Warriors' Steve Kerr Would Be Interested in Being Team USA HC at 2024 Paris Olympics
Aug 12, 2021
United States head coach Gregg Popovich, left, and assistant coach Steve Kerr talk during a men's basketball practice at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in Saitama, Japan, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Golden State Warriors head coach (and United States men's national basketball team assistant) Steve Kerr sat down with The Athletic's Tim Kawakami and discussed a number of topics largely revolving around the Tokyo Olympics and the Dubs.
Of note, Kerr was asked if he'd be interested in becoming Team USA's head coach for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and he responded affirmatively.
"Of course I'd be interested. I mean, who wouldn't be?" Kerr said.
"I'll leave it at that. I have no idea how it will all transpire; there are a lot of great candidates out there. And if I were to be considered, that would be an honor."
Kerr has been an assistant coach on the United States men's national basketball team since October 2018. He joined the staff of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who took over the national team from Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski following the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Team USA finished seventh in the 2019 FIBA World Cup but rebounded in this year's Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal after an 87-82 win over France.
It's unclear who will lead the men's national team in 2024, but Kerr is a great pick. He's an eight-time NBA champion (five as a player, three as a head coach) who now has an Olympic gold medal too. The 55-year-old very well may be the best person for the job.
For now, Kerr is looking to lead his Warriors back to the playoffs after two years removed from the postseason. The Dubs are currently playing summer league games in Las Vegas as the start of the NBA regular season is set to tip off October 19.
2021 Olympics Medal Count: Updated Standings, Highlights After Day 15
Aug 7, 2021
Bronze medalist Allyson Felix, of the United States, poses during the medal ceremony for the women's 400-meter run at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The gold medal in men's basketball once again resides with Team USA after the 87-82 victory over France Saturday.
The Kevin Durant-led squad had a tougher road to gold than in years past but shook off early inconsistencies to prove themselves the very best in international competition once again.
Their was just one highlight in a day that saw Allyson Felix become the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history. Host country Japan also won gold in baseball, its most beloved sport.
There was nothing flashy or pretty about this Games' U.S. men's basketball team.
There was no dazzling offense, and jaw-dropping feats of athleticism were few and far between. Instead, the Tokyo gold medalists will be remembered as a team of grit, determination and resiliency, and as the group alongside whom Durant firmly established himself as the best men's basketball player in Olympic competition.
Ever.
He already has the points record, but these games showcased his leadership. He took over games, scoring no fewer than 23 points in each outing beginning with the final group stage victory over the Czech Republic. In doing so, he obliterated Carmelo Anthony's record of 336 points in 31 games, leaving Tokyo with a total of 435 in nine fewer contests.
List of U.S. men's basketball players to average 20 PPG in a single Olympics:
"KD is not special because he's so talented. The way he works on his game is more impressive. The relationship he builds with teammates, the respect he garners, the joy he has in playing, it's like osmosis. It goes into all the players," head coach Gregg Popovich glowed about his star player, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
Durant's third gold medal will sit in his trophy room alongside two NBA championships, both won with Golden State. Prior to Saturday's game, he also inked a new deal with the Brooklyn Nets for four years and $198 million, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday joined Durant in scoring double digits. Holiday and Milwaukee Bucks teammate Khris Middleton also became just the fifth and sixth players, respectively, to add gold medals to an NBA Championship in the same summer.
JaVale McGee joined his mom, Pamela, as a gold medalist by way of his team's victory. She was part of the victorious women's team from the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
Allyson Felix Wins 11th Medal
Carl Lewis, please step aside.
Allyson Felix is America's most decorated track and field athlete in Olympic history after scoring gold in the women's 400-meter relay Saturday. Only one athlete, Paavo Nurmi of Finland, has more medals in Olympic track and field competition than her with 12.
Felix and teammates Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu obliterated the competition with a time of 3:16.85. Poland finished second, almost four seconds slower, and Jamaica followed for the bronze.
"The first [medal] was a very, very long time ago [in Athens 2004] when everything was new," Felix told reporters. "And this one everything is different but in a good way. I am so pleased it was running with these amazing women."
