As Team USA prepares to take on Brazil in the 2024 Olympic basketball tournament quarterfinals, head coach Steve Kerr implores his star-studded team not to leave any stone unturned. With the competition's format reverting to an NCAA-style knockout round, the stakes are higher than ever before. Kerr has emphasized the importance of being "on edge" and ready for their South American opponents, who are known for their physicality and tenacity on the court.
A physical match-up
Although the Americans were dominant in the group stage, winning by an average of 21 points per game, they can throw all the stats out the window when facing Brazil . Led by veteran guard Marcelinho Huertas and big man Bruno Caboclo, the Brazilians are a tough and gritty team that never backs down from a challenge. Kerr has been studying their aggressive play style and preparing his players for a physical battle.
"They're very physical. I think they're the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the tournament," Kerr shared .
In the world of FIBA basketball, national pride fuels a level of intensity that is unmatched in other leagues. Kerr has stressed to his players the need to match or even surpass Brazil's intensity on both ends of the court. This is the only way they can secure a win and advance to the semifinals.
"They've got a lot of really good shooters, and they just play hard. They compete play after play, so we'll have to be ready for their physicality and their shooting, and we need to be on edge and ready for them because they're not going to back down," the Golden State Warriors coach stated.
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Highly disciplined
Aside from Huertas and Caboclo, Brazil also has former NBA players Cristiano Felicio and Didi Louzada and current Golden State Warriors wingman Gui Santos. Team USA superstar LeBron James, still an athletic marvel at age 39, knows he and the rest of the team cannot take any opponent lightly.
In fact, the NBA's all-time leading scorer admitted to watching as much game film of the Brazilians as possible to get a solid feel for the team's strengths and tendencies.
"I've watched all the games. They're very dedicated to their offensive and defensive systems," "The King" said.
Anything less than a gold medal in this tournament will be deemed a failure for Team USA. With three games under their belt, they have shown promising form. However, with a challenging lineup of opponents ahead, including the likes of Nikola Jokic and Serbia or Australia, if they overcome Brazil, they cannot afford to let their guard down. The stakes are high, and the expectations are even higher.
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