The FIBA World Cup gold and bronze medal matches are set.
http://www.max90blacksaleuk.com/air-max-lunar-90-sp.html . As expected, the USA plays in the championship game against unexpected
upstarts Serbia. Will Strickland and Duane Watson of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will
& Duane share the ball this week with Postmedia news editor/writer, Hasan
Alanam, also a statistics consultant for the Womens program at Canada
Basketball. TSNs Three-Man-Weave assesses the World Cup as it winds down and
weighs in on the unfolding situation with the Atlanta Hawks. After spoiling the
anticipated FIBA World Cup Final by shocking Spain 65-52, did France become the
Cinderella of the tournament? Strickland: Hard to call one of the top teams in
the world and current Eurobasket champs Cinderella, even without Tony Parker and
Joakim Noah, but the good money was on a final match-up between hoops
superpowers Spain and the USA. Despite the heroics of Nic Batum and Boris Diaw,
France was edged by the real Cinderella, Serbia, in the semi-final. Lead by
Milos Teodosic (look for him possibly on an NBA roster near you someday) and the
irrepressible Bogdan Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbias underdog status versus the US
will have the Palacio de Los Desportes in Madrid at full tilt for what could be
a thrilling final. Alanam: France stunned everyone after eliminating the only
team that had a chance of beating USA and they did it without Tony Parker and
several key rotational guys that helped France win the 2013 Eurobasket. Credit
the French for recognizing the Diaw-Gasol mismatch and Rudy Gobert for shutting
down the Spanish frontcourt. That said, France was only a big underdog in their
match against Spain. Serbia, on the other hand, had a tougher path to the final
after beating favourites Greece and Brazil. Theyre the Cinderella team of the
tournament. Watson: France cant be a Cinderella if they are the reigning
Eurobasket champions. They overachieved, but no team has surprised more than
Serbia. Ranked 11th in the world, every country they defeated was ranked higher
than them (Greece #5, Brazil #10 and France #8) and they were all beat
convincingly. With little NBA-calibre talent on the roster, they have shown how
a balanced team effort can pull through, compete and win. Best chance for Serbia
to knock off the USA in the Finals? Strickland: Hope that the USA doesnt show to
the arena? Really, if Serbia can implement a plan to keep the USAs offensive
rebounds relatively even with their own to quell second and third shot
opportunities, limit dribble penetration, force live ball turnovers, stay home
on the shooters and make bigs like Anthony Davis, Kenneth Faried, DeMarcus
Cousins and Mason Plumlee decision-makers late in the shot clock, they have a
real chance. Then again, looking at that laundry list of requirements against
the USA, it should be posted under Serbias Easier Said Than Done file, as well.
Alanam: Serbia has an outside shot of beating the USA if they can control the
pace, limit their transition game and execute efficiently. They space the floor
well, have three-point shooters outside (second in the tourney in 3PT%) and have
multiple ball-handlers that can run their staple high pick-and-roll play. It
will be interesting to see how Milos Teodosic, arguably the best point guard in
Europe, stacks up against the elite USA point guards. Watson: Im going to throw
the playbook out the window here. If Serbia continues to play with confidence
and never-say-die-attitude that got them to this point, they will be ok. They
surely will compete and not be scared of the fact theyre playing the US. They
havent backed down to anyone and wont now. They just have to be able to come up
with answers defensively. Who is the MVP of FIBA World Cup 2014? Strickland:
Fans vote so, itll be Pau Gasol. The tourneys in Spain. Politically correct or
even accurate? No, but the FIBA World Cup is being held in Spain! Being a firm
believer in the idea that the team who wins normally has the MVP on its roster,
it cant be Gasol. If Serbia upsets the USA in the final, Milos Teodosic is the
MVP. The 65, 27-year-old Teodosic is one of the best players in Europe and has
been beyond fantastically clutch in this tournament. When the USA wins, it
should be either Klay Thompson or Kenneth Faried, two guys few were sure would
make the US Mens National Team, but have been vital contributors to its success.
Wonder if Duane Watson voted for Andray Blatche... #Gilas Alanam: It has to be
Pau Gasol, despite Spains early exit. The 34-year-old big man looked as dominant
as ever in international play and appears to be finally healthy after battling
injuries the last two seasons with the Lakers. He finished the tournament
averaging about 20 points and six rebounds with a true shooting percentage of
over 68 per cent. Chicago Bulls fans should be optimistic about this coming
season even with Derrick Rose struggling in the tournament. Watson: Well, the
fans actually vote for the MVP and since the World Cup is based in Spain, Pau
Gasol will walk away with the award. Deservedly so, averaging 20 points a game,
5.9 rebounds and shooting 63 per cent from the field, while leading his team to
an undefeated record in pool play. Gasol has used the World Cup as a perfect
springboard for a fresh start with the Chicago Bulls this season. Derrick Rose
is averaging 5.4 points per game, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds on 27 per cent
shooting from the field in 17 minutes a game. How would you rate his return?