Felix tied Lewis' record just 24 hours earlier with bronze in the individual 400-meter race.
Japan Blanks Team USA to Win Gold
Baseball is immensely popular in Japan, and on Saturday, the nation celebrated its first Olympic gold medal in the sport with a 2-0 shutout of Team USA. It is the second time the country knocked off the Americans in this competition, with the first win coming Monday.
Japan relied on five different pitchers, and the United States to leave runners stranded in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, to deliver the shutout.
A youth movement within the Japanese baseball team, especially within the pitching rotation, can directly be credited for the performance Saturday.
American Eddy Alvarez, a silver medalist in speed skating in the 2014 Winter Olympics, earned a second silver as a second baseman with Team USA.
Olympic Basketball 2021: Team USA Beats France to Win Men's Gold Medal
Aug 7, 2021
United States' Kevin Durant (7) celebrates after a score during men's basketball gold medal game against France at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Kevin Durant scored 29 points as the United States defeated France 87-82 in the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2021
The United States led by as many as 14 points late in the third quarter, but France stormed back and cut the Team USA lead to 85-82 after a Nicolas Batum steal eventually led to a pair of Nando de Colo free throws with 10 seconds left in the game.
Durant was then fouled and responded by hitting two free throws of his own. France's last possession ended with Batum missing a three-pointer, and the game ended following a Team USA defensive rebound.
KD was simply sensational, which is commonplace for him during the Olympics.
Kevin Durant: —3 Olympic golds —30/30/29 in gold medal games —led USA in scoring in all 3 tournaments —leading scorer in Team USA men's Olympic history —50.3% 3-point shooter in Olympics (!!!) —(also MVP of a FIBA World Cup!)
KEVIN DURANT (2021): 20.7 Kevin Durant (2012): 19.5 Kevin Durant (2016): 19.4 Adrian Dantley (1976): 19.3 Charles Barkley (1992): 18.0 Michael Jordan (1984): 17.1
Durant scored 21 first-half points to give Team USA a 44-39 edge. He and Jayson Tatum combined for 32 points by halftime, while the rest of Team USA had just 11. Struggles from behind the three-point line (4-of-18) were the primary culprit.
France hung with the United States thanks to 12 free throws on 19 attempts, but 10 first-half turnovers hindered its offense.
The United States took over in the third quarter, opening up a 71-57 lead after a Tatum fast-break bucket.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2021
A late 9-2 run that featured a pair of Team USA steals and a blocked shot helped the United States gain the 14-point edge.
However, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Batum each nailed three-pointers in the final 35 seconds to cut the American edge to 71-63 heading into the fourth quarter.
The United States got the opening fourth-quarter bucket but proceeded to go ice cold, failing to score for 3:23. France took advantage of the opportunity and went on a 7-0 run capped by a Frank Ntilikina three-pointer.
That shot cut the United States' edge to 73-70 with 5:42 left, but Team USA responded with a 6-0 run, with Damian Lillard scoring two buckets around a Jrue Holiday steal and score.
Holiday with the steal. Holiday with the breakaway. Holiday will hammer it DOWN. 🔨@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2021
France kept fighting back, though, with a pair of fast-break buckets (an Evan Fournier fast-three-pointer and a Ntilikina layup) slicing Team USA's edge to 85-80.
The de Colo free throws made it a one-possession game, but in the end, it was Durant who closed the door on France, who opened the tournament with an 83-77 group-play win over the Americans.
Five players scored in double digits for France, with Fournier and Rudy Gobert leading the way with 16.
For Team USA, Tatum complemented Durant with 19 points, and Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday each had 11.
Team USA men's basketball has now won 16 Olympic gold medals and four straight.
Olympic Basketball 2021: USA vs. France Set for Men's Gold-Medal Game
Aug 5, 2021
SAITAMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 05: Kevin Durant #7 of Team United States controls the ball against Joe Ingles #7 of Team Australia during the Men's Basketball Semifinal match between USA and Australia on day thirteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on August 5, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Liu Yaru/CHINASPORTS/VCG via Getty Images)
Team USA will face off with France in the men's basketball gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics after
their respective wins in Thursday's semifinals at Saitama Super Arena
in Japan.
