Team USA head coach Steve Kerr is turning up the intensity as with official play happening in Paris starting in the next few days, he wants the team to play at their very best. Kerr put the Olympics teams through a strenuous film session and the “most aggressive” practice so far according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN with the opener being Sunday against Serbia.
While there is no doubt that Team USA is filled to the brim with the best talent and is likely to be the winners and take home the gold medal, it does not mean that they can play under 100 percent. Kerr would even emphasize on that point saying that they need to have more effort and energy than in the disappointing outings to Germany and South Sudan, where though they won, there were by marginal standards.
“That's what today is about. It's the reminder. It's time. We're here,” Kerr said via ESPN. “So it's got to be 40 minutes of force and attention and focus, and we can't let teams outplay us effort- and energy-wise like we did the other night against Germany, like we did against South Sudan.”
The Golden State Warriors head coach spoke about Team USA's outings during exhibition play where he even noticed the team “jogging through some possessions.”
“It's literally six games and, watching the tape, we're jogging through some possessions,” Kerr said. “We're not hitting bodies on boxouts. And so it's time. It's time to lock in on that.”
Steve Kerr believes Team USA has “another level” to achieve
The close wins should not be too surprising for most as even with the stupendous talent, they have to find a way to work well with each other where most of the stars are the main players on their own teams in the NBA. Even still, if there is a coach that can do that, it is Kerr who won four champions with Golden State balancing out the top stars on a team like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
“We have another level. I think we have another two levels that we can get to, but it's a collaboration always,” Kerr said. “So we can show the strategic stuff on the tape walk-through. We can show them, ‘Let's do this, let's do that. Let's learn personnel.' We got to know the shooters, know the non-shooters, all that stuff. So that's where we can help them. Where they can help themselves is just effort and energy play after play, after play. This is different.”
Despite competitiveness, it's important to take in moment for Team USA
Still, there is no doubt that it is a time to take in the moment if you are the players on Team USA where they are trying to win gold after a disappointing outing in the FIBA World Cup from 2023 where they just missed out on a bronze medal. One star who is staying “in the moment” is Durant who dealt with an injury, but is back with the squad.
“You tend to just stay in the moment and realize this is a special time,” Durant said. “It's just been cool being around all of these great players and seeing 'em in a different element outside of just being competitors. As teammates, you always got that competitive fire.”
Kerr is also taking it in as he has been a part of other Olympics teams where he predicted that it will be a highlight in any basketball player's life to represent their country. However, he would admit that it would be even better if they were “to win a gold medal.”
“This should be one of the great experiences of our lives. But the best way to make it an incredible experience is to win a gold medal.”
Despite Team USA being stacked, their first matchup will be tough as they go up against Serbia on Sunday led by superstar Nikola Jokic, who some call the the best player in the NBA.
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