Steve Kerr heaps ultimate praise on ‘most adaptable’ Devin Booker for his contribution to Team USA in Olympics
Steve Kerr is in charge of taking a star-studded Team USA to win the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Golden State Warriors head coach is seeing some of his fierce opponents up close this year. While they're working to reach a common goal, the veteran coach notes the traits that some of his stars have to offer.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has impressed Kerr during the Olympic tournament. Sharing touches with other NBA superstars, Booker has been forced to take a back seat and see others carry Team USA to the promised land.
“He’s probably the guy who has been the most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here," Kerr said. "He’s adapted to being an on-ball guy, ball mover. The offense clicks when he’s out there, the defense is really good.”
In the first two games of the Olympic basketball tournament, Team USA easily defeated Serbia and South Sudan respectively. Two common names have popped up during these games: LA Lakers superstar LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
James and Durant led the team in the first game with 23 and 21 points, respectively. Bam Adebayo led them in scoring against South Sudan, but Durant and James were behind him with 14 and 12 points.
Booker played 26 minutes against Serbia and 20 against South Sudan, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. He's done more than attack the rim. He has become an important factor in Team USA's early success by adapting to different roles, as Steve Kerr notes.
Stephen A. Smith calls out Steve Kerr for benching Team USA player
While he was praising Devin Booker for taking a new role in Team USA, Steve Kerr was criticized by Stephen A. Smith back home. The veteran analyst wasn't a fan of Kerr giving Jayson Tatum zero minutes in the first game of the competition.
“Jayson Tatum ain’t even 28. The man has been to five conference finals, two NBA Finals, first-team All-NBA the last three years, in the process swept [Kevin Durant] one of those years and is the reigning, defending NBA champion who is the second-best player to Kevin Durant in the games in Tokyo and before you even you go for warmups, you letting him know ‘we got 10 players we gonna play before you, we might not get to you.’ Do you have any idea how insulting that is,” Smith said.
It seems like this will be a common practice for Steve Kerr for the rest of the tournament since he didn't give Joel Embiid any minutes to play against South Sudan.