5 Takeaways from Team USA's two consecutive defeats ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Team USA basketball are heading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the standout favorites to secure their fourth consecutive gold medal at the Games. However, if their two exhibition matches against Nigeria at the weekend and Australia on Monday are anything to go by, this will be anything but straight forward.
As usual, the U.S. roster is stacked with NBA All-Star talent and championship experience. However, with a lack of chemistry and an unpredictable defense, they have lost consecutive games for the first time since league players were allowed to represent the national team in 1992.
On Saturday, Team USA fell by three points to Nigeria in what was one of the greatest upsets in basketball history despite its irrelevance. Expecting to face an angry outfit, the Australians came into their matchup with Coach Popovich's side with no fear and instead exposed the U.S.'s defensive weaknesses in the fourth quarter to win 91-83.
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5 things we learned from Team USA's two exhibition losses prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
These losses have left a gray cloud hanging over the national side and have raised questions regarding the adjustments they need to make if they don't want to embarrass themselves at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In this article, we will examine five key takeaways from Team USA's losses and how they can bounce back to re-assert their dominance prior to the tournament starting at the end of the month.
#1 Being favorites comes at a price
It's difficult to play with the favorite tag pinned to your back. Most players in the Team USA setup won't be used to playing under the pressure that the side they are in has to win when they play in the NBA. Yet, when it comes to playing for their national team, nothing short of a gold medal is acceptable.
Every other nation is out to topple the greats. They want to be the team that knocks the U.S. out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and open up the playing field for everybody else. Better yet, they have no expectation of winning when faced with a roster full of All-Star talent and championship winning coaches and they play like it.
This is what Team USA will face this summer and they have already had a taste for it in the opening two exhibition games. Nigeria, in particular, has nothing to lose. Just five years ago in another warmup contest prior to the Olympics in Brazil, they lost to the U.S. by almost 50 points. This time around things will be different, though, and Durant and co. won't just brush their opponents aside in search of the top prize.
#2 Chemistry is going to take time
Despite the wealth of superstars on the Team USA roster, clubbing together a group of players who have limited experience playing with one another or in some cases none at all is undoubtedly a challenge. Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Kevin Love are the only players to have been Olympians before, while Jayson Tatum and Khris Middleton were members of the national team at the 2019 World Cup.
In the 12-man roster, only Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday currently play together in the NBA. Durant and Green spent three seasons together at the Golden State Warriors, while the rest of the side have limited experience of one another's game.
Chemistry and execution are currently holding Team USA back, particularly in the clutch with so many shooters on the team. After their loss to Australia, both Damian Lillard and coach Popovich drew on the inherent disadvantage the US men's team often hark back to - other national teams with a core of NBA players develop chemistry together while growing up through the ranks.
If there are any coaches in basketball, though, who know how to manage egos and bring together styles of play that may not normally fit together, it is Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr.