Team USA fails again, but is anyone that surprised?

[The Jazz Wonderbra]

Team USA ousted by Germany probably belongs in the NBA forum but Walker Kessler was on the team and its big enough news.

The team had nice players but where are the difference makers? Edwards and who else? KD, Lebron, etc are old. But the best we have to throw at the world is Reaves and Russell? Kind of pathetic when you are paid $30+ million per year and you can't show up for USA basketball.

Lame.

 

[Peter Effin' Parker]

The potential to make $30 million a year is precisely why bigger stars don't show up. You can't risk injury for something that is volunteer.

 

[Elizah Huge]

When guys like Josh Hart are starting for Team USA we are very vulnerable. This isn’t a B team or even a C team really.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Yes, very surprised. You can say we didn't start the best, but they are still much more talented than everyone else.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I'm surprised. The construction of the team is okayish but they should have integrated Kessler or brought another big. JJJ has generally played alongside another big and is super foul prone. Experimenting with Banchero as a 5 is cute but they needed a bigger inside presence. Brunson, Tyrese, Reaves is a few too many defensive targets. Team just didn't have much identity.

Generally the talent would just overwhelm other teams but not this time.

 

[KqWIN]

Not surprised. At some point you've got to learn that it's not just about talent. USA still has an extreme talent advantage over the others, but the players don't care and the coaches hardly seem to care either. I'm completely unsurprised that USA gave up a million points once again and Kerr stuck to his cute lineups after getting blasted over and over. OTOH, players on the other teams have been dreaming about these games their whole life and prepared as such. When the game is even remotely close, the other teaming is smelling blood in perhaps their most important game they've ever played while team USA is probably reconsidering their decision to join in the first place.

I think the comments in this thread sum up team USA's chances. It's all on the back of overwhelming the opposition with talent, but the effect of talent is vastly overrated compared to the effect of actually caring about winning the game. USA didn't exactly bring overwhelming talent in the first place. I would still favor a roster like this in any individual game and favor them in a big way. But when it comes to winning 3+ games in a row, the odds are not so heavily in their favor to expect it to be a sure thing that they win gold.

 

[Engorged On Unborn Gore]

The commercial value of the NBA, and the length of that season, will always make international play a secondary concern.

Why would it ever become a primary concern? What, exactly, should it mean to US players to win during the summer?

 

[KqWIN]

The commercial value of the NBA, and the length of that season, will always make international play a secondary concern.

Why would it ever become a primary concern? What, exactly, should it mean to US players to win during the summer?

Beyond the commercial value, international play means nothing to American players when it comes to their legacy. It's already screwed up because we're on this weird scale now. The focus of the NBA for the longest time has been LeBron, but he's really competing against Jordan, which means the only thing that matters to him is winning the title. And as a result of that, everyone else is under this "championship or bust" mentality where nothing matters except winning the title. NBA players do not even have it in them to compete on a night to night basis in the NBA, competing in the summer is just not of interest to them.

Maybe once LeBron retires, the next LeBron will care about international competition and that will change it.

 

[fishonjazz]

When guys like Josh Hart are starting for Team USA we are very vulnerable. This isn’t a B team or even a C team really.

Ya I called it when I saw the roster prior to the tournament starting. I sure many others did as well.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Using no one 30 or over the best possible team would have been:

Fox
Booker
Tatum
Brown
Bam

With a bench of Edwards/Mitchell/Ingram/Jackson/Haliburton

Maybe sub out Mitchell/Ingram for guys who are proven role players like Bridges/Gordon

 

[MT Steve]

View: https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1700168233943490847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

 

[LogGrad98]

I'm surprised. The construction of the team is okayish but they should have integrated Kessler or brought another big. JJJ has generally played alongside another big and is super foul prone. Experimenting with Banchero as a 5 is cute but they needed a bigger inside presence. Brunson, Tyrese, Reaves is a few too many defensive targets. Team just didn't have much identity.

Generally the talent would just overwhelm other teams but not this time.

It's really been a long time since we fielded a team in these things that could comfortably overwhelm with talent unfortunately. But frankly I'm not a fan of the summer stuff. Give them some time to rest and work on their game, imo.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

It's really been a long time since we fielded a team in these things that could comfortably overwhelm with talent unfortunately. But frankly I'm not a fan of the summer stuff. Give them some time to rest and work on their game, imo.

Like in the past you had some teams that overwhelmed with athletic defensive talent and struggled with shooting but they had an identity. If you wanted this 5- out offense without true bigs then you probably need more consistent shooters than JJJ and Banchero. I just think the idea behind this iteration was off... too many defensive liabilities and no tough bigs (especially if you are mothballing Kessler). Would it have gunked up the offense so much to run Kessler and JJJ at the same time and wall off the paint on defense?

I also think its clear the world is/has been closing the gap furiously. I also think they left a spot open at the 5 cuz they want to recruit Embiid for the Olympics.

 

[Fosto]

It's really been a long time since we fielded a team in these things that could comfortably overwhelm with talent unfortunately. But frankly I'm not a fan of the summer stuff. Give them some time to rest and work on their game, imo.

I feel the same way. Which makes me wonder why the success of the corporation I, for some reason, root for, is more important than my national pride?

 

[LogGrad98]

I feel the same way. Which makes me wonder why the success of the corporation I, for some reason, root for, is more important than my national pride?

I think it's time we go back to letting the young players play in these things, meaning like college kids. Maybe mix it in with college kids and some vets to provide leadership. For me when the pros play it isn't as interesting. It would be good warm-up for the incoming rookies maybe, and provide more excitement since we'll want to see our new guys in the mix for something more meaningful than summer league.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

The things other teams have over the USA in spades is continuity. I thought USA would have a bit of that with the Villanova trio but it didn't work out

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Should Kerr be out as the USA coach?

I'll admit I don't follow closely enough or care enough to know if he was only coaching this year or is expected to coach for the olympics as well.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Should Kerr be out as the USA coach?

I'll admit I don't follow closely enough or care enough to know if he was only coaching this year or is expected to coach for the olympics as well.

I would expect they keep him on for continuity and try and add some more veterans stars to the team.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

I would expect they keep him on for continuity and try and add some more veterans stars to the team.

I'm reading comments about people blaming Kerr for not adjusting from his small lineups that weren't working as far as defense and rebounding.

FWIW I only watched highlights of most games, so my curiosity if people think Kerr should be the coach for the olympics is genuine, I'm curious what those who watched the games think.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'm reading comments about people blaming Kerr for not adjusting from his small lineups that weren't working as far as defense and rebounding.

FWIW I only watched highlights of most games, so my curiosity if people think Kerr should be the coach for the olympics is genuine, I'm curious what those who watched the games think.

Sure, but he's Steve Kerr. HIs rep is going to keep him on if he wants to stay on.