Team USA snagged that gold medal in Paris, but man, it was a nail-biter at times! Serbia and France almost had them on the ropes, but the U.S. squad pulled off some insane fourth-quarter heroics to seal the deal.
Jokic and the Serbian Scare
Let’s talk about Nikola Jokic for a second. The guy’s a beast, plain and simple. Even though Team USA went undefeated in their seven games, they had a couple of close calls with Jokic’s Serbian crew. Jokic, fresh off his third MVP award, had the Americans sweating bullets. I mean, who else could make Team USA look so vulnerable?
And speaking of vulnerabilities, Oscar Robertson didn’t hold back his thoughts on Steve Kerr’s coaching. On the All the Smoke Podcast, he questioned Kerr’s tactics, saying, โThey donโt slide [their feet]! Jokic made a fool out of USA all because that guard didnโt fight through to get to his manโฆ why am I gonna go inside to play through the 7-foot-4 guy and USA kept doing that and Jokic kept scoring bad. What was the coach doing, [Steve] Kerr?โ
Kerr’s Big Man Strategy
Kerr had a plan, though, and it involved throwing big men at Jokic like confetti at a parade. With Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Bam Adebayo in his arsenal, Kerr believed they could wear down the Denver center. โWe know we have the advantage in numbers,โ Kerr confidently stated. But honestly, I think relying too much on size can backfire if you’re not careful.
Here’s a tweet that sums up Jokic’s impact:
Nikola Jokic played a good defensive game vs. Team USA, who looked to put him in almost every two-man action they could. Jokic held up: 4 steals, several deflections in 31 minutes.
Jokic and Serbia did a good job of mostly getting USA to shoot the shots they wanted to give up.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind)
Jokic’s Summer Motivation
After the Olympics, Jokic didn’t just sit around. He reminded everyone during a preseason showdown with the Celtics in Abu Dhabi that playing for Serbia brings out the best in him. “Last time I played for the national team, we won a championship. Maybe that means something, maybe it doesnโt,” he said, with a hint of a smirk. I mean, is there anything this guy can’t do?
His coach, Michael Malone, couldn’t help but gush about Jokic’s performance, even if the Nuggets took an L. โHeโs a great player. You marvel at his greatness. He can beat you with his scoring, playmaking, rebounding, and I thought he had some great defensive moments tonight,โ Malone shared. It’s like watching a maestro conduct an orchestra, and sometimes, you just have to sit back and enjoy the show.
So, what does the future hold for Jokic and Team USA? Will Jokic’s summer hustle translate into another NBA title, or will Team USA tweak their game plan to stay on top? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: the basketball world is in for a wild ride!
