It could possibly be only a matter of time earlier than Staff USA males’s basketball wins a fifth straight Olympic gold medal.
It seemed wobbly and weak throughout its 5 exhibition video games a number of weeks in the past, nevertheless it gained its first two group-play contests pretty handily towards Serbia and South Sudan to start the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the issues surrounding the group are beginning to dissolve.
This iteration of Staff USA is stacked with arguably as a lot expertise as ever, and whereas guard Devin Booker is usually the No. 1 possibility for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, he has been relegated to being extra of a supporting participant for america.
Head coach Steve Kerr praised Booker’s versatility and what he known as his adaptability, per Arizona-based broadcaster Blake Niemann.
“He’s probably the guy who’s been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here,” Kerr mentioned. “… That’s why he’s started every game and seems to be good with any combination.”
Steve Kerr mentioned Devin Booker’s adaptability from his function with the Suns to Staff USA:
“He’s probably been the guy who’s been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here. He’s such a big scorer in the league, but just like in Tokyo, he’s adapted to… pic.twitter.com/91i4L0LcXC
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) August 2, 2024
Booker is one in every of basketball’s most potent one-on-one scorers, and when he will get into volcano mode, he spews as a lot lava as any participant round.
He averaged 27.1 factors per sport for the Suns this previous season whereas capturing 49.2 % from the sphere, however he additionally expanded his sport by shelling out a career-high 6.9 assists per sport.
The Suns don’t have a standard level guard, and due to this fact Booker normally masqueraded as one, and although he isn’t a pure facilitator, he did a good imitation.
In Staff USA’s win over South Sudan, he scored a modest 10 factors however led the squad with six assists, and in its earlier sport towards Serbia, he put up 12 factors with 5 assists.
The squad will subsequent tackle Puerto Rico earlier than shifting on to the quarterfinal spherical to proceed its quest for that gold medal.
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