The United States overcame an early
15-point deficit to score a comfortable 97-78 win over Australia.
Kevin Durant led the charge with 23 points and nine rebounds, while
Devin Booker chipped in 20 points for the Americans, who will be
looking for their fourth straight Olympic title Saturday.
France narrowly escaped a serious
challenge from Luka Doncic and Slovenia as Nicolas Batum made a
game-saving block in the final seconds to preserve a 90-89 victory.
Nando de Colo (25 points) and Evan Fournier (23) paced the French offense
in the semifinal thriller.
Alarm bells started to sound after Team
USA dropped its Olympic opener against France following a lackluster run
of exhibition games that included losses to Nigeria and Australia.
Gregg Popovich's group has looked
closer to the dominant form that's expected from the U.S. since that
Group A loss to France, winning four straight games by an average of
30.5 points to reach the final.
"There were a lot of guys on this
team that had straight faces and were ready to play when we were down
15—strong faces is what Pop said," Durant told
reporters about the semifinal comeback. "They came out and hit
us with a nice haymaker, and we were able to get back up and get that
lead back."
Although Durant is the center of
attention, it's taken a complete team effort for the Americans to
turn around their fortunes. That was on display once again Thursday
as four players (Durant, Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton)
reached double figures in scoring and two others (Jayson Tatum and
Zach LaVine) scored nine points.
The United States is likely to need a
similar well-rounded performance to win gold, especially since France
was able to hold KD to 10 points in the teams' prior meeting in the
Games.
Another key will be protecting the
basketball. The U.S. pulled away from Australia despite a mediocre
19-16 assist-to-turnover ratio. It'll likely look to keep that turnover figure below 10 in the final after giving the ball away 12 times against France the first time around.
Meanwhile, France carried a six-point
lead in the fourth quarter of its semifinal against Slovenia, but
Doncic and Co. fought back and had the ball in their hands with a
chance to win.
Doncic was doubled as he attempted to
drive the lane, so he dished to Klemen Prepelic, who appeared to have
a clean lane to the hoop for the go-ahead layup. Batum had other
ideas as he saved the game for Les Bleus:
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2021
France heads into the rematch with the
U.S. undefeated in the tournament. Beating the Americans for a second
time will be its toughest test, and a win would give the country its
first Olympic gold medal in men's basketball. It won silver in 1948
and 2000.
De Colo, Fournier and Timothe
Luwawu-Cabarrot have given the French squad a lot of offensive
firepower in the backcourt and on the wing, but center Rudy Gobert
figures to play a critical role against a U.S. team with a limited number of impact players in the post.
Gobert (7'1''), who tallied nine
points, 16 rebounds and four blocks against Slovenia, will probably
match up with Bam Adebayo (6'9'') initially, but his presence could
force the Americans to use JaVale McGee (7'0'') more frequently for
the defensive boost, which could slow the U.S. offense.
If Gobert can dominate on the low block,
France will have a real shot at another upset in the gold-medal game.
Team USA's recent resurgence makes it
the favorite heading into the final, though.
Olympic Basketball 2021: Updated Odds and Predictions for Team USA and More
Aug 1, 2021
United States's Kevin Durant (7) drives up court during a men's basketball preliminary round game against the Czech Republic at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The U.S. men's basketball team has made it through the group stage in its quest to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Now the fun stuff begins.
It wasn't always pretty, but Team USA cleared the first hurdle of making it to the quarterfinals. After dropping the first game to France and creating headlines for all the wrong reasons, the team put up strong performances against overmatched Iran and Czech Republic squads.
The three-game run in Tokyo hasn't yet proved anything about the Kevin Durant-led team. France is the only squad it has played this point that had the baseline level of talent a team needs to compete against the Americans. Losing to France was concerning, but it was early in the tournament and a trio of important players had only just arrived in Japan.
That result against France and the play of other nations in the tourney have caused Team USA's odds to capture gold to slip a bit. While they started off at -320 (bet $320 to win $100), they have drifted to -215.
Here's a look at how the rest of the field measures up.
