This was a great contribution to the larger discussion about the Jayson Tatum predicament. During these Team USA games, especially during game timeouts, cameras often showed how Lue, Spo, and Few huddled next to Kerr, sometimes with significant animation, as Kerr listened. Kerr is renown for listening to his asst. coaches. As Few describes and implies, Kerr will shield his braintrust by taking all of the blame as if he's the sole author of a controversial decision. Sitting Tatum, et al., was not a sudden decision; it was premeditated, including direct discussion among the braintrust, as well as with Tatum, in advance. They all knew how this was not going to sit lightly with the fantasy curmudgeons. They knew they couldn't expect a mullligan. Meanwhile, their critics tried to make it a feast-on-Kerr fanfest. Well, fun or not, doesn't really matter. Steph saved the day/days.
Well put on Kerr… one of his greatest strengths is what you said. He will take the heat and wear the hate, as long as his guys are protected from it. Always publicly praises his guys, always. And yes, the Tatum thing was matchup based and a group decision between 3 of the best coaches in the world.
Exactly!!! This is not mentioned enough at all!! Do people not consider that Steve brainstormed with Spo, Tai Lu and this coach on all of this? I wish those other coaches would have commented at some point on what went into the decisions that were made.
Seriously, this is the stuff that Steve learned from playing under Phil and Pop. Steve has those zen master moments where he might tell a guy something to motivate them even if he doesn't believe it cause he feels they need to hear it. If his staff has a good idea, he'll listen and try it. Famously, it was a film assistant who suggested that they try starting Iguodala in the 2015 finals and it changed the series. Steve is fine taking heat so that his staff can operate without worrying about what the media thinks. He wouldn't have brought along spo and Lue if he wasn't going to listen to them. You can frown on his basketball decisions, but Steve has always been great at managing personalities. He was maybe the only coach who could've juggled the addition of KD in 2017 and held it together for as long as he did. Steve also knows when to step back and let the players work it out themselves.
This two games is the best ,nice to watch again and again....but if you watch it live ,your adrinalin you have will just make you live again..inspiring and entertaining.
I know the U.S. would like to stay dominant, but even they have to admit, as the talent gap shrinks, the Olympics are becoming more entertaining and meaningful. It now takes greatness to win. Still not like the World Cup with soccer/football, (which has more weight than a league title), but closer to it.
The talent gap has closed. Team USA just won on the backs of OG who'd already been getting the ageism boot by fantasy fans. Does the NBA have US players who can gather to beat Jokic/Bogdanovich or Wemby/Yabusele, or even the next edition of South Sudan? The "catch-up" is done. Many of the top national teams are laden with current and past NBA players. BTW, for the world, where the big guys abide, the Olympics is more signficant than soccer/football, which is still a stepchild sport in the USA.
I agree but there’s a world cup for basketball which is a big deal for all countries except for the Americans apparently. The next olympics the US will be in trouble.
The most any of those teams had was %60 of the talent of the US team the gap maybe have been team work but not talent from any one of the countries.. If you want to combine a few of them it would have been closer to the talent level.
@@zursmith Not to take away closing the gap commentary but I will like to see Team USA have a longer camp or continuity over elongated time with same individuals players then we can really gauge the competitiveness.. I believe teams will put up a fight but won’t a be match not even close.. German and Serbia players synergies was from players who been around each other for while..
we think we want them to join forces because it was so fun to watch, but what if the reason olynpics weremorefun than nba games is because the pace is better when youre alowedto plat D and players dont get freethrows for running into you and tossing the ball up? fiba rules>nba freethrowfest bron rules
KD is kinda of a guy that's good with everything but humbles and adjusted in situations he can't handle. in summary he has the talent the skill set but don't out if the box often
I get that Few has built a good program, Gonzaga has been to a couple national championships, etc. but if you’re adding a college coach is it just me or does it seem like there are quite a few college coaches you’d go after before him?
No not at all. They specifically picked Few because of what he's been able to do in Spokane. To take a Mid Major school and elevate it to the level that he has(single handedly) is literally unheard of!
If I had to guess, they likely took Few for a more specific reason, such as his offensive coaching abilities. You can make a strong case that there are better all-around coaches than Few at the college level, but Kerr, Spoelstra, and Lue check off a lot of other coaching needs. Few definitely needs to win a title to solidify his legacy, but what he's built at a school that small is pretty remarkable (and likely Hall of Fame worthy, title or not). Zags are also fifth amongst all college programs in NBA lottery picks since 2013. Not all those draft picks were five star, one and done freshman either. Of course, the only two all-stars to come out of Gonzaga are John Stockton and Domantas Sabonis, but Zags have helped quite a few players develop into solid NBA role players and many of these guys weren't blue chip recruits. NBA scouts have said before that Few and his staff do an incredible job of preparing players for NBA offenses. Zags have been the most consistent and arguably the best college basketball program on the West Coast for a decade now.
US isn't winning the gold in 2028 1)talent dip 2) we don't play proper team ball (see Serbia) 3) international rules favor the Euros. I hate to say it, but it will almost be an upset if we pull it off.
All those people whining about Tatum not playing can see what the outcome will be when he is actually a player relied upon to get it done when the heavy hitters of Steph, Lebron and KD are no longer playing to shoulder the load when it counts.
lefraud woulda gain mvp even if he had 8 bad games, it's never about whose performences better, it's about who nike invest the most and who bows to the big corps
@@JaySaidy college basketball only is better in attendance atmospheres and no flop calls. also yes march madness makes waaay more ratings then some of the playoff games
Hahahhahahhaha dude think for one second college basketball gets less skilled players then ever before with some going to g league and many other options… but the main point is how??? I played d 1 ball and can’t watch college because when I watch nba the skill level is so great it makes watching cbb hard.. if in avg 4 player out of every college draft will be a good 8 year nba player it’s 2 diff worlds … if you played cbb and are 49 like me now its what it is watching kids play and care less then ever with NIL and transfer? You watch nba and u see a skill level you could never imagine having so that’s why I can’t watch cbb as much as nba
Still should not need a great game from anyone to beat any of those teams .. I think the coaches were star struck and did not know how to manage the team
i doubt it however, LeBalco comes with a lot of political weight behind him. Adam Silver had some unwritten agenda showcasing LBJ. But of course LeBalco would have pouted on the bench.
bron is 40 and is weak against teams w dominant centers. played great at times but ofcourse he neded kd and steph to bail them out. and both kd and steph put on a show. its too badlebron fan media convinced him to leave steph
Yea, this is a fan and media perspective. Players don't view basketball like this. So your list me nothing to players just as a players list, probably means nothing to you
@@dominiquebrown2890 i just saw a video of the kansas city cheifs players being polled on whose the GOAT and Lebron was #1 at 17 votes then Jordan and kobe at 7 votes so I think everyones choosing lebron now
@@Streetdisciple27wat I watch curry did and how he change the game you over hyping lebron over Jordan like that was him hitting them curry shots he got dunk df off or you didn’t see that ?
Kerr is an egalitarian. It's his basketball philosophy. Just because it's was the Olympics, he wasn't going to chance his style until absolutely necessary.
Coach Erik also had Lebron, D-Wade, and Allen when he won. Sure, it helps Kerr to have Curry, but he also brought a better offensive plan for the Warriors that helped Curry become better. Something that former coach Mark Jackson didn't do. They helped each other out for success.
