It could be just a matter of time before Team USA men’s basketball wins a fifth straight Olympic gold medal.
It looked wobbly and vulnerable during its five exhibition games a few weeks ago, but it won its first two group-play contests fairly handily against Serbia and South Sudan to begin the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the concerns surrounding the team are starting to dissolve.
This iteration of Team USA is stacked with arguably as much talent as ever, and while guard Devin Booker is often the No. 1 option for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, he has been relegated to being more of a supporting player for the United States.
Head coach Steve Kerr praised Booker’s versatility and what he called his adaptability, per Arizona-based broadcaster Blake Niemann.
“He’s probably the guy who’s been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here,” Kerr said. “… That’s why he’s started every game and seems to be good with any combination.”
Steve Kerr discussed Devin Booker’s adaptability from his role with the Suns to Team USA:
“He’s probably been the guy who’s been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here. He’s such a big scorer in the league, but just like in Tokyo, he’s adapted to… pic.twitter.com/91i4L0LcXC
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) August 2, 2024
Booker is one of basketball’s most potent one-on-one scorers, and when he gets into volcano mode, he spews as much lava as any player around.
He averaged 27.1 points per game for the Suns this past season while shooting 49.2 percent from the field, but he also expanded his game by dishing out a career-high 6.9 assists per game.
The Suns don’t have a traditional point guard, and therefore Booker usually masqueraded as one, and though he isn’t a natural facilitator, he did a decent imitation.
In Team USA’s win over South Sudan, he scored a modest 10 points but led the squad with six assists, and in its previous game against Serbia, he put up 12 points with five assists.
The squad will next take on Puerto Rico before moving on to the quarterfinal round to continue its quest for that gold medal.
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