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The European player is overrated. Tony Parker deserves his respect but most of these guys are just jump shooters and soft. They need to stay in Europe

It's not thinning out- we're just seeing the brilliance of David Stern.
The age rule in the NBA is why this is happening.

over the last 10 years, NBA teams were 'forced' to scout & draft huge question marks overseas based on POTENTIAL- all these 'kids' play for pro teams at young ages, but never average more than 10-12 points, cause they don't play much....which means you couldn't really scout them confidently.
This is true with US High schoolers also, who play against smaller, weaker, unskilled HS players......
With the extra year to watch them, all their flaws are more exposed & mistakes with drafting europeans ( & HS kids here) too high (darko) are limited, due to the extra scouting time availabe.
Brilliant Mr Stern- No more wasting guaranteed contracts on busts- it will benefit the league for years to come

I do agree the age requirement is helping out. It gives some players who probably would have went straight to the NBA a chance to test themselves against higher competion for atleast one year. And maybe in that one year they're in college they'll realize they still need more time.

Almost all the Euro players are extemely soft, but its not Parker Ill give dues too, on that front because he is as soft as the come. His teamate Ginobili is about the only tough one, he cares more about his team winning then his own personal safety. TP is a whiner

I am looking forward to seeing SF Danilo Gallinari from Italy who is projected to be picked around 6th or 7th in the 2008 NBA Draft and PG Ricky Rubio who is projected to be a top 4 draft pick in 2009.

If Europeans are that soft, why did they beat some of our elite units we sent to the Olympics and other international competitions?

Even sending our best today doesn't guarantee an international victory. Everyone knows that the world has caught up with us. There are no more free Olympic gold medals.

F.Y.I, I do agree that European players are less physical than our players but they do bring a new dimension to the game (team play, discipline, jump shot, etc...). The whole talent "thinning out" thing is cyclical just like some of the drafts we had in the past years lacked on the talent side. In a couple of years we might think that we are under another European invasion. Who knows!

Maybe they want to get paid in Euros. Don't blame them

Anthony Parker? Isn't that Candice's brother? He's not European.

If Europeans are that soft, why did they beat some of our elite units we sent to the Olympics and other international competitions?

Even sending our best today doesn't guarantee an international victory. Everyone knows that the world has caught up with us. There are no more free Olympic gold medals.

F.Y.I, I do agree that European players are l
ess physical than our players but they do bring a new dimension to the game (team play, discipline, jump shot, etc...). The whole talent "thinning out" thing is cyclical just like some of the drafts we had in the past years lacked on the talent side. In a couple of years we might think that we are under another European invasion. Who knows!

Se7en Nation Army | 03/25/08, 10:39 AM

We had injuries at every position. Last year we did not have CP3, Arenas, Wade, Johnson, Pierce, Bosh, Brand, Miller, Odom, and Oden. Those players alone could make a deep run in the Olympics. I think part of the problem is it is not a best of 7 series, in which case we would always dominate because the roster has so much depth. The other problem is not everyone wants to play, KG, Camby, and TD specifically (that would make the forward and center position perfect).

This year USA will have a great roster (I excluded players who were not invited or refuse to play)
Paul Williams
Kobe Wade
James Pierce Marion
Anthony Bosh
Howard Stoudemire Chandler (yes Chandler)

I could see Brand or Oden playing depending on their shape right now but Brand might want to sit these Olympics out because he is a free agent and that is just risking an injury. Hopefully Camby, TD, and KG change their minds and decide they want to play...but I doubt it.

Anyway, we are so getting the gold this year.

We had injuries at every position. Last year we did not have CP3, Arenas, Wade, Johnson, Pierce, Bosh, Brand, Miller, Odom, and Oden. Those players alone could make a deep run in the Olympics. I think part of the problem is it is not a best of 7 series, in which case we would always dominate because the roster has so much depth. The other problem is not everyone wants to play, KG, Camby, and TD specifically (that would make the forward and center position perfect).

Arenas and Oden were not injured. They didn't make the team and if the TD you are referring to is Tim Duncan, I'll let you guess why he didn't play on the team. Surely you can figure that out.

