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9/3 Games thread US

Turkey, what complete and utter mental block of incredible nervousness. I'm embarrassed for them, 4 missed free throws in a row.

USA needs to be better than this also. Way better.
 
I'm not sure there's a winner in this match to be honest.

Tatum looked hurt, Don did some silly things.

Turkey gave incredible effort but don't know how to deal with pressure.
 
Turkey did something very smart. They were making Donovan and Kemba work on the defensive end. Wearing them out I am sure was the idea. Let others beat you besides them two.
 
I almost feel bad for Turkey. Most of the US can care less about this win. This loss is going to stick in Turkey's craw for years (no pun intended)
 
The thing is - I’m 100% convinced that this experience is great for Donovan even though he and the team are struggling.

Even if they underperform, Mitchell is cementing his value for Team USA moving forward.

He’s building his international brand.

He’ll likely be on the Olympic team and learn from that experience as well.

While it sucks in the moment, failure and adversity help build strong foundations. Donovan has an elite work ethic. Whatever happens this summer, he’s going to build off that. Outside of injury, there’s no downside to the Team USA struggles right now.
 
I'm surprised our youngest ever national team almost beat the USA. They missed four straight FTs when they had it in the bag lol, what a choke job.
Honestly I'm puzzled by Pop's rotations. No USA player was able get into the rhythm because of that. DM was in and out constantly, and he didn't shoot well but did OK otherwise except he made a costly turnover down the wire.
 
I'm surprised our youngest ever national team almost beat the USA. They missed four straight FTs when they had it in the bag lol, what a choke job.
Honestly I'm puzzled by Pop's rotations. No USA player was able get into the rhythm because of that. DM was in and out constantly, and he didn't shoot well but did OK otherwise except he made a costly turnover down the wire.
I figured that they’d start leaning more heavily on their top players instead of rotating players in and out. Think it kept everyone from getting into a good rhythm. I know Pop’s is a genius, but I’m hoping things settle here soon.
 
Also, USA really misses a guy like Lebron who is big enough to get in the paint and playmake. USA's wings, whether Tatum, Middleton or Barnes, are mostly looking to score.
 
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