LeBron James and C0. have once again proven their dominance as Team USA sailed into the semifinals of the Olympics with a 122-87 win over Brazil. This blowout win not only highlighted their offensive capability but also underscored their increasing efficiency on the other side of the court. In a mega-star-heavy team, that is known for its scoring prowess, Steve Kerr has managed to tweak a few roles. Considering the mastermind that he is, the head coach, in the past, has made a mention about the players ‘complementing’ each other.

In the Brazil game, Devin Booker led the scoring with his 18-point contribution, Joel Embiid scored 14 points, Kevin Durant contributed 11 points and broke the all-time scoring record, LeBron James suffered “an inadvertent elbow” in the face but still managed 12 points, and the young leader Anthony Davis scored 13. Good scores for sure, right? We agree too, however, hoops podcaster, Jason Timpf, thinks about the larger picture and the other key cogs of this well-oiled system.

He revealed how Steve Kerr transformed Team USA into a defensive force. “Team USA forced him into 15 turnovers. They blocked seven of their shots. Team USA’s defense has been consistently stifling from the beginning of the exhibition games.” Dream Team 2.0 has allowed only 0.81 per half-court procession, in comparison to France’s Wemby and Gobert, allowing 0.87.

“Team USA has been consistently great defensively. They’re active on the ball, they’re getting deflections, they’re getting good perimeter defense performance even from guys like Devin Booker and Steph Curry who in their careers are not necessarily known as being stifling perimeter guys. they’re super active on the backline, they’re just, they’re just playing really hard on that end of the floor,” Timpf pointed out on Hoops Tonight.

Steve Kerr’s defensive strategy includes prioritizing aggressive on-ball defense, disciplined off-ball movement, and intelligent switching on screens. Well, it’s proven to be the game-changer, allowing Team USA to shut down their opponents like nobody else!

Steve Kerr’s defense-focus strategy has proven the importance of ‘complementing’ talents on the floor, regardless of big names

With the modern-day game constantly evolving, Team USA’s ability to limit opponents from scoring, while maintaining a balance on the offensive end, highlights the ability of the Steve Kerr-led side to control the game. This represents how well the Bay Area mastermind has implemented his strategic focus and discipline, amidst having the biggest hoops superstars in his locker room. However, the constant mix and rotations because of his game-by-game strategy have drawn criticism, despite producing the results.

To which Kerr responded, “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for us to put our five leading scorers on the floor from an NBA season because those guys don’t complement each other well. Just coaching basketball, it’s pretty simple for us, regardless of all the noise.”

Team USA’s prominent pressure disrupted Brazil’s game, resulting in them losing control, giving Dream Team 2.0’s scorers all the advantage. This disruption resulted in turnovers, rushed shots, and overall decreased offensive productivity from their rivals. The ability to contain and control the game through such a defensive strategy gave Team USA a significant edge.

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It’ll be exciting to see what the hoopers will change in their semi-final against Serbia. But one thing is for sure. We cannot doubt their intent. As their most basketball Olympian once said, “It really doesn’t matter who starts. It’s about really who finished the game, who put their impact on the game while they’re in the game,” like the Slim Reaper has been doing coming off the bench all tournament.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger. Do follow us for more exciting news.