The NBA season is among us, and teams are ready to begin training camp, but the disappointing effort from Team USA this past summer still lingers. Team USA placed fourth in this past summer’s FIBA World Cup, making it two consecutive disappointing appearances in the tournament.
Simply put, the world has caught up, and Team USA isn’t feared like it once was. Fortunately, Lebron James has decided to take matters into his own hands and has begun recruiting the likes of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and more to join him in Paris 2024 for the Olympics, hoping to bring home the gold and assert dominance once again.
Team USA: Respect the game
Team USA used to have an aura; they had an unspoken fear over their opponents. That sentiment has dwindled, and International players are more confident than ever, and for good reason.
Four out of the five starters on the 2023 NBA first team were international players. The last five regular season MVPs have been international players as well. Lastly, Serbia’s finest, Nikola Jokic, led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA Championship and took home the Finals MVP this past year.
The days when Team USA could throw together a roster and sleepwalk into a medal are behind us, and we must respect the international game. As the managing director of Team USA, Grant Hill is at the helm of these decisions, but luckily, he may have the best recruiter of all time in Lebron James to help.
According to Shams Cardania, James is interested in committing to play for Team USA and has already reached out to the likes of Kevin Durant and Steph Curry to join him.
This is the sense of urgency needed to send a well-needed reminder to the rest of the world of what Team USA is capable of when they send their top guys.
Team USA: Learn From their mistakes
It’s always hard to gauge who’s committed to Team USA this early on; injuries, long playoff runs, and contract negotiations all play a role in players’ decisions.
Regardless of who commits, one area needs to be addressed when putting this roster together, and it’s rebounding.
Both Team USA losses were outrebounded by 18 combined, and Lituiainia and Germany dominated the paint. Josh Hart, standing at 6’4, was Team USA’s best rebounder, averaging 5.3 per game, and that won’t get it done.
The top 5 rebounders in the NBA are international players, which showed during the tournament. However, there are American Bigs, like Nicholas Claxton, Evan Mobley, and Mitchell Robinson, who would have made a massive difference in this past Fiba run.
Ideally, James gets a star-studded roster to come to Paris, but they need a few centers that rebound, dunk, and defend to combat the physical style of international play.
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Author: Dre Gibbs
October 3, 2023 | 12:30 pm
