Team USA got the biggest wake-up call at Paris Olympics
Team USA barely scraping past international teams at Paris Olympics should spur them to rethink their process.
Follow Us
Both Team USA men's and women's teams barely won gold at Paris Olympics
Team USA’s quest for gold at the Paris Olympics is complete. Both the men’s and women’s teams ended up reconfirming to the world that they are the best when it comes to basketball. With the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, the world got a taste of what a culmination of superstars can do. That said, the final few games seemed like a wake-up call.
It so happens that they did not win comfortably all throughout. The men were tested in the final two games. Whereas the women’s gold medal game went down to the wire. Leading to a head-scratching moment. Can the USA compete against the rising standards of other nations? The future of both teams cannot be taken lightly, especially with the next Olympics at home in Los Angeles.
It is no longer as easy as throwing together the best players from the NBA and WNBA and expecting them to cruise through. International teams have caught up. On the men’s side, it was evident that other nations have players comparable to the best American players, whereas the women’s game showed that international basketball requires passion and grit.
In both scenarios, one has to take a step back, analyze the situation, and then come up with a plan of action to develop the squad over the years. So that when the time comes, they can continue to say that the USA still rules in basketball. The process has to start with understanding the opposition.
International teams are improving
The women were supposed to have one of the easiest routes to gold. A star-studded team with more than enough firepower to take on any team that comes in its way. However, they were almost embarrassed by a buoyant French team egged on by their home crowd at the Paris Olympics. The French took on a completely different approach against the Americans and were a foot short of creating history.
The French women did not have outstanding players who would give the likes of A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart a run for their money. But instead, they played with passion and physicality that made the Americans sweat throughout the game. The French are only expected to get better and use the motivation from this to play exact revenge. That said, they are not the only ones.
In addition to France, the likes of Australia, Canada and Germany have shown promise. That coupled with a steady flow of good players will help them improve. The same teams are also knocking on the door in the men’s game. Add in Serbia and possibly Japan, and the number of teams vying to dethrone the Americans is only increasing.
Gone are the days when America had the best infrastructure to develop good basketball players. Now international teams have access to the same technology, quality of training, health and nutrition experts etc. Add all that to their burning desire to bring glory to their nation, and one aspect is quite evident – they have players who want to play and forget their egos in the pursuit of bringing glory to their nation.
The old guard embracing the new
The most significant roadblock to any team’s progress is when some of their older players refuse to move on. A situation that is apparent in all forms of sport. Sometimes, such as in the case of the men’s side, it worked in their favor. But at least the trio of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are realistic with regards to their futures.
Therefore, they handed the baton to the younger players who won gold alongside them, imparting the knowledge gained through years of dominating the NBA, showing them that egos need to be set aside for national glory. Therefore, with the likes of Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, Team USA can hope to build a core going forward.
The same cannot be said for the women’s side. The entire sporting world is aware of the fact that Caitlin Clark was snubbed as they preferred to go with their chemistry. But the game against France showed that Clark with her speed and passing could have altered the game. Therefore, they could have brought along the rookie, just to exploit such nuances.
That said, there is another factor that should be a cause for concern. Anthony Edwards declared right after the Paris Olympics that he would only play in future Olympics. That means he will not play in other international basketball tournaments. For Team USA to succeed, he and other such crucial players need to play together in a few games and tournaments prior to the Olympics.
Team USA needs to up their ante on recruiting
Just like Anthony Edwards, Team USA will need to intensify their recruiting with other young players. Now the bonus of wearing the stars and stripes on their jerseys is not enough. Even the players are aware that the pressure will be even more going forward. They definitely would not want to be part of the first team(s) to snap the winning streak.
What that shows is that the respective Team USA selection committees will have to begin recruiting players as soon as possible. One strategy they can employ is to experiment with players during the qualification games ahead of each of the FIBA World Cups.
The women’s one is earlier, in 2026, leaving a gap of two years before the Olympics. That brings a lot of complexity on its own. However, if they can get their projected team playing in 2026, they can at least build a core, who can play their way into the tournament to build chemistry. The men’s side can employ the same strategy. However, they must avoid a blunder like the last FIBA World Cup.
Then when the Olympics are around the corner, they can plug in players who have surged through with their play in their respective leagues. All that said, they should arrange friendlies. Not one month before the Olympics, rather they should have sporadic games a few months earlier. Then only can they gauge their potential and make roster changes if needed.
Make decisions like NBA and WNBA GMs do
Those roster changes are hard to get right. They have to keep in mind the ego of veteran stars and that of the coaches. Speaking about coaches, both Steve Kerr and Cheryl Reeve kicked up a storm with their decisions. For Reeve, it was the blatant disregard for Caitlin Clark. For Kerr, it had more to do with managing the minutes of star players.
Coaches do have the liberty to decide who plays. But Team USA’s selection committee should put their foot down when some decisions look to move away from the ultimate goal. Therefore, coaches need to figure out a way to deploy all their players as per the needs of the game. At the same time, players need to work with everyone on the team, throwing away any preconceived notions.
If the selection committee along with the NBA and WNBA work together towards this goal, Team USA will have a bright future. If they can also manage to grow the game at the same time, that will be an even better outcome. What matters ultimately is national glory and everything else should be secondary.
In case you missed:
- Devin Booker, the ‘unsung MVP’ of Team USA’s Gold medal victory, says coach Steve Kerr
- Steph Curry and LeBron James requested for winning play as Team USA secured Gold medal, according to coach Steve Kerr
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2169 Articles Published)