LONDON – Saturday night’s debate between Team USA and the United StatesThe U. S. and South Sudan clarified the status of the favorite U. S. team ahead of the Olympics.
In a disastrous scenario where the United States surely had to have a basket, otherwise the ball went to LeBron James, and he turned it over. On a team full of alpha scorers, the kitchen can be crowded and confusing, each holding his butcher knife and pointing at the other chefs to take the shot.
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James scored thirteen of his 25 points in the second half, adding the winning layup, and the United States beat South Sudan 101-100 after trailing by 16 at the end of the second quarter and by 14 at halftime.
It doesn’t happen like that. Stephen Curry is, of course, more than capable of carrying an offense. Kevin Durant hasn’t played yet; He is America’s all-time leading scorer and most clutch player of all time. Anthony Edwards is worth a look, whether it’s scoring or not.
But among the positive aspects that can be taken from a different, incredibly close victory, in which a bit of embarrassment was avoided, the most important thing is that James emerged as the main option in attack and did not bog everyone down.
“He has an incredible competitive spirit and self-confidence, and I think the whole team was embarrassed at halftime to be completely outplayed and down by 14,” U. S. coach Steve KerrArray said. “And then I don’t think he was excited that I didn’t start it in the third quarter, but I think the next organization we brought in did a smart job defensively. And I’ve looked down a few times and I can see LeBron grumbling a little bit about being on the court. Once he got out there and got to work, he was brilliant.
As Kerr mentioned, James’ dominance was limited by Kerr’s substitution schemes. LeBron didn’t even start the second half; Kerr decided to use the reserves first, start with defense. And then Kerr just rotated hockey substitutes for five new players at a time, which meant James was out of the game with 6:49 left in the fourth quarter after scoring five straight points. .
Kerr returned with James and Curry with 2:54 left, and they stayed on the field until the final possession (for defensive purposes). Among the players who logged plenty of minutes in the second half was the team’s latest addition, Derrick White. Tyrese Haliburton is the one left out when Kerr emphasizes defense. To the casual observer, it would have possibly been a bit of a shock to see White, who wasn’t on this team when educational camp began on July 6, be in the box in the final minutes of a close game.
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“I think the lesson for us is we have seven games left after this, so who knows what our rotation will look like,” Kerr said. “It’s probably different every game, but we have a pretty smart concept of what guys can do when we want a smart defensive sequence, which the game demands. We have, we have characteristics and we like what we have.
Haliburton’s minutes have been reduced in part since White’s gambling. It is possible that both players’ minutes will be completely erased once they return.
As strong as the U. S. squad is without Durant, what happened Saturday underscored that Durant is needed. He offers more offense, sure, but he’s a rim protector who can still protect the perimeter. Any lingering considerations that Durant’s addition would disrupt the continuity that had been built during two weeks of educational camp disappeared when South Sudan came close to defeating the United States.
For Kerr to start (with Durant out), he chose defense on Saturday when he faced Jrue Holiday alongside Curry. Holiday provides protection for Curry, but a healthy Durant is an upgrade over Devin Booker defensively on the wing, and Kerr and the players insist defense will be this team’s calling card.
South Sudan finished 14 of 33 from 3-point range in the game, which is bad enough for the United States, but they also went 7 of 14 from deep in the first half to put the Americans in that hole. In some losses beyond the Americans, the opponent’s three-point shooting has been a major factor. For example, Lithuania made its first nine 3-pointers in a World Cup victory over the Americans last summer. And when Nigeria disappointed the United States in a friendly in 2021, Nigerians tuned in to 20 3.
That is why the perimeter is essential.
“One thing we know well in American basketball is that if the groups that make 14 three-pointers oppose us, then they have a genuine chance,” Kerr said.
What he also made clear on Saturday is that no matter who wears the United States uniform, losses and mistakes in the medal circular are possible. Kerr took responsibility for South Sudan’s good start, saying he didn’t prepare players for South Sudan’s fast guards (which is rarely true, which is why Holiday was there). Kerr, however, decided not to hold any photo shoots on Saturday morning.
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Perhaps South Sudan’s roster on paper — with no NBA players and missing stars compared to Canada, Australia and Serbia — had something to do with Kerr giving the Americans a morning off. In addition, the team hotel is far from the O2 Arena in the East. London and the Americans simply don’t have to fight heavy traffic.
“I think because it’s a friendly game, I think we let our guard down as a team, as a team, of course,” Kerr said. “But what we’ve learned with USA Basketball is that the gap has narrowed. “
What happened on Saturday turned out to be a gentle reminder, a direct call to arms, that shortcuts can no longer be taken, even with this star-studded roster. The other groups the United States could face in the Olympics are damaging enough to get the full attention of Americans.
It is not a new concept. The United States men’s national groups have lost nine matches in the last three summers. What was unexpected about Saturday’s result is that the toughest test of the summer came through South Sudan and not from someone more established.
“We can get beaten if we don’t practice our basketball taste, and our basketball taste plays defense,” Curry said. “But we also learned that we own this device if we can locate it. No matter who’s on the field, we can overwhelm groups for 40 minutes, and that’s a wonderful reminder of both. “
American players have an “appropriate fear”: they are aware of their potential flaws. The coaching staff is too. What happened on Saturday does not justify a primary adjustment. It’s more of a reminder to pay attention to the small main points in a six-game Olympic tournament, where you can warm up and make a three-pointer on those days.
GO DEEPER
LeBron James and Steph Curry had a “healthy resentment”: the Olympics will offer something new
(Photo of LeBron James making a layup in Saturday’s game: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Joe Vardon is a senior NBA player for The Athletic, founded in Cleveland. Follow Joe on Twitter@joevardon