The United States has dominated males’s basketball on the Olympics because it started utilizing professionals beginning with The Dream Team within the 1992 Barcelona video games. For the primary time, it seems like this system’s supremacy is being challenged. After an embarrassing fourth place end eventually 12 months’s FIBA World Cup, Team USA known as in its greatest and brightest stars for the 2024 Paris Olympics. With the remainder of the world catching up, USA Basketball is out to show it nonetheless units the usual.
LeBron James is again on the roster after sitting out the Tokyo Games within the final summer time Olympics. Stephen Curry is enjoying within the Olympics for the primary time in his profession. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Jrue Holiday are again within the combine, whereas Joel Embiid joined the crew for the primary time after changing into a U.S. citizen two years in the past. This crew goes to be must-see TV, they usually lastly took the court docket collectively throughout Wednesday evening’s opening exhibition in opposition to Canada.
The U.S. beat Canada, 86-72, within the first tune-up for the Paris video games. Against a crew loaded with NBA expertise and anticipated to be the United States’ largest competitors for gold, the Americans confirmed how good they are often at their greatest, whereas additionally hinting at the place they should enhance. Here’s what we realized from first exhibition sport from the 2024 males’s USA Basketball crew.
Joel Embiid wants to regulate to FIBA play
Embiid’s inclusion on Team USA was arguably the largest piece of reports in constructing the roster. The U.S. wanted one other huge man to deal with the physicality of FIBA play, and Embiid picked the American facet over his native Cameroon and France. The thought was that securing Embiid’s dedication made Team USA an amazing favourite for gold … however it’s clear he nonetheless must work out the kinks, each when it comes to FIBA guidelines and his personal function on the crew.
Embiid fouled out halfway by means of the third quarter with simply 5 factors and 6 rebounds. The 30-year-old heart is used to being the focus of his crew, however that’s not occurring on this roster. Instead, Team USA wants Embiid to defend the rim, rebound, set laborious screens, and end when he will get a mismatch. What it doesn’t want is Embiid making an attempt to grift for fouls the identical method he does within the NBA, as a result of that doesn’t work in FIBA play. It’s going to be an adjustment.
Embiid was struggling to attain in opposition to Canadian heart Dwight Powell all evening. At one level, he appeared to hit him with an elbow out of frustration.
No one will get to the foul line greater than Embiid within the NBA. He’s not going to get those self same calls within the Olympics, and he’s not going to get the amount of touches he needs, both.
Fortunately for Embiid, this was solely the primary exhibition sport. He has loads of time to enhance from right here.
It’s superb watching LeBron James and Stephen Curry as teammates
LeBron James and Stephen Curry are the defining NBA stars of their era. We’ve by no means seen them as teammates in a aggressive setting (the All-Star Game doesn’t depend) till now. The outcomes are already unimaginable.
Curry completed with 12 factors within the win, whereas James ended with seven factors, 5 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. The connection between two all-time legends would be the most thrilling subplot to look at on Team USA in Paris.
The 2-big lineups with Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo are fascinating
You hardly ever see two non-shooting bigs sharing the ground collectively within the NBA, however it’s a extra palatable technique in FIBA play because of the small court docket and allowance for extra physicality. USA head coach Steve Kerr experimented with enjoying Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo collectively within the first exhibition, and the outcomes had been devastating for Canada’s offense.
Davis and Adebayo each supply a lot floor protection on the perimeter, whereas additionally having the ability to defend the rim and supply a bodily barrier within the paint. While the U.S. halfcourt offense would possibly get clunky with each sharing the ground collectively, the chance for transition run outs after defensive stops goes to be immense.
Talented huge males gave the Americans main points within the final two FIBA World Cup competitions. The U.S. lastly has an antidote to that this time round, and it’s not simply Embiid. Bam and AD will play a giant function on this crew.
Team USA’s depth is unreal
Is this the strongest 12-man roster USA Basketball has ever delivered to the Olympics? It is likely to be. Team USA is bringing legit MVP candidates off the bench in Paris, and they need to be capable to overwhelm opponents with contemporary legs in a smaller function.
Anthony Edwards was the Americans’ main scorer within the win over Canada with 13 factors off the bench. He’d be the very best or second greatest participant on each different crew within the discipline. On Team USA, he’s simply one other weapon.
Jayson Tatum was simply the very best participant on an NBA championship crew with the Celtics. It looks as if he’s going to return off the bench within the Olympics, and that’s a tremendous luxurious to have.
