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    Is talent the death of Team USA?

    CAMP LEJEUNE , NC, UNITED STATES

    08.18.2016

    Story by Lance Cpl. Sean Berry 

    Marine Corps Installations East       

    Gold might not come as easy as Mike Krzyzewski and the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team thought it would this time around. After close calls with a Tony Parker-less France team and Serbia, they have to realize that talent won’t be enough.
    Even against the scrappy Australia team, it took heroic efforts from Olympic veteran and two-time gold medalist, Carmelo Anthony scoring 31, hitting nine three-pointers en route to becoming the all-time leading scorer in Team USA’s history and the Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard, Kyrie Irving to bring them back after being down at halftime to winning by the score, 98-88 in a game where the game was much closer than the score indicates.
    Certainly you can’t rely on just talent and one-on-one match-ups to win every game, with each international team boasting their own star-studded line-ups full of NBA talent.
    Klay Thompson finally found his touch as ball movement improved, scoring 30 against Serbia in a three-point win. Offense was never a problem for this team, but it’s the U.S. defense that leaves more to be desired.
    Opposing point guards have been having their way in Krzyzewski’s defense, driving to the rim, creating opportunities for their forwards and shooters alike, finishing in traffic with DeAndre Jordan and Demarcus Cousins in the middle.
    This isn’t the usual Tom Thibodeau, assistant coach for USMNT, suffocating defense from Olympics’ prior although they have lock-up defenders up and down the 12-man roster. Which begs to question, even though they are obviously capable of locking up international competition, did they all think this gold medal was going to be given?
    Only two players remain from the 2012 Olympic team, Anthony and Kevin Durant, with Anthony playing in his fourth Olympics. Veteran leadership is not as prominent as it was in the 2008 and 2012 teams.
    If the defense we saw from this team in exhibition play doesn’t show up in the elimination rounds, we could see the men’s national basketball team go home empty handed.
    Coach Krzyzewski and the team have a huge target on their backs as they look to defend two straight gold medals. The road to a third gold isn’t going to be without its bumps along the way.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.18.2016
    Date Posted: 08.19.2016 10:40
    Story ID: 207686
    Location: CAMP LEJEUNE , NC, US

    Web Views: 21
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN