Team USA Basketball 2024

[Goldstar88]

American players with multiple DNPs at the Olympics this century: Emeka Okafor Harrison Barnes Jerami Grant Keldon Johnson JaVale McGee Tyrese Haliburton Jayson Tatum. -via x.com

[Redz]

For what it's worth DWhite was -16 yesterday.  Edwards was pretty awful too.  The starting unit with Durant subbing was not going to lose that game. 

I'm not really bent out of shape that Tatum is seeing no time, but if he's not going to see any minutes then the starters and Durant should be seeing NBA playoff type minutes and F everybody's fair share. 

[Birdman]

There?s only 3 players I would put on 92 Dream Team & those 3 are:
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Steph Curry

[jpotter33]

https://x.com/jtomase/status/1821889250771513785?s=46&t=lGU0TGXtwjkuVuoin6WTNw

Steve Kerr's Western Conference bias may cost Team USA. Only EC player on team in top 6 in minutes is Adebayo (6th, 87). The bottom five are White (79), Holiday (75), Embiid (73), Tatum (!) (60), and Haliburton (26). Meanwhile, Booker has 105 minutes. Makes zero sense.

One of the comments also notes that Bam?s coach in Spo is assisting, which may contribute.

Perhaps not doing it consciously, but you do have to wonder if this plays into it somewhat with him being more familiar with the West players.

[Neurotic Guy]

American players with multiple DNPs at the Olympics this century: Emeka Okafor Harrison Barnes Jerami Grant Keldon Johnson JaVale McGee Tyrese Haliburton Jayson Tatum. -via x.com

I wish Tatum had just opted not to play for USA and used the already shortened break to work on his game.  Hope he?s enjoying Paris.

[Who]

Field Goal percentage

LeBron = 67%
Ant = 60%
Durant = 58%
Steph = 47% = lotta threes, high eFG%
Embiid = 58%
Booker = 56% = lotta threes, high eFG%
A Davis = 59%
Jrue = 59%
Bam = 52%

D White = 41% = some threes, closer to 50% eFG%
Haliburton = 60%
Tatum = 39% = no threes


Tatum has been far and away the worst scorer & jump-shooter on the team. He has been this in the Olympics and in the warm-up games to the Olympics.

He has struggled with his passing and been unable to provide the point-forward play he offers with Boston due to the shorter three point line which has shifted the timing / spacing of passing angles leading to turnovers.

Tatum has played some good defense & rebounded well but he has been awful on offense. He is getting outplayed by other people.

[jpotter33]

Field Goal percentage

LeBron = 67%
Ant = 60%
Durant = 58%
Steph = 47% = lotta threes, high eFG%
Embiid = 58%
Booker = 56% = lotta threes, high eFG%
A Davis = 59%
Jrue = 59%
Bam = 52%

D White = 41% = some threes, closer to 50% eFG%
Haliburton = 60%
Tatum = 39% = no threes


Tatum has been far and away the worst scorer & jump-shooter on the team. He has been this in the Olympics and in the warm-up games to the Olympics.

He has struggled with his passing and been unable to provide the point-forward play he offers with Boston due to the shorter three point line which has shifted the timing / spacing of passing angles leading to turnovers.

Tatum has played some good defense & rebounded well but he has been awful on offense. He is getting outplayed by other people.

I mean, scoring wasn?t really a problem yesterday. It was perimeter defense and rebounding that killed us, two things that JT excels at.

Also, Embiid has been awful most of the Olympics, yet he?s still regularly played. He?ll be a terrible matchup against France and Wemby, so we?ll see how much we actually play him.

[SparzWizard]

https://x.com/jtomase/status/1821889250771513785?s=46&t=lGU0TGXtwjkuVuoin6WTNw

Steve Kerr's Western Conference bias may cost Team USA. Only EC player on team in top 6 in minutes is Adebayo (6th, 87). The bottom five are White (79), Holiday (75), Embiid (73), Tatum (!) (60), and Haliburton (26). Meanwhile, Booker has 105 minutes. Makes zero sense.

One of the comments also notes that Bam?s coach in Spo is assisting, which may contribute.

Perhaps not doing it consciously, but you do have to wonder if this plays into it somewhat with him being more familiar with the West players.

There's also Spo and his Heat-hating culture over Tatum and the Celtics. Idk what Kerr has against Tatum or the Celtics when his team already beaten us in 2022. Are they that upset over that 60-point drubbing back in March? Lol

[Atzar]

We just gonna ignore the fact that Embiid gave 70 to Wemby last time they met?  I know you all want to see Embiid fail, but if there's a terrible matchup there, it's going the other direction. 

[Who]

We just gonna ignore the fact that Embiid gave 70 to Wemby last time they met?  I know you all want to see Embiid fail, but if there's a terrible matchup there, it's going the other direction.

