The group stage of the Paris Olympics has been a breeze for Team USA's basketball team.
Team USA outscored Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico by 64 points combined, averaging 105.7 points as the best offense in the Olympics so far. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry have led the way as key veterans while Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, and Tyrese Halliburton make up some of the youth on the U.S. roster.
Now in the quarterfinals, they are set to face Brazil on Aug. 6. While they will heavily prepare for that matchup, LeBron James is keeping track of other teams the U.S. should be careful about if they go deeper in the team.
According to The Washington Post's NBA reporter Ben Golliver, James named Canada and Germany as the teams who can compete with Team USA for gold.
A fair statement for James to make. Both Canada and Germany went undefeated in their groups, showcasing the potency they have with the talent on both of their rosters.
Canada has undeniable NBA talent on their team with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Andrew Nembhard, Jamal Murray, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks, and Kelly Olynyk leading the way. They have a solid offense that averages 89 points per game as they have shown they can succeed in close games throughout group play.
On the other hand, Germany has seen Dennis Schroder turn into a star for them after leading them to glory in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. With Franz Wagner and Daniel Theis among others assisting him, the team has shown a consistent offense putting up 89.3 points per game while having a strong defense that has yet to give up 80 points in a contest.
Team USA wouldn't face either of these teams until the gold medal round or, at worst, the bronze medal round. This indicates that James and the team's focus remains the same: going all or nothing when it comes to winning gold.
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