After losing their game against France (which came after two exhibition losses), Team USA has become a pretty big story
After decades of dominance and excellence, anything less than perfection just doesn’t cut it anymore, and one loss against an inferior opponent already has folks panicking.
Jrue Holiday, who literally just joined the team after being crowned an NBA Champion clapped back at all the chaos, reminding reporters that it was his first day back on the court.
“This is my first day,” said Holiday (via olympics.com). “Literally my first day. This is the first time I’ve been on this stage; you always want to make an impression. I just came out and played as hard as I can. We had a chance… France is a good team. They play very, very well together. They were consistent throughout the whole game.”
We have to keep going; we have to break that barrier. I’m very positive about tonight. France is a good team. I feel we’re getting better every game.”
Middleton is one of three players who just joined the team, with the others including Devin Booker and Khris Middleton. After fighting through multiple rounds of postseason play, it’s no surprise they need a little bit of time to adjust.
Really though, what is wrong with Team USA? Is it chemistry? Is it roster construction? Is it just bad luck?
Whatever the case, they haven’t got much time to figure it out. With the games officially on, there is little room for imperfection at this point.
They have the talent, the depth, and the coaching to get the gold. The only thing stopping them now is execution. We’ll see how they respond.
