London Olympics: USA vs. Argentina Game Thread

It looks like I'll be helping out with some LB game threads this season. I got penciled in for Sunday Fundays, so Jordan can watch his Cowboys limp towards another drama-filled, tumultuous 8-8 season. Expect a lot of morning fantasy football questions (Need help. Pick two: Lee Evans, Lee Evans, or Lee Evans) and Nintendo-64 talk during our Sunday matinees.

The single green shell is an underrated Mario Kart weapon. Discuss.

So I'm using today's USA vs. Argentina game as a bit of a tune-up. What are we thinking? Can the U.S. slow down Manu Ginobili? Will Andres Nocioni outhustle the U.S. into submission? I watched the entire United States/Lithuania game Saturday, but all my Sarunas Marciulionis material went right over my fiancée's head.

More after the jump.

2012 Team vs. Dream Team

This year's U.S. outfit is clearly the best team in the world, but they're just so small. Lithuania faced little resistance at the rim. Now, I think the whole, "Who's better: Dream Team or 2012 team?" debate is just for talking heads - I'd rather discuss why the students of Bayside forgave Kelly so quickly after she cheated on Zack with that jerk, Jeff.

But...

I think the Dream Team beats this year's team by 12-15 points. They were just so much bigger. Throw David Robinson in with Patrick Ewing's bulky knees and Karl Malone, and that just creates a lot of match-up problems. LeBron would have to defend a 4 (I assume), leaving Jordan to do Jordan things.

Competition

Royce Young wrote an interesting piece over at CBSSports a few weeks back, discussing the level of international competition today compared to 1992.

Nigeria

The U.S. dismantling of Nigeria last week got me thinking: Where was Hakeem Olajuwon back in 1992? If you remember, the Dream Team's first game in Barcelona was a throttling of Angola. I find it hard to believe that a Hakeem-led Nigeria squad wouldn't have qualified for the '92 Olympics - through the FIBA Africa Championship or World Qualifying Tournament. Did Hakeem play international ball? My internet research proved mostly futile. I'm assuming no, but was it a personal decision? Politics?

Team USA Basketball for Sega Genesis

Dating myself a bit here, but I loved Team USA Basketball. The gameplay was, um, slow. It was tough for me to run my offense around Rik Smits, when the big Dutchman took twenty seconds to cross half-court. I was partial - since the USA was so dominant - to Team Canada and Team Australia. Canada's "known" players were Rick Fox and Bill Wennington, and Australia had Luc Longley and Andrew Gaze (former Seton Hall standout and San Antonio Spur). Gaze and Longley practically lived in the Rueter house that summer.

Summer Reading List

There is a biography about former Sixers diminutive point guard, Greg Grant. It's called, 94 Feet and Rising: The Journey of Greg Grant to the NBA and Beyond. Nyunole has graciously offered to host next month's Liberty Ballers book club. He'll be sending out an Evite. Regrets only.

Remember this Sad Day in Sixers History

Toastioni.

Prediction: United States: 105, Argentina: 92.

Team USA Basketball (Sega Genesis) (via FearlessSwan)

Tough charge call on Rick Fox at the 2:34 mark.