Despite Team USA‘s 5-0 top seed placement in Group A so far these Olympic Games, the team has received criticism when compared to 2012's team. Team USA fans are accustomed to their team obliterating every other country, but this year has been riddled with close encounters with a loss.
“Obviously, everybody wants us to win by a lot of points, but it’s not how it’s going to go this time,” U.S. forward Kevin Durant told USA Today. “We’ve got to be prepared for a grind-out game. We’ve showed the last three games we can grind it out.”
At least the team is able to secure the win at the end of every match. They have put themselves in good position to take the gold, but Hornets small forward Nicolas Batum believes it's not entirely USA's fault for their criticism.
“I know people compare this team to the other team (in 2012),” Batum told Sporting News. “The thing is, other teams improved, too. The basketball world improved, too. You’ve got a lot of guys now, there are the most NBA players (on all national rosters) in the Olympics tournament ever. Guys got better since the last 20 years, and that may be the thing, too.”
Batum certainly makes a good point. Maybe as years and decades go by, we will see a much more balanced Olympic Games take place in the basketball world.
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