I agree. Wemby has an advantage on Embiid on one end (mobility, quickness, perimeter skills) but Embiid has a much larger advantage over Wemby on the other end of the floor (bulk, interior scoring). If they attack that matchup, Team USA will get a lot of joy.

[mobilija]

We just gonna ignore the fact that Embiid gave 70 to Wemby last time they met?  I know you all want to see Embiid fail, but if there's a terrible matchup there, it's going the other direction.

I agree. Wemby has an advantage on Embiid on one end (mobility, quickness, perimeter skills) but Embiid has a much larger advantage over Wemby on the other end of the floor (bulk, interior scoring). If they attack that matchup, Team USA will get a lot of joy.

That match up is less of a concern because Wemby is playing w Gobert. Embiid vs Wendy won?t see a lot of time.

[jpotter33]

We just gonna ignore the fact that Embiid gave 70 to Wemby last time they met?  I know you all want to see Embiid fail, but if there's a terrible matchup there, it's going the other direction.

I agree. Wemby has an advantage on Embiid on one end (mobility, quickness, perimeter skills) but Embiid has a much larger advantage over Wemby on the other end of the floor (bulk, interior scoring). If they attack that matchup, Team USA will get a lot of joy.

Eh, it?s a much different game in FIBA. Embiid had 41 fgs and 23 (!) free throws that game. Wemby has a much better chance of guarding him now than in the NBA when they can actually play physical D and don?t fall for his flops. Plus they have Gobert to throw at him.

[Who]

We just gonna ignore the fact that Embiid gave 70 to Wemby last time they met?  I know you all want to see Embiid fail, but if there's a terrible matchup there, it's going the other direction.

I agree. Wemby has an advantage on Embiid on one end (mobility, quickness, perimeter skills) but Embiid has a much larger advantage over Wemby on the other end of the floor (bulk, interior scoring). If they attack that matchup, Team USA will get a lot of joy.

Eh, it?s a much different game in FIBA. Embiid had 41 fgs and 23 (!) free throws that game. Wemby has a much better chance of guarding him now than in the NBA when they can actually play physical D and don?t fall for his flops. Plus they have Gobert to throw at him.

Wemby can't play physical defense. He is a finesse defender.

Jokic had no problem being physical with Wemby and muscling his way to the basket. Neither will Embiid.

[Who]

We just gonna ignore the fact that Embiid gave 70 to Wemby last time they met?  I know you all want to see Embiid fail, but if there's a terrible matchup there, it's going the other direction.

I agree. Wemby has an advantage on Embiid on one end (mobility, quickness, perimeter skills) but Embiid has a much larger advantage over Wemby on the other end of the floor (bulk, interior scoring). If they attack that matchup, Team USA will get a lot of joy.

That match up is less of a concern because Wemby is playing w Gobert. Embiid vs Wendy won?t see a lot of time.

Then Embiid will defend Gobert and not Wemby so that is not a defensive issue for Embiid. It is advantage Embiid because unlike Gobert Embiid can play away from the basket on the other end.

Wemby has played a lot without Gobert in recent games. They have played Lessort next to Wemby more than Gobert in some of those games. As well as Yabu (at PF) which is their more offensive lineup.

[Who]

I have no issue with not playing Embiid. I just don't think the matchups are a problem here / reason not to play him. Either Wemby or Gobert (or Lessort) are good matchups for Embiid. Wemby will cause Embiid but Embiid can cause Wemby greater problems than Wemby can cause Embiid issues.

-----------------------

I see Wemby similar to the way I see Embiid defensively. Both are capable of being assets defensively but are also capable of being liabilities.

With Embiid, it is usually about effort and mobility on the perimeter. He can usually do enough mobility wise to do well enough defensively on the perimeter so I view it as more of an effort issue most of the time with him. He is not always as engaged as he should be defensively. Particularly when off-ball.

With Wemby, it is about his lack of bulk. He can be beaten up by physical players both for interior baskets but also for rebounds. He is very good defensively when he isn't attacked by a physical player but can become a liability defensively when he is. Embiid is one of the few players in this tournament that can actually do that to Wemby and the only one on Team USA.

-----------------------------------------

I see the bigger issue being whether Team USA will actually give Embiid the ball often enough and in the right areas of the court for him take advantage of this.

This has been an issue in previous games. Particularly against South Sudan in the warm ups when Embiid was guarded by 6-9 220lb guys and was able to get a layup against any one of them whenever they got him the ball but rarely did his teammates make any sort of effort to get him the ball. Instead, due to his lack of touches & shot attempts, his ability to capitalize on his advantag was minimized while his inability to defend South Sudan on the perimeter was maximized which turned him into a liability. I don't think Embiid played in the Olympics group game against South Sudan as a result. This however was less of a matchup issue than it was a failure to get him the ball.

One good thing about France is their guard play isn't as good as South Sudan. Their PGs all struggle to create. Both as scorers and as playmakers. They do not have players that shoot well off the dribble. This all limits their value in attacking Embiid in high PnRs.