Arenas and Oden were not injured. They didn't make the team and if the TD you are referring to is Tim Duncan, I'll let you guess why he didn't play on the team. Surely you can figure that out.

nolesdabomb | 03/25/08, 11:24 AM

Gren Oden and Arenas pulled out
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/08/14/greg-oden-bows-out-of-team-usa-t raining/
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/04/29/arenas-wont-risk-his-season-for- america/

I don't blame TD for not playing, the team he played on was terrible. It had Stephon Marbury on it...(nuff said).

I don't blame TD for not playing, the team he played on was terrible. It had Stephon Marbury on it...(nuff said).
sfpfc | 03/25/08, 11:41 AM
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What team are you talking about?

Almost all the Euro players are extemely soft, but its not Parker Ill give dues too, on that front because he is as soft as the come. His teamate Ginobili is about the only tough one, he cares more about his team winning then his own personal safety. TP is a whiner
jandssports | 03/25/08, 09:42 AM

FYI Ginobili is an South American Player not European

2004 olympic team, so many players did not play in 2004 (10 of the 12 invited refused the invitations only TD and AI stayed) they were desperate to fill the holes. James, Anthony, and Wade may have been on the team but they were not as good then as they were today, it also had Richard Jefferson, a young Boozer, Okafor, Odom, Marbury, Marion, and Stoudemire. You can possibly argue that some of these guys are MVP material but they were not that way 4 years ago.

TD later said "I am about 95 percent sure my FIBA career is over. I'll try not to share my experiences with anyone." I don't blame him, when 10 of the 12 players invited don't play and you are stuck with Marbury for team USA....

The 10 players who did not accept invitations were Mike Bibby, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Ray Allen, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. (finally found the list thanks to the BBC)

that may not seem too impressive but in 2003-2004 Shaq Bibby and Malone were still good, plus players like KG and Kobe were always awesome

The Olympics are FIBA rules. FIBA favors Europe. The only international team that I think could play both FIBA and NBA rules is Argentina because the Argentinians play just as rough and hard as the Americans.

you are an idiot. The Lakers success is due to European players. Pau Gasol is from Spain, Ronny Turiaf is from France and is definitely not soft, Vlad Radmonovic is a starter, and Sasha Vujacic is a key player off the best bench in the NBA. Euro players are what keep the NBA interesting as opposed to the selfish me-first americans.

you are an idiot. The Lakers success is due to European players. Pau Gasol is from Spain, Ronny Turiaf is from France and is definitely not soft, Vlad Radmonovic is a starter, and Sasha Vujacic is a key player off the best bench in the NBA. Euro players are what keep the NBA interesting as opposed to the selfish me-first americans.

Sasha_V_18 | 03/25/08, 12:55 PM

Gasol and the Grizzlies were a lotto bound team. I don't like Kobe but I don't agree when people call players like him selfish, he averages 5.3 assists per game, that is more than many point guards. Kobe is the primary reason why that team is good, and there are very few players who can make their team good and make their team win or at least look decent (KG also comes to mind). Gasol is pretty good (he needs to play better D and is not a clutch player like Kobe) but the success is not based on the fact they have a few European's on the team, it is teamwork.

The Olympics are FIBA rules. FIBA favors Europe. The only international team that I think could play both FIBA and NBA rules is Argentina because the Argentinians play just as rough and hard as the Americans.
J. HOVA: THE ARCHBISHOP | 03/25/08, 12:49 PM

This is true. 2004 was a bad year for USA basketball because we had to many athletic slashers and not enough playmakers and jumpshooters. Although they are not considered top tier NBA players guys like Mike Miller and Jason Kidd will help to bring the gold home. They space the floor so guys like Kobe have room to operate, If the game was just defense and rebounding then any number of american pros would do very well but FIBA style of play is more free flowing and less grinding than playoff NBA basketball.

FIBA rules do not really favor Europe. It's just that the Americans are not familiar with them. It's a different style of play. FIBA rules, particularly the way refs are taught to call fouls on drives to the basket and in the low-post, place higher emphasis on jump-shooting, as does the shorter three-point line. The fact is that we are the only country that does not play with FIBA rules.