“Strength in numbers.” That’s the mantra of the Warriors dynasty, which emphasizes the strength of the collective… and also the 3-pointer, which Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have transformed into a nuclear weapon.
At the helm of Team USA, Steve Kerr can use the same slogan, even if the meaning is not quite the same.
“The beauty of Team USA is we have more great players than other countries. Other countries have some of the best players in the world now, but we have more great players, and that's our strength.”
The coach can therefore do without Jayson Tatum against Serbia, then Joel Embiid facing South Sudan.
“They are the fastest playing team in the tournament” he explains this choice in detail. “We wanted to adapt to that. They had made 14 3-pointers against us in London. So we really wanted to switch, stay in front of them, not allow them any openings, throughout the game. That's why we changed our starting five.”
“The beauty of the Olympics is that all that bullshit is irrelevant. You have to try to win every match, to win the gold. It's a very pure feeling, to rely on each other to get there.”
Everything “switched” to leave no 3-pointers open. The strategy was clear and, to apply it, Team USA therefore put aside the 2023 MVP, to use the most mobile Anthony Davis And Bam Adebayo.
“Every match will be different. We will find the solutions to win. I don't read social networks and I hope the players stay away from them too.” Steve Kerr continues about the reactions to these “DNPs”. “It's a regular season thing, which is a kind of soap opera, to maintain ratings but the only thing that matters is winning. We have options for everything and we're going to use those options.”
For the United States, it is no longer possible to simply put the best NBA players on the court to win FIBA tournaments. It is necessary to adapt to the opponents… and put egos aside.
“The beauty of the Olympics is that all that bullshit is irrelevant. You have to try to win every match, to win the gold. It's a very pure feeling, to rely on each other to get there.” concludes the coach.
Interview conducted in Villeneuve d'Ascq
