Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Team USA has a chance to win the men’s basketball gold medal in Paris this week.

Here are the top five reasons:

LeBron James is healthy and hungry.

July 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Lebron James (6) looks on during the third quarter against Canada at the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the last thing Steve Kerr said to LeBron James on the way to the court for the first Olympic game against Serbia was: “Take it easy. We’ll need you in the future.”

Clearly, James wasn’t paying attention. When he’s not grunting and flexing, one of the greatest basketball players of all time has been at his best on the world’s biggest stage — even at 39 years old.

He has played 66 minutes in three games. Team USA has outscored its opponents by 32 points in that span.

He made 21 shots from inside the 3-point line and missed only four of them.

And he leads the tournament in assists with 22.

Now consider this: He’s spent almost as much time on the bench as he has on the court. So maybe James has been taking it easy.

Star players have accepted roles

July 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on in the fourth quarter against Canada at the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards are shooting 64% and 63%, respectively, off the bench. Devin Booker’s defensive intensity has been indistinguishable from that of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum have responded positively to benching. Bam Adebayo has claimed the honors of Best Third-Strike Center in Basketball History.

This says it all: On a team with 12 players who had 557 games with 20 or more points last NBA season, only three (James, Durant and Edwards) reached that mark at least once in France. And nobody is complaining.

Heck, only those three superstars have reached double figures for the Americans on every occasion, with Edwards (11 vs. Serbia), Durant (11 vs. Puerto Rico) and James (10 vs. Puerto Rico) barely holding on to that distinction.

Meanwhile, the old, selfish, or selfless Americans (pick your favorite) lead the event in assists and steals and have done so by sharing the wealth. Team USA has yet to have a game in which fewer than seven players have provided an assist or fewer than six players have provided a steal.

We are beating them at their game.

While American kids are learning to dribble between their legs, foreign basketball players are perfecting the art of the three-point shot. Or so they say.

If so, Team USA has chosen 12 boys who are exceptions to the rule.

The Americans have outscored the competition (Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico) by 30 points from beyond the international arc so far in the Olympics, despite taking nine fewer attempts overall. They have shot 43% on 3-pointers while holding the opposition to 29%.

Only Brazil, Team USA’s next opponent, has made a higher percentage of its 3-pointers (45.3). That said, only Canada has attempted fewer 3-pointers than the Brazilians. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

And here’s the scary part: It’s contagious. Five different Americans—Durant (71%), Booker (56%), Edwards (54%), Holiday (50%) and Tyrese Haliburton (50%)—have made at least half of their 3-point attempts. Jeez, even Adebayo (40%) is making them.

Stephen Curry has not yet appeared

USA guard Stephen Curry (4) practices his dribble during a timeout against Canada in the fourth quarter of the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the biggest concern was whether Durant would be healthy enough to contribute or whether he would need to be replaced?

Turns out it was his former teammate who had fans complaining: Get him out of there.

The best 3-point shooter in NBA history has been one of the worst 3-point shooters in these Games, making just 5 of 19 (26%) despite his general reluctance to try anything else (he’s made 3 of 6 on two-pointers and has gotten to the free-throw line just once).

Curry currently sits tied for fourth in the tournament in missed 3-pointers (14). Among the group, only fellow NBA player Franz Wagner of Germany (4-of-19, 21%) has a worse percentage.

Raise your hand if you think 43% of the NBA’s career deep-range 3-point shooters are likely to hit a similar 3-pointer in their next three games.

The competition just isn’t very good.

December 16, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Germany went undefeated in their group, winning by a total of 47 points. Yes, the same Germans who were defeated by the Durant-less US team on a neutral court (London) on the eve of the start of the Games.

Germany beat the host team, France by 14 in group play. In turn, France defeated Brazil, the US team’s quarter-final rival, by 12.

Canada also went undefeated in its group, prevailing by 20 points. Yes, the same Canadians who were defeated by Team USA in an exhibition in Las Vegas last month.

In France, Canada won by 10 against Australia, which in turn won by 12 against Spain, which in turn won by seven against Greece.

France, Australia, Spain and Greece shared the disgrace of having been the Stephen Curry of teams in the group stage.

The Americans won’t have to deal with the Canadians AS MUCH as the Germans on their way to gold. Canada and Germany are on the other side of the bracket, leaving Team USA to face Brazil, easily the weakest of the eight finalists, and then either Serbia or Australia in the semifinals. The Americans already beat the Serbians by 26 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Dwight Powell. That’s Canada. That seems to be the team to beat.

James, Durant, Curry, Edwards, Davis. Booker, Holiday, Tatum, Adebayo, Embiid. That’s Team USA. That’s who’s going to beat them.

And everyone else.

2024-08-06 03:49:00
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