While the Americans' odds have lengthened a bit since the tournament started, they remain the odds-on favorite to take home the gold. Ultimately, the oddsmakers are looking at the depth the team boasts. The U.S. has played three games and had a different leading scorer in each.
In Game 1, they were led by Jrue Holiday, who had just arrived from winning an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks. Game 2 against Iran saw Damian Lillard drop 21 points to lead the way, and Jayson Tatum stepped up against the Czech Republic with 27 points.
While they have been trying to figure out how to best complement each other's talents, having a veteran like Durant—who became the country's all-time Olympic leading scorer Saturday—gives them a sense of continuity.
"We're all just trying to figure each other out," Holiday said, per Rocky Swift of Reuters. "This is literally our third game with all of us together. But we knew KD would come in and do what he always does."
That will be key as the competition is about to get a lot more difficult. Teams like Australia, France and Spain have played on the world stage multiple times with essentially the same nucleus. The Americans have few holdovers from the 2019 team that didn't medal at the World Cup, let alone the team that won the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Multiple contenders have gained momentum through group play, and that is reflected in the odds. France and Australia have each seen their odds shorten from the start of the tournament, while Slovenia has been the biggest riser.
That's because Luka Doncic has been a revelation. The country is light on NBA talent, but Doncic has elevated those around him while putting up a combined 73 points in two games (including a historic 48 in his Olympic debut). He's almost single-handedly taken Slovenia from surprise qualifier to medal contender.
France has already proved it is a threat to the U.S., which had a hard time countering some of the bigger lineups. Evan Fournier, meanwhile, played at a level you rarely see from him in the NBA.
But France isn't getting ahead of itself. Fournier knows his team will need to take things one game at a time. France hasn't medaled in basketball at the Olympics since 2000.
"Quarterfinal first. Focus on that," Fournier said, per Swift. "Too many times we've beaten very, very good teams, and we lost in the semifinal. So no more of that."
By the odds, Australia stands out as the United States' biggest hurdle to gold. The Boomers have a core of players familiar with international competition and a collection of NBA talent that includes Joe Ingles, Patty Mills and Dante Exum.
They lived up to their billing as one of the tournament's best squads during group play, going 3-0 while racking up a point differential of plus-33. Only the records of the United States and France are better.
It all sets up an unforgiving tournament bracket that provides no margin for error.
Still, the U.S. seems to have figured some things out in its extended tune-up and has the most talented roster. While several teams have a handful of NBA players, Team USA's roster is completely made up of players from The Association.
That should be enough for the U.S. to figure out a way to win.
Predictions
Gold: United States
Silver: Australia
Bronze: Slovenia
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USA vs Czech Republic: Olympic Men's Basketball TV Time, Live Stream, Prediction
Jul 30, 2021
SAITAMA, JAPAN - JULY 28: Khris Middleton #8 of Team United States high fves teammate Jayson Tatum #10 and Damian Lillard #6 during the first half of a Men's Preliminary Round Group A game on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 28, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
There are still plenty of questions surrounding Team USA and its pursuit of a gold medal in men's basketball, but it'll get its next opportunity to work things out against the Czech Republic in the final group-stage game.
The Americans stumbled out of the gates with an 83-76 loss to France in their Olympic opener. However, they bounced back with a 120-66 win over Iran, taking off some of the pressure by winning in dominant fashion.
That pressure will come back quickly if they don't once again dominate against a Czech Republic squad that is ranked 12th in the latest FIBA world rankings.
The matchup will represent the United States' final opportunity to get in sync before the quarterfinals begin. The top two teams in each group will move on with the final two spots going to the third-place teams with the best point differential.
Given the United States' lopsided result against Iran, it is likely already in, but this game won't be about winning and losing, it will be about preparation for the knockouts. Here's all the info you need to catch the game.
Olympic Men's Basketball
Who:United States vs. Czech Republic
When:Saturday, July 31 at 8 a.m. ET
Where:Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
Live Stream:NBCOlympics.com and Peacock
TV: NBC
After shooting a middling 10-of-32 from the three-point line against France, the US unleashed a barrage of three-pointers against Iran. Burying their opponent with 19-of-39 shooting from deep as a team.
