“So they put the Dream Team together”.
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Except, no, that vision has yet to materialize. Despite being undefeated, Team USA is looking more vulnerable than ever, and from now on, every game is victor takes all. After blowing through the exhibition games and crushing China and Venezuela in the first Olympic matches, Team USA fought off a tough Australian team by 10, then a scrappy Serbia squad and an experienced France team by just three points apiece. “We’ve showed the last three games we can grind it out”.
With the quarterfinals starting on Wednesday, here’s a look at why this might be happening.
After the game, Klay Thompson said in an interview, “We’ll improve, I guarantee it”.
The American gymnast won her fourth gold medal here Tuesday, winning the floor exercise at Rio Olympic Arena. Argentina’s 89-81 victory over the U.S.in the 2004 semifinals in Athens, which eventually led to a gold medal and Team USA’s first and only bronze, is the reason Krzyzewski and others took over USA Basketball and completely revamped the process while making the sport’s founding nation realize it’s no longer the sole superior force in global basketball.
That is just the beginning of the challenges Team USA will have to face if it wants to repeat as gold medal winners as it did back in 2012. While it’s apparent Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins isn’t much of a defender and neither Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony nor Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving are going to lock anybody down, there is too much defensive ability for opponents to continue to shoot 50 percent or better. Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are studs on that end, but both have struggled adapting to the global game and neither are seeing major minutes. “If we do that and play hard, I don’t think we’ll lose”. Irving believes that winning a gold medal at the Olympics is just as important as a NBA Championship, and now he has the opportunity to win both in the same summer.
Each morning here at the Rio Games, I will preview the day’s events to help readers formulate viewing and reading priorities.
It just has to flash its nasty streak. LeBron James, after all, elected to stay home this time around. All of these elements have been lacking for most of the tournament. The team has the luxury of fielding eight world-class players able to ignore their teammates and still find ways to score – something no other team in the world can come close to. The FIBA rules require an adjustment. “The NBA wasn’t really considering global players the way they are now”.
The Americans do, however, remain superior in every facet – except, well, execution and pluck.
“I still think they are the favourites for sure, but after what happened in the last two or three games, yes, there are some doubts”, an National Basketball Association star guard for the San Antonio Spurs, Argentina’s Manu Ginobili said.
The sandbagging and lollygagging must end.
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Despite their troubles, the United States finished on top of Group A with a ideal 5-0 record to run their Olympic winning streak to 22 games and remain favourites to win a third straight gold. Wins by 10 points or less are not normal.
