Team USA is gearing up to clash with Serbia on Thursday in the Olympic semifinals, confident they have a strategy to outplay Nikola Jokic.
Serbia has struggled throughout the competition, losing twice to the United States this summer and barely scraping past Australia in overtime after trailing by 24 points.
Coach Kerr’s Confidence:
Steve Kerr remains hopeful about another victory. “We can’t get complacent just because we’ve beaten them twice,” he warned. “Does Jokic play 40 minutes? What else do they have up their sleeve? We have to be ready for anything.”
Draymond Green doesnโt agree with the opinion that Serbia is the biggest threat to Team USA ๐ฃ๏ธ๐ท๐ธ #Paris2024
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Wearing Down Jokic:
Kerr believes that rotating Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Bam Adebayo will eventually tire Jokic out. “We know we have the advantage in numbers,” he stated.
The American centers have had tough times against Jokic in the NBA, but together they might stand a chance. “He’s obviously hard to guard,” admitted Davis. “But with three bigs rotating, we’ll give him different looks and make it tough for him.”
Fans think this approach could work well.
Davis can guard the perimeter while Embiid matches up physically with Jokic, and Adebayo uses his quickness and versatility. Plus, Team USA has plenty of talented guards to handle Serbia’s other players.
“We’ve got lots of scoring guards,” said Davis. “Our job as bigs is to rebound, block shots, and give second-chance opportunities.”
Embiid’s Redemption:
Joel Embiid faced criticism from Charles Barkley for not being in shape during group stages but proved himself against Brazil in a dominant win.
“You saw it against Puerto Rico and Brazil,” said Davis after beating Brazil by 35 points. “He came ready to play despite boos from the crowd; it energized us.”
Final Preparations:
With their game plan set against Serbia, AD believes everyone knows their role for success. “It’s good we can offer that help,” he said. “Two bigs on the floor bother him; we’ll be ready.”
Embiid echoed this sentiment: โWe want to make sure we’re locked in and follow the plan,โ he emphasized before their next match. โWe’ll do what we’re designed to do.โ
