NBA All-Star Devin Booker proves to be essential for Team USA
Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker plays multiple roles for Team USA as he looks to win his second straight Olympic gold medal this summer in Paris.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sounded confident in Canada’s chances against Team USA if they meet again, this time in Paris for the Olympic gold medal.
“Come here to play the best talent, best teams in the world,” said the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar point guard in an interview Saturday with NBC. “They’re at the top of it so of course it would be fun.”
Team USA’s road to the Paris Olympics gold medal game looks relatively smooth.
The men’s national team earned the top seed to play Brazil in Tuesday’s quarterfinals in Paris (3:30 p.m. ET, 12:30 p.m. PT/Arizona time, on USA Network, Peacock).
The USA-Brazil winner will play the Serbia-Australia victor in Thursday’s semifinals.
Team USA has already beaten Serbia by 26 points twice in an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi and in its Olympic Group C play opener in Lille, France.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic leads Serbia, but Team USA is just a bad matchup for Serbia.
Australia gave Team USA a tussle in Adu Dhabi. Highly competitive, but Team USA won, 98-92 – without Kevin Durant.
Durant missed Team USA’s five exhibition games with a calf injury. He returned against Serbia and hit his first eight shots from the field with five being from 3 in scoring 23 points.
With the three-time Olympic champion and Team USA’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder in men’s Olympic basketball play, whether he’s starting or not, Team USA should reach the gold medal game.
“We’re in a rhythm and a groove right now with it,” Durant said about coming off the bench. “Like I’ve been saying, whatever coach needs to me to do, I’m willing to do.”
So, who on the other side of the bracket would give Team USA the toughest challenge – Germany, Greece, France or Canada?
Germany takes on Greece and Canada faces the Olympic host in France in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
Team USA, Germany and Canada all went 3-0 in group play.
Canada has more NBA talent than anyone outside of Team USA with Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks and Andrew Nembhard leading the way.
Team USA began exhibition play with an 86-72 win over Canada in Las Vegas.
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Germany took Team USA down to the wire in London before falling, 92-88, in exhibition play. Franz Wagner is a rising star in the NBA, who at 6-10 with handles is a matchup problem.
France will have an emotional edge – and two 7-footers in Victor Wembanyama, the NBA rookie of the year, and Rudy Gobert, the four-time NBA defensive player of the year.
Then Greece has that two-time NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Canada has the perimeter talent to compete with Team USA, but lacks the size to deal with Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo. The concern with Canada is they have multiple guys who can hit the 3.
Murray is only averaging 5.7 points on 33.3% shooting in the Olympics, is 1-of-10 from 3, but could have one of those nights.
The same goes for Brooks. He plays with such an edge. If channeled right, he can be dangerous.
Germany, the 2023 FIBA World Cup champions, has one of the world’s best 3-point shooters in Andreas Obst to go along with Wagner, but Dennis Schroder is the X factor.
If he’s on his game, Germany will be an even bigger problem for Team USA. Schroder shot just 3-of-15 in that four-point loss in London.
“I think this is the golden age for Germany,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said on a Zoom media call Sunday. “Their players have come together at the perfect time. A really well-balanced roster. It’s an excellent team.”
Germany and Canada seem like tougher outs than Greece and France for Team USA.
Antetokounmpo just doesn’t have enough help. France has size, but so does Team USA.
Ultimately, this is Team USA’s gold to lose.
Steve Kerr is pushing the right buttons with the lineups despite the criticism for not playing Jayson Tatum in the opener.
James keeps defying age. Durant is being Durant and everyone else is playing their roles.
Oh yeah, Stephen Curry is just 5-of-19 from distance so far in his first Olympic games through three games. He’s just 2-of-12 on 3s in Team USA’s last two games.
He’s going to cook at some point.
If it happens in the gold medal game, it’s a wrap for Team USA.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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Publish date : 2024-08-04 06:44:00
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