Team USA played its fifth and final exhibition game on Monday before heading off to Paris for the start of the Summer Olympics, and it managed to get past Germany, the team that won last year’s FIBA World Cup, 92-88.
While it has looked impressive at times during its exhibition schedule, it hasn’t really clicked on all cylinders yet.
Some feel the squad will start to play at a higher level once actual Olympic competition begins for it, but others are fearing it will not win the gold medal it seems favored to earn.
Stephen Curry, one of the many established stars and superstars on this year’s version of USA basketball, said the team is beatable and that it hadn’t played its best offensive game yet, per NBA.
“We haven’t played our best offensive game yet.”
Steph Curry after #USABMNT 5th and final exhibition game 👀 pic.twitter.com/rPEw2gQ76O
— NBA (@NBA) July 22, 2024
Team USA has proven it can score effectively in transition off of its defense, but to win in basketball, a team needs to consistently score off of its set offense.
It has gotten clutch performances from some of its big names down the stretch of its exhibition games, but allowing games to remain close during actual competition could be a recipe for disaster.
The NBA has become more of an international league over the last couple of decades, and over the last six seasons, each of its players who have won the regular season MVP have been foreign-born.
Germany stunned the United States in last summer’s World Cup, and even though it will not be sending any big-name stars to Paris, it is a team that could be capable of beating the United States when it matters.
Curry and crew will have to pay attention to detail and play to the top of its potential to bring home another gold medal.
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