LILLE – It’s a testament to the depth, skill and fearlessness of the US men’s basketball team when it can have the motivation to open the 2024 Olympics. . . with a sinister sixth man.
Well, when this guy coming off the bench is the most sensible scorer of all time in United States history, what else can we expect?
It was more than Kevin Durant, of course. But in the United States’ 110-84 victory over Serbia, he was the star player, impressive on a team he shares with LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
“Phenomenal KD,” James said.
LeBron after his near-triple-double in the opening #Paris2024 in United States! ??
? NBC and Paon pic. twitter. com/fwFmQkEGdS
— NBA (@NBA) July 28, 2024
That is how the alarm sounded in the men’s competition, and it sounded loudly on Sunday, and perhaps that is what we can expect from the Americans, not only in the organization phase, but also next week the circular of the 16th.
Here are takeaways from the opening of the United States Olympics, why it won, and why Jayson Tatum went from being an NBA champion to this one.
1. Kevin Durant seeks revenge
You know who he is. And in case you forgot or didn’t study USA Basketball, he’s the most productive player on Team USA. U. S. in the last 3 Olympic Games.
Make those four, one game for the 2024 Olympics.
The rust from missing all five exhibition games, a handful of practices since camp began three weeks ago because of a calf strain and not wearing a uniform since April 29?It’s just a small factor.
“I’m tired,” he said. “I’m not going to lie to you. “
And from what everyone saw in his last practice, where it seemed like he couldn’t miss it, what he did on Sunday is not surprising.
“He showed why he’s my favorite player of all time,” Edwards said.
So, Durant has just re-established himself as the United States’ strength at the Olympics thanks to some incredible shots. The jump shot just before halftime, on a pass from LeBron?The chef’s kiss.
“He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen in my life, for a guy that size, able to throw the ball so well with athletic movement and fluidity,” said American coach Steve Kerr.
Durant energized the first half by making all of his shots, connecting on all five of his three-pointers and missing his ninth shot.
“And let me tell you,” Durant said of the shot, “it feels great to keep my hands off of me. ” I tried to end the night on a high note.
In a way it was.
“I made it easy,” Kerr said. “He hasn’t calmed down. “
In his 1,061 games played in the NBA, Durant came off the bench only three times. This time, it was similar to an injury and Kerr didn’t have to rush.
Durant will most likely start on Wednesday, but even if he doesn’t?
“I’m in a position to do anything and adapt to anything,” he said.
2. Fastest man is also the oldest
Aside from watching Durant make shot after shot, the most recurring scene from Sunday is LeBron’s ability to beat everyone to the ball, in the room and on the court.
It is said that this year he will be 40 years old.
Once again, LeBron defied all common biological sense and power legislation for 27 minutes. He led the counterattack, pushing the ball and damaging Serbia. His assists discovered his teammates (nine assists), he reached his shooting points (21 points) and outplayed players to the glass (eight rebounds).
He was simply faster than anyone Serbia threw at him.
“He’s scaring the team,” Durant said.
It’s a general functionality forged by LeBron, two decades after his first Olympic appearance. He played the role of soul and starter of this team, as evidenced by two great lobs by Edwards and Anthony Davis.
“LeBron is making his mark on the game in a lot of other ways,” Kerr said. “It’s not just his skills, it’s his excitement, his confidence and the way he instills our team. At 39 years old, she is simply incredible. “
3. The enigma of Embiid continues
Kia’s 2022-23 MVP raises even more questions than his playing point. He was inconsistent, a little reckless and probably wasn’t in the most productive shape or form in exhibition games. Nothing replaced the Olympic opening.
Serbia took a 10-2 lead with Embiid in the starting lineup. The U. S. team had its most productive streak when it was temporarily removed thanks to Kerr.
What happens from here? If Kerr benched Embiid (three fouls, two baskets), it would be admitting a mistake, however, Davis and even Bam Adebayo have looked better since the start of camp. However, Kerr puts them in tandem on the bench.
It’s also very likely that Embiid will be singled out in some other way for the rest of this tournament: He was booed, unsurprisingly, on Sunday because the French don’t forgive or forgive easily.
When Embiid, a dual national, chose to play for the U. S. team instead of France – he said it was for his American-born son – the locals beat him badly, although EmbiidArray, born in Cameroon, has no ties, nor basketball or otherwise. Headquarters in France.
4. Celtic was… Derrick White?
He joined the team at the last minute, but was one of the first players to leave the bench on Sunday. To say White’s rise has skyrocketed meteorically would be an understatement.
There are reasons why Kerr loves her. The Whites do not ask for the ball or the minutes, they adapt perfectly to any formation and their defense is excellent. Five minutes after scoring against Serbia, White had two interceptions and assisted on a rebound.
It’s not just your quick hands, but also your feet like target, that are in the swings and staying in position to make things happen.
He probably means he’s giving Team USA everything they would have gained from Kawhi Leonard, the player he replaced two weeks ago.
5. Tatum on the bench
He went from winning a championship to not playing a single minute in the first Olympic match. This is an unforeseen drop in a month.
The last time Tatum came off the bench was in college, if he ever did. He didn’t stay after the adjustment to confirm.
But Kerr confirmed, “He treated him well. “
It is one of the most complicated conditions in a 12-star team. Or someone might see few minutes or no minutes at all. Davis, for example, did not hesitate to wave his towel at his first Olympic Games in 2012.
In this case, Kerr intended to give some burns to Durant, who had not played a game in almost three months, and came at the expense of Tatum.
“It’s hard in a 40-minute game to play against more than 10 guys,” Kerr said. “I went with the combinations that would make the most sense. It sounds crazy. I thought I was crazy when I saw everything. Jayson is one of the most productive players in the world. I talked to him, he was incredibly professional.
As with everything on this team, Kerr said nothing is permanent and the game can bring something different.
“The key to all this is putting in all the NBA stuff and winning six games,” Kerr said. “He will leave his mark. “
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can email him here, his file here, and follow along with him in X.
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