Jayson Tatum, USA Males’s Basketball Prepared To Defend Gold

The US males’s basketball staff enters the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in a fairly unfamiliar place.

Crew USA, who has gained 15 gold medals in Olympic historical past and journey to Tokyo because the three-time defending gold medalist, has not stomped out the worldwide competitors like earlier groups had. Crew USA completed seventh place on the World Championships in 2018. And most lately, Crew USA misplaced to Nigeria, the identical nation it beat by 83 factors in 2012, and Australia throughout an underwhelming .500 efficiency in Las Vegas.

Does Crew USA boast sufficient expertise to deliver again gold? Nicely, sure. After all it does.

In any case, the 2021 group rosters a bunch of NBA superstars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Inexperienced, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum.

There may be loads of expertise. The problem pertaining to Crew USA is getting that expertise to mesh collectively, to seek out cohesion amongst a star-studded group. It additionally could possibly be a problem for Crew USA to beat its lack of dimension, though the group’s scoring depth is unmatched.

SCHEDULE
(All video games might be held at Saitama Tremendous Enviornment, Japan)

Preliminary Spherical/Group A Play
Sunday vs. France, 8 a.m. ET
Wednesday vs. Iran, 12:40 a.m. ET
July 31: vs. Czech Republic, 8 a.m. ET

*Every group’s first- and second-place groups advance to the knockout spherical together with the 2 greatest third-place finishers. The remaining 4 groups are eradicated after the group stage.

Quarterfinals: Aug. 2 & Aug. 3
Semifinals: Aug. 5
Finals: Aug. 6
Bronze Medal Recreation: Aug. 7

LOCAL TIES
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum might be representing Crew USA. Tatum, 23, defined how he’s trying ahead to his first Olympics. Lately employed Celtics head coach Ime Udoka additionally has been serving to out the teaching employees.

TOUGHEST OPPONENTS
Spain: The Spaniards are legit maybe greatest depicted by the very fact they’re ranked No. 2 within the Worldwide Basketball Federation (FIBA). Spain possesses the dimensions — Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol — that might show a tricky matchup for Crew USA whereas level guard Ricky Rubio is among the many greatest playmakers within the NBA. Spain additionally has the expertise and data on the best way to play Crew USA, who earned an exhibition win over the Spaniards final week.

Australia: The Aussies, No. 3 in FIBA, have by no means gained a medal however got here near profitable bronze in 2016. Australia’s roster incorporates an intensive quantity of NBA gamers with Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, Matisse Thybulle, Dante Exum, Matthew Dellavedova and Josh Inexperienced.

France: It will be considerably shocking if France and Crew USA weren’t the 2 groups to advance out of Group A. It’s a gaggle headlined by Utah Jazz middle Rudy Gobert, however France has loads of different NBA abilities like Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Frank Ntilikina. France completed sixth within the Rio Olympics however might flirt with the medal stand this time round.