Team USA Basketball 2024

[celticsclay]

I'm fully aware it's warm up games, but it's a bit telling that USA seems to be in very close games against these countries. They're 5-0 but they could absolutely drop a game or two.

They could in the Olympics and it wouldn't be a surprise. Remember they lost to Nigeria and Australia in the preseason games in 2021, then they lost their first game to France in the Olympics. These losses no longer shock people the way they did 20 years ago. They can't just use overwhelming talent and athleticism to overwhelm teams that used to be afraid of them the way they used to, so it will be interesting to see how quickly they can gel together, understand their roles, for some of them to be more selfless and play within themselves, understand what the pecking order is and become cohesive. I think they are too good not to eventually figure it out, it depends how quickly they can do it.

I don't think they care how close these games are, or if they lose some...they're more interesting in building that chemistry and connectedness while playing under FIBA rules because they have such little time before the games start mattering.

But that's part of the problem as I see it. They aren't trying to overwhelm teams with their athleticism and physicality. They don't always play tough physical on-ball defense. They don't always go bully-ball inside and take their time. They don't drive hard but under control.

There's a lot of tentativeness, passivity, and general soft play. I mean, Daniel Theis was outplaying many of Team USA the other day. That's not a talent issue.

I suspect this goes back to knowing how to play the right way. If you are confident in knowing where to be and what to do, it frees you to play really hard. I watch team USA, and I often think they don't know where to be and what to do.

They can win without playing hard. Most of these guys are concerned about winning the NBA championship next year. They know they can win Gold without risking injury like Paul George. It doesn?t make sense to go all out against inferior teams when they can flip the switch.

If we wanted them to go all out, they should have gotten amateurs like the 1980 hockey squad.

I disagree with this. There are a lot of guys on this team that care what people say about them more than just about any players in nba history. Durant regularly debates fans on twitter. Embid literally complained yesterday in a podcast he is hated by fans unfairly. Lebron has done passive aggressive stuff on twitter for a decade and constantly declares himself the goat or having won the toughest title ever (he also recently admitted he cares about what fans say when he said his son was different because he didn?t). Even beating South Sudan by a point was a bit humiliating for them at some level. If they don?t win the gold cause France or Canada or Germany shoots lights out it would devastate have the team. Holiday, bam and white are some of the few players i think wouldn?t actually care

[Donoghus]

You can get a bit of a sense when a team is coasting out there and a proverbial "flip the switch team".

That ain't it for Team USA.  There are some legit struggles out there and they have a head coach who isn't exactly instilling the most confidence at the moment.

This team might very well still end up winning the gold medal but they have some rather glaring issues & weaknesses too.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I'm fully aware it's warm up games, but it's a bit telling that USA seems to be in very close games against these countries. They're 5-0 but they could absolutely drop a game or two.

They could in the Olympics and it wouldn't be a surprise. Remember they lost to Nigeria and Australia in the preseason games in 2021, then they lost their first game to France in the Olympics. These losses no longer shock people the way they did 20 years ago. They can't just use overwhelming talent and athleticism to overwhelm teams that used to be afraid of them the way they used to, so it will be interesting to see how quickly they can gel together, understand their roles, for some of them to be more selfless and play within themselves, understand what the pecking order is and become cohesive. I think they are too good not to eventually figure it out, it depends how quickly they can do it.

I don't think they care how close these games are, or if they lose some...they're more interesting in building that chemistry and connectedness while playing under FIBA rules because they have such little time before the games start mattering.

But that's part of the problem as I see it. They aren't trying to overwhelm teams with their athleticism and physicality. They don't always play tough physical on-ball defense. They don't always go bully-ball inside and take their time. They don't drive hard but under control.

There's a lot of tentativeness, passivity, and general soft play. I mean, Daniel Theis was outplaying many of Team USA the other day. That's not a talent issue.

I suspect this goes back to knowing how to play the right way. If you are confident in knowing where to be and what to do, it frees you to play really hard. I watch team USA, and I often think they don't know where to be and what to do.

They can win without playing hard. Most of these guys are concerned about winning the NBA championship next year. They know they can win Gold without risking injury like Paul George. It doesn?t make sense to go all out against inferior teams when they can flip the switch.

If we wanted them to go all out, they should have gotten amateurs like the 1980 hockey squad.

I disagree with you. I don't think they can win if they don't play hard. They aren't that talented. They are just more athletic. If they aren't using their athleticism, then that advantage is gone.

When Theis and Thor look like the best players on the court against you, something is wrong.

[Who]

I trust Jrue Holiday & Derrick White more at PG than I do Steph Curry or Haliburton at this point.

Haliburton has looked interesting offensively but uncomfortable with the physicality asked of him on defense especially in switches. He looks vulnerable. Steph is playing more like a SG than a PG. Even more so than normal. He has a better mix when he plays with GSW.

I prefer the high caliber defense & team orientated offense of Jrue & D White who look to get everyone else involved instead of looking for their own offense. The team just looks better with them on the court at PG than either of the two offensive PGs.

