12/8/2023 0 Comments Miami heat roster 2021![]() Wagner can do everything on the floor while standing at 6-foot-10. Germany’s undefeated run to World Cup gold was spearheaded by Dennis Schröder, but the breakout star was Wagner, the third-year Magic forward who missed four FIBA games but starred in four others. risks losing not just the Games, but also its long-held identity as the epicenter of the basketball world.Īnd now, some quick-hit thoughts on the players and teams that did medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup: Franz Wagner Is on the Map If it gets anything less than gold, the U.S. For American players contemplating whether to join the team for next year’s Olympics, the decision now also carries the pressure of reasserting their country’s global standing. Hill’s suitability for roster construction and Kerr’s tactical rigidity will come under scrutiny. That kind of result would necessitate a serious reevaluation of the team’s leadership and philosophy. players, coaches, and executives will need to confront uncomfortable truths about American basketball’s waning dominance. If Team USA fails to take home Paris’s top prize, the U.S. Regardless, gold is far from guaranteed for the United States. Joel Embiid could even join France, though he’s also being recruited by the United States after he gained citizenship last year. International stars who sat out this year’s World Cup, like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jamal Murray, could also potentially represent their countries, further closing the gap of top-end talent between the U.S. Most international teams, some with years of experience coming up together in a system emphasizing teamwork, will have better chemistry than the hastily assembled American squads. to balance the allure of immediate victories with the need for sustainable success, which includes nurturing young talent and adapting to the evolving landscape of international basketball. Relying on veteran talent could yield immediate success but may also be only a stopgap solution that ignores underlying issues. might need its aging stars to carry it to gold is a telling sign of the times. Shams Charania reported today that LeBron James wants to represent Team USA next summer and is recruiting other future Hall of Famers like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant to join him. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, a lackluster performance would add another layer of urgency to the situation. is ceding ground on its claim to basketball dominance. Top players often skip FIBA tournaments, regardless of country, but the U.S. The United States has won only two of the last six FIBA golds, compared with five of the last six Olympics. There are plenty of American players who fit that description, including 2023 team members Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, but this roster had too much redundancy overall. It’s fair to criticize grassroots programs such as AAU for their impact on player development, but it’s inaccurate to claim that Americans universally lack a defensive mindset or willingness to do the game’s grunt work. Instead, it was overloaded with ball-dominant scorers like Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Brandon Ingram. And perhaps, if tryouts were mandated, a more balanced roster could have been assembled. ![]() The responsibility for these decisions falls on the United States brain trust. had plenty of scoring, but it didn’t have much else. While Austin Reaves was being hunted on defense, where were defensive stalwarts like Herb Jones and Jaden McDaniels? Were hustlers like Tari Eason and Immanuel Quickley unavailable? The U.S. just didn’t have enough players who handle the dirty work, limiting lineup diversity. Given the tournament’s emphasis on physicality, it’s strange that Kerr continually trotted out small lineups, including a five-guard lineup in the team’s overtime loss to Canada. When Kessler did get on the floor, he was teamed with Paolo Banchero, another small-ball center option, and Bobby Portis, who is a solid rotation player for the Bucks but inferior to a plethora of American big men who were noticeably absent. ![]() Not that Kessler was going to be a savior anyway, but Kerr didn’t try even a single lineup featuring Kessler and Jackson. Steven Adams fills this role perfectly for the Grizzlies, yet Walker Kessler was the lone traditional center on this year’s team. Jackson is best used as a roaming power forward, seeking to block shots on defense and spacing the floor on offense while a beefier teammate handles the interior work at center. However, it’s been clear for years that he’s essentially a shot-blocking wing in a big man’s body, so he was obviously miscast as USA’s starting center. Jaren Jackson Jr., for instance, was criticized throughout the tournament for his rebounding shortcomings, which is somewhat valid given his 6-foot-11 frame. Team USA Just Wasn’t Good Enough One Offseason Wish for Every NBA Team
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