That movement was led by a 7-of-13 performance from Damian Lillard, who led all scorers with 21 points.
Lillard credited that success to a shift in attitude that came after talking to Draymond Green.
"We spoke about it, and it was simple. I just said 'I should have shot it,' and it won’t happen again," Lillard said in reference to their conversation after the France loss, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. "I'm gonna come correct going forward."
Green's leadership might exceed what he's putting up in the box score right now. He's one of the few players on the roster with previous Olympic experience. He was on the gold medal-winning 2016 squad and is a three-time NBA champion.
Perhaps the most encouraging developments against Iran were signs of life from Khris Middleton and Devin Booker. Both were late arrivals to Tokyo as they went through protocols after the NBA Finals. The duo went 1-of-8 from the field against France.
With a few days to adjust to being in Tokyo and playing with the team, they looked much better. The pair of Finals' foes put up 26 points and went a combined 10-of-15 from the floor against Iran.
A sentiment that seems to be echoed by those within Team USA is the need for their scorers to be more aggressive when it comes to shooting their shot.
"We were a bit too unselfish early on, and it bit us," Kevin Durant said after the Iran win, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "Tonight, guys came out super aggressive. It may look bad when the shots don't go in, but we still had great intentions ever since we got together."
Whether that shift in thinking equates to beating the teams who are the same level as France remains to be seen. The knockout stage will see them once again take on teams with multiple NBA players and even potentially stars like Luka Doncic and the Slovenians.
For now, they are preparing to face a team in the Czech Republic that lost to France by 20 and is led Jan Vesely and Tomas Satoransky. The United States' sheer firepower should get them through this one.
Prediction: USA 95, Czech Republic 73
Olympic Basketball 2021: Damian Lillard Drops 21 as USA Beat Iran by 54; Full Results
Jul 28, 2021
United States' Damian Lillard (6) plays against Spain during the first half of an exhibition basketball game in preparation for the Olympics, Sunday, July 18, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
After having its 25-game winning streak in Olympic competition snapped Sunday versus France, the United States men's basketball team rebounded in its second game against Iran.
Team USA dominated the Iranian squad 120-66, led by 21 points from Damian Lillard. Head coach Gregg Popovich went deep into his bench for production, and the reserves nearly outscored Iran on their own with a combined total of 59 points.
The 120 points the U.S. scored were its most in a game this Olympic season, including four exhibition contests before traveling to Tokyo.
2021 Olympic Men's Basketball Scores - July 28
Team USA def. Iran 120-66
Australia def. Italy 86-83
France vs. Czech Republic (8 a.m. ET)
Recap
The United States' two biggest keys to Tuesday's win over Iran were three-point shooting and converting turnovers into points.
Coming off a 10-of-32 shooting performance from behind the arc against France, Team USA made 48.7 percent of its three-pointers versus Iran (19-of-39).
Lillard was the driving force behind that success, as all seven of his makes came from three. His five assists were also tied with Kevin Durant for most among United States starters.
"Being in the hotel, at meals and on the practice court and just talking after that loss, we came together," Lillard told reporters afterward. "It's time to start looking like Team USA."
The U.S. defense converted 23 turnovers into 37 points and held Iran to 37.3 percent shooting. By comparison, France only had 14 turnovers and shot 46.8 percent from the field.
Durant didn't have a dominant offensive performance, but he was involved in most of the action on both sides of the ball. The two-time Finals MVP finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
After being in the starting lineup against France, Zach LaVine came off the bench in this one, finishing with 13 points and a game-high eight assists. Popovich also moved Draymond Green to the bench, with Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday joining the starting lineup.
The U.S. will wrap up group play Saturday against the Czech Republic.
In the second game of the day, Australia moved one step closer to clinching a spot in the quarterfinals thanks to its 86-83 win over Italy.
Neither side ever led by more than six points through the first three quarters.
After Italy took a 50-44 lead on a Nico Mannion layup with 8:50 remaining in the third, the Australians went on a 29-17 run that put them up by eight with under five minutes to go in the fourth.
