Team USA once again faced a surprisingly stiff test Monday in their final showcase game before the Paris Olympics, and it has led to some more questions about just how dominant the team might turn out to be.
The USA survived a vigorous challenge from Germany and escaped with a 92-88 victory in Monday’s exhibition, though they once again had to come from behind to do it. This is the second consecutive game the US has had to rally, as they went down to the wire to escape with a win over South Sudan on Saturday.
Those unconvincing results have sparked some worry. ESPN’s Tim Legler said on “NBA Today” Monday that he could see Team USA losing at least once at the Summer Olympics, simply because opposing teams are more well-equipped to play more standard, team-oriented basketball than the Americans are.
"Some of these other international teams … [they] look like more what actual basketball looks like rather than a collection of all-stars." @LegsESPN says he wouldn't be surprised if Team USA lost a game in the Olympics 😳 pic.twitter.com/f645pDAW4J
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 22, 2024
“Some guys, if their careers ended tomorrow, we know they’re in the Hall of Fame. There’s a bunch of other guys on this team that are probably going to end up there as well. They’re used to getting, on a bad night, 20 shots a game,” Legler said of Team USA. “I just think the way that we go about formulating these teams and expect that just because they’ve got more talent and these are household names, we can roll out a ball and they can just go, that’s not the case anymore. Basketball requires a rhythm and a sacrifice and a continuity that is very difficult to find in this amount of time.
“That is why I think that Team USA will be threatened on multiple nights in this tournament. It’s not going to shock me to see them lose. We just mentioned some of the teams — Australia, even — could be a team, because stylistically, it’s so different. … Some of these other international teams that have the top guys, like a Victor Wembanyama, but then everybody else falling into a role, it looks more like what actual basketball looks like rather than a collection of All-Stars. That’s why this is continuing to be a challenge to Team USA to just run through it.”
Legler’s point, essentially, is that it is hard for players who usually occupy a star role to adapt to a more supporting role on a team like the one the USA has assembled. It is not even necessarily that they are not willing to do it — it’s just an unusual challenge that they are unaccustomed to dealing with.
These close exhibitions may wind up benefitting Team USA in that regard. LeBron James sure seems to think so, at least.
