Team USA might’ve escaped an embarrassing loss against South Sudan. However, their concerning performance at the O2 Arena in London has caused a massive stir in the basketball community. Several analysts and enthusiasts don’t trust the super-team, led by LeBron James, dominating the competition anymore. Stephen A. Smith also pointed out one major department for Steve Kerr’s boys to focus on defending the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.
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There is no doubt that South Sudan deserves all the credit coming their way. However, Team USA’s mere 1-point win has a lot more to do with their failures. Stephen A. Smith pointed out how the lack of efficient 3-point shooting almost resulted in their loss. However, Smith first acknowledged the 19th July encounter by shedding light on the fact that the American side was a 43.5-point favorite, according to ESPN Bet.
Team USA really down 14 at half as 43.5 point favorites pic.twitter.com/lfnUonSOHi
— br_betting (@br_betting) July 20, 2024
“Team USA was favorite by 43 points, won by just 1. And who had to save the day for them? A soon-to-be 40-year-old LeBron James… South Sudan hit about 14/33 from 3-point range, Team USA shot 25%, 7/28. Missed 12 of their first 15 3-point shots,” Smith explained on his YouTube channel.
The ESPN analyst didn’t mince words when claiming that the USA would have a hard time defending their gold medal unless they shot the ball well from the long range.
“They ain’t gonna get it done in the Olympic competition against what’s waiting for them in Paris. If you don’t shoot well from 3-point range, if you don’t hit perimeter shots, you may be in jeopardy of not coming home with the gold. That’s the lesson to take (vs South Sudan),” SAS concluded.
Stephen A. Smith makes a valid point. The three-point shot needs to be improved drastically to retain the gold medal. Several competing nations such as Germany, Serbia, Australia, Canada, and even dark horses like Japan and Puerto Rico have proven to be great three-point shooting nations during the FIBA 2023 World Cup as well as the exhibition games ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
As of now, Team USA is lacking far behind in terms of long-distance shooting. While Kevin Durant’s absence was a huge reason behind the same, sharpshooters such as Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, and Anthony Edwards – combined 6/27 from 3FG in the past two games – need to find their rhythm at the earliest.
