Already in the preparation match, with the Davis-Adebayo pair under the panels, Team USA had often been more convincing when its “second unit” was on the court. Not that LeBron James is disappointing, but the American second five hurts opponents more, in attack and especially in defense. This is all the more true since Kevin Durant returned as the 6th man, and the player in question is having a blast alongside the substitutes, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Bam Adebayo.
“This five is incredible” Suns winger drops outauthor of 14 points with a +/- of +26. “When you can switch on each player and always have someone on the ball, you don't worry about helping. We talk to each other, and there are very intelligent players on defense. When you throw that five, you have fun. There's no need to worry about the attack, since you have to make stops on defense and score on transition. For me, that's basketball!”
A versatile and athletic five
Anthony Edwards is also pleased, as he now comes off the bench, as Steve Kerr prefers to pair Stephen Curry and Devin Booker at the start of the match. “It's true that it's fun… We end up with three great defenders, and even four with Bam. He can change from positions 1 to 5, and we have Kevin (Durant) with his wingspan.” details Edwards, author of 13 points with a +/- of +18. “All we have to do is occupy the space and disrupt them. I thought that five was very good today.”
As in 2021, in Tokyo, Adebayo impresses with his volume of play and his activity in defense. “Being able to switch between positions 1 to 5, being able to defend in all positions makes me much more versatile, and I'm able to space out the game.” appreciates the Miami pivot, author of 18 points with a +/- of +22. “Obviously there's other things like playing point center and it just gives us more variety. I feel like coach looks at the bench as a spark, to come off the bench and give us a boost. And that's what we did tonight.”
The influence of Derrick White
At the heart of this five, there is Derrick White, the surprise guest of the Olympics after the dismissal of Kawhi Leonard. As with the Celtics, the NBA champion is valuable for changing players, or countering in the second curtain. “Derrick White surprised me a lot. I watched him a lot in the playoffs but I didn’t know his defensive instincts were that good,” Edwards said. “He’s really good. His hands, his way of thinking defensively. He’s really good. But the thing I liked the most was looking to my left and seeing KD, my favorite player. Yeah, that’s the best part.”
The final word goes to White, who scored 10 points and had 3 steals in 17 minutes. “Playing with Jrue Holiday is a privilege every day,” recalls the Celtics guard. “Obviously, Bam is one of the best inside defenders, capable of defending positions 1 through 5. But KD also poses problems with his wingspan, and Ant' is also special. So, it's a pleasure to play with this group.”