Italy did get to within 84-81, but Patty Mills made two free throws with eight seconds remaining to seal Australia's second straight win in Group B.
Mills, Aron Baynes, Joe Ingles, Jock Landale and Nick Kay all scored in double figures in the win. Australia's size proved to be a problem for Italy, as the Boomers had a 44-30 advantage in rebounds, including a 16-6 advantage on the offensive glass.
Mannion had a fantastic game off the bench for the Italians, as the 20-year-old finished with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting to go with seven assists. Simone Fontecchio led all players with 22 points.
Australia will clinch a spot in the knockout stage with either a win over Germany or a loss by Italy against Nigeria. Both games will be played Saturday.
USA vs. Iran: TV Time, Live Stream, Prediction for 2021 Olympic Men's Basketball
Jul 27, 2021
United States' Zach LaVine plays against Australia during an exhibition basketball game Monday, July 12, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The United States men's basketball team will get a much-needed opportunity to jell when they play Iran in their second game in the 2021 Olympics.
Team USA got off to the worst start imaginable, stumbling down the stretch and losing to a France team that will now be the favorite to win Group A. But the team of NBA players didn't go to Tokyo to win their group, they went to win gold.
That's still in play. They will be big favorites against Iran and in the following game against the Czech Republic.
While this game isn't likely to be competitive, it will still provide an important opportunity for the Olympic team to figure some things out and get on the same page before the competition once again ramps up.
Let's take a look at the particulars of the broadcast and how to watch before diving into the matchup.
Olympic Men's Basketball
Who:United States vs. Iran
When:Wednesday, July 28 at 12:40 a.m. ET
Where:Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
Live Stream:NBCOlympics.com and Peacock
TV: Re-air on NBC Wednesday afternoon; re-air on NBC Sports Network in primetime
Preview and Predictions
Simply put, Iran isn't France.
When it comes to FIBA Asia competitions, Iran is among the top teams. The country has won multiple championships in its FIBA zone and qualified for the Olympics, but it hasn't won a game in the Olympics since 1948.
The roster doesn't feature one NBA player and finished 23rd in the 2019 World Cup.
The one area that could be interesting to watch is that Iran does have some size in the frontcourt. The United States struggled when France went with their jumbo lineup featuring Rudy Gobert and Vincent Poirier.
The Iranian's do have a former NBA center in 7'2" Hamed Haddadi. The big man posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to the Czech Republic. He's obviously not Gobert, who is an elite interior defender, but he's a weapon that Iran will surely use.
For the Americans, this game isn't just about winning, it's about settling in. Star point guard Damian Lillard expressed the team's need to let the game come to them more.
"We all just, I think, just trying too hard…instead of just being who we are—the best players in the NBA," Lillard said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. "Shots just didn't fall. We had opportunities down the stretch, just didn't make them."
Vardon also noted their could be some discontent from the players on the American team:
"The players are frustrated, too, grumbling on their way back to the locker room about 'running the San Antonio offense' when apparently they feel like there are better ideas."
Popovich has had to build on the fly. A few players who were coming in from the NBA Finals didn't arrive in Tokyo until the middle of the night before playing in the morning.
One of those players, Jrue Holiday, ended up being a top performer for the Red, White and Blue. He led the team in scoring with 18 points and snagged seven rebounds.
The Spurs head coach is certainly one of the best minds in the game. However, the Olympic team has struggled under his watch. They lost two of the three friendlies they played in preparation for Tokyo and have now lost their opener to France.
They shot just 36.2 percent from the field in the loss. The players could very well have a point when it comes to the offensive concepts they are running. After all, this is a team with Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker.
Popovich might be wise to try some things against an outmanned Iran squad as the United States is running out of time for a gold medal run to materialize.
Prediction: Team USA 87, Iran 52
Report: Team USA Players 'Grumbling' About Gregg Popovich's Spurs Offense at Olympics
Jul 26, 2021
SAITAMA, JAPAN - JULY 25: Zachary Lavine #5, Jrue Holiday #12, Bam Adebayo #13, Kevin Durant #7, Damian Lillard #6 and Head Coach Gregg Popovich of Team United States of America look on in disbelief during their game against France in Men's Preliminary Round Group B action on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 25, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Team USA basketball players have
reportedly been "grumbling" about running head coach Gregg
Popovich's San Antonio Spurs offense at the Tokyo Olympics.
Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported the
star-studded roster is "frustrated" and believes there are "better ideas" to get the offense going, while Popovich is "horrified" by Team USA's recent struggles, including a loss to
France in its Olympic opener Sunday.
The U.S. getting upset by a France squad
featuring Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier didn't
come as a surprise to those who tracked its pre-Tokyo exhibition
games.
Popovich's group suffered losses to
Nigeria and Australia while going 2-2 during its warm-up schedule, and the
squad never looked ready to steamroll the competition at the Olympics like prior
versions of Team USA.
The offense continued to look out of sorts against France. The Americans shot just 36
percent from the field (25-of-69), including 31 percent on threes (10-of-32), and nobody emerged as the go-to player in crunch time despite the roster being filled with NBA All-Stars.
"I think that's a little bit of
hubris if you think the Americans are supposed to just roll out the
ball and win," Popovich told reporters. "I mean, we've got to
work for it just like everybody else."
The Spurs' offense is predicated on
ball movement, and when it works—as it so often did during the era of
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili—it can be borderline
unstoppable. That's why Popovich is the owner of five NBA
championships and 3 NBA Coach of the Year Awards.
However, trying to implement such a system in a
short period of time, with most of the players coming from offenses
wherein they are a top scoring options, is a tricky task.
The question may be whether it's too
late to try something else or if Team USA will be all-in on the
Spurs-style attack with their chances of winning the gold medal—often a fait accompli in Olympics past—fading with each lackluster performance.
The games against Iran on
Wednesday and the Czech Republic on Saturday should give the U.S. a
chance to experiment with different offensive sets if the coaching
staff wants to. Team USA can't afford another upset if it wants to guarantee a quarterfinal berth, though.
It's possible the offense finally
clicks during the final two games of pool play and Team USA proceeds
to waltz to another gold medal. If that happens, all of the struggles
leading up to this point of frustration within the squad will be
forgotten.
That's far from a sure thing, however,
and the pressure is clearly beginning to mount within the U.S. locker
room.
5 Biggest Reasons for USA Men's Basketball Team's Meltdown to France
Jul 25, 2021
United States' Damian Lillard (6), Kevin Durant (7), and Draymond Green (16) their loss to France in wait for play to resume during their loss to France in a men's basketball preliminary round game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Team USA got off to a rough start in the Tokyo Olympics with an 83-76 loss to France. This is the United States men's team's first loss in Olympic competition since 2004 when it lost to Argentina.
The U.S. blew a seven-point lead in the final 3:40. There were flashes of the team looking confident, and the Americans finished the game with 23 assists on 25 field goals. Team USA got a jolt from NBA champ Jrue Holiday, who put up 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. But the Americans went cold down the stretch, allowing France to steal the game.
Several factors played a role in Team USA's loss. Here are the five biggest reasons Team USA finds itself 0-1 in these Olympics.
1. No Bigs = a Big Problem
Going into the Olympics, one of the concerns for Team USA was its lack of size. That was tested against France, who started Rudy Gobert and Guerschon Yabusele. The Americans' main defense was to switch everything, which meant a guard would have to switch onto Gobert quite regularly.
Gobert was able to go to work on the smalls after setting a ball screen. He would roll down the lane and post up in a deep, favorable position. He finished the game with 14 points and nine rebounds and got to the line eight times.
Team USA staying in this switching scheme opened up several high-low opportunities. After switching onto the big, Team USA guards would front the post, but the counter was an easy fix for France: a French player would flash from the weak side to the high post and throw a pass over the top of the fronting defender, leading to a dunk or more free throws.
France continued to play big and even bigger when it paired former Celtic Vincent Poirier with Gobert in the second half. Poirier, a 7-footer, often found guys like Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker and Keldon Johnson on him.
Size will be a recurring problem for the United States, made worse if it continues to switch every screen action on and off the ball.