Strickland: Disappointingly incomplete. My issues with Derrick Martell Rose, how
hes handled the injuries, his role on this team and public perception of his
desire are myriad, but there is nothing Ive seen from Rose in this tournament
that tells me his return to the NBA will also mark his return to elite status as
a player or that hes fully shaken the mental, emotional and physical hurdles
someone so athletically gifted may have to leap to find peace, progress and
ultimate performance after such devastating injuries. Alanam: It would be unfair
to rate Rose at this point because he is coming back from two major knee
surgeries and playing under a different set of rules (and with a different
ball). His jumpshot isnt falling, he isnt finishing well, has turnover issues
(turnover rate over 20 per cent), but his drives to the rim have looked
explosive and he has played solid defence. Rose had his best game against
Slovenia when he dropped 16 points, but struggled in USAs semi-final match
against Lithuania. Watson: On a scale of one to 10? FIVE. Rose has shown that
his knees work and are functional, but his game and competitive spirit are
somewhat lacking. I wont attribute it to the competition, as he has been
training with USA Basketball all summer, but the player who dominated the league
a few years ago is nowhere to be seen and this is against perceived weaker
competition. He still has a few more kilometres to travel on the road to getting
back to himself. If Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson or GM Danny Ferrys
insensitive comments occurred as isolated incidences, would there be as much of
an issue? Strickland: Wouldnt have made a difference one way or the other. In
light of fresh scars from the Donald Sterling/LA Clippers drama, this situation
in Atlanta reads like a modern Shakespearean tragedy. Front office power
struggles between Bruce Levenson, Danny Ferry, CEO Steve Koonin and co-owner
Michael Gearon, who looks to be the whistleblower here, are only the tip of the
iceberg. Danny Ferry committed potential career suicide by claiming he was only
reiterating words from a scouting report on then-free agent and fellow Duke alum
Luol Deng, instead of speaking extemporaneously. And Bruce Levenson, in an
attempt to address market pressures, but in racially insensitive tones, is
relinquishing his majority ownership of the club, aware of the consequences of
his judgement. It may get worse before it gets better in the ATL. Alanam: In the
post-Donald Sterling era, any time when there is any sort of racially charged
comments coming from a high-ranking front office member of a team, its going to
be a big deal. This is a league thats predominantly African-American and has
always gotten high marks for its diversity, so this goes completely against what
they stand for. Luckily for the NBA, they have the Ray Rice situation unfolding
at the same time. This could have been a lot worse. Watson: The coupling of the
statements spells bad news for the Hawks, but individually, particularly in the
light of Donald Sterlings Clippers fiasco, they would likely have had the same
amount of weight. Levensons insensitive e-mail was damning and a sale of his
majority share was inevitable. Ferrys mishandling of statements that werent his,
made the situation worse and referring to it as a poor judgement call would be a
gross understatement. He apologized, but is the only one who hasnt owned up to
what he said, unlike Sterling or Levenson. The fact they both happened within a
relatively short timeframe of one another speaks to the culture in the Atlanta
organization, which is in desperate need of change. The Three-Man Weave
contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1 On 1 with Will & Duane, Will
Strickland (@WallStrizzle1), Duane Watson (@DuaneWatson) and Postmedia News
editor / writer Hasan Alanam (@hasanalanam).
Air Max 90 Unisex . Crawford hit his slam off Pirates starter Edinson Volquez to give San Francisco a four run lead in the
fourth and they never looked back. Brandon Belt had three runs batted in as
well. Bumgarner pitched all nine innings and allowed just four hits.
http://www.max90blacksaleuk.com/air-max-90-world-cup.html . The 18-year-old centre was the Senators first-round pick (17th overall) in the
2013 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot 196-pound native of Salmon Arm, B.MADRID,
Spain -- Sara Errani of Italy beat Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-1 in the first round
of the Madrid Open on Saturday, avenging a loss to the German in the same stage
four years ago. Errani advanced to play countrywoman Francesca Schiavone or
Russias Elena Vesnina. Errani placed 87 per cent of her first serves in, and
broke Petkovic five times while saving five of six break chances against her.
Also, Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia beat Karin Knapp of Italy 6-1, 6-1, while
American Alison Riske outlasted Estonias Kaia Kanepi 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-2.
http://www.max90blacksaleuk.com/air-max-90-v-sp-patch.html. Christina McHale bettered training partner and fellow American Lauren Davis 7-6
(2), 6-3. Other winners from the first round included Spaniards Garbine Muguruza
and Lara Arruabarrena, and Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia.
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