevin Garnett and Eddie House. However, the carnival type atmosphere drowned out the C's bench for the most part. Although Tom Thibodeau persevered and was heard. Regardless young Jalen has to hear the F word on a semi-regular basis court side. Couple that with his ridiculous energy and I couldn't help but think of the following scenario.

The Houses Attend Jalen's First Grade Parent/Teacher Conference

Teacher: "To be honest we are concerned with Jalen's behavior. He frequently runs around the classroom knocking other students down with chest bumps, aggressive high fives, and jump celebrations. Furthermore, he recently held auditions for a dance team. Several of the girls he cut were devastated, prompting complaints from home. At the same time many of the girls who made Jalen's dance squad are completely disinterested in academics, as make up and wardrobe changes dominate their lives. I tried to get Jalen to disband the dance team and asked him how he would feel if his sisters were put through such a stressful experience. Jalen simply said, 'I don't have any sisters motha f#$%a!' I said how about cousins? He replied, 'It's like I tell my uncle blood is thicker than water but Rondo's better.' I don't even know what that means. So I gave up on the dance squad. Meanwhile, every time Jalen answers a question correctly he runs around the classroom beating his chest, staring off into space, and screaming 'motha f#$%a' repeatedly. Of course Jalen maintains that he is not staring off into space. Rather he is looking into the 'motha f#$%in cameras trying to f#$% up the f#$%in 7-second delay.' I'm at a loss here."

So yeah, um enjoy the clip.

Celtics Lucky - Eddie House's son (via Hrvoje1313)

2008-2009 Celtics Dancers

Jim — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:38:53 -0000

Head over to Celtics.com (lead story as I type this) where the squad was recently announced. You can also check out pictures from the final auditions. In a bizarre ode to the Miss America competition, whoever was in charge apparently whittled it down to two events - evening gowns and compromising positions.

Manny Ramirez to LA

Jim — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:37:00 -0000

Head over to ROOMOFZEN for my thoughts on the Manny Ramirez trade. It was too much of a stretch for this site. But it's out there. Also check out the SB Nation baseball sites. In the words of Matthew Berry, "I'm a company man."

Over the Monster
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