[Who]

I do not understand Devin Booker at SF.

Could we at least use Anthony Edwards at SF instead? Someone with more physicality & athleticism. Someone with more defense & rebounding. Someone with speed who will give us more of an advantage in transition.

Booker continues to be a weak-link at SF.

[Goldstar88]

[blink]

I do not understand Devin Booker at SF.

Could we at least use Anthony Edwards at SF instead? Someone with more physicality & athleticism. Someone with more defense & rebounding. Someone with speed who will give us more of an advantage in transition.

Booker continues to be a weak-link at SF.

there is one SF that possesses those traits, he was the MVP of the finals...lol

[Moranis]

I do not understand Devin Booker at SF.

Could we at least use Anthony Edwards at SF instead? Someone with more physicality & athleticism. Someone with more defense & rebounding. Someone with speed who will give us more of an advantage in transition.

Booker continues to be a weak-link at SF.

there is one SF that possesses those traits, he was the MVP of the finals...lol

Tatum is also on the team, he'd be fine in that role. Let Lebron play PF

[Goldstar88]

Team USA will play Serbia tomorrow morning at 11:15am.

[Who]

I do not understand Devin Booker at SF.

Could we at least use Anthony Edwards at SF instead? Someone with more physicality & athleticism. Someone with more defense & rebounding. Someone with speed who will give us more of an advantage in transition.

Booker continues to be a weak-link at SF.

there is one SF that possesses those traits, he was the MVP of the finals...lol

Tatum is also on the team, he'd be fine in that role. Let Lebron play PF

I have been disappointed in Tatum thus far. He hasn't played well. He was the 2nd best player behind Durant on Team USA a few years ago but he has struggled to find his place here.

I wonder if guys like Tatum are just better at PF in International Basketball than at SF. Guys like Tatum being Melo, Durant, Tatum. That sort of player archetype.

It doesn't look like Tatum will get to play there this time round with old men Durant and LeBron getting those minutes. I loved the small ball lineups with Durant at C and Tatum at PF in that last tournament. They were a nightmare to defend. With 3 quality centers in Embiid, AD and Bam ... I don't think we will see that either.

Still, I prefer Tatum over Devin Booker but I do wonder whether Ant is actually the best man for the SF job. Get even more quickness & athleticism on the floor. Ant has been the best off the dribble creator thus far as well.

[Who]

Steph Curry reminds of Juan Carlos Navarro. Steph is not playing as a PG on this team. He is playing as small SG. It is making the team unnecessarily small on defense and hurting their rebounding.

One of the big advantages of Steph at PG is getting another high level shooter alongside him at SG which is usually / often the position where the best shooter on the team plays. It maximizes shooting in the team. His shooting is obviously still an outlier but less of an outlier at SG.

Even compared to Navarro, Spain did a better job of looking for him in their offense. Of getting him shots. Steph does it very well in parts and then becomes peripheral in other parts because he is surrounded by so many scorers. So we are not getting the offensive boost in terms high volume scoring by playing him at SG instead of PG.

I haven't been a fan of it so far.

I do wonder if we are using a two-PG backcourt if Jrue & D White is our best backcourt combination rather than one involving Steph. Let them be facilitators and high level defenders. Let the forwards be more aggressive offensively. Whether that is D Booker or Tatum at SF, neither of whom have been aggressive thus far. They can't find their offensive opportunities. Or Ant at SF.

[Who]

I am disappointed in Haliburton too.

He hasn't played much which is part of the disappointment as I love his passing and think he could offer a lot of value as a floor general on a team full of scorers but Haliburton has struggled when he has played also.

He has looked bad on defense. Struggled with the physicality of International play. Looks vulnerable whenever he has to switch onto another position. Too weak physically. His shooting numbers are bad too. I wonder if that is the physical defense or just a continuation of his bad shooting through most of the 2nd half of last season.

Right now, I'd be dropping him from the rotation. I would be playing a three guard rotation of Jrue, D White and Steph. Then use lineups with Ant or Booker as a bigger SG. Just drop Haliiburton altogether from the rotation.

[celticinorlando]

Start

Jrue
Curry
James
Durant
AD

[Who]

Start

Jrue
Curry
James
Durant
AD

I would start

G: Jrue
G: D White
F: Ant
F: LeBron
C: AD

I would have Steph, Tatum, Durant & Bam as backups. 9 man rotation.

Bench D Booker, Haliburton & Embiid. Not good enough.

[Who]

Tatum should simplify his game.

He is struggling with his passing. He is trying to play like he does with the Celticsas as a facilitator. But the court is different in International Basketball. The shorter three point line changes angles and timing. Guys have struggled with this in the past. Particularly guys who are not great passers more learned passers through NBA repetition. Tatum & D Booker.

I'd like to see Tatum concentrate on being a scorer, defender & rebounder. Forget about the playmaking. Play more like Melo or Durant. Just score. Look for your shot. Be aggressive.