The reigning gold medalists are back to defend their crown. Fresh off a grueling win over Serbia, Team USA just garnered a ticket to the finals of the men's basketball tournament in the Olympics. They'll be taking on the hometown team — France basketball — at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. While waiting for the highly-anticipated clash, fans can pass the time by scrolling through this article, as it will be giving out several Team USA predictions for that upcoming finale. Before going there, however, here's a brief recap of their current run.
Once again, the Americans are favored to win it all. How could they not be? The talent in their lineup is unmatched. For most of their campaign, Team USA cruised past their opponents with ease. They topped Group C with a 3-0 record, overwhelming Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico (respectively). Afterward, they sailed through Brazil in the quarterfinals without breaking a sweat. Through their first four games, the lowest winning margin Team USA tallied was 17 points (against South Sudan).
Serbia did give them a scare this past Thursday. In a rematch of their opening game, the Serbs came out firing from deep, holding the lead for most of the game. Things started to get worrisome as the Americans trailed by double-digits to enter the fourth quarter…then the historic comeback occurred. Outscoring their foes 32-15 in the final 10 minutes, Team USA pulled off a stunner over Serbia to set up a gold medal game with France — a rematch of the 2020 Olympics finals.
Now, on to the forecasts.
Stephen Curry scores 15+ points
Stephen Curry's 36-point explosion against Serbia will surely put plenty of attention on him this Saturday. He'll be hounded on defense, most probably by quick-footed defenders such as Matthew Strazel, Andrew Albicy and Isaia Cordinier. Curry will have to work for every basket, but then again, Team USA's coach is none other than Steve Kerr. If there's anyone who knows how to get Curry going, it's him.
Staggered screens and plenty of off-ball movement will give Curry the shots he needs. It'll happen a lot since Team USA will most likely emphasize outside shooting this game. With the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert anchoring the middle for France, Kerr will be inclined to run plays for Curry and his other high-percentage shooters.
The French could try doubling Curry, but that would result in an open man. They surely wouldn't want to see the likes of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, or even Joel Embiid taking an uncontested shot.
LeBron James finishes with a double-double in points and assists
If there's anyone that will have the ball plenty of times in a gold medal match, it's LeBron James. He'll be running the offense, making plays for himself and his team as a point forward.
Wembanyama and Gobert may have height, but James is one the few players in the world who can bulldoze his way to the rim and finish over tall centers. And when LeBron James attacks the paint, a lot of good things happen. For starters, to stop a freight train like LeBron, the defense will have to fully collapse on him. When that happens, it usually results in either a kick-out pass, a drop pass for baseline cutters, or even a lob pass to open bigs. In other words, a drive-and-kick offense gets going, and USA's star-studded roster can easily find their rhythm and convert on good looks.
If the French decide to leave a defender on an island with James, well, good luck to the defender.
At present, James is averaging 14.2 points and 8.2 assists per game in the Olympics. His all-around play will be a focal point for the Americans once again this Saturday.
Kevin Durant leads Team USA in scoring with 20+ points
Time and time again, Kevin Durant has shown that his jump shot-oriented game is a perfect fit for the international stage. As the Olympics' all-time leading scorer, the “Slim Reaper” is practically unstoppable if he doesn't get double-teamed. Whether in a set play or a 1-on-1 iso possession, once Durant fires away, it's most likely game over for the defense.
On Friday, it was reported that Durant will be replacing Jrue Holiday in the first five. He'll likely get more minutes than usual, which means more opportunities for piling up the points on offense. And the French don't exactly have an ideal stopper for Durant either. It's a size mismatch with their guards, and bigs such as Victor Wembanyama, Guerschon Yabusele or Matthias Lessort will have trouble with Durant's craftiness and quickness at the perimeter. Their most viable option is Nicolas Batum, who's quite past his prime at 35 years old.
With another shot at gold as a starter, Durant will most likely lead the team in scoring.
Team USA prevails by no less than 10 points
The French utilize their big men a lot, and will likely be running their offense with post touches for Victor Wembanyama and Guerschon Yabusele. However, they don't match Team USA's overall firepower, especially at the perimeter. Isaia Cordinier and Evan Fournier have been France's top guards offensively, but none of them are exactly go-to scorers
France's offense emphasizes ball movement and reliance on their size as main advantages over opponents. They're also a hard-nosed defensive team, but that can only go so far against Team USA's offensive prowess. The Americans just have too many scorers to be fazed by whatever defensive sets might be thrown their way.
The final prediction? It will be a close game at first, with Team USA experiencing a dogfight in the first two or three quarters at most. However, the Americans will break away late in the game and win the gold medal by double digits.
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