2. France Prevented Easy Buckets
A big part of Team USA's game is going to be running in transition. No team in the Olympics can match its athleticism and speed, so getting out on the break and pushing the tempo is critical. The Americans did a great job in the first half, with nine fast-break possessions for 14 points. Zach LaVine got a dunk after a Draymond Green strip and touchdown pass. Jayson Tatum got a layup off a push after getting the rebound. France was unable to keep up with the United States' running game. So it adjusted at halftime.
The big adjustment France made was sending only one player to the offensive glass, with everyone else getting back defensively. That led to just five second-half fast-break opportunities, with one of them coming once the game was decided. There were fewer chances to get a breakaway dunk or early-offense layup because the defense was pretty set.
Getting easy buckets is paramount to the Americans' campaign. They are small but fast. If they are not getting out in transition, they'll end up in a more half-court game, which tends to favor teams with more size.
3. Half-Court Offense Struggles
What made the transition game so important was Team USA's half-court offense was largely unproductive. Some of it was just missing shots, some of it was France's defense, and some of it was being too unselfish.
Former video coordinator Steve Jones Jr. pointed it out in the clip below. In a normal NBA game, once Bam Adebayo kicks it out to the corner off the short roll to Jrue Holiday, that is a shot. Instead Holiday passes it up to Zach LaVine, who also passes up an open look. Those are shots they would take in a normal NBA game. Team USA got exactly what any NBA team would be looking for offensively but instead was caught overpassing.
So much *overpassing* from Team USA. Bam screens for KD, defense helps, you have what you want and...this is what you get out of it. Jrue *and* LaVine pass up the open looks that they fire at will during the regular season. pic.twitter.com/0gt2Oc7Q40
The half-court struggle showed in particular in the final four minutes. LaVine hit a three with 4:20 left to go to put the Americans up five, and that was their last made field goal of the game. They went 0-of-9 and had two turnovers while France went on a 16-4 run. Team USA's points per possession in the half court was 0.776. It's going to be tough to win with that type of production in the half court.
It was a tough night for Kevin Durant, scoring 10 points but going 4-of-12 from the field and 1-of-6 from three. He played only 21 minutes because he was in foul trouble. He picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and then his third halfway through the second. Durant picked up his fourth early in the third after switching onto Gobert and battling for post-up position. That might not be called in the NBA, but the FIBA game is officiated differently.
With just five fouls warranting a player fouling out (instead of the NBA's rule of six), Gregg Popovich had to be selective from then on in deploying the USA's best offensive threat. The foul trouble kept Durant from finding his rhythm and really getting in the flow of the game.
Though he likely won't be in foul trouble every game, Durant will need to be more careful in how he defends throughout the tournament, especially when he picks up two quick fouls.
5. Evan Fournier, Take a Bow
Evan Fournier completely went off against Team USA. He dropped 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting. It was not particularly bad defense against him—he just caught fire. Everyone got a chance on him. He turned the corner on the guards when he was played straight up. He attacked the bigs, especially Green off the dribble, when they switched onto him.
In the fourth quarter, Fournier knocked down two big shots, one off a baseline out-of-bounds play for two in the corner. Then he hit a huge three off a great hustle play from Yabusele to put France up three for good. The U.S. had no answers for him when France went on its 14-0 run to take the lead.
It is always easier to prevent a fire than putting one out. Even though the defense was not bad, Team USA should have worked harder to deny him catches and push up into him. The Americans had some success when they were able to do that, but once he caught the ball it was going up.
This was a very disappointing loss for Team USA. The Americans were not able to execute down the stretch, get in transition or stay out of foul trouble, and they struggled to contain Fournier and stayed in a switching scheme too long. Most of these are correctable mistakes, but there is a limited amount of time left to correct them.
The U.S. should bounce back against Iran but will need some help from the Czech Republic to have a chance to win the group. The Americans will need the Czech Republic to beat France and then of course they have to beat the Czech Republic. But the top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stage, so Team USA would almost certainly advance by winning its last two group-stage games.
Advanced stats via Synergy Sports unless otherwise noted.
Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA.
