Defeating Lithium



  • The first step in defeating Lithium is to understand what it is:

    “Lithium (from Greek: λίθος lithos, “stone”) is a chemical element with symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silver-white metal belonging to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable. For this reason, it is typically stored in mineral oil. When cut open, it exhibits a metallic luster, but contact with moist air corrodes the surface quickly to a dull silvery gray, then black tarnish. Because of its high reactivity, lithium never occurs freely in nature, and instead, only appears in compounds, which are usually ionic. Lithium occurs in a number of pegmatitic minerals, but due to its solubility as an ion, is present in ocean water and is commonly obtained from brines and clays. On a commercial scale, lithium is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.”

    ~ Wikipedia

    Lithium is the lightest metal. This team is light, but with adequate height. Their physical properties are known and constant.

    “Like the other alkali metals, lithium has a single valence electron that is easily given up to form a cation.[5] Because of this, it is a good conductor of heat and electricity as well as a highly reactive element, though the least reactive of the alkali metals.”

    This team plays effective ball because most of the players have played together through their early teens until now. This game means a lot to them because for many, this will be their last big Int’l tournament of their lives. WUG is a big deal in Lithium. Most everyone in Lithium will get up early in the morning to watch Lithium play.

    “Trace amounts of lithium are present in all organisms. The element serves no apparent vital biological function, since animals and plants survive in good health without it.”

    Lithium plays with commonality. Dribbling, screening, passing and shooting… all the “biological functions” of basketball. Nothing special, nothing to create maximum health. But they function to a decent level of accuracy, their saving grace and competitive advantage… all because these players have played together for the last 10 years.

    “The nuclei of lithium verge on instability, since the two stable lithium isotopes found in nature have among the lowest binding energies per nucleon of all stable nuclides.”

    The way to beat Lithium is to push them out of their safe space and into an atomic free space, where their isotopic players can’t connect any longer and remain stable. This means transition basketball. This means pushing the pace. This means running offense before they can set their defense. We’ve never been a Roy William’s team, but we need to act like one, and when we don’t get points off a primary break, we need all our guys on that end working for a secondary break.

    Spread out Lithium, and they become very unstable. These guys are not great athletes. Running isolations will exploit our athletic advantage and there is nothing they can do to stop it. They can’t prepare to play a more athletic team.

    Be prepared for their zone… We have to create separation to take advantage of our athleticism.



  • @drgnslayr I’d love to see Wayne, Frank, Moore, Vick, Perry, and Bragg bury them from the 3. And drive right past them when they extend their zone to guard us on the perimeter. I get a feeling we’ll see Vick have a real good game, along with our big 3.



  • @drgnslayr Nice compare/contrast!



  • Lithuania is a tall team (they do have 7’2" player) but they are relatively light and the heaviest players is listed at 207 pounds. so bulk hopefully will not be an issue. However, like all Euro team it is experienced and skilled and the players have played together for years and know how to take advantage of FIBA rules. They are a good shooting team from 2 and 3 but their FT shooting is not good.

    Here is a link to the Lithuania team roster and stats for the first 5 WUG games…



  • @drgnslayr

    PHOF!!!


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