Steve Kerr warns LeBron James-led Team USA ahead of 'physical' quarterfinal showdown vs. Brazil
The Olympic Men's Basketball quarterfinal round is set with Team USA looking ahead to their meeting with Brazil. In the lead-up, USA Basketball coach Steve Kerr highlighted the physical nature and shotmaking capabilities of Brazil that should be points of emphasis.
The USA handled its business in the group phase of the competition by putting forth double-digit victories against Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico. They continue to inch closer to achieving their goal of bringing home the gold medal to redeem themselves from 2023's fourth-place finish in the FIBA World Cup.
Kerr's comments were shared on X by azcentral.com's Duane Rankin.
"They're very physical," Kerr said. "I think they're the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the tournament. They made 17 threes against Japan, So they got a lot of really good shooters. They just play hard and they compete. ... We have to be ready for their physicality and their shooting. We need to be on edge and ready for them ..."
Despite how impressive Team USA has looked in the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuing to play up to their standard of basketball will be critical in their upcoming matchups.
They are scheduled to face Brazil on Tuesday, Aug.6, at 12:30 p.m. PT.
Draymond Green criticized Team USA's coaching staff for their decision to sit out Jayson Tatum against Serbia
When coach Steve Kerr and the coaching staff decided to sit out Jayson Tatum for the entirety of the game against Serbia, it was met with heavy criticism.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is the latest individual to join the discussion and he was not too pleased with Tatum receiving a DNP-CD, fresh off a championship win. He shared his comments in his latest podcast episode of The Draymond Green Show.
"You don't not play Jayson Tatum," Kerr said. "That man just won an NBA Championship, cover of NBA 2K ... What I don't like about it is, now to me it feels like a covering my tracks, ... oh now Joel [Embiid] is out of the lineup. ... Come out with a rotation and stick with it. These teams aren't good enough to where we're trying to match their lineup. ..."
Kerr backed up his decision as a recurring game plan to sit out certain players to cater to certain lineups and rotations depending on the capabilities of their opponents. However, Green argued that other teams are the ones who are under more pressure to adjust their game plan against Team USA.
Considering the gap in talent level between USA Basketball and other teams, the Warriors forward is not fond of the need to bench a superstar player.